TOM SIZEMORE appreciation and pity thread

Tom Sizemore has been one of my most favorite actors for as long as I've been into movies. I am the author of his IMDB bio, and have seen him in dozens of films big and small. I think he has the potential to be one of the best character actors out there, he's immensely talented with a ton of potential.

And unfortunately, a self-destructive streak about 20 miles wide.

His ludicrous troubles with the law and becoming the stuff of legend, and a look at his upcoming filmography reads like Michael Dudikoff's; not good. Despite his talents, Hollywood I am sure cannot afford to insure him, and probably doesn't want to put up with his antics anyway. For the uninformed, Sizemore was a heroin addict back in the early to mid 90s, despite some stellar work. Robert Deniro, a friend from "Guilty by Suspicion" and "Heat"m showed up at his doorstep with Sizemore's mother and demanded he get sober. He did, as it was also a condition to star in "Saving Private Ryan", and did some of the best work of his career. Until 2002 when he went to shit. His former girlfriend Heidi Flass the madam, charge him with beating her, terrorizing her, and all sorts of other charming behavior. Another woman charged the same. He was apparently back into drugs, as he has been failing tests for years it seems, and is narrowly avoiding jail time though he seems bound and determined to go there. He broke down on Primetime, and is generally acting like a psycho.

And let's not forget my favorite. Sizemore failed one of his drug tests when they discovered he was using a prosthetic penis. Now that's the kind of bad boy Hollywood shit I like!

Unfortunately, I fear his best is behind him, which is a shame. "Heat" and "Saving Private Ryan" will probably be his most famous films in his obituary, but he was equally awesome in "Black Hawk Down" and "Bringing Out the Dead". He did smaller films too, like "Devil in a Blue Dress", "True Romance", "Natural Born Killers", and did a killer Gotti performance in "Witness to the Mob". And let's not forget "Paparazzi", containing some of Tom's most infamously insane dialogue ever.

Tom, if you're out there, your fans miss you. We'd like to see you do some good movies again, and for God's sake, show up to court once in a while and check yourself into rehab. You are the leading contender to the hardass throne of oldiers like Lee Marvin, Charles Bronson, James Coburn, and the rest. Without you, where have all the badasses gone. I still remember when you leaned over in the cafe in "Heat" and gave that trucker the look of death. You can be that good again.

Oh....my.....God.

That is one of the oddest, most disturbing, yet hilarious things I have ever seen.

Let's put this in perspective one more time. The man in that video used to star in films directed by Michael Mann, Martin Scorsese, Oliver Stone, Steven Spielberg, and Ridley Scott.

Yeah, I've been hoping for that for a while too. I'm sort of surprised he hasn't turned up in one of Tarantino's films yet, but maybe that's okay, because if anyone can give him a kickass comeback, it's QT.

I liked his Bat Masterson in "Wyatt Earp" too. And his Earl was about the only enjoyable part of "Pearl Harbor".

I was so hoping someone would post that video for all to see. I heard about the reality show too, which sadly, I would probably watch out of morbid curiosity.

The sad thing to me is that our whole perception of him is shifting. It used to be "damn, Tom Sizemore's on drugs and isn't in any good movies anymore", and now its "look at how absolutely batshit insane and stupid Tom Sizemore is". It gets harder to remember that he can actually be a great actor, which is a shame.

I liked him in "The Relic" too.

Exactly guys. I mean, he's worked with the very very best, and now look at him. Look at his filmography. It's depressing to see what he has coming out.

"Robbery Homicide Division" is when it all started, and I hate that. I loved that show, it was so good. Smart, beautifully shot, a cast of Mann regulars, and a much more real, unsentimental take on the network cop drama than the "Law and Order" shows. Definitely more akin to "The Wire" and what not. I was so pissed when that show got cancelled, largely because Sizemore went to jail.

It really has been a rapid decline. I'd like to think that in a few years he could be back on his feet though.

I almost mentioned "Witness Protection" too. A very gopd performance. And I really enjoyed his scenery chewing mob boss in "Enemy of the State" too. I sort of enjoyed "Hustle" about Pete Rose, but the film was just so one-sided in its depiction of Rose as the villain that Sizemore didn't have a ton to work with. I actually think he was the perfect actor to cast, but it turned into a missed opportunity. Still, it's the last good work he's done.

Oh man, "Ticker" is like the only movie in years I ever turned off halfway through. It was so godawful, and it was actually during his good period. I was stunned. A major disappointment. Nas's acting still gives me nightmares. Mos Def he is not. He's nowhere even near Snoop Dogg.

But you are right on the career advice. HBO is where he needs to go when, or if, he gets clean. A supporting turn on something like "The Wire" or "Deadwood", or maybe even a show of his own. That would be a good way to patch his reputation. But really, you hir it on the head. He has a resume including the very best directors of the last few decades. Now look at him.

Yeah, the Pete Rose wig was amazingly terrible. Thing is, when he got the spikey, "I'm going to jail" haircut Rose had in the late 80s early 90s, Sizemore looked dead on. The more I think about it, the more perfect I think he was for that part given both he and Rose's almost Shakespearean drive self-destruction.

I saw "Witness to the Mob". It was actually very good, except for the reasons you mentioned. I think that tilt to the material became even worse when you had Sizemore, at the peak of his game, playing a very charismatic and watchable John Gotti to freaking Nicolas Turturro, one of the lamest, charisme-less guys of all time, as Sammy the Bull.

From the review I read, no, Bobby D does not show up. But apparently there is a ton of Tom giving rim jobs to hookers, him rolling around on the floor like a baby, lots of drug-fueled ramblings, and one of the most hilarious and disturbing O-faces I think the world could ever hope to see.

Robert Downey Jr. is a good example. He pretty much screwed himself for a while, but has started to really bounce back over the last few years. Thing is, he did it almost entirely on the fact that he's a great actor, nothing more. Sizemore has the talent, which sets him apart from other disastrous falling stars. So if he gets clean, he's good enough to warrant a comeback.

"Black Hawk Down" was his last truly great performance. I become more and more fond of his turn in "Bringing Out the Dead" with each viewing too. When talking about his ambulance.

"I have tried to kill her, but she will not die. I respect that."

I always liked how he had sort of slipped into that over-the-top hardass soldier character type, just for a new generation of war films. I mean, he was that guy for a while. I can tell you from experience, Sizemore is like the favorite of Army guys after "Saving Private Ryan" and "Black Hawk Down". He does some crazy stuff, and makes it feel real and believable. I love when he gets shot in the ass in SPR and just throws his helmet at the guy screaming "Motherfucker!". I've now met guys like that. And "Black Hawk Down" too.

"Colonel they're shooting at us!"
"Well shoot back!"

"But Colonel I'm shot!"
"We're all shot!"

There's not many actors who could believably stride through that battlefield standing tall while everyone else ducks behind cover. Sizemore made that seem possible. I miss the guy.

Okay, an update on the man's status.

A few months ago I tuned in to his hour-long confessional on that Donny Deutch show on CNBC. It was actually very good. He was humbled, took full responsibility for everything, and was immensely forthcoming on all his fuck-ups. He pretty much laid it out, and cried when talking about how far he'd fallen and how painful it is to see clips from stuff like "Heat" (cited as his favorite, which pleased me) and see where he is now.

At that time he had been clean for a couple months and was in a rigorous rehab program, and honestly, he seemed much better. His upcoming filmography is starting to look a wee bit more respectable, though still a far cry from where he was. Like decent DTV instead of godawful DTV. But then there's this today, from IMDB:

Sizemore Gets Own Reality Show


At least it looks to be more of a mea culpa and a serious show, not the sort of Gary Busey crazy fest that I think they were originally batting around. Let's hope that a sane, hard-working image helps get him back in the good graces of Hollywood.

Dude, where are you watching this? I've been looking everywhere for downloads, tapes, something. I loved the show and really wish they'd just give us a bare bones DVD release.