James Woods turns 64 next month and MGM is celebrating with a mini-festival of some of Wood’s best moments on celluloid.
While the jury is still out on whether Woods can act, it’s fairly certain that he doesn’t need to act. All James Woods needs to be is James Woods and, let me tell you, nobody does that better than him. His motor-mouthed, acid-tongued spiel is tremendously entertaining and often the best part of whatever movie he happens to be in.
He is well known for playing characters with dark undercurrents like killers, gangsters and morally ambiguous cops. His most famous roles to date include Byron De La Beckwith in Ghosts of Mississippi, Lester Diamond in Casino, Max in Once Upon a Time in America and Hades in Hercules. He also was hilarious playing an amplified version of himself in an episode of Entourage.
Be sure to check out these films on Top TV in April.
Cop (1989), April 18 at 9pm:
Hollywood police detective Lloyd Hopkins (Woods) is stripped of his badge and gun, but he still pursues a killer no one thinks exists.
By uncovering a secret hidden in a high-school yearbook, he pieces together seemingly unrelated clues to expose crimes dating back two decades. Lesley Ann Warren co-stars.
The Boost (1988), April 19 at 9pm:
A real estate developer who enjoyed short-lived success seeks to regain his edge by using cocaine, but takes himself to new lows as he gets lost in the downward spiral of drug addiction. Stars Woods and Sean Young. Fun fact: In 1988, Woods sued Young for $2 million, accusing her of stalking him. Young later countered that he had over-reacted after she had spurned his advances on set. The suit was settled out of court in 1989 when Woods paid Young $250 000.
Dirty Pictures (2000), April 20 at 9pm:
A fact-based movie about Cincinnati museum director Dennis Barrie, who went on trial in 1990 for exhibiting sadomasochistic photographs taken by Robert Mapplethorpe. Woods was nominated for a Golden Globe Best Actor for the role. The film won Golden Globe Winner for Best Made for TV Movie.
l These films can be seen on Top TV on MGM (Channel 113).