18 Mediocre Movies Made Better by Steve Buscemi's Presence
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Without Steve Buscemi, Billy Madison would be a fine flick for a stoned Saturday afternoon or an insomnia-induced late night rewatch. However, in the film Buscemi portrays a man who was bullied as a kid and is preparing to take some next-level revenge on his tormenters of yesteryear when Madison calls to apologize to him for the years of torture. Buscemi's performance adds a level of pathos and depth to this film that is rarely, if ever, found in an Adam Sandler comedy.
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Airheads, the 1994 movie about a band that takes a radio station hostage in order to get their demo played on the air, is one of those classic comedies that was played ad nauseam on Comedy Central in the late 90s and early 2000s. While the film features kings of comedy Adam Sandler, Chris Farley, and Brendan Fraser and is silly to the point of ridiculousness, Steve Buscemi bites into the character of a sex-obsessed bass player like he's paying homage to William Shakespeare himself in Hamlet.
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Crazily enough, Steve Buscemi figures prominently into John Carpenter's 1996 flop of a follow-up to the glorious Escape from New York (1981). Everyone in the film is on board with the ridiculous rehashing of the first film, but despite Kurt Russell and his gravely voice starring as Snake Plissken, the film just doesn't work. Thank goodness for Buscemi's crazy eyes as Map to the Stars Eddie.
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Steve Buscemi as the oil rigger/astronaut who completely loses his mind once he gets to space is genuinely the only reason to watch Armageddon. That sweet Aerosmith tune doesn't hurt either.
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Living in Oblivion is a '90s indie movie about making a '90s indie movie, complete with the a cast and crew that manages to form a sort of love pentadecagon over the course of one day. Yes, it's as insufferable as it sounds. Still, Buscemi, as director Nick Reve, makes it work by leaning into every trope about the independent auteur.
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Youth in Revolt is fine. Really! It's just okay! But any time Steve Buscemi is on screen as Michael Cera's square yet super sexy dad, things get magical.
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For all the heat this movie took for being a complete mess, the one thing the critics forget to mention is that Steve Buscemi is an absolute treasure in this film. Any movie that stars Buscemi as a bedazzled and rhinestone-covered childhood magician-turned-Las Vegas act is worth a watch. If only there were a way to edit everyone else from the movie so viewers could just focus on Steve.
- #578 of 703 onThe All-Time Greatest Comedy Films
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What's meant to be a satire of the Hollywood scene and a deconstruction of male friendship mostly falls flat in Delirious, but Buscemi's turn as a bespectacled and conflicted paparazzo is worth a watch.
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Despite having a really great cast at its disposal—including John Cusack, Billy Bob Thornton, and Ethan Hawke, Floundering fails to be anything beyond a vehicle for Buscemi to try on the laid-back philosopher role for once.
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The Impostors was meant to be a joyous throwback to the madcap era of films like Some Like It Hot, but the only fun character in the film is Buscemi's sad sack portrayal of Happy Frank, who spends most of his time on screen drinking and doing his best to bum everyone out.
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28 Days stars Sandra Bullock as a newspaper columnist and alcoholic who is forced to go to rehab for, you guessed it, 28 days. While the film itself might drive one to drink, Steve Buscemi injects a sense of longing and complexity into the role of a recovering addict turned drug counselor, providing a gravitas that is rare for a 2000 comedy-drama.
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Domestic Disturbance is basically a Lifetime movie with an A-list cast. While John Travolta and Vince Vaughn do their best to chew the scenery in this evil stepfather thriller, Steve Buscemi brings his A-game to the screen as mysterious stranger Ray Coleman, a refreshingly dark role for the actor.
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How does a filmmaker take a jumbled crime caper flick to the next level? Call Steve Buscemi, of course! Even when he is playing the bit part of an unhinged thug, Buscemi seems to be able to raise the bar of any film he's in.
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Buscemi, with his characteristic voice and expressive baby blues, stars in this film as an ex-gambler who's trying to get his life back together but is lured back into the city of sin. If nothing else, Saint John of Las Vegas is a great excuse to watch Steve Buscemi for an hour and 25 minutes.
Things to Do in Denver When You're Dead is one of many Pulp Fiction knock-offs that permeated the independent film world in the 1990s, but the one great thing the film does is give Buscemi a chance to shine as Mr. Shhh, a mostly unstoppable contract killer.
After Miller's Crossing, the 90s were awash with boring, moody gangster films, and Billy Bathgate takes the cake. If it weren't for Steve Buscemi's few intense scenes, this entire movie would be a waste of time.
The Island may be a pretty run-of-the-mill sci-fi action film, but Steve Buscemi's turn as a friendly scientist makes the film feel like it's trying to be something better.
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In the 1990s Steve Buscemi popped up in a lot of insane movies, but this faux Hong Kong action thriller starring Sean Connery features Buscemi as a reporter who just hates cops. This part is prime 90s Buscemi.
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