Christopher Walken: From Loony to Lovable

Fox News ^ | 11 June 2004 | Douglas J. Rowe

[RightOnTheLeftCoast]

Christopher Walken Turns Lovable?

Friday, June 11, 2004

By Douglas J. Rowe

NEW YORK — In "The Stepford Wives," Christopher Walken (search) plays the town's foremost upstanding citizen -- a leader among men (who have turned their wives into fawning slaves).

"I was kind of the mayor of Stepford," he says, smiling.

There's a touch of evil in his character, like so many of Walken's roles. But, gradually, we're starting to see his on-screen characters go from loony to more lovable.

"Actors are fortunate if people want them, for whatever reason," Walken told The Associated Press during a recent interview.

[snip]

Finally, he's "conservative" in his life.

"I believe in saving money. I believe in having a house. I believe in keeping things clean. I believe in exercising," he says. "Slow and steady is a very good thing for me. It works for me."

[bvw]

Walken, Colonel and Continental. or Coloniel and Continential. Whatever.

[solitas]

cowbell sketch

[The Scourge of Yazid]

Okay, thanks for the help.

You know, I didn't get that joke until midway through the transcript, though I was laughing my head off for the rest of the page!

The thing is, when you're not listening to the dialogue, it's a bit harder. You have to consciously pronounce the word Colonel (Kern-al) in a Southern twang.

It's unfortunate that I don't get a reception for NBC, though I'm glad I had the chance to read that sketch.

Hilarious!

[3catsanadog]

Who can't love a man who tapdanced in a popular music video.

[3catsanadog]

Forgive me for being a dunce, but I still don't get the cowbell joke.

[LoveBushLongTime]

I love that skit!!! It's on the Best of SNL: Will Ferrell dvd. I laughed until I literally fell off the bed. LOL

[LoudRepublicangirl]

I loved that Cowbell skit! I can't listen to Don't Fear the Reaper without thinking about it and laughing now.

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

LOL I remember the Blue Oyster Cult skit too. Hilarious.

[LoudRepublicangirl]

I was attending one of my daughter's band practices and the director asked me what I thought of the band's sound-I told him he couldn't go wrong with more cowbell. Some of the kid's got it and started laughing.

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

Forgive me for being a dunce, but I still don't get the cowbell joke.

SNL did a VH1 Behind The Music skit on the Blue Oyster Cult song "Don't fear the Reaper." You know that cowbell that's in the song? The "group" were arguing if it should be in there, and Walken was playing a promoter.

[LoudRepublicangirl]

Forgive me for being a dunce, but I still don't get the cowbell joke.



Rent out the below mentioned DVD and watch the skit. It's not something that can be described. You have to experience it to understand it. Hope that helps.

[Finny]

He was superb as Hal Weissman, a completely burnt-out hippie/crazed legendary movie producer who works out of Ted Kazinsky's cabin (which he had relocated to his posh backyard) with "Go Ask Alice" playing in the background, in "America's Sweethearts." It's worth watching the movie for him alone -- he even gets in some dancing! He's hilarious in it. I adore Christopher Walken, and really like his philosophy of life. Whatta guy.

[LoudRepublicangirl]

There is something likable about him. I'm not quite sure what it is. I use to freak out over his eyes but he has great comedic talent.

[dread78645]

cool site.

"At lunch.. you're gonna treat yourself to a vanilla ice cream.. you're gonna eat it too fast.. you're gonna get an ice cream headache.. it's gonna hurt.. real bad.. right.. [ touches the middle of his forehead ] ..here.. for eight, nine seconds..

[Norman Arbuthnot]

I'd think twice before accepting a gift wristwatch from the guy

LOL!!

I take it you are referring to Walken's memorable character in Pulp Fiction, Vietnam War Vet, Air Force Captain Koons, when he addressed Bruce Willis's character as a young boy.

Captain Koons: The way your dad looked at it, this watch was your birthright. He'd be damned if any of the slopes were gonna get their greasy yellow hands on his boy's birthright. So he hid it in the one place he knew he could hide something: his ass. Five long years, he wore this watch up his ass. Then when he died of dysentery, he gave me the watch. I hid this uncomfortable piece of metal up my ass for two years. Then, after seven years, I was sent home to my family. And now, little man, I give the watch to you.

[The Scourge of Yazid]

Don't worry about it.

It's really something that you had to see in order to fully grasp. Then again, there were probably a lot of people who watched the sketch live and were still not amused.

It basically revolved around a studio session with Blue Oyster Cult, as they recorded their classic hit: "Don't Fear The Reaper."

Walken played their manager, who was insistent that the band include Will Ferall's eccentric character-who happened to play the cowbell-during those extensive bass guitar/drum solos you hear during the song's chorus.

The sketch was so hilarious that Chris Parnell, Horatio Sanz and Will Ferall-and perhaps even Christopher Walken, though I don't remember precisely-nearly broke character during the skit.

[pageonetoo]

...Who can't love a man who tapdanced in a popular music video.

see it here: http://www.astralwerks.com/fbs/woc/

[pageonetoo]

...Who can't love a man who tapdanced in a popular music video.

see it here: http://www.astralwerks.com/fbs/woc/

[SuziQ]

She said " I want a President this year who's elected, Not assigned".

I hope that means that when Dubya gets at least 55% on his own, so that Kerry wouldn't have won even if Nader had NOT been in the race, that she and her ilk will SHUT THE HELL UP!
I won't hold my breath waiting for them to do that.

[Long Cut]

Let's not forget this one...

He was a bit miscast in that one, but still turned in a fine performance, along with Tom Berenger. The appearance by Ed "Al Bundy" O'Neill was a standout, too.