I was saddened to hear that Burt Reynolds died today at age 82. He was most famous for "Smokey & the Bandit". However before he got piegenholed in dipshit comedies he had done some serious acting. He was excellent in "Deliverance" as the macho leader of a group of businessmen that run afoul of nasty hillbillies. He also played a "Dirty Harry" type detective opposite Catherine Denevue in "Hustle". And who can forget "Gator" McLuskey-the booze runnin, motor gunnin' convict who goes after the corrupt sheriff who killed his brother. Of course "Smokey and the Bandit" out-grossed everything but "Star Wars" in 1977. Somehow he got piegenholed in that "Good Ole Boy" persona-and it served him well-"Hooper" and the Cannonball Run movies were hits. It seemed like anytime he tried to do anything serious-the critics would gripe and say he should stick to lightweight comedies. I thought he did some great work in the '80's-"Sharky's Machine"-him and Clint Eastwood joked-"Dirty Harry" goes to Atlanta". I loved "Malone" where he played an ex-CIA operative who runs afoul of white supremacists in a small Oregon town. "Heat" where he played a Vegas bodyguard with a gambling problem that has trouble with a mobster's son who brutally beat a hooker friend of his. This was re-made and re-named "Wild Card" with Jason Statham and it was awful. Burt's version is much better. I liked Physical Evidence where he was a cop accused of murdering a suspect. The uber-sexy Theresa Russel was his attorney who lived with spoiled yuppie stockbroker Ted Mc Ginley. Best line ever-Theresa and Burt are arguing about the case and McGinley comes in and interrupts them. Burt asks-"Is this His Gucciness?" Sadly-none of those were big hits and he was stuck doing dumb stuff like "The best little whorehouse in Texas" and "Stroker Ace". In the '90's he had a hit TV show playing a football coach on the comedy "Evening Shade". He had a renaissance of sorts playing a Porn Director in "Boogie Nights" and the owner of a Formula 1 team opposite Sylvester Stallone in "Driven". Anyhow-he was a good actor and a nice person and he will be sorely missed. May he rest in Valhalla!! Mastermind
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