Okay, so the movie threads are tonnes of fun, how about one for the Hollywood acting elite!  My quick list is as follows:

- Jim Carrey / Adam Sandler, I consider these two virtually interchangeable and avoid anything they do (even their serious "art film" attempts).  There's just something about their smugness (and mugging the camera) that simply doesn't do it for me.

- Michael Caine, even though he has done some decent work I always look at the screen and think "hey, there's Michael Caine".  This inevitably takes away from my viewing experience.

- Jessica Biel, seems to be a favorite right now and yes, she's good looking, however, she almost single handedly destroyed "The Illusionist"!

"We cannot allow a mine shaft gap"

"Every day holds a new beginning and every hour holds the promise of an Invitation to Love." 

Jim Carrey managed to completely ruin The Majestic for me with one single instance of his mugging for the camera. Granted the film isn't spectactular, but it was partially filmed in one of my fave places, so I enjoyed it immensely. Until right at the end, when Jim Carrey's character is giving his big speech to the committee, and it's a great speech and it's all emotional and I'm going "wow, OK. Carrey's sort of impressing me here"...and then he does that smug trademark Jim Carrey face as he's saying the last line of the speech. And I almost f*cking died. It ruined the WHOLE thing. C*cksucker!

Ashton Kutcher. I do NOT get the obsession with him. He could be a total prince of a man and have an IQ of 160 and I would still hate him to the ends of the earth.

Natalie Portman. I know, throw your rotten fruit at me. She was great in The Professional but it's all sort of gone downhill from there. She doesn't do much to convince me that she's anything more than a one-trick pony. I think the closest she's gotten to showing she CAN act is Garden State but I can't really be sure since it was hard to see through the thick blanket of smug that surrounded Zach Braff the entire time.

There are more, but I have a research paper to finish up by midnight. Ugh.

~ Amanda

"Just fear me, love me, do as I say and I will be your slave..."

Nicole Kidman.  She just doesn't do it for me as an actress.  I don't rate her.

James Dean.  I'm not saying he wasn't pretty to look at, but I don't think he was that good an actor.  I know maybe  he didn't have enough time to prove himself, or grow as an actor blah blah blah, but based on the evidence I have seen I don't think he would have got better.

Hugh Grant.  I loved Four Weddings and a Funeral, but practically every film he's been in since that role has seen him playing the same character.  He's too old to be a shy bumbling Englishman now, for God's sake.

On the back of that, Renee Zellwegger.  Bridget Jones?!?!  I don't think so.  She tries so hard to be cutesy and just ends up pulling the most horrendous simpering faces.  Gah. 

My theory by A. Elk, brackets, Miss, brackets. This theory goes as follows and begins now. All brontosauruses are thin at one end, much much thicker in the middle, and then thin again at the far end. That is my theory, it is mine, and it belongs to me, and I own it, and what it is, too.

Ange's Odyssey

Tom Cruise, I can honestly say that only 3 movies of his I enjoyed: Magnolia, Vanilla Sky, Born on the 4th of July.  I remember all my friends in high school getting all nasty over him and I was like "he's not Marlon Brando so I don't care..."

I HATE Gwenyth Paltrow.  I don't know why, I just do.

I agree with the Aston Kutcher dislike...he kind of sucks.

"We cannot allow a mine shaft gap"

I'm always on those gossip websites that mercilessly slam whoever's hot right now.

Always hated Brad Pitt (kind of fugly, imo) and Angelina, both.  I hate anyone I see too much of.
   

Naomi Watts out  acted in Mulholland Drive?! I don't see how anyone could come to that conclusion, she was the performance of Mulholland Dr. She had to do all the heavy lifting, the rest of the cast were just great character actors that were perfectly cast (with the exception of Justin Theroux). Also she really doesn't count as an indie actress anymore.

To contribute to the thread, I definitely agree that Natalie Portman is way overrated. She's kind of likeable somehow, but not a particularly impressive actress. I wouldn't say that everyone loves Tom Cruise anymore though... also I never really cared too much for any of the Wilson brothers, they're mildly amusing but I don't see why directors love them so much. I would say Jim Carrey but I really admire his performances in "The Truman Show" and "Eternal Sunshine".

That god damn trailer's more popular than Uncle's Day in a whorehouse!

Julia Roberts

Tom Cruise

Tony Danza

Sylvester Stallone

Richared Gere

Warren Beatty

melanie griffith, her mom was great in hitchcock's film "the birds" but as for melanie, she sucks!

oh! I see naomi watts is in filming the production of the birds. newer version? like what's his name from the newer film psycho, vince vaughan? my sis's liked him in some dwight yoakam music video.

1. Thank you, Flange for reminding of my intense dislike for Renee Z.

2. I was fine with Naomi in 21 Grams and in pretty much everything else I have seen her. Haven't see Eastern Promises yet.

3. I don't have a problem with Brad Pitt and he has proven he's a good actor (to me at least).

4. Agree with the Jim Carrey stuff including the pro Truman and Sunshine statement.

And Jennifer Lopez, amen!! Never liked her even if I have one of her films which I only bought because it was directed by Lasse Hallstrom and had some finer actors in it.

Richard Gere. Same story. Never saw what the attraction was or any great talent. Melanie Griffith and Kim Basinger fall under this heading as well. 
      

"Every day holds a new beginning and every hour holds the promise of an Invitation to Love." 

My theory by A. Elk, brackets, Miss, brackets. This theory goes as follows and begins now. All brontosauruses are thin at one end, much much thicker in the middle, and then thin again at the far end. That is my theory, it is mine, and it belongs to me, and I own it, and what it is, too.

Ange's Odyssey

Soooo many wonderful selections!  Hard to disagree with many but like Rebel, I'd quibble with the inclusion of my boy Warren Beatty.  Don't hate him just because he once the most beautiful man in Hollywood, Rob! Bonnie and Clyde, Shampoo, Reds, Ishtar (!).  But seriously... he really doesn't act much any more so he may agree with you.  But oh man, back in the day, he made Brad Pitt look shabby. 

This one's for you, Rebel! 

Remember that around this time, Richard Beymer and Warren Beatty were competing for the same roles, which is an interesting side angle.

And Paris Hilton... 

Paris Hilton. She's done absolutely NOTHING to deserve her fame, unless you count being filthy stinking rich and slutty as positive traits, and she's not even that attractive.

Well, she isn't an actress, is she?  Although she's widely photographed and always on magazine covers, I'm not sure it's because everybody loves her. Not her fault she was born into a family fortune but it is several generation removed from Conrad's original fortune.  Many children of the rich do not figure out how to make a living.  Whaddever else you say, Paris makes a tidy sum on her own.  On certain angles, you can see the face that she will become in a decade or so when she blends in with the other ladies who lunch in Beverly Hills.  But she's got a good body going on.  Pretty skin. And the girl knows how to dress!  She rarely picks a bad outfit.  Wouldn't you agree, Flangie, my fashion critiquing partner?  I'm not saying I loves the Paris; but I can't work up a frenzy of rancor against her either.  She doesn't seem that offensive to me.

Notice I didn't comment on the slutty part? 

Susan 

     
“Half a truth is often a great lie.”

Ben Franklin

Milo Ventimiglia on Heroes is starting to get on my nerves. I think he can be a good actor, but his role isn't the most interesting and/or fascinating only because he was cast as the lead actor of the series!

Okay, maybe I chose an example that is not very suitable, because the poor (well, maybe not that poor...) guy is still very young and still has no really important titles under his name that will convince me he wants to be a star and knock everyone else down... so I'm giving him some other chances for redemption.

About Natalie Portman I absolutely disagree! I mean, I know everyone hates her, but maybe it's just shame to admit she's a little living miracle because she's been around since she was a a little girl and she did some incredibile perfomances for someone unexperienced like her. Check Milos Forman's Goya's Ghosts and of course Mike Nichols' Closer, which I'm ready to bet that everyone else here is ready to smash, but she was the star of the movie and really meant it. It was a pleasure for the eye and the soul and I'm glad the movie revolves basically all around her, because she made it right.

However, here's the one I hate the most:  Keanu Reeves. I mean, he's just unbearable to watch on the screen. He started pissing me off even with his earlier works, like Coppola's Dracula.

"Did they scoff the whole damn Smörgåsbord?" (Audrey) 

"Gimme a donut!" (Coop)

Gawd, I love this photo!

     
“Half a truth is often a great lie.”

Ben Franklin

Someone here smells cheese???

(Sorry I had to say some lynchian line to give some cadence) 

"Did they scoff the whole damn Smörgåsbord?" (Audrey) 

"Gimme a donut!" (Coop)