Ok the 5 hour long Michael Chekov video.

It's very painful to listen to lol and it's hard to keep yourself awake. But you have to.  Listen only after you finish reading both Chekov books. After that, get ready to win Academy awards. 

And just to recap, after one of the short film that I acted in...the best compliment to me wasn't "You are incredible". It wasn't the strangers coming up to me saying "You are so good". It wasn't the loud applause in the auditorium (that the others films did have =P )
The best compliment is "Is that really you? I couldn't recognise you at all". That to me was the  best compliment. Because when you're in your "Psychological Gesture", you are no longer Jaywood the actor. You become and transform into the character you play. Everything about you becomes unrecognizable. 

Everything the character does that seems illogical and nonsensical is performed with purpose and meaning. There is a reason why YOU (there is no more Your Character..YOU are the character) are standing stark naked on a roof howling at the moon with tears streaming down your face. 


WHEN YOU'RE ON FILM. THAT VERY SECOND YOU APPEAR YOU MUST NOT BE RECOGNIZABLE. 



Watch those 4 clips of Marion Cotillard, John Noble, Geoffrey Rush. DO YOU THINK THEY ARE RECOGNIZABLE? I don't think so.
Do you say "Aahhhhahaha that's Marion Cotillard TRYING to be Edith Piaf"

You DONT say that, when marion appears on screen, you say "THAT'S EDITH PIAF"

THEY BECAME THEIR CHARACTERS.



lol I've polluted this thread with our discussions about acting technique. =P
Let's continue it at my wall. 

Ninpie -> Glad you like Anne Hathaway! 

And in addition to the Marion Cotillard scene, watch this.

Whenever you watch great acting, ask yourself. What am I going to do If i'm supposed to act this out? How am I going to achieve that? Am I going to commit 100%. What will I do differently compared to the actor. These are some questions that always go in my head when I watch incredible acting. lol. 

When the director yells "A.D ARE YOU READY, CAMERAS READY?? SOUND READY?? ACTORS READY??" This is when you must be at your emotional peak...you close your eyes (thats what I do) you might be making sounds (That you can't control), your mind is picturing your body in the psychological gesture, your body might contort into the PG...and 3-2-1 ACTION is when you open your eyes and blow the socks off everyone's feet. 

5 hours O.o lol  I'll watch it though as soon as i finish those books.  I don't mind if it's painful to listen to though as long as I learn something :) Speaking of somebody who is pretty unrecognizable in a lot of roles and really became the character would be Johnny Depp.  I dont know if you've seen his "Inside the Actors Studio"  interview but  he explains why he does that.  He does a great job though.  In that interview he seemed very nervous but I still found it interesting.  

I'll go watch that!

Now watch this.

This is Marion Cotillard. Can you recognise her after watching La Vie En Rose? =P

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OSvlSRBAd7s

Christoph Waltz is a pretty damn good actor

Oh wow, I didn't realize that was Marion until the second video.  I also didnt know she was french.  Christopher Nolan has used her in a few roles and she has done a great job in those parts but Ive never really seen her in anything else besides Contagion until that video.  She did an excellent job too!  I might have to check out some of her movies now.

He's fucking fantastic. Completely forgot about him. Glad you brought him up!

That scene at the beginning of Inglorious Basterds at the milk farm where Waltz slowly, but surely breaks down the farmer until he gives up the people hiding under his floor is one of my all time favourite movie scenes. 

He's just as good in Django, I hope Tarantino keeps giving him parts in in his films.

Sean Connery and Pam Grier.

What do I win?

Actor

Michel j fox
Nicolas cage
Adam sandler

Actress
.... Reece witherspoon