We all get old. It's a fact that I bemoan daily, as I enter my "coming of middle age" years. Very few of us manage to hang onto our former hotness as we coast into the realm of adult diapers and soft foods. There's nothing we can do about it, but pull out the old pictures and say "Ignore the huge, permed hair and check me out as a size six! Wasn't I hot twenty years ago?"
These kids today know nothing of Christopher Walken, except for the assorted oddball roles for which he is now famous. Sadly, they missed the generation of Smokin' Hot Walken as they were too busy not being born until 1988 or so. Isn't it sad?
I try and watch the Deer Hunter as often as my poor heart can take, which is once every two or three years. Walken is brilliant as Nicky, the doomed boy from a small town who comes to a tragic end in 'nam. He still has the weird, spacey eyes and the tall, lanky frame, but he plays it straight for this role and proves himself to be a most stellar actor. Add a young DeNiro to the mix and you've got a real recipe for unrelenting hotness. Walken is at his most beautiful, even while donning hunting gear and an enormous fur hat of unknown origin.
When I first watched "Pennies from Heaven", I was astounded that Mr. Walken could DANCE so well and oh, my! What a physique! Lean and rippling with sinewy muscle, Chris dances, sings and jumps up onto the bar, where he performs a stip tease at the finale. Clad only in a white tank and boxer shorts, Christopher is a sight for the sorest of eyes.
Even as the scumbag father to Sean Penn in "At Close Range" one can still feel touched by Chris in those verboten places. He is a charismatic demon, able to lure his sons into a life of violent crime without a shred of remorse. Afterward, you reflect on the film and are amazed by his skill and talent as an actor. Not once does he falter in his role and you love to hate him to the very end.
Of course, he is also one of the funniest men on the planet and the "more cowbell!" episode of Saturday Night Live is the stuff of comic legend. It's nice to know that Chris is still relevant after 40-some odd years in the business. Yes, his hotness was fleeting, but he's still one hell of a man.
