The Screen Addict | Paxton

It’s been almost six years, and I am still in complete shock over the sudden death of Bill Paxton.

Paxton was a total badass who always brought something unique to whichever production he was in. Not to mention one of only two actors ever to fight a Terminator, a Xenomorph AND a Yautja (can anyone here name the other?)

Paxton appeared in many of my personal favorites – Trespass (1992), Apollo 13 (1995), A Simple Plan (1998) to name but three – and although I love and remember him most for the four films he made with James Cameron, it’s important to acknowledge that the Texas native has more than 100 screen credits to his name.

One of Paxton’s lesser-known titles is the Neo-Noir One False Move (1992). Based on a screenplay by co-star Billy Bob Thornton, OFM dives head first into the seedy, crime-ridden underbelly of a backwater town somewhere in Arkansas.

Paxton plays the overzealous sheriff who is trying to impress a couple of big-shot detectives from L.A. who are in town to investigate a murder case. Thornton is thoroughly convincing as the vile dope-pusher at the center of the investigation – it’s fun to see how OFM presumably laid the foundation for ASP, in which Paxton and Thornton play brothers.

Ultimately, OFM does feel more like an episode of a random Crime-show – but it’s Paxton’s performance that really elevates it.

What a loss.

To end on a positive note, here’s some additional Paxton-Trivia you might not be aware of.

Shortly after he played the small but memorable role of “Punk Leader” in The Terminator (1984), Paxton actually reteamed with Arnold Schwarzenegger on Commando (1985) – although this time they did not physically share the same scene. Paxton plays the blink-and-you’ll-miss-it part of the Intercept Officer who communicates with Schwarzenegger’s John Matrix over the radio.

Later in his career, Paxton had quite successfully moved towards directing feature-films. Frailty (2001) is an ingeniously crafted Thriller that deserves a larger audience, and The Greatest Game Ever Played (2005) features a pre-fame Shia LaBeouf as a golf prodigy.

I would have loved to see where Paxton would have taken us next.

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Twitter (X): Robin Logjes | The Screen Addict