Horror History: Remembering Big Bad BILL PAXTON On His 66th Birthday
Mike Sprague
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On this day in horror history, Bill Paxton was born in Fort Worth, Texas in 1955. Paxton is a legend around these parts for his roles in classics such as Aliens and Near Dark.
Also Read: RIP: Bill Paxton – Aliens and Frailty Star Passes Away at 61
But he is much more than that. his other genre contributions include Mortuary, Brain Dead, Predator 2, The Dark Backward, The Vagrant, Boxing Helena, Future Shock, and Broken Lizard’s Club Dread. His role as Coconut Pete in that last flick is by far the best part of the underrated horror-comedy.
Bill Paxton started off his career with bit parts in classics like Stripes, Commando, and The Terminator. He then stole the show in John Hughes’ Weird Science. From there he starred in films such as Navy SEALs, One False Move, Trespass, and Tombstone.
Then it was the big time for Paxton with roles in major hits such as True Lies, Apollo 13, Twister, and Titanic. Not to mention more recent classics like A Simple Plan, Mighty Joe Young, U-571, Vertical Limit, 2 Guns, Edge of Tomorrow, and Nightcrawler.
Bill Paxton has also been a force on the small screen in shows like Miami Vice, Big Love, Hatfields & McCoys, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., and Training Day. Plus his awesome Tales from the Crypt episode: “People Who Live in Brass Hearses” with Brad Dourif.
For the record, he also starred alongside Thora Birch in the video for Limp Bizkit’s “Eat You Alive.”
But perhaps his greatest accomplishment is directing and starring in the horror-thriller masterpiece Frailty with Matthew McConaughey and Powers Boothe.
Paxton stars as a widowed blue-collar worker who has a revelation one day: he must destroy those revealed to him as demons. He then begins the serial killings of God’s Hand Killer across Texas. But he also has two young sons, the younger idolizes him and believes in the cause. However, his older brother is revolted. Twenty years later, the elder son walks into a police station and confesses.
The film sports a 74% approval rating over on Rotten Tomatoes. The Critics Consensus: Creepy and disturbing, Frailty is well-crafted, low-key horror.
What’s your favorite Bill Paxton movie?
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