Madsen

Erik briefly mentioned the passing of Michael Madsen… obviously Madsen’s career is inseparable from Tarantino and consequently how remember Madsen will depend to great extent on how you feel about Tarantino… I myself love Tarantino and so had warm feelings for Madsen. My favorite performances weren’t in Reservoir Dogs (what a scene to have a career built around), but in the second Kill Bill film and in Hateful Eight. In both roles Madsen is surrounded by absurd characters, but grounds the absurdity around him by refusing to partake in festivities. His Trailer Park Bouncer/Samurai is one of the best parts of the second Kill Bill, and his line delivery in response to Kurt Russell in Hateful Eight (“Looks can be deceiving. Christmas with mother is a wonderful thing”) cuts the knees from under Russell’s self-seriousness.

Some more here on how Madsen became typecast.