Here she is, back in the day (Carrie era), when she was more prominent on our screens:
She's been too long in the movie outfield. There hasn't been much eminent work from her since Out of Sight twelve years ago. Out of sight indeed. But never out of (my) mind. Today's her birthday - her 60th. Can you believe?
Along with another AWOL Nancy (Travis), the elusive Ms. Debra Winger, Kelly Lynch, JoBeth Williams, Melanie Griffith and Daryl Hannah and co., Allen has kept her profile low with TV roles, a few small films here and there and other, non-movie-based, projects which have kept her away from cinemas for long enough....which begs the question: do more men get late career boosts than women? Tarantino dug up Travolta and Forster -and others besides - for nostalgia-fuelled resurrections (Pulp Fiction, Jackie Brown). And Sly, Arnie, Lundgren & co. are back recreating past '80s glories this summer in The Expendables. So, come on, do we need an estrogen-filled collective, alternative comeback for '80s actresses or what? The Indispensables? Let's even out the balance here. Or maybe Kathryn Bigelow should call up Allen's agent to offer a feisty cop role sometime soon. A great match, I'd say.
As a perfect birthday gift, someone needs to award Allen with a plum part in a prominent film. She was great in ex-hubbie De Palma's Dressed to Kill, working streetwalker chic in early '80s NY, and was just as good in his Blow Out, too. She stuck to RoboCop like glue as Peter Weller's* non-Robo cop partner, Officer Anne Lewis (my favourite Allen role), and was of course Carrie's high school-prom nemesis Chris way back in 1976. And there's more in her repertoire than De Palma flicks and future cops.Come on Nance, you work a movie set, fur collar and '80s perm with killer style. Get your glad rags back on and return to our screens post haste. You have been missed.
A big happy birthday to you today, too. Please give us another screen appearance before your 61st. Pretty please.
* in a stroke of Robo-coincidence, it's also Weller's birthday today, too. Many happy returns, Mr Weller. Now both of you, go and make RoboCop 4.
Posts
15 comments:
ooh good post. i agree, a great actress!
I think she's out because she's proud of her career. Particularly when you consider Out of Sight, Blow Out, Carrie and RoboCop. Most actors would kill for a track record for that, even if it is, by a serious standard "frivolous genre entertainment."
sixty???
jeebus, the 80s were a long time ago, weren't they?
'blow out' - great film, completely underrated
Like Maggie Gyllenhal in a blonde wig!
Another 80's star where is christine lahti.
Craig –
I love Nancy Allen. Her soft roll facial features – her iconic face that always reminds you of the Robocop franchise even if you’re watching a movie she made before Robocop you’re still reminded of Robocop because her face is just married to it.
My theatrical experiences with Nancy Allen – I saw Poltergeist III (sacred the shit out of me – even to this day) and theater-hopped into Robocop 2 (didn’t stay for the rest of the feature just that part) exactly where she is following him outside when he goes to electrocute himself and she takes a plank of wood to knock him from the power grid.
I'm going to write a script for Nancy. She's due for a comeback and I want to be a part of it.
@MRRIPLEY: I last saw Christine Lahti doing a multi-episode stint on "L&O: SVU" as ad ADA. Totally misused.
I loved BLOW OUT as a kid, i wonder if that movie holds up.
3rtfu11 - good to see some Nancy love. She's ace in RoboCop, such an undervalued performance. (Strong female cop with opinions!) And Poltergeist III is a much better film than many folk give it credit for. (Great cinematography in it, too.)
Chris - I watched Blow Out fairly recently and it still certainly holds up. One of my favourite De Palma films.
Hello there Craig!! I really loved your article, I run a website for Nancy Allen and eventually she emails me, for a couple of years I had forgotten a little this activity, (real life, work, etc)but on her past birthday I put up a new website with a .com address for her,
www.tributetonancyallen.com
Of course its not finished yet, its still under construction since I dont want to upload the same old content the old website had...
I emailed Nancy and told her about her gift (her new website) and Im waiting for her reply, perhaps you people could start a topic at the forum, so we can call her attention asap :)
cheers
Eva
Eva - thank you. I'll have to check out your site when it's up and running, and link to this discussion. It's great too see Allen get some love these days.
Craig, Nancy has just replied,and told me what has she been up to these days, I have announced it here at the forum, feel free to sign in and comment,
cheers!!
http://www.gandiseeg.com/viewforum.php?f=21
Eva :)
Eva - Thanks for the link. It's great that you got an email from Nancy. I watched the 'sci-fi universe' interview on your site; it was great to hear her talk so eloquently about her work. She's so sweet and unassuming; and I liked hearing her speak about previous roles in Blow Out and Dressed to Kill etc. And she loves the sci-fi genre! She's such a good actress. Thanks for thinking of me with this link.
because she's proud of her career. Particularly when you consider Out of Sight, Blow Out, Carrie and RoboCop
Post a Comment