Jeff Goldblum is an exceedingly unlikely movie star. The man looks like a human goose and speaks in a cadence that suggests that he could be, at any time, doing slam poetry. I have a fascination with Goldblum’s vocal stylings. My grand movie idea (and we all have one) is to put him, Christopher Walken, and William Shatner in a car and simply film whatever happens. It would be human jazz. Goldblum first appeared as “Unnamed Freak #1” in 1972’s Death Wish. As his career incredibly nears half a century you have to seriously admire what sheer nebbishness has accomplished onscreen. Goldblum has to be paired with the right role because, let’s be honest, we’re pretty much always watching JEFF GOLDBLUM IN (insert name of movie). But…if you have a quirky character who needs an actor who brings that in bushels, Jeff Goldblum can be the paprika in your casting stew. 
Jeff Goldblum’s 10 Best Movies
1. Jurassic Park (1993) Ian Malcolm
2. Thor: Ragnarok (2017) Grandmaster
3. The Right Stuff (1983) Recruiter
4. Powder (1995) Donald Ripley
5. The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014) Deputy Kovacs
6. The Prince of Egypt (1998) Aaron
7. Independence Day (1996) David Levinson
8. Silverado (1985) Slick
9. The Big Chill (1983) Michael
10. The Fly (1986) Seth Brundle
Honorable Mention: Morning Glory (2010) Jerry Barnes
Oscars, Golden Globes & Emmys
Oscar Wins (0): None
Oscar Nominations (1): Little Surprises (Live Action Short, 1996)
Golden Globe Wins (0): None
Golden Globe Nominations (0): None
Emmy Wins (0): None
Emmy Nominations (1): Will & Grace (Outstanding Guest Star, 2005)
My Favorite Goldblum Scene:
“Lunch” from Jurassic Park (1993)
Next Film: Goldblum will next appear alongside Tye Sheridan in The Mountain later in 2018.
How could you relegate The Fly to number 10? I know these things are subjective but it’s the best-acted, most sensitively-directed, most horrifying monster movie EVER MADE. I know that’s not a high bar, but it’s a film that has haunted me ever since I first saw it as a kid, and all these years later it has not lost its effectivness (except for the very last scene. Too many old horror movies suffer from SFX work that was cutting edge at the time, but takes you out of the experience today).
Goldblum is the actual star of Jurassic Park. I’m sorry, he just is. I fell in love with the character in the book, and ever since 1993 I have been an actual Ian Malcom fanboy. And then Goldblum singlehandedly carries The Lost World. I’ve never seen an actor do heavy lifting like that in an otherwise “meh” movie. If he did not look like a goose, as you so aptly put it, he would have been a superstar. He exhudes charisma.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Goldblum and Malcolm absolutely are the stars in JP. The Lost World is such a weird thing. Crichton was pretty much forced to write the sequel novel (which was a trick since he killed Malcolm in the first book), and the entire thing felt forced. The Fly is at #10 because I was decidedly not a kid when I got around to seeing it and horror isn’t really my thing so I probably missed the window of maximum appreciation for that particular bit of Goldblum history.
LikeLiked by 2 people
I liked it when I thought Malcom died in JP the book. Sometime when a character dies it adds to his weight, and that was the case with Malcom, though he went in a quiet and understated manner. The LW novel was even more plotless than the film, but the film created an entirely different plot to not tell. Thank God Ian was there, because the franchise might have faded.
LikeLike
All the horror I have any interest in at all hit me as a kid. Cronenberg is posssibly the best horror director who ever lived. I hate him. I think he might actually be evil. But as a craftsman he has my respect. The Fly is the only film of his I enjoy.
LikeLike