January 27th, 2017. So about 30 minutes ago, Cogerson Son #2 called the house and said…”You need to write a new UMR page.” I responded….”Uh-oh…who passed away?” When he said “John Hurt” ….many of his movies flashed through my head. So as a tribute to his movie career…I decided to list the movies that popped into my head when I heard this sad news.
John Hurt (1940-2017) was an Oscar® nominated actor whose career lasted for over 55 years. His IMDb page shows over 200 acting credits from 1962-2017. This page will ranks our personal favorite Top 15 John Hurt movies. Rest in Peace Mr. John Hurt
John Hurt Movies Can Be Ranked 6 Ways In This Table
The really cool thing about this table is that it is “user-sortable”. Rank the movies anyway you want.
- Sort John Hurt movies by his co-stars
- Sort John Hurt movies by adjusted domestic box office grosses using current movie ticket cost (in millions)
- Sort John Hurt movies by domestic yearly box office rank
- Sort John Hurt movies how they were received by critics and audiences. 60% rating or higher should indicate a good movie.
- Sort by how many Oscar® nominations and how many Oscar® wins each John Hurt movie received.
- Sort John Hurt movies by Ultimate Movie Rankings (UMR) Score. UMR Score puts box office, reviews and awards into a mathematical equation and gives each movie a score.
My Top 15 John Hurt Movies
- Alien (1979) …one of the greatest science fiction movies of all-time….plus he is the focus of the most famous scene in the movie
- The Elephant Man (1980)….his performance as John Merrick…better known as the Elephant Man…is sensational….and well deserving of his Oscar® nomination that he received for the role
- Snowpiercer (2014)….yet another great science fiction role…one of my favorite movies of 2014
- Midnight Express (1979)….this is a brutal film to watch….it is after all about a Turkish prison….but Hurt received this first Oscar® nomination for this movie
- V for Vendetta (2006)….here is a common theme…John Hurt in another great movie that takes place in the future
- Owning Mahowny (2003)….Roger Ebert raved about John Hurt’s performance in this movie….and that got me to really appreciate the subtle great performance of Hurt in this one
- Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (2001)….his role as Mr. Ollivander (played him 3 times) is pretty small…but his role as the wand seller introduced him to a brand new generation of movie fans
- Hellboy (2004) …..love this movie….and Hurt is a blast to watch….wish he had come back for a bigger role in the sequel
- 1984 (1984)….the George Orwell classic novel came to the big screen the same exact year the novel takes place…Hurt is stellar as the main character
- Contact (1997)…..this is actually one of my wife’s favorite movies….but I really like his performance as the crazed billionaire pulling all the strings
- Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008)….ok….I strongly dislike this movie….but having a major role in a major franchise like this ….gets it listed here
- From the Hip (1987)….always thought his performance in this one was Oscar worthy….saw this in a packed theater that has highly entertained by this movie…added bonus…..my first date with my now wife ended with us watching this movie on DVD
- Heaven’s Gate (1980)….yes this is considered one of the biggest Hollywood bombs of all-time…but if you ever get a chance to see the director’s cut….you will find a great John Hurt performance
- Jake Speed (1986)….granted this has a horrible critic/audience rating…but I had fun watching it back on HBO in the 1980s…where it seemed to play all the time
- The Osterman Weekend (1983)…directed by Sam Peckinpah….co-starring the legend Burt Lancaster…John Hurt seems to be having fun playing the role
Steve Lensman’s John Hurt You Tube Video
(Visited 9,629 times)
Sad news and a bad start to 2017. We’ve lost a great actor. RIP John Hurt.
I’ve watched Alien a zillion times over the decades one of my top favorites. I think he’s the first of the cast to die? In the film and in reality too. Sad.
There are two on your list I haven’t seen – Owning Mahowny (never even heard of this one), and From the Hip.
V for Vendetta is a more recent favorite.
A nice tribute Bruce. Vote Up.
Hey Steve…that is three Oscar nominated performers who have passed in 2017….Moore, Rivas and Hurt. I know Alien is one of your favorites. Wow…since 1979 none of the main cast of Alien had passed away….that is an impressive 38 year run. I hope Harry Dean Stanton was not the second character to die In the movie.
Of the two you have not seen..both are good movies..From The Hip has some humor with a dash of drama….easily Judd Nelson’s second best role. Owning Mahoney is based on a true story about a banker that used bank funds to gamble…a great performances by Philip Seymour Hoffman an Hurt. Hurt is the casino guy that gladly allows PSH to gamble and lose millions of dollars.
Thanks for sharing your John Hurt thoughts
Very sad day. John Hurt, incredible actor wich upset me in Elephant Man passe away. And in France we lost Emmanuelle Riva.
Very sad indeed. That is already 3 Oscar nominated performers that have passed in 2017….Mary Tyler Moore, Riva and Hurt…not a good start to the year at all.
Sad day. Jake Speed is an average at best movie. Champions, Scandal and Hercules have much better Hurt performances. RIP Sir John Hurt.
Hey David..I am sure those movies are a lot better than Jake Speed….just Jake Speed is a guilty pleasure for me..and John Hurt as a huge reason for that…thanks for sharing your John Hurt thoughts.
Saddened to hear d passing away of Sir John hurt. RIP.
Right there with you Armand…sad sad day.
About to watch Alien to honor him.