The world recently lost a great, and far too young, talent in Anton Yelchin. It wouldn’t be quite right to say he was a “promising” actor, because in his all-too-brief 27 years he accumulated an impressive body of work. He may be best known for playing Chekov in the Star Trek reboot, a role that was a natural fit for this Leningrad-born actor of Russian competitive figure-skater parents.
What many don’t know about Yelchin is that he’s appeared in 65 films and television shows in all, beginning at the age of ten with a guest star spot on the television medical drama ER. He won the 2002 Young Artist Award for Best Performance in a Feature Film as Leading Young Actor for his role in Hearts in Atlantis, playing opposite the formidable Anthony Hopkins.
Here are just a few of Yelchin’s roles, to demonstrate his terrific range and versatility as an actor. RIP, Anton Yelchin: you will be missed.
Green Room (R, 4/5 stars)
91% Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, co-stars Patrick Stewart.
In the Pacific Northwest, teenager Pat takes part of punk rock band, The Ain’t Rights, at a night and drug club. Their tour to try and get famous fails badly with hatred. Unfortunately, for them, their tour eventually turns into something very nasty when they are witnesses at a crime scene. Since the notorious club owner, Darcy Banker, is now on the case of the incident, the Ain’t Rights start to work together to try and escape the club alive and make it back to Washington DC-before Darcy finds them
A punk rock band is forced to fight for survival after witnessing a murder at a neo-Nazi skinhead bar.
– Written by Noah Orent
Hearts In Atlantis (PG-13, 4/5 stars)
Stars Anthony Hopkins.
This is a gentle, innocent film about the reflections of an aging man, who returns to his home town after the death of his best friend. Memories of life at age 11 floods back as it was a magical time that changed his life. Three 11 year old children (Bobby, Carol, and Sully) share their lives.
Carol and Bobby have a special affection for one another including sharing a kiss “by which all others will be measured”. Bobby lives with his mother, a bitter, vain woman who looks for pleasures for herself without sharing much with her son. Into their lives comes a mysterious new boarder, who befriends the boy but generates distrust from the mother. As time passes, the man and boy share confidences and special powers are revealed.
The man warns the boy to be on the lookout for the “lowmen”, who were seeking him. The two share a summer’s adventures and come to love one another before the inevitable happens. A confrontation with a school bully also changes everyone.
– Written by John Sacksteder
Charlie Bartlett (R, 4.5/5 stars)
Co-stars Robert Downey Jr.
Although cheerful, friendly, intelligent, well-dressed, authentic and wealthy, Charlie Bartlett has problems. With his father gone and his mother loopy and clueless, he’s been expelled from every private school for his victimless crimes. Now he’s in a public school getting punched out daily by the school thug.
He ever longs to be popular – the go-to guy – and the true crux of his troubles is that he invariably finds the means to this end, whatever that might be. At Western Summit High, he makes peace with his tormentor by going into business with him – listening to kids’ problems and selling them prescription drugs.
Charlie’s a hit, but attraction to Susan (daughter of the school’s laissez-faire principal), new security cameras on campus, a student’s overdose, and Charlie’s open world view all converge to get him in serious trouble. Can this self-made physician possibly heal himself and just be a kid?
– Written by jhailey
Fright Night (2011) (R, 4/5 stars)
Co-stars Colin Farrell and David Tennant.
This movie is the remake of the 1985 film and is about Charley Brewster, who lives in the desert suburb on the outskirts of Las Vegas. His neighbor Jerry (Colin Farrell) has his windows all blacked out which catches the attention of Charley’s friend Ed, who is sure that Jerry is a vampire.
As time goes by some other friends and students at Charley’s school start disappearing and Ed tells him that he is sure Jerry is behind it. Then when Ed doesn’t turn up at school Charley checks it out for himself and breaks into Jerry’s house.
As a result he sees more than he bargains for and ends up with Jerry on his back. Charley ends up getting his family and friends involved in something they should never have been a part of. He has to get a self-proclaimed vampire killer /edgy magician Peter Vincent (David Tennant) to help him save him and his friends from an eternal damnation as vampires being “turned” by Jerry.
– Written by Michael Hallows Eve
Click here to browse the full catalog of films starring or co-starring Anton Yelchin.
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