Christopher Walken made his screen debut in the television sitcom ‘The Wonderful John Acton’ in 1953. After appearing in television films and shows like ‘The Motorola Television Hour’ (1954), ‘The Guiding Light’ (1954-1956), and ‘Barefoot in Athens’ (1966), he made his big-screen debut in the 1969 independent film ‘Me and My Brother’ directed by Robert Frank. That same year, he also portrayed ‘John Felton’ in the television film ‘The Three Musketeers’ directed by John Hirsch. The film has a 6.2 out of 10 rating on IMDb. He next starred in films like ‘The Anderson Tapes’ (1971), ‘The Happiness Cage’ (1972), ‘Valley Forge’ (1975), ‘Next Stop, Greenwich Village’ (1976), ‘Annie Hall’ (1977), ‘The Sentinel’ (1977), and ‘Shoot the Sun Down’ (1978). Walken became a recipient of the Academy Award for his portrayal of ‘Nikanor "Nick" Chevotarevich’ in the 1978 epic war drama film ‘The Deer Hunter’ directed by Michael Cimino. The film received massive acclaim upon release and came to be considered one of the best films ever made. It was also a commercial success and grossed over $49 million on a budget of $15 million. He was next seen in films like ‘Last Embrace’ (1979), ‘Heaven's Gate’ (1980), ‘Pennies from Heaven’ (1981), ‘The Dead Zone’ (1983), ‘A View to a Kill’ (1985), ‘At Close Range’ (1986), ‘Deadline’ (1987), ‘Homeboy’ (1988), ‘Puss in Boots’ (1988), ‘Communion’ (1989), ‘King of New York’ (1990), and ‘All-American Murder’ (1991).
In 1992, he starred as ‘Max Shreck’ in the American superhero film ‘Batman Returns’ directed by Tim Burton. The film received a more polarizing response from critics with some praising its pacing and depth while others termed it “cheerless” and “claustrophobic.” Nevertheless, the film performed well at the box office and grossed over $266.8 million on a $50–80 million budget. Walken continued to star in films like ‘True Romance’ (1993), ‘Wayne's World 2’ (1993), ‘Pulp Fiction’ (1994), ‘Nick of Time’ (1995), ‘The Prophecy’ (1995), ‘Basquiat’ (1996), ‘The Funeral’ (1996), ‘Excess Baggage’ (1997), ‘Suicide Kings’ (1997), ‘Illuminata’ (1998), ‘Sleepy Hollow’ (1999), ‘The Prophecy 3: The Ascent’ (2000), ‘Joe Dirt’ (2001), and ‘The Affair of the Necklace’ (2001). In 2002, he starred as ‘Frank William Abagnale Sr.’ in the Steven Spielberg-directed American biographical crime comedy-drama film ‘Catch Me If You Can.’ The film opened to a positive reception and was a financial success, grossing over $352.1 million on a budget of $52 million. Walken also received an ‘Academy Award’ nomination for his performance in the film. He next appeared in films like ‘Gigli’ (2003), ‘Kangaroo Jack’ (2003), ‘Man on Fire’ (2004), ‘Domino’ (2005), ‘Wedding Crashers’ (2005), ‘Click’ (2006), ‘Balls of Fury’ (2007), ‘Five Dollars a Day’ (2008), ‘The Maiden Heist’ (2009), and ‘Dark Horse’ (2011).
He portrayed ‘Alex "Shondor" Birns’ in the 2011 American biographical crime film ‘Kill the Irishman’ directed by Jonathan Hensleigh. The film received a mixed response from critics and was a box office bomb. He was next seen in films such as ‘A Late Quartet’ (2012), ‘Stand Up Guys’ (2012), ‘Gods Behaving Badly’ (2013), ‘Jersey Boys’ (2014), ‘Joe Dirt 2: Beautiful Loser’ (2015), ‘Eddie the Eagle’ (2016), ‘Father Figures’ (2017), ‘Irreplaceable You’ (2018), ‘The Jesus Rolls’ (2019), and ‘Percy’ (2020). He was last seen playing the role of ‘Burt Goodman’ in the American science fiction psychological thriller television series ‘Severance’ in 2022.
This independent neo-noir crime film is widely considered the most influential American movie of the 1990s. Peppered with pitch-black humor and strong violence, Pulp Fiction follows four interrelated stories—involving a boxer, a gangster and his wife—told out of chronological order.
One of the greatest movies ever made, the tragic story revolves around the three friends Mike Vronsky, Steven Pushkov, and Nick Chevotarevich from Pennsylvania. Once they join the war in Vietnam, the movie exposes the senseless horrors of the war. It also reveals the trauma and PTSD that the war left behind for the surviving soldiers.
Drug-lord Frank White, who returns to New York after serving a long prison sentence, is determined to re-claim his position as mafia kingpin, and use his competitors’ money to build a hospital for the needy in his old neighborhood. Before that, he has to deal not only with his rivals but also a group of corrupt cops who are hunting for him.
Suicide Kings is a crime drama mystery film which tells the story of four individuals who kidnap a respected Mafia boss Charlie in order to pay the ransom for another unrelated kidnapping. However, soon they begin to suspect that one among them may be involved in the first kidnapping.
A biographical crime film directed by Steven Spielberg, Catch Me If You Can follows the life of Frank Abagnale who, even before turning 19, successfully carries out cons worth millions of dollars. He has posed as a pilot, a doctor and a lawyer in process. He is chased and caught by Carl Hanratty who eventually convinces him to help FBI catch other check forgers.
Brad Whitewood Sr. is a criminal, who is the leader of his gang. His teenage son, Brad Jr. who is out of work, is also drawn to the life of crime, after being attracted to his father’s lifestyle. He soon joins his father’s gang, but after witnessing a murder, he is shocked and decides to quit. Brad Jr. eventually gets arrested by the police, and they try to get him to reveal evidence that will help them arrest his father.
Gabriel, an angel, is collecting souls from earth to end a war in Heaven. However, a little girl and a priest try to prevent him from doing so.
The film is about an Elvis-fan Clarence Worley, who falls for and marries a call-girl, Alabama. While trying to retrieve her belongings, Clarence gets into a scuffle with Alabama's pimp, Drexl, and kills him. He mistakenly picks up a suitcase of cocaine in place of Alabama’s clothes. They decide to sell it in Hollywood, but are pursued by the mafia and the police.
Dr Michael Brace is a research scientist who has been experimenting and trying to create a brain reading device. When he realizes how it can be used for brainwashing, he realizes how dangerous it is, and he vows to destroy his own work.
This biographical crime drama film tells the story of a tough Irish thug working for mobsters in Cleveland, during the 1970s.
One of the greatest movies of all-time, Annie Hall tells the story of comedian Alvy Singer who is trying to figure out the ups and downs of his failed relationship with singer Annie Hall. Alvy speaks directly to the audience, dissecting his childhood and relationships while revealing surreal and emotional moments from his life.
A burnt out ex CIA operative John Creasy finds a new objective in life when he is hired by an industrialist Samuel Ramos to protect his daughter, Pita. A reluctant and uninterested Creasy soon forms a bond with the little girl. So when she is kidnapped, he is enraged and seeks to kill everyone involved in the heinous act.
Sleepy Hollow is a thriller directed by Tim Burton set in the gothic town of the same name, where a detective tries to solve the murders committed by a local legend, the headless horseman. Johnny Depp stars as an eccentric New York detective who uncovers the secret of the murderer's penchant for killing his victims by decapitation of their heads.
Johnny is one of the best billiards players, but unfortunately his cunning mentor, Joe, trains him to be a hustler, and he decides how and where Johnny plays. Joe holds Johnny back from achieving his dreams, but eventually Johnny decides to break free. However, Joe breaks Johnny’s hand, which leaves him unable to play again. Johnny finds another legitimate job, but years later, he discovers that his brother has got himself involved with Joe.
Born to a plasterer, Michael Eddie Edwards always dreamed of Olympic glory. Although he is discouraged at every stage, he continues to pursue his goal and does not give up even when he is rejected by British Olympic officials for his crude manners. Instead, he sets off for a training facility in Germany. The film focuses on his tribulations that lead to his glory in Olympic ski jumping.
James Bond recovers a microchip from the body of a dead agent to realize that it has sinister applications. The developer of the chip, Max Zorin, has plans to destroy Silicon Valley thus gaining a monopoly over microchip manufacturing. Bond must stop Zorin but Zorin’s formidable bodyguard May Day stands in his way.
The dark comedy revolves around struggling writer Marty Faranan. Things take a violent turn when his two best friends Billy and Hans kidnap violent gangster Charlie Costello’s pet Shih Tzu. Marty’s experiences, following that not only provide him the plot for his screenplay Seven Psychopaths but leave him a changed man.
Friends and partners as divorce mediators, John and Jeremy have a favorite pastime: crashing weddings to pick up women. After infiltrating into the wedding of the daughter of Secretary of the Treasury, Jeremy scores with his other daughter Gloria but cannot get rid of her, while John is determined to woo another daughter, Claire, who already has a boyfriend.
This comedy drama film tells the story of a group of farmers who join forces to save their small village from a shady developer named Ladd Devine, who wants to build a resort that will siphon off all the water from the neighboring crop fields.
A car accident puts schoolteacher Johnny Smith into coma for five years. When he wakes up, he is disturbed to find that he has psychic powers to see anyone’s past and future by touching the person. After shaking hands with an upcoming politician, Johnny realizes that once this man gets in power he will cause upheaval, so Johnny feels compelled to take action.
In this movie, batman faces two enemies. The evil Penguin forces the devious businessman Max Schreck to back him in his attempt to get accepted in the society and later become mayor. Then there is the Catwoman who joins the two in their mission to destroy Batman. Batman now has to defeat his enemies and prevent Gotham city from becoming a centre of crime.
Michael Newman is unable to spend more time with his family while he is pursuing his dream promotion at work. He wishes for a universal remote to control his life, and gets one from the eccentric inventor Morty. He pauses, skips and rewinds through his life until he eventually realizes that he has lost control of his life altogether.
Sixteen years old plump Tracy Turnblad loves watching a teen dance TV show The Corny Collins Show. When she gets an opportunity to dance in the show, she quickly emerges as a popular performer. However, the manager of the TV station, Velma, is not happy with Tracy’s success. Meanwhile, Tracy encourages the idea of white and Negro kids dancing together on the show every day.
This biography musical drama film tells us the story of four young men, who meet in New Jersey and come together to form the iconic band ‘The Four Seasons’. Meanwhile, they also become victims of mafia threats, family disasters as well gambling debts.
Jimmy is an ex-crook who is trying his best to leave his life of crime behind but he is dragged back into the world of crime for one last simple mission. All he has to do is intimidate a target, but due to a series of mistakes, it results in the death of a woman who is connected to a powerful gangster. A hitman is therefore sent to eliminate Jimmy and his associates.
The Addiction is a horror film which revolves around Kathleen, an introverted graduate student studying at New York University. Her life takes a turn when she is attacked one night by a woman, who bites her neck and drinks her blood. Kathleen soon develops an aversion to daylight, and a distaste for food. She feels that she might be turning into a vampire, and tries to come to terms with her new lifestyle.
Son of an eccentric inventor, naïve Adam Weber spent all 35 years of his life in a nuclear fallout shelter and grew up on all things old-world. When the locks of the shelter open, Adam goes out to get supplies, and meets Eve, a modern girl, who is initially irritated with his simplicity and old-fashioned manners, but soon finds him interesting.
The Dogs of War is an action adventure drama film which tells the story of James Shannon, who is on a reconnaissance job to the African nation of Zangaro. Things get ugly when he is tortured and deported. After returning to his country, he decides to lead a military coup.
This biographical film is about the life of Jean-Michel Basquiat, a struggling street artist, who struggles with his heroin addiction and soon manages to rise to fame as one of the most well-known artists.
A tough and aspiring ‘retrieval expert’ is sent by his boss to Brazil in order to bring back his son, Travis, who is somewhere around Amazon. Eventually he reaches a town called El Dorado, run by an evil mining operator. Here he meets Travis; but before he can return him to his father, he has to go through a lot of adventure.
Biloxi Blues is a comedy drama film which tells the story of a teenager named Eugene, who is drafted into the United States Army during the Second World War. He is sent to Camp Shelby, near Biloxi, Mississippi, and he sets few goals for his life and starts maintaining a journal.
Despite constant pleading from their wives, two criminals named Chaz and Rey Tempio, decide to set out on a bloody revenge mission to punish the person who killed their brother.
A Late Quartet is a musical drama film which tells the story of Peter Mitchell, a renowned musician, who discovers that he suffers from Parkinson’s disease. He makes the decision to quit the world-renowned string quartet, of which he is a member of.
Brothers Ernie and Lars Smuntz inherit an old mansion after their father’s death. As they decide to restore the place and sell it, there is only one little problem – they first need to evict an old stubborn occupant of the mansion, a tiny mouse who refuses to leave. As they try to renovate the house, the mouse continues to foil their attempts.
Betty has been stuck in a loveless marriage with a politician for years. However, she desires to be with Boris, her childhood sweetheart. Since Boris is a mortician, they try to come up with a plan to fake Betty’s death, so that the two lovers can run away together.
During the Prohibition Era, drifting gun-for-hire John Smith, who is on the run, reaches Jericho, Texas, a ghost town where warring Irish and Italian mobs have driven away the townsfolk. John Smith decides to take advantage of the situation and play the rival gangs against each other for his benefit. But while at it, the mercenary gunslinger learns the value of honor.
After spending several years in a psychiatric hospital in New York, Julius is placed in the custody of his brother Peter, who lives with a poet named Allen Ginsberg.
The Anderson Tapes is an action crime thriller film which revolves around Duke Anderson, a habitual criminal who has just been released from prison. He is planning a new heist, but he is unaware of the fact that he is being taped.
Pennies from Heaven is a romantic drama musical film which tells the story of Arthur Parker, a sheet-music salesman who is having a hard time with his business as well as with his wife Joan. He is refused a bank loan, and in addition, his wife is unwilling to help him. When he meets a schoolteacher name Eileen, he falls for her instantly and they begin an affair, but he returns to Joan, when she finally gives him the money he wanted. When Eileen’s school finds out that she is pregnant with Arthur’s child, she is fired. Therefore, she begins working as a prostitute.
Nick of Time is a political thriller film, which tells the story of an ordinary accountant who finds himself facing his worst nightmares when he is ordered to kill a governor. Failing to do so would get his kidnapped daughter killed.
The Sentinel is a supernatural horror film which tells the story of Alison Parker, a model in New York City, who has a troubled past. She decides to change her life, which makes her leave her boyfriend, and relocate to a different apartment in a building where the only other resident is a blind priest. Unknown to Alison, the building houses a sinister evil, which is why the priest is present, to keep a check on it.
The film revolves around two heavy metal enthusiasts, Wayne and Garth, who try to organize a rock concert. Meanwhile Wayne also needs to fend off a record producer who is eyeing his girlfriend.
Tom Dobbs, the host of a satirical political talk-show, decides to run for presidency. Everyone is shocked when he gets elected. He is unaware that it’s due to major malfunction of the electronic voting system marketed by Delacroy. The company wants to hide it, but Eleanor Green, a programmer, resolves to tell Dobbs the truth. Will she be able to reveal the reality?
Romance & Cigarettes is a musical romantic drama film which revolves around Nick Murder, a husband who finds himself drawn to another woman. Eventually, he is forced to make a choice between his wife and his mistress.
When Val is released after serving 28 years in prison for killing the son of a crime boss, he finds his old friend and crime partner Doc waiting for him. The two friends spend the night in partying and while having their dinner, Doc confesses that he has been ordered to kill Val within 10 A.M. and if he does not do that he himself will be killed.
Annie, an actress, and Dexter, her writer brother return to their family home, and see that their famous parents, who are known for their satirical public performances, have gone missing. They initially feel that it could be one of their practical jokes, but eventually decides to search for them.
The Affair of the Necklace is a historical romantic drama film which takes us to a pre-Revolutionary France, and it revolves around a young aristocratic woman who is left penniless by the political unrest happening in her country. Along with a gigolo, her husband and a count, she tries to come up with a scheme to steal a priceless necklace, so that she can buy back her family home.
Loosely based the life of Domino Harvey, the daughter of actor Laurence Harvey, the film depicts how the former model becomes a bounty hunter and finds employment with a bail bondsman who also runs an armored car business,. Complications arise when her boss sets up a $10 million robbery to meet the medical expense of his mistress’s granddaughter.
Born with the top of his skull missing, Joe Dirt is abandoned by his parents at the age of eight. Yet, he survives and drifting from place to place, searching for his parents, he finally lands up in Los Angeles, where he finds employment as a janitor at a radio station. One day, the producer drags him into the studio to talk live on air with a well-known shock jock.
This 1977 anthology film features three connected short stories and follows their protagonists as they try to find the right dance partner at the Roseland Ballroom in New York City.
America’s Sweethearts is a romantic comedy film which tells the story of a movie publicist who has to deal with the split of the co-stars of his movie, while keeping journalists as bay, while a reclusive director is holding the print of his film hostage.
The Strieber family drives from New York City to their cabin in the woods. They encounter strange beings, which could be possibly aliens. This starts to affect the dad, and a change can be seen in his behavior.
Successful reality show executive producer Joanna Eberhart relocates with her husband and children to the Connecticut suburb of Stepford after an attempted shootout by a disheartened participant. There she finds the wives to be rather insipid, shallow and overly obedient. Soon, she starts suspecting that everything is not right.
Randy Daytona is former professional table tennis champion, who is now jobless. His life takes a turn when an FBI agent selects him for a secret mission.
Nine Lives is a fantasy comedy drama film which revolves around a successful business tycoon who is quite workaholic. Although he dislikes cats, he buys one for the birthday of his daughter. However, things get complicated when he suddenly gets entrapped in the body of the cat, after an accident. He tries to get his life back, and at the same time, he also finds himself reevaluating his priorities.
Excess Baggage is an action romantic crime film which tells the story of a young teen named Emily, who fakes her own kidnapping, to get the attention of her father. She locks herself in the trunk of a car, but things change when a thief steals the car with her inside, and she gets kidnapped for real.
Heaven’s Gate is an American Western drama film which revolves around Sheriff James Averill, of Jackson County, who gets involved in a a class war against Nathan Champion, a mercenary who has been supporting the rich cattle farmers in the area, while the poor immigrants are forced to live in terrible conditions.
This crime comedy film revolves around three security guards working at a museum, who decide to steal their favorite artwork, and replace it with replica.
Envy is a dark comedy film, which revolves around two friends, who are also neighbors and co-workers. However, when one of their inventions succeeds, the other finds himself quite jealous of his friends’ success.
This Western film takes us to the late 1830s, and it tells the story of a group of people, who are hunting for gold, despite the fact that there is danger from the Native Indians and the Mexican soldiers.
Two childhood friends get involved with the mob, and are forced to deliver some money to Australia. Things get complicated when their money is lost to a wild kangaroo.
A small-time inept gangster, Larry Gigli, receives orders to kidnap a mentally disabled brother of a prominent district attorney. As Gigli abducts the person and brings to his apartment, a gorgeous, spunky woman, Ricki, is sent to work with him to ascertain that Gigli doesn’t mess up the job. But then Gigli is drawn to Ricki who claims to be a lesbian.
After the fearsome tiger Shere Khan learns about his existence, Mowgli—a young human child raised by a pack of wolves—is reluctantly convinced to leave the jungle escorted by his mentor Bagheera, a black panther, and Baloo, a high-spirited bear. Along the way, he learns about his past and meets several other animals, both benign and gruesome.
Z, a worker ant striving to break away from his monotonous routine and express his individuality, falls in love with beautiful princess Bala when she visits a bar to escape suffocating royal life. He switches places with soldier friend Weaver to see her again, and unwittingly becomes the colony's only hope against a coup d'état by General Mandible.
Christopher Walken Awards
| The Deer Hunter | Best Actor in a Supporting Role | 1979 |
| Catch Me If You Can | Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role | 2003 |
| Fatboy Slim: Weapon of Choice | Best Choreography in a Video | 2001 |
