Burton Leon Reynolds

As a director?

Brock Landers: Angels Live in my Town

That's the film they're going to remember him by.

He made film history...right there on videotape.

1. Deliverance
2. The Longest Yard

The best "Burt Reynolds movie" is probably The Longest Yard

... Dude.. I like Longest Yard and all, but Smokey & The Bandit is THE Burt Reynolds movie.

Also his best film wasn't Deliverance, it was Boogie Nights.

Reynolds is also a very weird case study in Hollywood history. He was the biggest box office draw in Hollywood for like 4 or 5 straight yrs in the late 70s, But, in actualitly, his career suffered massively afterwards because of his success.

During his run, especially after Smokey, he became so powerful that he essentially began making "fun" movies with all his buddies.

Thats why you have Canonball run, Stroker Ace, Best Little Whorehouse, etc. He was just pumping out OK to crappy movies and still cashing checks into the early 80s.

But when the movies all became crap, he was dead in the water because during his prime, he never really challenged himself acting wise and took advantage of the decade of top directors.

He had basically cornered himself into doing cheesy, not too edgy bad comedies. And when he got a little older, he did not have the dramatic reputation to fall back on, and now, most of his films are basically afterthoughts and kind of lost to time.

Then take Redford's career, both basically the same caliber of actors, and his stuff is so much more impactful and lasting.

Striptease
He was money in that movie and had great lines

Boogie Nights. And it's not close either.