An Awful Crime Thriller Convinced Taylor Sheridan To Cast Andy Garcia In Landman

If Taylor Sheridan likes your work, he might write a part specifically for you in one of his hit crime dramas. After all, Jon Hamm claims his "Landman" audition was the easiest of his career, as Sheridan summoned him for a meeting and offered him the part on the spot. Similarly, Sheridan convinced Billy Bob Thornton to star in "Landman" because he wrote the oil drama with him in mind.

What's more, some actors' less-than-stellar career moments were enough to inspire Sheridan to bring them into the "Landman" family. In an interview with Variety, Andy Garcia — who plays the cartel leader Danny "Gallino" Morrell — revealed that Sheridan cast him after enjoying his performance in a 1986 crime thriller with a 0% score on Rotten Tomatoes:

"He was a fan of a movie I did many years ago called '8 Million Ways to Die,' and I played this crazy young drug guy, and he killed people. Not so much like Gallino, but maybe it's Gallino when he was 18. I think he writes to people. [...] I think he understood it based on the work he had seen me do over the years, and what he had felt was my voice, my persona."

Garcia has built quite a career on playing criminals and intimidating characters, often in better movies than "8 Million Ways to Die." His tough guy persona makes him a perfect fit for one of the truly great Taylor Sheridan series, but it's interesting to learn that Hal Ashby's reviled effort — which boasts a writing credit from Oliver Stone — sparked his imagination. That said, "8 Million Ways to Die" has some high-profile fans, despite being lambasted by most critics.

"8 Million Ways to Die" has mostly been criticized for being a poor imitation of other things. The legendary film critic Gene Siskel claimed that Hal Ashby's thriller is a "Scarface" knock-off that glamorizes drugs and crime. Meanwhile, his colleague, Roger Ebert, was critical of Jeff Bridges' character having addiction woes, as the storyline isn't explored with any real depth. Other critics have pointed out the film's stylistic similarities to the neon-drenched cop series "Miami Vice," so it was never going to score points for originality.

Be that as it may, "8 Million Ways to Die" has a fan in Quentin Tarantino, who's cited it as one of his favorite movies of the '80s. The "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood" director has been critical of movies from this decade because he believes they aren't cynical enough, but Ashby's neo-noir is a rare exception.

"8 Million Ways to Die" tells a story of narcotics and violence set in the criminal underworld, so it's understandable why it appeals to pulpy auteurs like Tarantino and Taylor Sheridan — two creative types who are renowned for telling compelling tales of this ilk in their own right. However, the film's reputation suggests that the majority of viewers don't agree with their positive opinions of the movie.

"Landman" is currently streaming on Paramount+.