Who is the greater force of nature: Bill Murray or Steve Martin?

[DerekG]

The two best things to emerge from Saturday Night Live...and you must choose.

[Lars39]

1. Sheer overwhelming personality at times: Bill Murray

but I've got a sweet spot for Steve Martin 'cause he can play the banjo.

[PoliticAverse]

3. And invented the Opti-Grab. n/t

[graywarrior]

2. Steve Martin

[bigwillq]

4. Murray (nt)

[NRaleighLiberal]

5. Bill Murray - for what he did with Lost in Translation...

though Martin was no slouch in Shopgirl or LA Stories or Roxanne or Parenthood...etc.

Both remarkable (and I didn't even touch on the funny stuff, which is of course often brilliant - for both!).

[Old and In the Way]

8. The first time I saw it, did not like.

But the more I watched it ( times now), the more I liked Murray in that role and storyline. Just a delightfully sublime movie.

[Honeycombe8]

11. Hated that movie. Maybe it's a guy movie. He walks around...

morose, unappreciative of all he has. Maybe he was having a midlife crisis.

I also wasn't crazy about that movie he did where he gets an anonymous letter from a supposed old girlfriend that she'd had his baby years ago, and he goes on a quest to find her, visiting numerous old girlfriends trying to find the one who sent the letter. Maybe it was called "Flowers"?

[NRaleighLiberal]

17. don't think it's a guy movie - my wife and two daughters love it.

The whole movie has an aura we love - the music, minimal dialog, cultural aspects. One of what I consider a near perfect movie.

just one of those things? Agree with the wilted flowers movie - yuck

[Old and In the Way]

6. Tough call.

Do we have to chose? If so, I gotta go with Murray (although, as an occasional banjo picker, I truly admire Martin's playing).

I guess I see a lot of myself in Murray- the loser schlub, the nutty angst, the moments of pure comic genius. He's definitely on my short list of people I'd like to share a 12 pack or 2 with on the back porch, one summer's evening.

[chollybocker]

7. Steve Martin.

Writer wins.

[Capt. Obvious]

9. The one who wears sneakers without shoelaces

Born to be wild

[Broken_Hero]

10. Venkman, nt

[Honeycombe8]

12. Hard call. Steve Martin changed comedy, I think. Murray came later.

Both made excellent movies. Is there a funnier movie than The Jerk? But Scrooged is one of my favorite Christmas movies, now. Murray's comedy in other movies tends to be a bit too frat boy type of comedy (the movie about the mole at the golf course). I love Groundhog Day. Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid is a movie par excellence (Steve Martin).

I can't choose.

It's interesting that they are both quiet, serious, and seem somewhat depressed in their real lives.

[ElboRuum]

15. It may be a comedian thing...

I've noticed that all truly great comedians seem to have some personal demons.

[irisblue]

13. zombie movie+bill murray

zombieland.....jus sayin'

[ElboRuum]

14. Oooh. Toughie.

I've weighed this thoroughly and came up with a tie on most counts, but then I thought of this.

Bill Murray is responsible for the ONLY Christmas movie which is repeatedly shown outside of the Christmas season (Scrooged). To make a Christmas movie that is not cloying and sappy, and full of such great comedy that it can stand on its own as a movie (sans the Christmas qualifier) is no easy feat.

Going with Murray here.

[Bertha Venation]

16. Steve Martin

[HopeHoops]

18. Steve Martin. He can play any character. Murray usually just plays himself.

Dan Akroid should be in the list too. He's done a variety of roles.

[RZM]

19. Still. Bill Murray playing Bill Murray is pretty funny

On the commentary in 'Groundhog Day,' Harold Ramis mentions the similarities between Bill and his character in the movie.

[DerekG]

21. Unfortunately, Dan Aykroyd's career proved spottier

Aykroyd is, in my estimation, the single greatest performer in SNL history. But few movies have managed to utilize his immense talent, with the exception of Trading Places, Ghostbusters, Driving Miss Daisy.

In comparison, Steve Martin and Bill Murray each have at least 15 movies that showcase their genius.

[ohiosmith]

20. Thanks to Jerry Van Dyke, Steve Martin had a career.

[AsahinaKimi]

22. Bill Murray dies in ZombieLand...