LOVE HIM

If Samuel L. Jackson dropped off the face of the planet or starred in 50 more movies and then keeled over and died, it wouldn't matter. Why? Two words: "Pulp Fiction." And that's reason enough for me.

It's that simple, and that's what all those haters hate. It doesn't matter how many sticky-fingered freshmen paper their dorm walls with posters from the movie. "Pulp Fiction" will remain a damn good movie, and Jackson plays one of its most serious and nuanced characters. Despite watching the film for the umpteenth time, fans will still laugh at the Brett scene ("Check out the big brain on Brett"). And Jackson will do more than drink your milkshake: He'll eat your Big Kahuna burger, finish off your tasty beverage and then shoot you point blank.

He even knows how to wield a light saber-and a purple one at that-in the "Star Wars" prequels as Mace Windu. And when it comes to delivering lines, he always wears a cold hard stare and latent furiousness. Even if the movie is cheesy, he will do no worse than trying to scare the living shit out of you or any guy he's up against. Now that's commitment. Or a mischievous sense of humor.

Chuck Norris wouldn't do a movie like "Snakes on a Plane," but Jackson did. Samuel Leroy Jackson approached the moviemakers for a role in the film on title alone. He didn't need the script. He just knew. Did I mention that "Leroy" means "the king"?

But it's Jackson's role as Jules in "Pulp Fiction" that cements him as Hollywood royalty. Don't tell me that he's overrated. Don't pretend that you don't know all his lines, especially the Ezekiel speech. You can't help but want to emulate a man who unloads his f-bombs left and right and yet retains his coolcat style.

-Christine Borden

HATE HIM

Does Samuel L. Jackson ever turn down movie roles? It's a question everyone's been asking, well, since he started acting. Now that he's bigger than Jesus, Jackson, a man of seasoned ability, should be able to pick and choose his jobs based on the impact that the next role will have on his career's delicate reputation. And yet, he does the exact opposite-with dire consequences for the vast amount of moviegoers who drag themselves to see crap simply because they think he's motherfucking cool.

Yes, Sam Jackson's one major flaw is the fact that he's the best part of every movie he stars in. We go to see him yell loudly, eyes ablaze, hoping he'll utter all variations of his trademarked profanity for us. But every time he smashes the box office with a vapid action movie like "Deep Blue Sea," "xXx" or "Jumper," five more vapid action roles are written for the man. That's five more times unsuspecting moviegoers will have to anguish before the screen.

I hold a bit of resentment against Mr. Jackson for purposely making bad movies. I can forgive him for wanting to work on projects that embody the pure, vacuous fun of watching a film. But hundreds of them?

The only time he's been nominated for an Academy Award was in 1995 for-you guessed it-his role as quote machine Jules Winnfield in "Pulp Fiction." And it'll be awhile before he gets another nod. It would be nice to see a man with his talent take a different type of role, just to show how versatile he really is. And, no, "Lakeview Terrace"-no matter what serious social commentary it says it's making-looks like another action movie with just another Sam Jackson character.

Here's hoping he calls someone a mofo.

-Patrici Flores

Tags: THUMB WARS