Kevin Bacon: An Enigma

In 1979, Kevin Bacon made his first television appearance on the show "Search for Tomorrow." Little did anyone know at the time, that appearance would launch one of the most amazing and decorated acting careers of all time. It would set the new standard for acting in television and film. Do you have an enigmatic friend? I do. His name is Kevin Bacon. An "enigma" is defined as a puzzling, inexplicable occurrence. That is exactly what Kevin Bacon is. His ability to transcend any genre of film makes his talent and skills truly mystifying. How can one person have so much ability, yet, relate to common folk? Whether he is sporting a dirty mustache, or a fresh shave, floppy hair or a close crop, he is a beacon of hope and light for all those aspiring actors because he represents a person willing to do any film, however big or small.  Kevin Bacon has an amazing list of film successes. Can anyone do a better job of portraying an invisible person like Kevin Bacon did in Hallowman? I would argue that the success of Apollo 13 is in no thanks to Tom Hanks, but the young, energetic Kevin Bacon who portrayed Jack Swigert and stole the show. Or in The River Wild, where Kevin Bacon showed his ability to act like a real creep as the murderous Wade. Who could ever forget one of his most amazing performances in Footloose, as the rebel Ren McCormick stole our hearts and the dance floor when he lifted the dancing ban and planned a prom in one day? Nobody remembers Planes, Trains, and Automobiles because of Steve Martin and John Candy. No, No, my friend. It is because of Kevin Bacon and his priceless scene at the beginning when he portrays a young, cocky businessman who beats Steve Martin to a taxi. In Frost/Nixon and A few Good Men, Kevin Bacon showed his serious side and further added to his repertoire of acting skills. He went creepy in JFK as Willie O'Keefe and sentimental in My Dog Skip. The Air Up There showed the world just how athletic Kevin Bacon is. Perhaps his all time greatest acting feat is in the blockbuster series Tremors, which became an instant classic and added to the vault of all time great Hollywood film. Nobody could have battled those extremely huge and unrealistic snake/monsters like "Valentine McKee" (Kevin Bacon). Would the scrawny Kevin Bacon be able to out run and outsmart the tremors? It was edge of your seat action the whole way through. Most recently, Kevin Bacon has been taking over television with his portrayal of the smart, but flawed FBI agent Ryan Hardy in The Following.
In all his acting roles, Kevin Bacon's character has been named "Jack" six times, no wonder the name "Jack" is the #23 most popular boy name in the year 2013. The name "Kevin" is not on the list as parents no doubt feel the name is too sacred to use.
So, how does this all connect to technology? Well, if you have a smartphone, tablet or computer, you can access the "Internet Movie Database" and look up every movie Kevin Bacon has ever been in and then watch them in a row, what I like to call a Kevin Bacon Marathon. Doesn't get much better than that.