Screen Rant

Padraig Cotter-Senior Staff Writer

Padraig Cotter

Senior Staff Writer

February, 2017
Western, Horror, James Bond
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About Padraig Cotter

Padraig is a Senior Features Writer and has been part of Screen Rant since 2017. Padraig is a writer, editor and retired Game of Thrones extra who has been writing about movies and TV online for over a decade. He has also written for The Irish Times, Den Of Geek, Little White Lies and many more. It's pronounced Paw-rick, BTW.

Industry Focus

Padraig's main areas of expertise include the horror, action, sci-fi and spy genres. For Screen Rant, he tends to write about the Bond and Alien franchises, Resident Evil, Halloween, The Expendables, Rick And Morty, Yellowstone, Frasier, 24, Reacher, in addition to the enduring works of Sylvester Stallone, Clint Eastwood, Arnold Schwarzenegger and John Carpenter.

Favorite Media

A child of the '90s, Padraig has an almost bottomless list of favorite movies, TV shows, books and video games. Things were never the same after watching Jaws, and other beloved works include The Thing, Ghostbusters, Batman, Die Hard, Red Dwarf, Terminator, Alien, Halloween, Resident Evil, Silent Hill, the Bond series, the films of John Woo and so on.

Latest

Charlton Heston against a background of staring eyes in The Omega Man
This 1970s Charlton Heston Sci-Fi Movie Has A Chilling Scene That Rivals Planet Of The Apes' Ending

Planet of the Apes has one of the most famous endings in movie history, but another 1970s Charlton Heston sci-fi film has a scene of equal power.

Sylvester Stallone in cowboy mode in Rambo: Last Blood
Sylvester Stallone's First Movie Was A "Terrible" Western That You'll Never Be Able To See

Sylvester Stallone made his acting debut in a Western where two dead outlaws come back to life, but there's a reason the film has never been released.

Neo flying through the city in The Matrix Reloaded
The Real Neo Only Appears In 2 Out Of Keanu Reeves' 4 Matrix Movies

Keanu Reeves' Neo is "The One" in the world of The Matrix, but the true version of this digital messiah only truly appears in two of the movies.

7
The poster for Stephen King prequel Pet Sematary: Bloodlines
This Forgotten Sequel Kicked Off The Weirdest Stephen King Movie Subgenre 38 Years Ago

An all but forgotten Stephen King sequel from 1987 accidentally kicked off a weird subgenre for the author, but it might finally be finished.

Sam Elliott as Conagher holding his saddle's horn while he scowls over his shoulder in 1991's Conagher
One Of Sam Elliott's Best Westerns Was This Forgotten Movie That Released 2 Years Before Tombstone & Got Him A Major Award Nomination

Tombstone might be one of Sam Elliott's most famous Westerns, but there's a forgotten movie he fronted that offered him a better character.

Clint Eastwood on the cover of The Outlaw Josey Wales
"As Good As I Can Do It:" Clint Eastwood Thinks This Classic Western Is His Best Performance

Clint Eastwood rarely ranks his own work, but he once called his performance in a classic 1976 Western "... maybe as good as I can do it."

Jason Statham holding a shotgun as his daughter holds on to him on Homefront's poster
If You Like Jason Statham's A Working Man, You'll Love His Hidden Gem Action Movie From 2013

A Working Man is Jason Statham's latest action vehicle, and fans should check out his hidden action gem from 2013 that Sly Stallone wrote.

John Wayne prepping to shoot a magnum in Brannigan
John Wayne's Dirty Harry Ripoff Cast An Actor Straight From Clint Eastwood's Movie, But In A Very Different Role

One of John Wayne's final movies was a Dirty Harry ripoff that even featured a key cast member from that classic Clint Eastwood thriller.

Sigourney Weaver as Ripley wearing a hood in Alien 3
Why Alien 3 Almost Made David Fincher Leave Hollywood

David Fincher's first film was 1992's Alien 3, with the experience proving so nightmarish that the director almost swore off making movies.

The Quiet Earth ending in poster form
This Forgotten 40-Year-Old Movie Perfected A Classic Sci-Fi Trope

A cult sci-fi movie from New Zealand might just be the best example of the "last person alive" trope, even if it rarely gets mentioned nowadays.

Optimus Prime and Bumblebee on the poster for Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
"That Was Crap": There's One Transformers Movie Even Michael Bay Doesn't Like

The Transformers movies were never critical favorites, but even director Michael Bay had to be honest about the sequel he felt was "crap."

The T850 and TX from Terminator 3
This Disappointing Terminator Sequel Has One Of The Franchise's Best Action Scenes

The first Terminator movie not directed by James Cameron may have been a disappointment, but it still features this great action sequence.

The shark attacking the estuary victim in Jaws
The Bravest Act in Jaws Came From a Character You Probably Forgot

The heroes of Jaws perform their share of brave actions, but the biggest moment of bravery goes to a character who didn't even get a name.

the poster for Urban Legend, starring Jared Leto and Alicia Witt
"I've Never Even Heard Of That Movie:" Jared Leto Denied Appearing In This Cult 1990s Slasher Movie

The movie itself might have a cult following, but Jared Leto straight up pretended he'd never heard of a certain 1990s slasher despite being the star.

Richael-Kiel-as-Jaws-in-The-Spy-Who-Loved-Me
Roger Moore's Silliest James Bond Movie Still Had One Scene That Terrified Me As A Child

Roger Moore's fourth adventure as James Bond is considered the franchise's silliest, but it has a scene that genuinely scared me as a child.

1
John-Wayne-as-Ethan-in-The-Searchers
This Genius John Wayne Movie Theory Forever Changed The Way I Watch His Best Western

I've always loved one of John Wayne's greatest Westerns from the 1950s, but a fan theory about his character makes it an even richer experience.

1
John Wayne pointing a snub nosed revolver in McQ
Clint Eastwood Rejected The "Embarrassing" Dirty Harry Ripoff John Wayne Later Starred In

John Wayne fronted an obvious Dirty Harry ripoff in 1974 that died at the box office, and it was a movie Clint Eastwood himself ed on.

Jackie Chan on the poster for The Protector (1985)
"Trying To Turn Me Into Bruce Lee": Jackie Chan Hated Making This 1985 Kung Fu Movie

Jackie Chan hated making one of his earliest American movie productions so much that he swore off Hollywood for over a decade in the aftermath.

Pierce Brosnan holding a silenced Walter P99 in The World is Not Enough
Pierce Brosnan Losing His First James Bond Role 8 Years Before GoldenEye Was A Blessing In Disguise

Pierce Brosnan lost out on playing James Bond in The Living Daylights, but this was really one of the best things that could have happened to him.

Brad Pitt looking sad as Wardaddy in Fury
Two Brad Pitt Characters From 2 Totally Different War Movies Share A Very Specific Detail In Common

Two of Brad Pitt's best war movies feature characters with one oddly specific physical trait, which is used to add mystery to their backstories.