Archive for the ‘Obits’ Category
Filed under: Celebrities and Controversy, Obits
As Scott Weinberg shared this morning, Corey Haim died last night from an apparent accidental overdose. He was 38.
This was, of course, no shock. The actor had been struggling with drugs for most of his life, having told the media that it all started when he smoked his first joint while working on The Lost Boys twenty-three years ago. Haim hit it big, fell into B-movie hell, spent all his cash on drugs, and then struggled to fight his way out of addiction and financial turmoil. Unfortunately, reuniting with buddy Corey Feldman in the last handful of years and allowing his life to become reality show fodder wasn’t the best move, branding him as a desperate and emotionally tarnished actor past his prime.
But it wasn’t always that way. Like Scott, Haim held a special place in my heart. He was the one young actor I followed beyond a project or two, although it’s only now that I realized how short of a span it was — Lucas, The Lost Boys, License to Drive, Watchers, Dream a Little Dream, and Prayer of the Rollerboys getting released in just four years. But Hollywood moved a lot more slowly back then, and I had a lot of time to relish in Haim appreciation. When a friend gifted me with a 2-inch thick binder full of Haim pictures, I wallpapered part of my bedroom with them, his spark camouflaging some truly dark and dreary ’70s wallpaper. It was that same spark that made me follow my favorite Corey until he drowned into struggling obscurity through the ’90s.
Filed under: Obits
I know it’s considered “fun” to see has-been movie actors struggle through Z-grade horror flicks and painfully embarrassing reality shows, but here’s where things get non-fun in a big hurry. Former child star Corey Haim, best known for films like The Lost Boys, Dream a Little Dream, and License to Drive, died a few hours ago from an apparent drug overdose. (Haim had dealt with substance abuse and addiction for most of his adult life, I believe it’s fair to say.)
So that’s the long and the short of it, right? A cute kid star turned into a not-so-cute grown-up with a lot of problems and not all that much self-respect, and now he joins the drug-riddled stat sheet full of cautionary tales. End of story.
Only … Corey Haim was born six days before I was. His was always a welcome face on the movie screen as I was growing up. He was funny and goofy and endearing. And then he vanished, partially because of drug problems, and probably (in large part) because he wasn’t all that great of an actor. But you know what? He was a “bankable” little star for a few good years, but (as it often happens) Hollywood just spit the guy out and he became a C-list tabloid joke. Mostly because of his own doing, absolutely … but it’s still a sad story any way you slice it.
So make your Corey jokes and have a nice hoot, but when you’re done with that, go rent a great little movie called Lucas, and then stop back here and tell me a Corey Haim joke if you still feel like it. I hope you won’t.
Filed under: Awards, Obits, Oscar Watch
Did you watch last night’s Oscar Memoriam and wonder where Farrah Fawcett was? While Patrick Swayze seemed forgotten because his segment was captured for the audience in a truly hideous wide shot, Charlie’s most famous angel was nowhere to be found. No wide-shot, no zoom, no recognition whatsoever. It was an omission that elicited a number of Twitter celebs to comment, such as Roger Ebert who tweeted: “No Farrah in the memorial. They have a whole lot of ’splaining to do.”
That big explanation, according to WENN, is that it’s simply impossible to include everyone. Bruce Davis, the executive director of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, is quoted: “It is the single most troubling element of the Oscar show every year. Because more people die each year than can possibly be included in that segment. You are dropping people who the public knows. It’s just not comfortable.”
Talk about a flimsy excuse. We’re not talking about a barely-known character actor no one knows being replaced by a bigger name (not desirable, but understandable). We’re talking about once-huge celebrity. Her fame was due to television, for sure, but she had her feature films like Logan’s Run as well, not to mention further involvement in the Hollywood community. Her name is big enough that you have to actively decide to exclude her. To decide that 10 seconds remembering Farrah isn’t as important as poorly interpreted dance, and the other Oscar misses last night, is just ridiculous. Not to mention the inclusion of Michael Jackson.
Since the Academy fails to care, you can remember Fawcett with a clip from Logan’s Run after the jump.
Continue reading Oscars Leave Farrah Fawcett Off Memoriam, Provide Lame Excuse
Filed under: Awards, Obits, Fan Rant
I say it year after year, but I think I’m finally done with the Oscars. I know, it’ll never really happen. Not only because I write about movies professionally and the Academy Awards are a necessary part of this job but also for the same reason that I’ll never quit messing with that scab on my arm or slowing down to stare at highway accidents. I may be a film cynic, but I’m also a film masochist, and some of why I keep watching the Oscars is just part of my addiction to the pain of being a cinephile in the 21st century.
Of course, it’s also part of the tradition. Like all of you, I grew up an Oscar zealot. I tuned in annually as if it were a yearly religious event, like midnight mass at Christmas or something. And I can’t pull on the perspective cloak or go back in time to determine if the ceremony has truly gotten worse or if I’m simply less tolerant of decisions made by both the Academy and the telecast’s producers in my old age. But I will say this much: to me, at this moment in my life, I do believe the marginalization of the deceased who didn’t receive a lengthy tribute as did John Hughes is far more despicable than Rob Lowe grinding with Snow White 21 years ago.
Filed under: Obits
British actor and filmmaker Lionel Jeffries has died at the age of 83, according to Variety. Jeffries had been suffering from a long illness in Poole, before passing away on February 19.
The actor had a long career, and was probably best known for his role as Dick Van Dyke’s father in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang — quite the anomaly since Jeffries was actually young than Van Dyke, by a good six months. Ah, the wonder of cinema. He also played Inspector Parker opposite Peter Sellers’ Pearly Gates in The Wrong Arm of the Law, Monsieur Brun in the Oscar-nominated Fanny, and my personal favorite — Captain Sydney De Courcy Rhumstone in the wacky, Margaret Rutherford-starring Murder Ahoy (pictured above).
But he also made his mark behind the camera. Jeffries gravitated to family fare, and no feature earned as much success as first he wrote and directed in 1970 — The Railway Children — about a family who moves to the country when mysterious men take their father away. The feature was voted one of Britain’s 100 best films by the British Film Institute in 1999.
May he rest in peace.
Seeing that the man had an impressive career spanning 51 years and 109 film and television roles, which was your favorite?
Filed under: Documentary, Independent, Awards, Sundance, IFC, Distribution, Obits, Cinematical Indie, Roadside Attractions
Awards: The big winners include Winter’s Bone (Grand Jury Prize, Dramatic), Restrepo (Grand Jury Prize, Documentary), Animal Kingdom (World Cinema Jury Prize, Dramatic) and The Red Chapel (World Cinema Jury Prize, Documentary), with audience awards going to happythankyoumoreplease and Waiting for Superman. Check out the full list of winners here.
Celebrity Sightings: Most of the celebs have left town by now, so let’s check out a few leftovers: People has a rundown of where celebs were seen eating in Park City. The main course in the article looks at an East-meets-West feast with Orlando Bloom, Mark Ruffalo and Juliette Lewis of Sympathy for Delicious. As for photos from the awards, the LA Times has a photo of host David Hyde Pierce (with festival director John Cooper) during his rap performance, in case you missed it live (hopefully it ends up on YouTube).
Deals: In line with their penchant for controversial films, IFC has picked up Michael Winterbottom’s polarizing crime drama The Killer Inside Me for a reported $1-1.5 million. They’re looking at a late summer/early fall release. Now the world (well, U.S. moviegoers) can experience the same disgust as the audience member who shamed Sundance for showing the film. Later in the day, Roadside Attractions bought Debra Granik’s Winter’s Bone for low six-figures with plans to release the film this summer. Meanwhile, Oprah Winfrey has bought the documentary A Family Affair to air on her new network and Aamir Khan tells Anne Thompson that he’d like to distribute Peepli Live himself.
Our coverage, some tragic news and other near-end linkage after the jump:
Continue reading Sundance in 60 Seconds. Saturday, January 30, 2010
Filed under: Documentary, Independent, Awards, Sundance, IFC, Distribution, Obits, Cinematical Indie, Roadside Attractions
Awards: The big winners include Winter’s Bone (Grand Jury Prize, Dramatic), Restrepo (Grand Jury Prize, Documentary), Animal Kingdom (World Cinema Jury Prize, Dramatic) and The Red Chapel (World Cinema Jury Prize, Documentary), with audience awards going to happythankyoumoreplease and Waiting for Superman. Check out the full list of winners here.
Celebrity Sightings: Most of the celebs have left town by now, so let’s check out a few leftovers: People has a rundown of where celebs were seen eating in Park City. The main course in the article looks at an East-meets-West feast with Orlando Bloom, Mark Ruffalo and Juliette Lewis of Sympathy for Delicious. As for photos from the awards, the LA Times has a photo of host David Hyde Pierce (with festival director John Cooper) during his rap performance, in case you missed it live (hopefully it ends up on YouTube).
Deals: In line with their penchant for controversial films, IFC has picked up Michael Winterbottom’s polarizing crime drama The Killer Inside Me for a reported $1-1.5 million. They’re looking at a late summer/early fall release. Now the world (well, U.S. moviegoers) can experience the same disgust as the audience member who shamed Sundance for showing the film. Later in the day, Roadside Attractions bought Debra Granik’s Winter’s Bone for low six-figures with plans to release the film this summer. Meanwhile, Oprah Winfrey has bought the documentary A Family Affair to air on her new network and Aamir Khan tells Anne Thompson that he’d like to distribute Peepli Live himself.
Our coverage, some tragic news and other near-end linkage after the jump:
Continue reading Sundance in 60 Seconds. Saturday, January 30, 2010
Filed under: Celebrities and Controversy, Fandom, Newsstand, Obits
Actress Zelda Rubinstein, best known for her role as a psychic “house cleaner” in Tobe Hooper’s Poltergeist and its sequels, passed away Wednesday at the age of 76. Rubenstein also had a memorable role on TV’s “Picket Fences” and appeared in films like Sixteen Candles, Teen Witch, Southland Tales, and Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon.
According to the LA Times, Rubinstein died from natural causes at Barlow Respiratory Hospital in Los Angeles. She had been suffering health issues since at least December, when she was reportedly taken off of life support.
The diminutive actress had enjoyed a steady career in television and film, although she didn’t make her acting debut until 1980, when she was already in her 40s. Her first film role was in Under the Rainbow, a comedy about aspiring little people actors starring Chevy Chase and Carrie Fisher. The film earned pans and two Razzie nominations, but the following year notched a big early film for Rubinstein, who stole her scenes as Tangina, the medium who attempts to save little Carol Anne Freeling in Poltergeist.
Filed under: Classics, Newsstand, Obits
Cinema lost another lovely and classic face over the weekend, as actress Jean Simmons passed away, according to the New York Times. She was 80.
Simmons’ career often reads like a lesson in what might have been. She rose to early success in films such as David Lean’s Great Expectations and Laurence Olivier’s Hamlet (which earned her an Oscar nomination) before running afoul of her contract holder, Howard Hughes. After rejecting his advances, he attempted to ruin her career and cost her the lead in Roman Holiday. Simmons held out, and managed success with roles in Young Bess, Footsteps in the Fog, Guys and Dolls, and The Actress.
Due to financial strain, she quietly accepted any role offered, and Simmons became known as the quiet lady who supported great men in films like The Robe, The Egyptian, Desiree, Elmer Gantry, and Spartacus. She always rose above the material, and was an actress the formidable Pauline Kael championed. Kael called her “one of the most quietly commanding actresses Hollywood has ever trashed” and always hailed her performances as better than the films she was given. I think she was certainly right, as evidenced by her haunting turn in Spartacus. She’s undoubtedly one of the most memorable things about the film. Even if she was not a screen legend like her Roman Holiday replacement was, she certainly made an impact.
Rest in peace, Ms. Simmons. You’ll be missed.
Filed under: Obits, Columns, 400 Screens, 400 Blows
We lost another master this week, the former Cahiers du Cinema film critic and filmmaker Eric Rohmer, who was 89. He has long been a staple of art houses. If you were a cinema buff that came of age in the 1970s, you probably saw his “Six Moral Tales” series. If your time was the 1980s, you probably saw some of the six “Comedies and Proverbs” films. And if it was the 1990s, you may have seen some of his “Tales of the Four Seasons.” As a critic, I was honored to review the last of these, Autumn Tale (1998), which I saw as a flat-out masterpiece. Although I felt bad when I reviewed his final film last year, The Romance of Astrea and Celadon, and found it nearly unbearable. (Though many others have defended it. Maybe I was too hasty?)
Rohmer’s films were known for their talking, and I believe there was once a crack about his films being like “watching paint dry.” The real secret of Rohmer’s films is that they’re all about smart, well-spoken people. They are studious and know lots of things. They may even be “experts” on human nature. When they fall in love or get stuck in some kind of romantic tangle, their first reaction is to try to reason their way out, using logic and words. In the end, however, there are no words or reasons or logic that can withstand the power of love. The characters are silenced as the credits roll, but the emotions linger on.
