Celeb (and Celeb SO's) Obit Thread

[Pop Trash]

My dad met her one time. She signed his VHS copy of To Have and Have Not. He still has it and shows it off to his friends.

[Hugh_Grant]

David Simon chiming in with his Robin Williams anecdote. Wow.

http://davidsimon.com/robin-williams-a-brief-encounter/

I love that episode.

Made me cry this morning when I read it.

One of my favorite episodes of H:LOTS, top five definitely. Williams was spectacular. All these years later, I still remember that exchange with Melissa Leo at the end when he tells her that he hopes he never sees her again.
:cry:

[Gittes]

She signed his VHS copy of To Have and Have Not.

That is definitely really cool. Also, needless to say, I wholeheartedly concur with MadMan and transmogrifier's respective posts.

[Our Aurora]

Life can be just... well it can be just hard. Overwhelming. I'm writing this with tears because I need to tell someone. I'm sorry.

[Mara]

Life can be just... well it can be just hard. Overwhelming. I'm writing this with tears because I need to tell someone. I'm sorry.

I'm so sorry. Are you okay?

[Morris Schæffer]

FX wizard Joe viskocil. He blew up the death star, and won the oscar for blowing up the white house. True lies, armageddon, aliens, ghostbusters, return of the living dead etc...

[Acapelli]

r.i.p. to the greatest television announcer of all time, sid, from tgs with tracy jordan



but really r.i.p. to don pardo

[Morris Schæffer]

RIP Brian G. Hutton, director of Kelly's Heroes and Where Eagles Dare, one of my absolute fave movies and indirectly responsible for my username.

http://www.empireonline.com/news/story.asp?NID=41977

[number8]

Richard Attenborough.

[Dead & Messed Up]

Richard Attenborough.

Aww. A fine director, a fine actor.

[Gittes]

Wow. As John Hammond, he was such a prominent part of my childhood via countless viewings of Jurassic Park. The greatness of that film owes a lot to the charm and poignancy of his contributions. Hammond's geniality, wistfulness, and heedless ambition were so memorably conveyed. Amidst the gargantuan spectacle of dinosaurs, what Attenborough provided was absolutely essential -- a performance of convincingly human proportions. He radiated warmth, exuberance, and believability, and he made Hammond so very endearing. The character's infectious, starry-eyed aspirations were perfectly captured, as was his eventual sense of crestfallen diminishment (Hammond's hesitation before getting into the helicopter at the end of the film is moving and magnificent). He beautifully transmitted the sense of a character whose very life seemed to depend upon realizing the highest standard of showmanship. A great performance. He spared no expense.

[Gittes]

The following also came to mind.

Based on the supplemental material on The Lost World Blu-ray, it's clear that Spielberg revered him. He affectionately called him Dickie, which was likely a teasing gesture of camaraderie, since Attenborough apparently didn't care for that name. They really seemed to get along (I think there's also footage and comments from the Jurassic Park special features that demonstrates this). Long before Jurassic World was conceived, and before Attenborough's health worsened, Spielberg mentioned that he would love to bring him back for another sequel.

Also, there's a lovely bit of footage from the set of The Lost World (in Hammond's bedroom) where he giddily begs Attenborough to recite one of his iconic lines from the first film. From what I recall, Attenborough is a little abashed at this point, but he obliges him and, with various other members of the crew watching, strikes a ceremonious pose and magnificently intones, "Welcome to Jurassic Park!" Naturally, Spielberg is delighted and it's just a very nice, friendly moment. I loved that. Ever since those myriad childhood viewings, his delivery of that line has occupied an indelible spot in my personal soundscape of movie memories.

[Morris Schæffer]

Will always be bartlett to me. I'll Never forget that scene on the hill in the great escape. Rip !

[Grouchy]

Will always be bartlett to me. I'll Never forget that scene on the hill in the great escape. Rip !

Seriously. The Great Escape for the win.

[Lazlo]

Also, there's a lovely bit of footage from the set of The Lost World (in Hammond's bedroom) where he giddily begs Attenborough to recite one of his iconic lines from the first film. From what I recall, Attenborough is a little abashed at this point, but he obliges him and, with various other members of the crew watching, strikes a ceremonious pose and magnificently intones, "Welcome to Jurassic Park!" Naturally, Spielberg is delighted and it's just a very nice, friendly moment. I loved that. Ever since those myriad childhood viewings, his delivery of that line has occupied an indelible spot in my personal soundscape of movie memories.

He's great with that line. The one that sticks out at me is in the scene where Grant and Sattler first see the dinosaurs and Grant asks Hammond, "How'd you do this?"

Hammond whispers with such glee, pride, and showmanship, "I'll show you."

Chills.

[Dead & Messed Up]

Although I, like most of you, know him mostly through the Jurassic Park films (and his work grants depth that's not always there on the page), I've also seen his Magic film, starring Anthony Hopkins in a convincing and eerie role as a man who treats his ventriloquist dummy as a separate individual. The expert deployment of suspense deserves comparison to Clouzot and Hitchcock. And his acting work in Seance on a Wet Afternoon is an understated, effective counterpoint to Kim Stanley. And, by coincidence, my girlfriend recently showed me his musical number in the cinematic wasteland of Dr. Dolittle, "I've Never Seen Anything Like It," which he sells with artery-threatening enthusiasm.

[MadMan]

Hey don't forget about him being in The Sand Pebbles. He was a legend.

[Morris Schæffer]

Hey don't forget about him being in The Sand Pebbles. He was a legend.

Love that movie. Richard "samuel trautmann" Crenna is in that too!

[MadMan]

Yep. Plus McQueen of course. Classic film.

[DSNT]

And his acting work in Seance on a Wet Afternoon is an understated, effective counterpoint to Kim Stanley.

Love this movie. I almost forgot it was him in that role. And yes, he played the inneffectual ninny to a tee, which I think enhanced Stanley's character because she manipulated him so well.

[Mara]

Joan Rivers. Given her age and recent health issues, it's not surprising, but it's too bad.

I was never a huge fan, but two Joan Rivers moments were huge in my childhood:

1. Her voice-acting of "Dot" on Spaceballs, and

2. This:

[number8]

Joan Rivers. Everybody watch her Louie episode.

[Dukefrukem]

Loved her. She will be missed.

[DSNT]

For what it's worth, I hated Joan for most of my adult life. Over the last several years she has really grown on me, and I've come to adore her.

Part of it was the documentary, and also you have to respect someone who keeps working as hard as she did, says what she wants about anyone, and frankly doesn't give a shit. No topics are off limits, including her own death. If she were here, she would probably be cracking jokes about it. RIP

[EyesWideOpen]

I'm aware of her greatness as a comedian early on and her groundbreaking she did for other female comics. But all I've seen of her is the last twenty years where her career is based on being as cruel as she can about how other people look or dress. So it gets a shoulder shrug from me.