Oh, my. This is a *huge* one for me.

Paul Newman was my late mother's favorite actor, and her admiration for him carried on with me.

Here was a guy who could play Everyman, Romantic Lead, Tough Guy, Cowboy, Emotionally Impacted, Emotionally Over The Top...in short, there was *nothing* this incredible thespian could not do, and do better than pretty much everyone else.

Goodbye, Butch. Rest in peace, Reg. I'm gonna miss you, Fast Eddie.

actors never die. Mr. Newman's intense blue eyes are preserved for all eternity.

What a guy. He's one of those actors you just kind of feel will be around forever.

He adored his wife and they had such a great relationship, from their personal reports. He once said, when asked if he fooled around "why go out for hamburger when you have steak at home?"

RIP, Mr Newman. :(

what's with the big black letters on the big blue background? did art class get out early today?

.

Levi Stubbs - Other than just being the lead singer of the Four Tops, he was also Audrey II, in the movie version of Little Shop of Horrors.

Michael Crichton passed away, today.

One of the first authors I ever read, and one of my lifelong favorites.

Peace and best wishes for his family.

I actually met Michael Crichton a while ago. He (and his entourage) were doing research for Disclosure which was about a tech company in the skid-row area in Seattle. At the time I was a programmer at Aldus (a tech company in the skid-row area in Seattle).

He was tall and impressive - could have been a CEO from anywhere. He and his staff were very polite.

I liked his stuff. I'm very sorry to see him go.

Wow - how old was he?
That one really surprised me.

Oh and RIP Levi Stubbs. Great voice.

66. He had cancer.

I do that same thing, only I tell them that I look really good for my age!:p

Crichton was once a genius. His works post-Jurassic Park were not good. "Sphere" was a decent book and one of the worst films ever made, despite a great cast.

I've wonderful memories of Crichton's creations, starting with "The Andromeda Strain". His directorial effort of his own work, "The Great Train Robbery" starring Sean Connery, Donald Sutherland and Leslie Ann Down is still one of my favorite films.

But...Michael got lazy. As far as I was able to tell, he died of shame for what he was no longer able to produce.

That's very atypically unfair and disrespectful for me, and I apologize.

M C The Swarm ? nano tech

cool hand Luke moves me every time

That smile no matter what

I think he fell into the typical trap of trying to expand into other creative industries for no good reason. He was a major producer/writer on the TV drama ER (at least in the early years, I don't know if he stayed on forever,) and some others. I got the impression he really wanted to do more movies rather than write more books. The book quality definitely suffered--I thought Next was positively stupid. Still, I was very sad to hear he'd died. I had held out hope that the wisdom of years would help him focus on writing again and he could put out another great one.

I'd have to disagree with you Elspode, Sphere was a bad book.

But I give the guy props. I loved Jurassic Park, Adromedra Strain was a fun read, and his movies and ER were good.

My memory of Terminal Man was that it was also really good, though I read it when I was relatively young.

From coast to coast AM..?

I don't think he had anything to be ashamed of given his body of work.

Take a look at the list of his books on wiki.

If it was a downward trend, then it was pretty short. I really like most of his stuff right up until State of Fear. I've read both State of Fear and Next. I thought both jumped around too much.

On the other hand, I really liked both Prey and Timeline which were the books just previous.

I really think it's more a case of no one hitting a home-run every time.

I liked Timeline, I thought it was thrilling. But the whole time I read it, I thought, OK he's writing another hit movie. Jurassic Park set in history. They should still make this one IMO.

I liked Congo alright, but the whole time I read it, I thought, this would really be impossible to make into a movie. And then they made it into a movie... and the movie sucked.

Oh, I give full credit for his earlier stuff for sure. The Great Train Robbery was a brilliant example of his directorial skills, and I watch Andromeda Strain (written by Crichton) at least annually.

A movie version came out in 2003 and from what I remember, it was awful.

Dang! I wasn't even aware of it. They should make a good version.

Miriam Makeba 1932-2008

I am sad.


Photograph by Mark Oppenheimer / (c) public domain

michael crichton and george carlin... i sobbed when george died.

http://blog.oregonlive.com/news_impa..._mitchross.jpg

Wednesday Nov,12th 2008

Mitch Mitchell, the iconic drummer who provided the explosive heartbeat of the Jimi Hendrix Experience on rock classics including "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)" and "Purple Haze," was found dead early Wednesday in a Portland hotel room.
Mitchell, 61, who pioneered a fusion style that allowed him and one of history's greatest guitar players to feed off each other, died of natural causes, the Multnomah County medical examiner said. He was found about 3 a.m. in his room at the Benson Hotel in downtown Portland.
Considered one of rock's greatest drummers, Mitchell was behind the kit at Hendrix's legendary sets at Woodstock, Monterey and the Isle of Wight.


Sad because I guess he said he wasn't feeling well at a concert and was dead a couple days later.

I saw in Boston, on her first US tour, with Harry Belefonte. Amazing voice.

I have a horrible feeling I didn't even register this here, but Geoffrey Perkins' passing was noted in my heart, and he was mourned in style at the Comedy Awards recently. I was watching it with my parents and Mum started talking over it. I politely asked her to wait til the tribute was over (I was polite, really).

Afterwards both she and Dad said they had no idea he was so important to British comedy and were sorry he'd died. I can't find the tribute on YouTube sadly.

Personally, I "knew" him from Radio Active (I have no idea why the Beeb haven't released it on CD!) At the end of every show was a list of the cast and of course the producer. Because Geoffrey Perkins was mentioned in both capacities, his name was bound to stick in my mind, especially as I listened to the tapes (technically bootlegs) over and over again. I could still sing you some Radio Active jingles if you like... I can also quote large swathes of Wahey! It's Saturday! but I fear they might lose something in the translation.

ANYWAY.

This man was a giant amongst comedy producers.
Sorry all I have is a radio broadcast. But he wouldn't be.

BTW if you haven't yet discovered Father Ted, get ye to a DVD store!

Goodnight to Star Trek regular and muse, Nurse Chapel, Lwaxana Troi... Majel Barrett Roddenberry.

Anna Nicole Smith.

Ha.

Just kidding.


For real though, Heath Ledger. He was great.

:eek::shock: :mecry:

Maybe not the right place for this, but...

Mark Felt, Watergate's `Deep Throat,' dies at 95

Aww. :(

Again, I'm late with the news. But to be honest the only person it might affect is Monster, given that the person in question was very English and his death was well noted here.

Oliver Postgate - the Telegraph obituary.

I loved his work. He had such a comforting and distinctive voice. It hid a remarkable intelligence and artistic drive of course, but as a child I didn't notice that. I just loved what he created and how it sounded. I can still quote the Bagpuss intro by heart.

Bagpuss, dear Bagpuss
Old fat furry cat-puss,
Wake up and look at this thing that I bring.
Wake up, be bright,
Be golden and light;
Bagpuss, oh hear what I sing.

I have it on video - I might ask my bro if there's a way to transfer it to DVD. Every episode is so simple, so complex and so very shining. Ask anyone of my generation what the Marvellous Magnificant Mouse Mill made and I'm pretty sure they'll be able to tell you it was chocolate biscuits. Out of breadcrumbs and butter beans no less.

He gave so much joy, I hope he went happily.

Delaney Bramlett is done.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081228/...bit_bramlett_1

Never really got into Bagpuss..... but thanks

I keep waiting for a good replacement. No disrespect to the moderator now. I am sure it is out of respect they seem to be waiting to make an official pick. * shrug*


Bernie Mac. Heath Ledger ( someone mention him?)
Funny, young and or unexpected deaths really shake me up.

Here's a year in review. Not sure how comprehensive though.

Link

One of the four remaining British First World War veterans has died at the age of 108

Ricardo Montalbon no shirt on an old old episode of Star Trek rowr ! He is now being welcomed to the final Fantasy Island! :(

mine would definetly have to be anna nicole smith and mr.rogers...i mean come on mr.rogers that just killed so many kiddy dreams of mine...*goes and hides in the corner to mourn him agian*

De pearly gates, boss, de pearly gates!

WTF? Translation plz?

Number 6: Where am I?
Number 2: In the Village.
Number 6: What do you want?
Number 2: We want information.
Number 6: Whose side are you on?
Number 2: That would be telling. We want information... information... information.
Number 6: You won't get it.
Number 2: By hook or by crook, we will.
Number 6: Who are you?
Number 2: The new Number 2.
Number 6: Who is Number 1?
Number 2: You are Number 6.
Number 6: I am not a number, I am a free man.

R.I.P. Patrick McGoohan

You know of living in make believe land

Rich... :sob: Corinthian! leather. :cry:

SNL - Retardo Mentalblock.
Does anyone have a video of that. Guess the younger dwellars don't remember this skit - oh well.

I liked them both. Sorry to see them go.

Goodbye, John Mortimer.
Thank you for all you've done, not the least of which was defending the Sex Pistols in a landmark obscenity case, along with many other free-speech cases. And for creating "She Who Must Be Obeyed".

You will be missed.

Mortimer's autobiography Clinging to the Wreckage was the book I always used to take to interviews (either that or Orwell's Homage to Catalonia) because I could dip in and out of it and always find comfort.

It was so named because of something he once heard from a sailor who had never learned to swim. Apparently, many sailors drown because they are tempted to swim to shore after a shipwreck. The deceptive proximity of the land masks dangers such as undertow (not The Undertoad) rocks, cold, tides and sheer exhaustion. The survivors are usually those who are found clinging to the wreckage. And that's what Mortimers says is his philosophy - hold on, it might get better.

Mortimer defended not only the Sex Pistols but also Lady Chatterley's Lover and Oz magazine (the schoolkid's issue - infamous in its time, see Michael Palin's Diaries for example). I have a feeling he also defended Last Exit to Brooklyn in an obscenity trial, but I'm not 100% confident *

It surprised me, reading Clinging..., to find he had written a film that scared the life out of me at 16 and resonates with me still. It was called Bunny Lake is Missing - the daughter of an American woman, newly arrived in London goes missing, but there is apparently no record of her, and the mother is disbelieved to the point she thinks she is going mad. No Michelle Pfeiffer heroics, just a creepy, gloomy London and a woman slowly unravelling. Magic.

I have lost my copy of Clinging, but I have it with me still. Only yesterday, when my Mum was watching a black and white war film, I asked, "Is Richard Attenborough having the screaming ab-dabs in the bottom of a boat?" which was something Mortimer said happened in every film of that generation (except he called him Dickie). Mum laughed, assuming I was familiar with the genre, so I didn't acknowledge him. I will do in future.

I am very sorry at his passing. Like Peter Cook, he leaves a space which his talent, his skill and his personality occupied. Unlike Cook he also leaves kindness, love and gentle humour in the memory of those who admired and respected him.

*ETA - reading the various obituaries online I should have gone with my first instincts. Of course he defended Last Exit - it was one of his landmark cases. It would have been in his book as well, just that I hadn't heard of it at the time. Also the (unconscious) reason that made me so eager to read it last year/ year before - it was chosen by another of my heroes, Steve Pemberton, as the book of the 20th century. So the combination of the two of them really nailed it for me.

W.D. Snodgrass - Heart's Needle was a landmark.

Don't you mean to say, "Be seeing you.":sniff:

Nice post SG!

Cheers Merc!

Not really bummed out, but would like to mention the passing of Tony Hart - who provided hours of televisual pleasure across the years of my childhood.

I never had the ability to reproduce any of his projects, but because my Dad did (have the ability AND sometimes make the things when he had time) I associate Hart with benevolence and twinkly eyed humour.

We're losing men in their 80s at the moment. My Grandad is older than Postgate, Mortimer and Hart. I worry a little.

John Updike passed away this morning.

R.I.P. Rabbit.:(

I wasn't really that bothered at the time, but after seeing The Dark Knight I was kinda bummed out about the death of Heath Ledger. The guy could hella act.

I liked Heath Ledger as an actor, but I thought that movie suxored hugely! That motorcycle was teh ghey too.

yep. movie sucked but incredible work by Ledger as the Joker.