News, reviews & commentary on sci-fi & fantasy movies & shows
Some actors we forget about after retirement; others work until their last day. We remember them upon their passing in this obituary category.
It's proving a rather devastating year for Hollywood's roster. Yesterday, we lost the many talents of dancer and actress Cyd Charisse. In an unexpected synchronicity, it's been in just these past six months that I became familiar with Ms. Charisse's work beyond her non-speaking role in Singin' in the Rain. When I was offered a…
For the third time this year, I bring you news of several talented artists who have passed on. Composer and Emmy winner Alexander Courage passed away last month at age 88. His works include the theme to the original Star Trek television series. Yet he received little of his dues from that famous piece. To…
Sadly, I am again reporting a pair of notable passings. Roy Scheider, star of such aquatic hits as Jaws and SeaQuest DSV, passed away this Sunday at the age of 75. The news struck me by surprise, as though I had a vague recollection of his being treated for multiple myeloma, when it came to…
The spotlight has dimmed on two staples of early Seventies sitcoms. Suzanne Pleshette, co-star of The Bob Newhart Show, passed away on Saturday at the age of 70 from respiratory failure. It's been more than a decade since I last saw the show for which Ms. Pleshette was most famous, but I grew up on…
LONDON (Reuters) — Lois Maxwell, the Canadian-born actress who was to many fans the definitive Miss Moneypenny in James Bond films, has died in Western Australia aged 80, the BBC reported on Sunday. It said Maxwell, the demur foil to Bond's suave rake in 14 films from 1962's Dr. No to 1985's A View to…
Cinematographer László Kovács, born in 1933 in Budapest, died this past July 21st. Excerpted from This Is True's Honorary Unsubscribe: … in 1969, he filmed his breakout movie: Easy Rider, putting his own stamp on the motorcycle trip film based on his own bus ride from New Jersey to the west coast. Other seminal films…
Jack Valenti, MPAA president from 1966 to 1998, has passed away. Mr. Valenti always seemed like a good guy, though I confess I didn't follow the politics of the Motion Picture Association of America or its industry very closely. He left a legacy by establishing such institutions as the movie rating system; OTOH, he was…
Tonight, 119 parties in 32 countries will celebrate "Yuri's Night" — the 46th anniversary of mankind's first escape from Earth's atmosphere. It seems a timely opportunity to ensure that those of you in or around New Mexico know of the upcoming opportunity to attend James Doohan's send-off. On April 27th, a memorial will be held…