In Memoriam: Harold Ramis

In Memoriam: Elmore Leonard (1925 - 2013)

I don't have much to say about Elmore Leonard, the world's most respected, beloved, and prolific crime novelist, or at least not much to say that hundreds of thousands of other bloggers have already written about him. I just wanted to note his passing, and say that I was a fan.

Well, and also I wanted to say one thing that maybe most of those hundreds of thousands of bloggers might not say: Great crime novelist, sure, but an even better writer of Westerns, at least in my opinion. It was through his westerns that I first read Elmore Leonard, and they aren't just my favorite of his works, but some of my favorite of the entire genre.

He will be missed.

In Memoriam: Margaret Thatcher (1925 - 2013)

For over a decade Margaret Thatcher was the most powerful woman on the face of the Earth, and probably neck and neck with Reagan and Gorbachev for the most powerful over all. She was a staple of my childhood, and I can't remember any other world leader in power during the course of my life who was as dynamic or inspiring.

In Memoriam: Tony Scott (1944 - 2012)

I'm saddened to hear of the death of filmmaker Tony Scott, not only because my heart goes out to his friends and family, but because it means I'll never get to see another movie made by Tony Scott. The man himself may have passed on, but he leaves behind a legacy of some of the coolest and most ridiculously entertaining movies ever made.

In Memoriam: Joe Kubert (1926 - 2012)

In Memoriam: Gaius Julius Caesar (October 100 BC - March 15th 44 BC)

A moment of silence for Gaius Julius Caesar, who was either a man, a god, a tyrant, a general, or a king, depending on who you ask. Anyway, he was assassinated 2,056 years ago today.

In Memoriam: Davy Jones (1946-2012)

I was very sad to hear of the death of Davy Jones today, from a heart attack at the far too young age of 66. Like most people, I was a fan of the Monkees, and of Davy Jones especially. Unapologetically. Without any irony. Just a fan, of his music and his acting. It is a little ironic to know that it was his heart that got him, since his voice and charm got the hearts of so many others.

In honor of a great showman, here's one of my favorites:

In Memoriam: Steve Jobs (1955-2011)

My personal opinion of Steve Jobs doesn't matter. All I need to say is that I learned about his death while checking the news on my iPod Touch, and I'm writing this blog entry on my MacBook Pro. Even if I didn't have an Apple laptop, chances are good I wouldn't have any laptop at all if not for Jobs and what he (along with Woz and Bill Gates and Paul Allen and all the others) brought to the computer industry -- not to mention the music industry and the entertainment industry and the film industry, and the industry of industry itself.

I'm sad he's gone, and I'll miss him, not only because he was a visionary whose genius brought me countless hours of fun, but because he was so charming, even when you hated him.

In Memoriam: Peter Falk (1927-2011)

In Memoriam: Gene Colan (1926-2011)

 
Gene Colan, one of the greatest artists in the history of comic books, has passed away at the age of 84. The man, and his work, will be missed.

In Memoriam: Ryan Dunn (1977-2010)

This isn't quite up there with the death of Princess Diana or anything, and it's likely nobody will ever ask me in twenty years if I remember where I was when Ryan Dunn died, but even still... I liked the guy. I don't mean I liked him personally, since I never met him, although I can't imagine any franchise that is more honest about its stars than Jackass was. People watched Jackass to see a bunch of dumb guys getting hurt, but people started to love Jackass (and kept it going strong for over a decade) because the performers were so lovable and charming, and maybe none more than Dunn. People who have never watched Jackass don't understand that. They think Jackass is just a bunch of idiots doing stupid, dangerous things. Jackass is actually a bunch of funny, lovable idiots doing stupid, dangerous things.

I mean, anybody can stick a matchbox car up their ass and then go to the doctor to get an x-ray, but few people could pull it off with the class and good humor of Mr. Dunn.

Anyway, I liked the guy, and I was sorry to learn that he died in a car crash. I'm sure he'd be sorry that he died that way too, but I'm sure he'd be even more pissed that it wasn't even caught on camera so it could be used in Jackass 4.

Read more about Dunn in this obituary.

In Memoriam: Randy "Macho Man" Savage (1952 - 2011)

A moment of silence, please, for The Macho Man, one of the all time greatest professional wrestlers in the history of the sport. Honor his memory by snapping into a Slim Jim. Read more about his life and career here.

In Memoriam: Betty

May we please have a moment of silence for Betty. I've never met a finer rat, and I bet I never will. She will be missed.

In Memoriam: Charlie Callas

Charlie Callas is one of those comedians who could make an audience laugh even before he told a single joke. Callas was a naturally gifted comic who was so funny, he didn't even need material to make people laugh, since just his facial expressions and mannerisms were enough to break up most people into fits of laughter. He died today, which is made all the more sad because he was already one of the last of a dying bread of comic.

I always liked him, and even if you've never heard of him, I guarantee this clip will make you laugh:

In Memoriam: Pete Postlethwaite (1946-2011)

Oh no!

Sometimes celebrity deaths really hit hard. Not because you know the person, not because you feel for their families, and not because of any regrets they might've had about the things they left undone. Sometimes it hits hard because they were so good at what they did that their films and performances brought joy to the world and it's heartbreaking to think they'll never do that again.

Pete Postlethwaite was one of the best, and he will be missed. I think I'm gonna go watch Jurassic Park 2.

In Memoriam: Irvin Kershner (1923-2010)

Oh no again!

Filmmaker Irvin Kershner died today at the age of 87. Over the course of his career, he directed at least one great movie and a few pretty entertaining ones. The great one, of course, is the second Star Wars film The Empire Strikes Back, which is on my list of the top ten best films ever made of all time ever. For that film alone he earned himself a spot on the Geeks Hall of Fame. But he also made his mark on the James Bond series by directing the much maligned but actually not that bad Never Say Never Again, that brought Sean Connery back to the role after about twenty years or so. He also directed the much maligned but still better than part 3 Robocop 2.

Go honor his memory by listening to his fantastic audio commentary on the Empire Strikes Back DVD. He was a smart guy and a fantastic director who deserved a better career.

In Memoriam: Leslie Nielsen (1926-2010)

Oh no!

Leslie Nielsen, star of stage and screen, has died today at the age of 84. I can think of few actors more universally beloved than Leslie Nielsen. And for good reason, since he was incredibly talented, absolutely hilarious, and effortlessly charming. He was the kind of actor who was funny even in movies that were otherwise unwatchable, and even when he wasn't, we still forgave him because we loved him so much.

Go honor his memory by renting Airplane, Naked Gun, or Dracula: Dead and Loving It. All funny. He will be missed.