Obituaries

Hammer Films have ceased to be after 89 years in the business. Will they rise from the grave? or was this the final nail in the coffin?

89 years is a dam' good run. In fact, I didn't even realize Hammer had still been making films. What was their last release?

Perilagu Khan wrote:

89 years is a dam' good run. In fact, I didn't even realize Hammer had still been making films. What was their last release?

Doctor Jekyll is apparently coming out later this month, and will be their last.

R.I.P. to Michael Parkinson, somewhat of a chat show legend.

R.I.P. David McCallum. Funnily enough, my abiding childhood memory of him on TV isn't The Man From UNCLE ... it's the single-season mid-70s Invisible Man.

Blunt Instrument wrote:

R.I.P. David McCallum. Funnily enough, my abiding childhood memory of him on TV isn't The Man From UNCLE ... it's the single-season mid-70s Invisible Man.    

HELL DRIVERS is streaming this month, I'd been meaning to watch it again, guess this is one more reason besides Baker, Patrick and Connery to make that happen (or two if we count Jill Ireland.)

William Hartnell (the first Doctor Who) and Herbert Lom are in Hell Drivers too, if memory serves. Hell (no pun intended) of a cast.

Michael Gambon passed away at 82.

'Interviews are boring, so I make things up. I once told an interviewer I'd tried homosexuality, but had to give it up because it made my eyes water'.

R.I.P. to the brilliant Mr Gambon.

Piper Laurie has passed away at the age of 91.

Her turn as Carrie's mother produced one of the most terrifying villains I've ever seen. Should've won an Oscar for that one.

She was great in that. Probably best remembered for her role in Twin Peaks now.

Matthew Perry has passed away at the age of 54.

Chandler's 'zingers' were/are a highlight of Friends.

R.I.P.

Sad to hear of the untimely death of Matthew Perry. I've seen very little of Friends but I did have one former co-worker say that I reminded them of Chandler Bing. I assume this was on account of my dry wit and sarcasm. This SNL skit I've always found hilarious:



Be more gullible.

Maeve Horton wrote:

I've seen very little of Friends but I did have one former co-worker say that I reminded them of Chandler Bing. I assume this was on account of my dry wit and sarcasm.

The last job I had managing a bookstore (actually a metaphysical book/gift/espresso shop) happened during the first or second season of FRIENDS and I inherited an all-girl crew when I took over. Within a few days, half of them had brought up Chandler when talking to me. I had only seen the show a couple times and assumed I was more like a non-jewish Schwimmer or Kyle McLaughlin type, but apparently it was your 'sarcasm factor' that cemented the Chandler connection.

Later on, I met my eventual wife while working there, and at one point we caught a rerun together of the Chandler/Jill Goodacre stuck-in-an-ATM-booth episode. Even she said, 'that's you!' I told her that it MIGHT be me ... but only if the Victoria's Secret model I got stuck with was Frederique, not Goodacre. (Fred was genuinely stupendous-looking, though she didn't come across that way in the only movie I know her to be in, WILD WILD WEST, where they gave her unflattering makeup and hairstyling.)

Ryan ONeal has passed away at the age of 82.

I think the highlight of his career must have been Barry Lyndon.

Tom Wilkinson has passed away at 75.

Sad to hear of the death yesterday of the second radio James Bond, Michael Jayston, (YOLT, BBC Radio 4, 1990), aged 88. He was also great in Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Tales of the Unexpected and in many other roles.

Also sad to hear of the death of the composer Steve Brown, aged 66, better known as the bandleader Glenn Ponder in Knowing Me, Knowing You with Alan Partridge (1994):

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13045955/steve-brown-dead-steve-coogan-lenny-henry.html

Maeve Horton wrote:

Sad to hear of the death yesterday of the second radio James Bond, Michael Jayston, (YOLT, BBC Radio 4, 1990), aged 88. He was also great in Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Tales of the Unexpected and in many other roles.

A very distinctive voice. R.I.P.

And R.I.P. to Carl 'Apollo Creed' Weathers, news of whose passing came through at the weekend. Once chatted to him at a convention, and got a pic and autograph. Cool dude.

Richard Lewis has passed away at 76.


I only know him from Curb Your Enthusiasm, but he was a great addition to that show.

Sad news. I really need to make a point of watching more of Curb Your Enthusiasm. The little I've seen of it suggests it's my kind of comedy.

Lewis was one of my favorite stand-up comics back in the 90s. A very funny guy.

R.I.P. Richard Lewis. Loved his sparring with Larry on Curb.