Passages

[colinr0380]

As Dr Amicus says, she'll always be remembered for this song which I feel is very much the UK's version of Fifty Shades of Grey!

Acorn Antiques was absolutely brilliant as well, capturing the threadbare feel of a Crossroads-style early afternoon soap opera, with able support from Celia Imrie and Julie Walters as the steadily more decrepit but happy tea lady! (although not as decrepit as the character she played in the Two Soups sketch!)

Then there's Dinnerladies, which is probably one of the few working class millieu sitcoms that actually worked, mostly because it never seemed to be sneering or looking down on its characters. And like the best sitcoms, it pulled off a few big emotional moments too. (Wasn't Ricky Gervais doing a homage to the bad versions of these kind of sitcoms in his "When The Whistle Blows" fake sitcom from Extras?)

[flyonthewall2983]

Dwayne "Pearl" Washington

[flyonthewall2983]

Joanie Laurer

[Polybius]

Dwayne "Pearl" Washington

The mid-80's Syracuse-Georgetown rivalry was what really put the Big East on the map and he was a major part of that. Just a total magician on the floor.

[CSM126]

Joanie Laurer

This is depressing and yet unsurprising. Coming as she did from a family with a history of drug/alcohol abuse and working in drug-fueled industries like wrestling and porn… a disaster was waiting to happen. Chyna was never the best wrestler, but she was a spectacle and had, I believe, the distinction of being the first woman to "compete" for the Heavyweight championship and was the only female Intercontinental champion, so she'll always have a place in WWE's wacky history, even if they let their anti-porn squeamishness keep her out of their Hall of Fame (admittedly, I won't be shocked if they make a big to-do of inducting her next year now that she's dead).

[antnield]

Guy Hamilton.

[FrauBlucher]

Joanie Laurer

This is depressing and yet unsurprising. Coming as she did from a family with a history of drug/alcohol abuse and working in drug-fueled industries like wrestling and porn… a disaster was waiting to happen. Chyna was never the best wrestler, but she was a spectacle and had, I believe, the distinction of being the first woman to "compete" for the Heavyweight championship and was the only female Intercontinental champion, so she'll always have a place in WWE's wacky history, even if they let their anti-porn squeamishness keep her out of their Hall of Fame (admittedly, I won't be shocked if they make a big to-do of inducting her next year now that she's dead).

There should be a documentary on the life expectancy of the professional wrestler.

[flyonthewall2983]

Things are much different now, to the point that I don't see a lot of current wrestlers ending up like that. WWE (basically the only game in town now) has a pretty strict drug policy, a solid record helping past talent with addictions or other health problems*, and a seemingly less rigorous schedule then they had in the 80's and 90's. Not that I think her time with them or appearances in smaller companies subsequent to her leaving had anything to do with her downfall (or even her time in porn), that it was more rooted in the issues that stemmed from her childhood.

She did do some acting, too. She was featured on a couple seasons of Third Rock From the Sun, playing Wayne Knight's girlfriend.

*Though unfortunately in Laurer's case, the complicated nature of her leaving (her boyfriend cheated on her with the woman who is now one of the faces of the company with him from a corporate perspective) meant that for whatever reason she didn't reach out to them or them her. I think it's more than "anti-porn squeamishness", but that was the thing Paul Levesque could fall back on. Subsequent to that, one of their Hall of Famers actually did porn and her status wasn't affected.

[Trees]

Guy Hamilton.

RIP to one of the Bond legends.

[hearthesilence]

Pete Zorn, best known for his work with Richard Thompson

[colinr0380]

Guy Hamilton.

RIP to one of the Bond legends.

I'd also highly recommend checking out the BFI Flipside disc of The Party's Over which can seem a slightly atypical film by Guy Hamilton compared to his war films (Colditz Story, Battle of Britain) and the later Bonds (and Harry Palmer in Funeral In Berlin!) but is one of his best works, albeit it doesn't have his name on it due to disowning the BBFC censored cut back in the 60s and not entirely 'director approving' the longer pre-release print that features on the disc.

(The booklet for The Party's Over also suggests that apparently Hamilton declined to direct Dr No in order to do the film!)

[knives]

Prince

He had been having some severe hip problems lately and was refusing medical attention on religious grounds so this isn't entirely shocking.

Sad about Guy Hamilton as well. I was just thinking it is amazing how well lived classic Bond directors have been.

[MichaelB]

Sad about Guy Hamilton as well. I was just it is amazing how well lived classic Bond directors have been.

Lewis Gilbert is still alive at 96. As is John Glen, although he's a mere ingenue at 83.

[swo17]

Prince discussion moved here

[MongooseCmr]

Richard Lyons

3 Negativland members passed in the last 15 months. That must be some kind of horrible record

[knives]

Sad about Guy Hamilton as well. I was just it is amazing how well lived classic Bond directors have been.

Lewis Gilbert is still alive at 96. As is John Glen, although he's a mere ingenue at 83.

Gilbert was the other I was thinking of, but good for Glen as well. Does that make Gilbert the oldest living director? Off hand I can't think of any older.

[antnield]

Does that make Gilbert the oldest living director? Off hand I can't think of any older.

The BFI did a website piece on this very subject a few weeks ago: The 20 Oldest Living Film Directors.

[knives]

Wow, thanks for that. An interesting set. Are any of Kassila's films available to the english limited of us?

[hearthesilence]

Lonnie Mack

[The Narrator Returns]

Michelle McNamara

[JPJ]

Does that make Gilbert the oldest living director? Off hand I can't think of any older.

The BFI did a website piece on this very subject a few weeks ago: The 20 Oldest Living Film Directors.

Wow, thanks for that. An interesting set. Are any of Kassila's films available to the english limited of us?

As far as I know none of Kassila's films are available with english subs,not even the delightful Inspector Palmu series.Palmu films have a huge cult following here in Finland,in fact about ten years ago they still had guided tours in Helsinki to shooting locations.I watch the quartet every year and I have sometimes thought that they would make an excellent Eclipse set!
For those who didn't know the Palmu character was the creation of author Mika Waltari, whose best known work is of course The Egyptian.

[repeat]

Fansubs are available for Inspector Palmu's Error (1960) and The Scarlet Dove (1961), but for the love of God let's move this conversation to the correct thread, you made my heart skip a beat there.

[Lemmy Caution]

Congolese music star, Papa Wemba.
He appeared in two feature films, Life Is Beautiful (1987) and Wild Games (1997).
Not sure what his role was in Life is Beautiful.

[MichaelB]

He was the lead. This film is not to be confused with Roberto Benigni's La vita è bella a decade later - in fact, I've only ever known it under its original French title La Vie est belle.

[Lemmy Caution]

Okay. I was wondering.
I found it on IMDb under the English title Life Is Rosy