Passages

[fdm]

Windy.

[hearthesilence]

Baltimore Orioles' Hall of Fame third baseman Brooks Robinson. One of the true greats in baseball, and not many left from his era.

Amazing to see that Chuck Berry's first great record, "Maybellene," came out during his rookie year and the punk revolution took off during his final year - the world changed several times over during his time in MLB.

[Pavel]

Michael Gambon

[beamish14]

Michael Gambon

It’s no lost classic, but his comedic turn in the 1994 Dana Carvey vehicle Clean Slate (which basically anticipates Memento by 7 years) is just delightful. One of those actors I would gladly watch in any production

[Dr Amicus]

Michael Gambon

It was playing Oscar wilder in the BBC series Oscar in 1985 that first made me a fan, followed the next year with The Singing Detective, and then a couple of years later with The Cook, The Thief, His Wife and Her Lover.

Apart from that, I have soft spots for his roles as one of the suspects in the Amicus Who-Is-The-Werewolf film The Beast Must Die and as a Scrooge substitute in the Doctor Who episode, "A Christmas Carol".

I seem to remember reading somewhere that he and Brando became friends during the shooting of A Dry White Season with neither feeling happy with how the final film ended up - Brando sending him a Christmas card later commiserating that the one time they worked together, the studio messed up the film.

[colinr0380]

Whilst I love Cook/Thief/Wife/Lover, my absolute favourite Michael Gambon thing is as the narrator for the otherwise wordless 1988 film Missing Link, which follows the last in the line of an about to become extinct branch of ape-men who travels aimlessly through the wilderness after the only other members of his race have been killed by the up and coming new group of homo sapiens, all whilst being tormented after eating a bad batch of hallucinatory berries by visions of fire being harnessed and hunters with weapons (its sort of like that opening sequence of 2001: A Space Odyssey if the focus and sympathy was more with the apes who were getting clubbed than those wielding tools for the first time). Its kind of done in the style of a natural world documentary (the only narrative feature of a pair of filmmakers who worked on National Geographic documentary films) and is a paen towards those who are swept out of the record in order to leave room for others to take their place, with Gambon's narration acting kind of in the vein of a David Attenborough dispassionate narrator to the cruel but inevitable cycle of life and death. It was also the first film I remember that moved me to tears with its devastating final scene combining the imagery and the narration perfectly:

Spoiler

as our character reaches an endless ocean and after wandering into the surf and down the beach a little walks back to the shore and sits there looking out at it, whilst Gambon's narration brutally cuts into an already elegiac scene to intone that: "Now, at the edge of his world, the man-ape's journey has ended...", before the credits play over the scene as it fades to dusk and then night.

It kind of got lost in the shuffle of 'early man' movies of the mid-80s with the likes of Quest For Fire, Iceman (which also made me cry at the end! I guess I'm just a sucker for extinction stories!), and the official Clan of the Cave Bear movie taking more of the limelight, but it really deserves to be rediscovered. (Or at least should be a great candidate for a left-field Criterion, Radiance or Indicator release)

EDIT: Plus, forget Dumbledore, his sultry tones were put to great use as a flirtatious washing machine in an 1990s laundry advert!

[therewillbeblus]

As terrific as he can be in loud, meaty roles, I think Gambon's best work lies within smaller parts in two of Wes Anderson's weaker efforts. Particularly Fantastic Mr Fox, where he arguably steals the show (oddly it's in a voice-only role, for an actor whose emotive face dictates so much of his skill emission)

[CSM126]

Dianne Feinstein

[beamish14]

Dianne Feinstein

Longtime enemy of Behind the Green Door filmmakers Jim and Artie Mitchell. She needed to step aside years ago, and I hope Newsom gets someone better than Alex Padilla to replace her

[knives]

Probably one of the biggest and most grotesque elder abuse situations in recent years. My goodness the way her ‘loved ones’ and ‘allies’ treated her in the last year should be enough to scare anyone away from success.

[Lemmy Caution]

Has any evidence come out that what you say is true or that mere uninformed speculation? Do you know what her wishes were? What she communicated to her staff? Who her staff were and how long they had been with her and how much she trusted them? What her family wanted?

Mostly they were criticized for how long they kept her away from DC and her job, while she was recovering and had a shingles setback. Only when there was talk of pressuring her to resign and important votes pending did they try to get her back to work. I'd be awfully surprised if that wasn't exactly what she wanted. She was important and surrounded by admirers to the end. Id assume that trying to get back to work, resuming her life work, was a goal that kept her going. Id speculate that if she had resigned 6-8 months ago, her will to live would have diminished and she would have died sooner. Hard to say, but having a purpose and goal seems a positive force.

It's unfortunate that as a politician her last month or two played out in public. But I'd take fighting and continuing your career and retaining your importance to the end over being in a nursing home with family expecting your demise.
Different people might make different choices. I respect her choice, just as I respect Jimmy Carters choice to enter hospice and be done with medical interventions. Also, showing that with advanced age it can be hard to know how near or far the end is.

[hearthesilence]

Tim Wakefield, former Red Sox pitcher and 2-time World Series winner.

May not be a surprise because in true sanctimonious asshole fashion, Curt Schilling disclosed the Wakefields' health issues on his podcast without their permission. The Red Sox organization released this statement in response:

"We are aware of the statements and inquiries about the health of Tim and Stacy Wakefield. Unfortunately, this information has been shared publicly without their permission. Their health is a deeply personal matter they intended to keep private as they navigate treatment and work to tackle this disease. Tim and Stacy are appreciative of the support and love that has always been extended to them and respectfully ask for privacy at this time."

Wakefield spent 17 seasons in Boston, and was part of the landmark 2004 World Series team, as well as the 2007 championship team. He owns all-time Red Sox records with 430 starts and 3,006 innings pitched, and ranks second in franchise annals with 590 pitching appearances and 2,046 strikeouts, He is the only player in franchise history to appear in a game at the age of 44 or older, and is also the all-time Fenway Park leader with 216 starts and 1,553 innings at the ballpark.

Wakefield joined the Red Sox as a broadcaster and a special assistant after his retirement in 2012, and continued the charitable work he had been known for throughout his career as honorable chairman of the Red Sox Foundation. He helped revive a nonprofit therapeutic preschool program for children with special needs when they were struggling financially and held an auction and celebrity golf tournament every year to raise money for them. He worked closely with the Jimmy Fund both during and after his career, assisting in their annual radio telethon.

[therewillbeblus]

As an avid Red Sox fan coming of age around their leadup to the WS wins, this is affecting. Like most knuckleball pitchers, the anticipation of unpredictability was intense: When Wakefield was on, he was unstoppable, but man, every time it was his night to start there was a pervasive ache of anxiety during those key games that connected all fans. That's part of the excitement, of course, and we loved him dearly.

[fdm]

Dick Butkus

[Lemmy Caution]

Dick Butkus

When your name is pronounced Dick Buttkiss, you gotta be tough.
Chicago really makes a big deal of its sports heroes.
Had a long acting career in lots of minor roles.

[hearthesilence]

Terence Davies (announced via his Instagram account)

Absolutely gutted by this. I met him once and he was such a gentleman. I’m glad he experienced a resurgence in the last decade of his life when it seemed like he wouldn’t make another dramatic film. One of my favorites.

[Matt]

Sad news, but thankful that he was able to continue working, to get his films financed and released (and win awards) so late into his life, and to see his earlier work restored and brought to light for new generations.

[Mr. Deltoid]

Terence Davies (announced via his Instagram account)

Absolutely gutted by this. I met him once and he was such a gentleman. I’m glad he experienced a resurgence in the last decade of his life when it seemed like he wouldn’t make another dramatic film. One of my favorites.

Fuck.
Just shocked by this announcement. After Roeg passed a few years back Davies arguably inherited the title of Britain's greatest living filmmaker. Can't quite believe he's gone.

[hearthesilence]

There was even more to come.

There are still some that need to be reissued, but I remember when NONE of them were in circulation in the U.S. BAM did everyone a huge favor a decade ago when they screened them all, though Neon Bible was the one title where a print didn’t materialize so they ended up giving a free screening of a video projection.

[Finch]

Shocked as well but at least he went out on a high. Benediction was wonderful and I feel like Jack Lowden at the end of that film now. What a loss to English and world cinema!

[JamesF]

Not formally verified yet but there are several posts online stating that cult horror/action director Anthony Hickox (Waxwork, Hellraiser III, etc) has died at his home in Bucharest.

[bearcuborg]

Dick Butkus

When your name is pronounced Dick Buttkiss, you gotta be tough.
Chicago really makes a big deal of its sports heroes.
Had a long acting career in lots of minor roles.

Absolutely right about Chicago and their reverence for their sports heroes. If you are a Butkus fan, the extras in Any Given Sunday are probably as close as we'll ever get to hearing what Butkus sounded like as a player.

Terence Davies (announced via his Instagram account)

Absolutely gutted by this. I met him once and he was such a gentleman. I’m glad he experienced a resurgence in the last decade of his life when it seemed like he wouldn’t make another dramatic film. One of my favorites.

Great find on the link about his upcoming projects that will now never happen. I'll never forget how the ending of The Long Day Closes made me feel. I had the pleasure of seeing him in person when he was making the rounds for Of Time and the City in NYC, probably at Film Forum. Truly one of a kind.

[Finch]

Several cast members remembering Terrence Davies

[dwk]

Comic artist Keith Giffen

[dwk]

Jeff Burr