Longtime actress Eileen Brennan died yesterday at age 80. Though perhaps best known to modern audiences as Mrs. Peacock from the 1985 movie Clue, Brennan had a rich career on stage and screen. She got her biggest early break in Peter Bogdanovich’s The Last Picture Show, followed closely by a supporting role in the Best […]
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Beyond Tony Soprano: James Gandolfini in film and television
No doubt you’ve read the news about the tragic, young death of James Gandolfini, the actor best for his powerhouse role as Jersey mob boss Tony Soprano. No one doubts that role is one for the ages. But even without The Sopranos, Gandolfini had a large and diverse career, including documentaries about war veterans and […]
Continue readingSlim Whitman, musician featured in Mars Attacks!, dies
Here’s a sad movie trivia obituary. Slim Whitman, renowned folk yodeler, died today at age 89. Though not exactly a beloved or legendary musician, Slim Whitman has a small place in film lore. In the climactic scene of Tim Burton’s 1996 movie Mars Attacks! (DVD 4555), Whitman’s “Indian Love Call” is used by the military […]
Continue readingCelebrating Petro Vlahos, father of modern visual effects
Petro Vlahos, an unheralded genius of modern filmmaking, died yesterday at age 96. Though not a household name in special effects like James Cameron, Peter Jackson, or Michael Bay, Vlahos laid the foundation for all future filmmakers. Vlahos invented bluescreen (“chroma key”) technology, first used in 1940 for The Thief of Bagdad and still used […]
Continue readingRemembering — and maybe introducing — Nagisa Oshima
Japanese director Nagisa Oshima died yesterday following long-term stroke complications. Oshima may not be the most well-known director outside of Japan, but he leaves behind an award-winning legacy. Oshima’s films dealt with a wide range of subjects, typically set during wartime Japan and (controversially) involving explicit sexuality. This style and thematic content earned him a […]
Continue readingMichael Clarke Duncan dies at 54
Over the weekend, actor Michael Clarke Duncan died from complications following cardiac arrest. Duncan was a towering presence in film, and although he died at a shockingly young age and appeared in only a few big movies, his impact was powerful and is already missed by fans around the world. His performance in The Green […]
Continue readingDirector Tony Scott dies
Film director Tony Scott committed suicide yesterday at age 68. While he was never an arthouse institution and didn’t have critical weight, Scott’s movies were immensely popular and changed the direction of big-action blockbusters. Perhaps most notably, Scott was sort of a Hollywood kingmaker, directing films that were massively successful game-changers for Jerry Bruckheimer and […]
Continue readingComposer Marvin Hamlisch dies
Prolific composer Marvin Hamlisch died this Monday. Hamlisch was a media legend who won every conceivable award for his music – including an Oscar, Grammy, Tony, Emmy, Golden Globe, and the Pulitzer Prize for Music. His accomplishments are staggering; even if you don’t know his name, you may have heard pieces from one of his […]
Continue readingFilmmaker Chris Marker dies at 91
Chris Marker, the groundbreaking French filmmaker and critic, died yesterday at age 91 — on his birthday, nonetheless. Marker’s multimedia art pushed the boundaries of its formats, from his unconventional documentary Sans Soleil to his critical essay writing and experiments with interactive media. Celebrate Marker’s work by visiting his films in our collection: A.K. (supplemental) […]
Continue readingHollywood star Jane Russell dies at 89
Former Hollywood actress and sex symbol, Jane Russell has died at the age of 89. Read more.Obituary: Jane Russell Come to Media Services and check out the following Jane Russell classics from our Home Use Collection.Gentlemen Prefer Blondes – HU DVD 244His Kind of Woman – HU DVD 2409
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