Catcher caught

JD Salinger
1919—2010

"Anybody want to say anything?"

Dan O'Bannon
1946—2009

Don't keep the Wicker Man waiting...

Edward Woodward
1930—2009

He knew Kung Fu

David Carradine
1936—2009

Off To Kingdom Come

J.G. Ballard
1930—2009

At rest, remembered

John Updike
1932—2009

I am not a number...

Patrick McGoohan
1928—2009

Your Pretty Face Is Going To Hell

Ron Asheton
Guitarist & co-songwriter with The Stooges
1948—2009

No more birthday parties

Harold Pinter
1930—2008

For a moment there I thought we were in trouble

Paul Newman
1925—2008

Wish you were here

Rick Wright
1943—2008

He wasn't mad, he just read different books

Ken Campbell
1941—2008

In a world of voiceover artists...

Don LaFontaine
1940—2008

Last train to Mornington Crescent

Geoffrey Perkins
1953—2008

Comedy producer, writer and performer, Geoffrey Perkins, has died in a car accident aged 55.

He produced The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy for radio and such shows as KYTV, Spitting Image, Saturday Live, Harry Enfield's Television Programme, Ben Elton: The Man From Auntie, Game On, Father Ted, Happiness, The Catherine Tate Show and The Fast Show for television.

He also invented the game Mornington Crescent for the BBC Radio 4 show I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue.

A sad loss, indeed.

Soul man

Isaac Hayes
1942—2008

One Day In The Death Of Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn

Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
1918—2008

Judgement day

Stan Winston
1946—2008

If you have seen Aliens, the Terminator films, Predator and Predator 2, Jurassic Park or Batman Returns then you have seen the amazing monster and make-up effects of Stan Winston who has sadly passed away after a seven year battle against multiple myeloma.

Hats of to a special effects genius.

That shave an' haircut beat no more

Bo Diddley
1928—2008

The slender thread breaks

Sydney Pollack
1934—2008

The final odyssey

Arthur C. Clarke
1917—2008

The talented Mr. Minghella

Anthony Minghella
1954—2008

I was saddened to hear of Anthony's passing despite the fact that I am not a huge fan of his films. I hated The English Patient, thought it trite and empty albeit beautifully shot. On the other hand, Truly, Madly, Deeply is a wonderful little film and I also quite enjoyed The Talented Mr. Ripley.

Even though I do not care greatly for his work he always came across in interviews as intelligent, good humoured, passionate about film and basically a lovely human being. I always felt a bit bad that I didn't like his films as much as I liked him.

A dark night

Heath Ledger
1979—2008

An Unearthly Child

Verity Lambert
1935—2007

Verity Lambert was the first producer of Doctor Who back in 1963 and oversaw the first two seasons. She was both the youngest and the first female drama producer at the BBC. Other shows she produced during her career include Rumpole Of The Bailey, The Naked Civil Servant, Widows and Jonathan Creek.

The current production team of Doctor Who paid tribute to Lambert during the Series 3 episode "Human Nature" when the Doctor, masquerading as school teacher John Smith, talks of his parents, Sidney* and Verity.

Her death on Thursday came the day before the 44th anniversary of the very first episode of Doctor Who and five days before her 72nd birthday.

* A reference to Sidney Newman, the original creator of the series.

The Naked And The Dead

Norman Mailer
1923—2007

"I'm a minor player in my own life story."

Anthony H. Wilson
1950—2007

"Some people are bullfighters. Some people are politicians. I'm a photographer."

Michaelangelo Antonioni
1912—2007

"I met Death today. We are playing chess."

Ingmar Bergman
1918—2007

Lonesome no more

Self portrait from 'Breakfast Of Champions'

Kurt Vonnegut Jr.
1922—2007

Robert Altman 1925-2006

I was greatly saddened to hear about Robert Altman's death on Monday night at the age of 81. He was unique in American cinema, a director who built up stories from mostly improvised and overlapping dialogue. It was a technique that didn't always work but when it did it was wonderful. Besides, he was so prolific that if one of his films didn't succeed then there would be another one along in no time.

I'm not a huge fan of Raymond Carver but I loved Altman's take on his work in Short Cuts. The Player is delightfully vicious, a treat for movie buffs with an ingenious twist at the end. I wish all period dramas were as entertaining and engrossing as Gosford Park. And then there is M*A*S*H, Nashville, McCabe & Mrs. Miller, The Long Goodbye...

So, thank you, Bob, for all the great films you gave us. Rest well - you've earned it.

"Aw, it's a pity, really. I thought it was a good idea to have someone in the house who is actually sorry he's dead."
- Constance Trentham (Maggie Smith), Gosford Park

Muriel Spark, R.I.P.

Sad to read about the passing of Dame Muriel Spark. The author, probably best known for the novel The Prime Of Miss Jean Brodie, died aged 88 in the Tuscan village of Civitella della Chiana where she had lived for 27 years.

I have to confess that I have only read one of her novels, Aiding And Abetting, but her dark humour and intelligence always shone through in interviews and articles. I shall have to rectify that. A trip to the bookstore is in order.

Online obituraries:
The Observer
BBC News Online

Nice Guy Eddie, R.I.P.

Actor Chris Penn, younger brother of Sean, was found dead at his Santa Monica Home. He made his film debut in Francis Ford Coppola’s Rumblefish in 1983 but was probably best known as Nice Guy Eddie in Tarantino’s Reservoir Dogs.

The most curious thing mentioned in all the news reports of his death is the fact that nobody seems to know for sure exactly how old he was: somewhere between 40 and 43 is the rough estimate.

Anyway, he was a talented character actor who still had a lot of interesting parts to play.

“OK, first things fuckin’ last!”
- Nice Guy Eddie

Richard Pryor, R.I.P.

Richard Pryor has died at the age of 65 after suffering for many years with multiple sclerosis.

Born in Illinois and raised in a brothel, Pryor started out trying to appeal to respectable audiences until he experienced what he called an epiphany whilst onstage in a swanky Vegas hotel in 1967. He looked out at the audience, said, "What the fuck am I doing here?" and walked off stage.

He reinvented himself and cultivated his 'angry nigger' style of profanity and storytelling, the influence of which can be seen through not only successive black comedians like Eddie Murphy and Chris Rock but also the likes of Bill Hicks and even Robin Williams.

He moved into films and became one of the first black men in Hollywood with the power to pick and choose his own projects.

His stand-up routines often drew on personal tragedy, including one infamous incident when he set himself on fire whilst high on cocaine. Probably the best example of his stand-up material is the 1980 film, Richard Pryor Live on the Sunset Strip.

Raise your glasses, if you will, and drink a toast to a great man of comedy. Cheers, Richard.

John Peel

Today marked the first anniversary of John Peel's death. Has it really been a year already? I remember when I first heard the news - I couldn't believe it. He was a legend. He did more to promote new music then any other DJ on the planet. So many great artists owe their success to him, to his constant search for innovative, exciting sounds that no-one had ever heard and were unlikely to hear on regular mainstream radio. His desire to seek out fresh talent was insatiable. Listening to his show was always a revelation; you'd hear all manner of strange stuff that you might consider total crap and then he'd play something astonishing.

And who is there to replace him? Nobody. He was unique.

Thank you, John: You left us too soon.