RIP Wes Craven: 1939-2015

I always find it sad when certain celebrities die, despite having no connection to them beyond enjoying the work they've produced. Or, these days, maybe a brief social media interaction, if you're lucky. Lots of people I admire die every year, but occasionally there's someone who inspires me to write something about them. Today, that's director Wes Craven.

RIP Leonard Nimoy (1931-2015)

I had the same birthday as Leonard Nimoy; 26 March. This was the source of great excitement when I was a young boy, growing up watching repeats of Star Trek, as I thought we perhaps share things in common as a result. As crazy as it sounds now, it was a source of pride to believe Mr Spock and I would blow out candles within the same 24-hours. As a lifelong fan of Star Trek, it's a sad day now Mr Nimoy's died—although I've been watching Mr Spock die, repeatedly, in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, for over 30 years. A beautifully touching scene, very much an emotional pinnacle of Trek to me, and probably the first on-screen 'death scene' that really moved me and has always lingered in my mind. Sadly, in real life there's no hope of a Genesis planet reviving everyone's favourite Vulcan...

RIP Robin Williams (1951-2014)

Another comedy great has left the stage, and this one hurts deep because Robin Williams was still bringing a lot of fun and entertainment to the world at the age of 63, and it appears he chose to commit suicide after an intense period of depression (although this hasn't been officially confirmed at time of writing). I'm sure you've read lots of articles and obituaries already, but I'd just like to add my own brief condolence.

RIP Rik Mayall (1958-2014)

Tragic news that comedian and writer Rik Mayall has died at the age of 56. I'm not sure how to gauge his global popularity (as that Drop Dead Fred movie killed his attempt at a Hollywood career back in 1991), but I'm sure British comedy exports like The Young Ones, Blackadder, The New Statesman, and Bottom are enjoyed by most Anglophiles. For Brits, Rik was one of the best physical comedians we've had and, while his 'naughty schoolboy' brand of humour wasn't to everyone's taste, he always gave performances 100%. As a pre-teen beginning to value comedy in the late-'80s, he was one of my favourite performers. I was the perfect age for his wacky man-child antics, I guess.

RIP Harold Ramis (1944-2014)

I only write obituaries for showbiz talents that meant something to me, in some way, and so here's one for the multi-talented Harold Ramis. He was best-known for his role as Egon Spengler in Ghostbusters (1984) and its 1989 sequel, which he wrote with co-star Dan Aykroyd; as well as co-writing/directing timeless comedy classic Groundhog Day (1993). He also wrote Stripes (1981), Caddyshack (1980), and the seminal National Lampoon's Animal House (1978). In his later career, he directed Analyze This (1999), The Ice Harvest (2005), and four episodes of NBC's The Office.

RIP Larry Hagman (1931-2012)

TV legend Larry Hagman, 81, has died following complications from throat cancer. He was most famous for playing Texan oilman J.R Ewing in classic '80s soap Dallas, which was revived with Hagman's involvement earlier this year. Others may remember him as astronaut Tony in 1960s sitcom I Dream of Jeannie, as well as for memorable appearances in the movies JFK, Nixon and Primary Colors.

RIP: David Croft (1922 – 2011)

Legendary British writer-producer-director David Croft O.B.E has died "peacefully in his sleep" at the age of 89. Croft co-wrote many classic sitcoms from the '60s onward, most famously with Jimmy Perry (Dad's Army, It Ain't Half Hot Mum, Hi-de-Hi!, You Rang, M'Lord?) and Jeremy Lloyd (Are You Being Served?, 'Allo 'Allo!, Grace And Favour). His last notable TV work was co-writing 1995's Oh, Doctor Beeching! with Richard Spendlove.

It's fair to say Croft's shows are from a bygone era of British comedy, and not everything's stood the test of time. It Ain't Half Hot Mum is a particular problem in these politically correct times because it featured a white actor playing an Indian character in blackface (a casting decision that apparently occurred because of a lack of Indian actors at the time, but is nevertheless seen as a reason Mum is rarely repeated). But Dad's Army is an all-time classic that gets shown all the time, Are You Being Served? was a phenomenon in the '70s (also gaining a cult following in America via PBS), and many people have a special place in their heart for WWII comedy farce 'Allo, 'Allo!

A lot of Croft's work may now feel very old-fashioned, with titles that read like lines of dialogue (complete with punctuation), plentiful double entendres, a common use of stereotypes, and a surfeit of catchphrases, but most were from very innocent times. Holiday camp comedy Hi-de-Hi! forms one of my earliest TV memories, I was a massive fan of 'Allo, 'Allo! at the time, and even remember enjoying You Rang, M'Lord? (or maybe just the theme tune) as a young boy. I'm not the right age to have a particular affection for Dad's Army and the pre-'80s stuff, sorry to say, but I can appreciate their quality for the times they existed in.

It may not be a particularly hip and cool oeuvre when viewed from 2011, but Croft was writing inoffensive family sitcoms that regularly pulled in millions of viewers every week, and most remain popular in repeats. Are there any Brits over the age of 30 that can't rattle off a dozen or so catchphrases that Croft helped come up with? Captain Mainwaring's withering "you stupid boy", faux-French policeman Office Crabtree's greeting "good moaning", Gladys Pugh's cheerful "hello, campers", Private Jones' alarmed "don't panic!", or Mr Humphrey's trilling "I'm free!" Simple phrases given life by the actors, which became indelible traits of their shows, and managed to induce smiles of recognition whenever they were uttered.

Perhaps most famously, it was Croft's idea to end his shows with the caption "You Have Been Watching" before the cast credits would play over vignettes of each actor. That's become such an icon of sitcoms from the '60s, '70s and '80s, that retro-inspired sitcom Miranda even pays homage to it today.

A talented man and definite giant of British comedy for the past 50 years, David Croft will be missed. He's survived by his seven children.

To celebrate his lifetime of work, here are a few clips from some of the best sitcoms David Croft worked on:

RIP: Andy Whitfield (1972-2011)

I'm saddened by the news that Spartacus: Blood & Sand star Andy Whitfield passed away yesterday "in the arms of his loving wife", having lost his battle with non-Hodgkin lymphoma. The 39-year-old Welsh-born actor's only known for that one TV role, totaling just 13 episodes, but he left an unforgettable impression as the Thracian warrior sold into slavery.

Despite having come to acting in his late-30s, I'm sure Whitfield's career would have blossomed under different circumstances, as he brought a natural charisma and grace to what could have been a rather one-dimensional role.

Chris Albrecht, Starz CEO:

"We are deeply saddened by the loss of our dear friend and colleague. We were fortunate to have worked with Andy in Spartacus and came to know that the man who played a champion on-screen was also a champion in his own life. Andy was an inspiration to all of us as he faced this very personal battle with courage, strength and grace."

Steven DeKnight, Spartacus showrunner:

"No words to express the depth of such a loss. You will be deeply missed, my brother."

Norman Buckley, Spartacus director:

"So sad about Andy Whitfield. But a lesson--there are no guarantees. Every moment is precious. Life is a gift."

Lucy Lawless, Spartacus co-star:

"Obviously, Andy Whitfield left an indelible mark on all of us in the Spartacus family. He was a gentle man who never said a bad word about anyone, a gifted photographer, engineer (no really!) and a brilliant actor. Andy's incandescent film presence made men want to be him and women want to marry him. Andy's two babies will always know that their Daddy cherished them and their mother, Vashti, above all things. How lucky we were to have him grace all our lives. Godspeed, Andy!"

Spartacus returns next year with Liam McIntyre in the title role, having already replaced Whitfield with his predecessor's blessing. I'm sure McIntyre's performance will honour Whitfield's turn, but it's a shame the original Spartacus couldn't have continued this on-screen journey.

Andy Whitfield is survived by his two children and wife.

RIP: Elisabeth Sladen (1948-2011)

Actress Elisabeth Sladen, who played faithful companion Sarah-Jane Smith on Doctor Who for 38 years, has died of complications arising from a battle with cancer she kept quiet for several years. She was 63.

Sladen made her Doctor Who debut as feisty reporter Sarah-Jane Smith in 1973, when Jon Pertwee was playing The Doctor, and throughout Tom Baker's tenure until 1981. Upon leaving the show she appeared in several Who specials and radio plays (including ill-fated TV pilot K-9 & Company), before a guest appearance in Doctor Who's 2006 episode "School Reunion" led to Sladen being given her own TV series the following year, entitled The Sarah-Jane Adventures. 

Sladen's career was dominated and defined by her work on Doctor Who over almost four decades, as she appeared in only a few other TV shows and plays in her lifetime.

Russell T. Davies, Sarah-Jane Adventures' creator:

I absolutely loved Lis. She was funny and cheeky and clever and just simply wonderful. The universe was lucky to have Sarah-Jane Smith, the world was lucky to have Lis.

Steven Moffat, incumbent Doctor Who showrunner:

"Never meet your heroes" wise people say. They weren't thinking of Lis Sladen. Sarah-Jane Smith was everybody's hero when I was younger, and as brave and funny and brilliant as people only ever are in stories. But many years later, when I met the real Sarah-Jane -- Lis Sladen herself -- she was exactly as any child ever have wanted her to be. Kind and gentle and clever; and a ferociously talented actress, of course, but in that perfectly English unassuming way. There are a blessed few who can carry a whole television show on their talent and charisma -- but I can't think of one other who's done it quite so politely.

Elisabeth Sladen is survived by her husband Brian Miller and daughter Sadie Miller.

DoctorWhoNews.net have a comprehensive write-up of Elisabeth Sladen's passing.

RIP Leslie Nielsen (1926-2010)

Shirley you can't be serious!

This news genuinely saddens me, as Leslie Nielsen was one of my favourite comedy actors. Like many people, he first came to my attention as the deadpan doctor in the fantastic Airplane!, before starring in the wonderful Naked Gun trilogy of spoofs (based on the flop TV show Police Squad!), although his early career was surprisingly serious (The Poseidon Adventure, Ransom!, Forbidden Planet). The Canadian actor appeared in over 100 movies and an incredible 1,500 televisions shows (The Golden Girls, Fantasy Island, Hawaii Five-0, M*A*S*H, Gunsmoke, etc) in a career spanning 60 years.

It was a shame Leslie Nielsen got typecast by his later spoof work, as his filmography over the past 20 years is full of weak parodies that flopped at the box office: Spy Hard, Dracula: Dead & Loving It, Wrongfully Accused, Superhero Movie, Scary Movie 3, and many others. Nielsen was basically there to give those movies a tincture of credibility, in the vague hope that fans of his classic work would be persuaded to watch them. That never really worked, although he was often the best thing about those later movies.

For me, Nielsen was like a cool, funny granddad you were always glad to see. He was one of those comedians whose very presence made you smile, and could make you giggle with the slightest expression. Many of my favourite comedy moments in film involve Leslie Nielsen, so here are a few choice clips of him as The Naked Gun's bumbling Lt. Frank Drebin:

Leslie Nielsen died from complications relating to pneumonia in a Fort Lauderdale hospital in Florida. He was 84. Rest In Peace.

Kevin McCarthy RIP (1914-2010)

You may not known the name, but you perhaps recognize the face. Kevin McCarthy was a stage/screen actor whose career in TV/film lasted for several decades, but he was most famous for starring in 1956 sci-fi classic Invasion Of The Body Snatchers. Joe Dante (a fan of McCarthy's) often cast him in his movies, too; from Piranha and The Howling, to Innerspace and Twilight Zone: The Movie. It was in those '80s films that I came to recognize him.

McCarthy (Oscar-nominated for his role as Biff Loman in 1951's Death Of A Salesman), died at the incredible age of 96 last Saturday, of natural causes.

RIP Peter Graves (1926-2010)

Oveur and out.

American actor Peter Graves has died a few days before his 84th birthday, apparently of natural causes following a family brunch. I'm not going to claim I was a keen follower of his career, but Airplane! is one of my favourite films and Graves' role as the genially peculiar Captain Oveur was a highlight. I'm too young to remember him as Jim Phelps in the Mission Impossible TV series, but I've often noticed him and his distinctive voice in many TV shows and movies through the years. Graves is survived by his brother James Arness, his wife Joan Endress, and their three daughters. You can read a great obituary at The Guardian here, and by way of a tribute, here are all his scenes from Airplane!:

RIP Edward Woodward OBE (1930-2009)

BAFTA-winning British actor Edward Woodward has died, at the age of 79. Woodward started out in theatre, but moved into television to become a household name starring in Callan. He went on to achieve over 2,000 TV credits in his career! But, he'll probably be best remembered as the pious policeman in cult horror movie The Wicker Man (1973). In the mid-'80s, the American TV series The Equalizer also brought him international fame and a Golden Globe, playing a vigilante ex-secret agent. More recently, Woodward had appeared in Hot Fuzz, The Bill and EastEnders. He died at the Royal Cornwall Hospital in Truro today, having recently battled illnesses including pneumonia. He is survived by his wife, Michelle Dotrice, and four children.

RIP Patrick Swayze (1952-2009)

Patrick Swayze's oeuvre marks an unfortunate gap in my film knowledge (having never seen Dirty Dancing, let alone Road House or The Outsiders), but I'm still saddened to hear of his death after a two-year battle with pancreatic cancer. The only popular movies of his I saw, enjoyed, and will watch again are Ghost and Point Break (and Donnie Darko, if you'll allow.) Dirty Dancing just never appealed to me at the time, so it's just a jumble of catchphrases, that dance move, and a soundtrack filtered through pop-culture jokes, parodies and reality shows.

Still, Swayze's an actor intrinsically linked to "The '80s" (consequently etched into memories of that era in some indefinable way), I liked the how he managed to stage a mini-comeback post-millennium, and he was definitely a man whose bravery in the face of terminal illness will be an inspiration to many. He spent the last months of his life writing his autobiography ("The Time Of My Life"), and I'm sure it'll be a great read. Maybe now's the time to give that dance flick a spin...

RIP John Hughes (1950-2009)

"At the time I came along, Hollywood's idea of teen movies meant
there had to be a lot of nudity, usually involving boys in pursuit of
sex, and pretty gross overall. Either that or a horror movie. And the
last thing Hollywood wanted in their teen movies was teenagers!"

-- John Hughes

Writer-producer-director John Hughes has passed away at the age of 59, after suffering a heart attack while jogging in New York while visiting friends. Hughes was a prolific filmmaking talent who dominated the '80s "teen movie" genre with acclaimed films like Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club, Pretty In Pink and Ferris Bueller's Day Off. Comedy was undeniably his forte, with other hits including National Lampoon's Vacation, National Lampoon's European Vacation, Planes Trains & Automobiles, Uncle Buck, Weird Science, National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, Curly Sue, The Great Outdoors and Home Alone.

Hughes stopped directing in 1991 and retired from the public eye in 1994, but continued writing scripts for successful movies like Home Alone 2: Lost In New York, Dennis The Menace, Baby's Day Out, 101 Dalmations and Flubber. He was also credited with the stories behind Maid In Manhattan and Drillbit Taylor.

As you can tell from just scanning his filmography, Hughes was a massive talent and cultural touchstone for many cineastes, not to mention one of the defining filmmakers of the '80s. I doubt there are many people out there who haven't enjoyed at least one of his movies, or who hold a handful in high regard. I'm a particular fan of The Breakfast Club, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Planes, Trains & Automobiles and Home Alone.

He is survived by his wife of 39 years, Nancy, their two sons and four grandchildren.

By way of a tribute, here's a five-minute montage of his work:

RIP Michael Jackson (1958-2009)

It's always sad when icons die. I wasn't a rabid Michael Jackson fan, truth be told. Even as a kid in the '80s I thought he was a bit odd and, while I loved his signature dance moves, he didn't really appeal to me. I only really developed an appreciation as a teenager, looking back on all his classic music videos and realizing the spectacle of his concerts and record-breaking successes. His album "Thriller" has sold 100 million copies, a feat unlikely to ever be beaten. Then came the allegations of child abuse and the mid-'90s slump, which he never really recovered from...

His life got crazier, mud stuck, and the hit singles dried up. Over the past decade, he became a bizarre, lanky caricature of himself. There's probably a whole generation (or two) that equate his fame with nothing but bizarre behaviour, controversy, dangling babies out of windows, court appearances, making his kids wear face-masks, and being mobbed on the street by screeching fans in white gloves. Fortunately, his heyday was so phenomenal that the music cuts through all that nonsense. "Thriller", "Smooth Criminal", "Black Or White", "Bad", "Billie Jean", "Man In The Mirror"... it's quicker to list the singles that weren't hits for Jacko.

Michael Jackson died of cardiac arrest at the inconsiderable age of 50, on the eve of 50 comeback gigs at the London O2 Arena that, honestly, nobody thought would go ahead. He'd already postponed the first batch, there were reports he'd barely attended rehearsals in L.A, and it felt like he was being pressured into doing these concerts to pay his bills. The first 10 gigs alone were rumoured to net the singer £50 million.

Upon hearing the news he'd been admitted to hospital after a heart attack, the cynical part of me suspected it was all faked to give him an excuse to cancel his summer shows. That's the kind of outrageous stunt you wouldn't put past him, really. Sadly, I was wrong.

Was the heart attack tied to his general ill health or plastic surgeries? Was it brought on through stress about his final gigs? Or was it just "one of those things"? Maybe we'll find out in a few days, but one thing's for certain: Michael Jackson may have left us, but his music will never die.

Ricardo Montalban RIP (1920-2009)

Mexican film/theatre actor Ricardo Montalban -- best known for starring in '70s series Fantasy Island, and as the villainous Khan in Star Trek II: The Wrath Of Khan -- has died at his L.A home. He was 88.

Montalban's long career started in 1942 and he appeared in a staggering amount of TV shows and films over the past sixty years, such as: Star Trek, The Man From U.N.C.L.E, Mission: Impossible, Gunsmoke, Wonder Woman, The Colbys, Dynasty, The Naked Gun, Escape From The Planet Of The Apes, Chicago Hope and Dream On. He continued to work into his eighties, most notably in both Spy Kids sequels.

He is survived by four children from his late-wife Georgiana, who died in 2007, and two grand-children.

Patrick McGoohan RIP (1928-2009)

Be seeing you...

Emmy-award winning Irish actor Patrick McGoohan, best known for his role as Number Six in cult '60s television series The Prisoner, has died in his Los Angeles home after a short illness. He was 80 years old. McGoohan's long career began in the mid-'50s, starring in TV shows like Danger Man and Columbo (where he won two Emmy's), and in movies such as Ice Station Zebra, Escape From Alcatraz, The Man In The Iron Mask, Scanners, A Time To Kill and Braveheart.

His death coincides with the filming of a Prisoner remake, starring Jim Caviezel and Sir Ian McKellen, which is scheduled for broadcast this summer. The original series was undoubtedly McGoohan's crowning achievement; a surreal sci-fi allegorical masterpiece that has confused and entertained audiences for over 40 years, influencing countless works since. He co-created The Prisoner with George Markstein, played the lead role (Number Six, a secret agent who finds himself trapped in a mysterious Village), and wrote/directed many episodes (under the pseudonyms Paddy Fitz and Joseph Serf).

McGoohan is survived by his wife of 57 years, Joan Drummond McGoohan, three daughters, five grand-daughters, and a great-granddaughter.

RIP Michael Crichton (1942-2008)

A belated mention from me about Michael Crichton, the best-selling author most famous for writing Jurassic Park, who died a few days ago after battling privately with cancer. Sad news, especially because I devoured a lot of Crichton's work in the early-90s and he was definitely a writer that eased my progression from child to teenage reader.

I read Jurassic Park before the Spielberg movie's release (and it's always amused me how the sequels borrowed scenes from that source novel), then went on to read Rising Sun, Disclosure, Sphere (which was much better than the film), The Terminal Man, The Lost World, Congo and The Andromeda Strain.

Like a lot of authors I admire, the science in his stories always sounded very plausible and you felt like you were learning while being entertained. After reading his books, I still believe dinosaurs might someday be resurrected, await the discovery of an ancient spaceship lying dormant in the ocean, and fear us having to deal with an alien contagion.

Beyond his books, I've always liked the sci-fi movie Westworld (which he wrote and directed) and appreciated his scientific input on Twister. While never a massive fan of ER (which he co-created), I do remember seeing it in the mid-90s and being amazed by the realism Crichton's real-life training as a doctor brought to proceedings, too. It undoubtedly made every other medical drama raise their game.

For no discernible reason, I moved onto other writers in the late-90s, so I've not read any of his later work (Airframe, Timeline, Prey, State Of Fear, Next), but I'm certainly glad there are a fair few Crichton stories left for me to soak up and enjoy.

RIP: Stan Winston (1946 - 2008)

Stan Winston sadly passed away on 15 June, after a seven-year battle with multiple myeloma. He was 62. Winston was a pioneering special FX and make-up maestro who created many icons of cinema, such as: the Terminator endoskeleton, the Predator, the Alien Queen, Edward Scissorhands, the animatronic dinosaurs in the Jurassic Park films, the robots in AI: Artificial Intelligence, and most recently the Iron Man suit.

I've always been in awe of people like Winston, who create the illusion of reality in a physical way for cinemagoers to gasp at. Sure, the CGI dinosaurs were better than the animatronic ones in JP, but were they as impressive? And the real Terminator endoskeletons in T2 somehow surpass the CGI ones in T3. Iron Man amazed people because the practical suits created by Winston blended so well with their CGI doubles. Audiences are always more impressed by something real and tangible, that isn't just a collection of computer pixels. Who wants a CGI Predator? Nobody. Winston created real things; monsters and robots you can touch... that exist.

During his career, Winston won 4 Oscars (Best Visual FX for Aliens, Best Visual FX & Make-up for Terminator 2 and Best Visual FX for Jurassic Park). He was nominated for 6 more, and became only the second special FX artist to get a star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame.

Winston had recently been working on James Cameron's Avatar and had agreed to work on Terminator 4. There was also rumours he'd be returning to Jurassic Park for its fourth instalment. I'm not sure how much work he'd done for the new Terminator, but Jurassic Park 4 will miss his input. Of course, Winston inspired and mentored a whole new generation of artists who will continue his impressive work, and deliver thrills for audiences around the world.

Winston is survived by his wife, Karen; a son, daughter, brother and four grandchildren.