criterionforum.org

Colin Welland.

Melissa Mathison, screenwriter of E.T. and The Black Stallion

Charles Herbert, former child actor best known for his roles the classic horror movies The Fly and 13 Ghosts. He died on Halloween.

If anyone has ever been unnerved by the original Texas Chain Saw Massacre, I'd highly recommend listening to the commentary track between Tobe Hooper and Gunnar Hansen on it. Hansen is so soft spoken, as well as insightful into the crazy character he is playing, that it is a great listen!

Hansen's dedication to the part was impressive, spending time with cognitively-disabled people to learn mannerisms and body language so the character would be more realistically seen as a retarded person and even a victim of his family. I can't imagine many people would have gone to that much trouble to play a chainsaw-wielding cannibal, but I'm glad he did because his performance is unforgettably chilling, saying much without once speaking a word. It is one of the key elements that makes TCM a masterpiece.

Today's the perfect day to check out his 1973 album Life, Love, and Faith if you haven't.

A shame. And an amazing career.
Allen Toussaint embodied New Orleans soul.
And whether you know it or not, he certainly wrote dozens of songs that you know.
And his 1972 album Life, Love and Faith is indeed a gem, one of the great lesser-known soul albums.
From start to finish, terrific.

First time I heard it was mid-80's.
I was in rural Kenya, without electricity, and a friend mailed me a cassette tape with Life Love & Faith on one side. I knew Toussaint,and had his first solo album, but hadn't heard LL&F yet. Coming back from the post office, the farm manager happened to go past and offered me a lift the 8 miles up the gravel road below Mount Elgon. He let me pop the tape in. Man, that ride was far too short. I only had about 10 tapes with me, so I listened to it a fair amount, on my battery powered cassette player. I remember just being floored by the song Soul Sister.

I saw AT in a NYC small bar one time in the early 80's. By the end of the 2nd set, we were some of the few customers left. It was both mildly embarrassing and totally great. Another time, circa 1982, caught his off-Broadway play Stagger Lee, with AT conducting the orchestra.

Just today I decided I hadn't listened to any New Orleans music in a while, and put together a NO soul playlist. Heavy on Allen Toussaint-related tunes. On some of them where I wasn't even sure Toussaint was involved, it's easy to recognize his classy piano flourishes or background singing. I was also thinking today about some of the clever little endings on a few songs Toussaint wrote, produced, played on -- such as Lee Dorsey at the end of Workin' in the Coalmine ("Lord, I'm so tired") and Fortune Teller's sly little insider brag ("now I get my fortune told for free)."
Toussaint had a great way with words and was able to put across a story or mood or feeling in a deft everyday, yet worldly manner. Just listen to the depth of feeling in Ruler of My Heart (Irma Thomas, later covered by Otis Redding as Pain in My Heart) or the humor of Mother-in-Law (Ernie K-Doe). ("she thinks her advice is the Constitution" ... "sent from down below")

Imo, Toussaint's famous song-writing is equaled by his sophisticated piano playing, while his smooth soulful singing not too far behind. It'd be hard to make a list of my favorite Toussaint-penned songs without going up to about 50. So here's a brief list of my favorite songs performed by Toussaint:
- Chokin' Kind ("you're love scares me to death, it's the chokin' kind")
- What is Success?
("it's a sad thing, a bad thing, but so necessary. That this cold world causes your values to become monetary")
- Soul Sister
- Southern Nights
- I've Got To Convince Myself

And because I can't resist two underappreciated, lesser-known AT gems: Blues Tears And Sorrow sung by John Williams & Hercules with Aaron Neville vocals. Do yourself a favor and check those two out. Two of my all-time favorite soul songs. Guarantee after you hear Hercules for the first time, you'll immediately play it a 2nd time.

Warren Mitchell, best known for playing Alf Garnett in the BBC sitcoms Till Death Us Do Part (the character later became Archie Bunker in the US remake, All In The Family) and In Sickness and In Health. He was also a great Shylock in the 1980 BBC version of The Merchant of Venice, and part of the ensemble cast of the BBC's 2000 adaptation of Gormenghast (a series that has been strangely forgotten, but really anticipated the shift of the zeitgeist into the star-studded, fantastical worlds of privilege of Harry Potter and the earthy political backstabbing of Game of Thrones. Perhaps it arrived just that little bit too soon?)

He was also in the feature version of Till Death Us Do Part and had roles in Terry Gilliam's Jabberwocky, in the Beatles film Help!, and in The Spy Who Came In From The Cold.

Vincent “Don Vito” Margera from Bam Margera's "Viva la Bam" show.

Saeed Jaffrey, Bollywood and British screen legend, who throughout his lengthy careeer worked with such luminary directors as Satyajit Ray, John Huston, James Ivory, David Lean, Richard Attenborough and Stephen Frears. He also appeared latterly in the long running UK soap Coronation Street.

Tony Longo, the big dude that bopped Billy Ray Cyrus in Mulholland Drive passed away in June. Judging by his extensive credits that man lived a full life. And extensive in this case is an understatement!

That's sad to hear. I was reminded when watching his brief appearance in Mulholland Drive again ("Adam Kesher?") that Thom Andersen did a 14 minute short called "The Tony Longo Trilogy" that just consisted of putting together three of his small roles from the Lynch film, Living in Peril and The Takeover. It is presented as an extra feature on the Cinema Guild disc of Los Angeles Plays Itself, probably because that film quotes a lot from The Takeover anyway!

https://vimeo.com/111753063" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Cynthia Payne, the brothel madame whose life was used as the basis of two films both released in 1987 and both written by David Leland: Wish You Were Here, directed by Leland and based on her early years; and as played by Julie Walters in Terry Jones's film Personal Services.

Keith Michell.

Cynthia Robinson of Sly & The Family Stone

Setsuko Hara (Masae AIDA, both before and after her movie career) died in September, and her family has finally announced this. Not surprising that she would have wanted her passing dealt with inconspicuously, given her total rejection of her movie world persona more than 50 years ago.

Absolutely remarkable performances in films by Ozu, Naruse, Kurosawa, Yamanaka and Yoshimura (among others). She was one of a kind. And it was love at first sight when I first encountered her in Early Summer. Sayaonara, Setsuko!

http://www.asahi.com/articles/ASHCT7KPN ... omtop_6_01" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; (nothing in English yet).