Con Recap: Bizarre AC II, Tropicana Casino

The past few years have seen me discover and fall in love with horror conventions. I have been fortunate enough to be able to get to a few of them a year and have collected a nice autograph collection. The problem is that I look at guest lists for other shows that I can't get to and really wish I could. That brings me to Bizarre AC, a new con (this is only its second offering) in Atlantic City. The guest list featured a few guests that I really wanted to meet. The problem was if I could afford to get there. As it turns out, one night stay at the hotel really wasn't that bad (especially split with a couple of friends).

RIP Yvette Vickers

This morning I read that Yvette Vickers had died. I stumbled across it at Bloody Disgusting. Frankly, I cannot say I recognized the name, but being the horror buff that I am I checked out the article. What I found simultaneously horrified me and saddened. It said that her body was found mummified, which indicated that she could have been dead for more than a year already. I can only imagine what her neighbor must have felt when she made what must have been a grisly discovery.

RIP: Satoshi Kon, You Will Live on Through Your Films

Yesterday I learned of the passing of Satoshi Kon. It is a sad day for the animation world to lose such a visionary creator. Kon has passed away at the much too young age of 47 following a fight with cancer. My thoughts go out to his family and friends who have lost a loved one. If there is anything to be thankful for is that his legacy will live on and his films are destined to be talked about for years to come.

Reflecting: Peter Steele - Dead at 48

This past Thursday morning I turned on my computer to find some saddening news. My Twitter feed has a link to a story at Bloody Disgusting that said Peter Steele had died. At the time, it was still something of a rumor, although there as word that bandmate Kenny Hickey had confirmed that Peter Steele, 48, had indeed died of heart failure on April 13, 2010. I hoped it was a rumor, I prayed that it was a hoax, similar to the one in 2005 when Steele's death had been rumored, but ultimately (and obviously) not true. Sadly, it became apparent this was no hoax and that Peter Steele would no longer provide the world with his music.

The 6'7" Peter Steele was born Petrus T. Ratajczyk January 4, 1962 in Brooklyn, New York. He came to form a number of bands including Fallout, Carnivore, and the more famous Type O Negative where he served as vocalist and bassist. It has been reported that Steele suffered from clinical depression for which he received treatment, including a stint in a mental hospital. This goes along with periods of heavy substance abuse, which led to a stint in Riker's Island and a probationary period.

It was with Type O Negative that I came to be a fan of Steele. The gothic metal band provided a distinctive voice on the musical landscape from their debut Slow, Deep, and Hard in 1991 through Dead Again in 2007. I did not become a fan right away, I was not even aware of them until their third album had been released. However, since that moment, I have loved their music, their sound, everything.

I was working in a mall electronics store in the mid-1990s, it must have been 1994 or 1995. One of my friends, although for the life of me I cannot remember her name (I want to say Rebecca), told me about this group that I had to check out. She then lent me her copy of 1993's Bloody Kisses, which she had originally bought based on the cover art alone. I took it home, gave it one listen and bought myself a copy the next day. The dark, somber songs, gloomy catchiness, Steele's impossibly deep voice, and the freshness of the sound (at least to me at the time) held me in awe.

I went back and picked up the first two Type O Negative albums and then every one since. Each album brought with it its own surprises. The slow heavy churn of the music always familiar, yet always different with each release. Peter's lyrics always playing out like some sort of therapy session for whatever issues ailed him during the writing. To this day I find them mesmerizing. The world has lost a unique voice.

As if the albums were not enough, I was lucky enough to witnes Type O Negative live on a few occasions. They never failed to deliver a solid show. The crowd was always into just as Peter always had a bottle of red wine on stage. They were loud, heavy, and precise without exactly duplicating the album. I recall one particular night, my then girlfriend was making her way through the crowd when she bumped into a living wall. That wall turned out to be Peter Steele. She looked so small next to his 6'7" frame, seeing as she was not quite 5' tall. She looked up, speechless, he smiled and went along his way. It was just a moment but it was a memorable one. The closest I got was catching half a roll of toilet paper that was among the handfuls the band was using to TP the audience at a late October show.

Peter Steele was only 48 years old, died of heart failure, and left a legacy that will be long remembered. I cannot claim to know all that much about the man, but what I have read is pretty interesting. I am not sure if he ever found genuine happiness, although I suspect the search or lack thereof aided in his ability to write. Beyond that, his belief system went through drastic changes late in his life. The professed atheist began identifying with the Roman Catholic Church. It was noticeable in some of the lyrics on Dead Again that something had changed. Whatever it was that spurred him on, I hope he found solace.

Type O Negative will always have a place on my shelf. I am just sad that we will not get anymore new music or have the opportunity to attend a live performance. Peter Steele was taken away too soon and my thoughts go out to his friends and family.

R.I.P. Brittany Murphy - 1977-2009

Brittany Murphy has died of cardiac arrest at the age of 32. There is no word on any potential cause, an autopsy is set to be performed on Monday. I cannot lay claim to any great fandom of Murphy's, but she certainly has had a few memorable roles and she was always working. To honor her career, I have assembled a few of her films trailers.

Clueless


Drive


Little Black Book


Just Married


Uptown Girls


Dont Say A Word


Drop Dead Gorgeous


Spun


8 Mile


Sin City


The Ramen Girl


Deadline

Patrick McGoohan, Dead at 80

Patrick McGoohan has passed away following a short illness (details not disclosed). He is survived by his wife and three daughters.

I cannot claim any great and detailed knowledge of the man or his career, but it is always sad for someone to lose a family member. When that person is a celebrity, they belong to a bigger family, one that involves many people who never met personally. An actor/artist can have an impact on anyone, anywhere, at anytime. At this time my thoughts go out to Mr. McGoohan's family and friends.

I will remember Mr. McGoohan for his work on The Prisoner, a show that I have been meaning to watch all of, but have been fascinated with the few episodes I have seen.

Majel Barrett Roddenberry Passes Away

Widow of Star Trek creater Gene Roddenberry, Majel, passed away in her sleep in her Bel Air home surrounded by family and loved ones. Majel Barrett, as she was credited for her screen roles, was 76 years old and she died of leukemia.

This is a sad day for the Barrett and Roddenberry families and my prayers go out to them in their time of need. It is always hard to lose someone close to you, especially with the holidays right around the corner. Unfortunately, I have had the sad experience of losing a close family member the past two Christmas seasons, so this time of year comes with bettersweet feelings.

Although she has gone home to be with Gene, there is much to celebrate her career. She is most closely associated with Star Trek, not only through her marriage but also as an actress and voice actor. She portrayed Nurse Chapel on the original series in the 1960's, Lt. M'Ress on the animated series in the 1970's, plus as the computers voice on Star Trek: The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and Enterprise(some more extensive tha others), not to mention a number of the movies. She also completed work providing the voice of the computer for JJ Abrams' upcoming Star Trek reboot. She even provided voice work for an episode of fan-produced series Star Trek: New Voyages.

In addition to all of her Star Trek work, she also appeared in such films and shows as Westworld, Babylon 5, Family Guy, and the Gene Roddenberry created Earth: Final Conflict.

Mrs. Roddenberry is a woman who will always be remembered by family, loved ones, and fans alike. For more information regarding where to send condolences or donations in her memory, please visit Roddenberry.com.

Here is a scene from the episode "Amok Time" featuring Nurse Chapel and Spock:

Pickford Oscar Trial Begins

Here is an interesting piece from The Hollywood Reporter. Opening statements have begun in a case that will decide the fate of Mary Pickford's 1929 Oscar statue, which she won for her performance in Coquette.

The heirs of Pickfords third husband are attempting to sell the statue. According to the defendants Pickford, who passed away in 1979, wanted the statue to be auctioned off and the money donated to charity. This seems all well and good, although I have to wonder why they waited nearly thirty years to do so, or why she did not auction it off herself.

Anyway, the Academy institued a rule in 1950 that they have first rights to buy back the award for $10 before it hits the open market. It appears they do not want the statue going out to the public and wish to fork of the ten-spot in exchange for the nearly 80-year-old statue.

I wonder what their grounds are for the lawsuit? Was their 1950 rule worded to be retroactive? If not, I cannot see how the lawsuit would hold watert as this the award was clearly given out prior to the institution of the rule.

In any case, it will be interesting to see how it plays out.

Roger Ebert on the Critic's Purpose

Not really a new piece, but Roger Ebert posted a column called "Critic" is a four-letter word. It is a fantastic piece that anyone who aspires to be a critic, thinks they are a critic, or wants to get into writing should read. It offers insight into how Mr. Ebert approaches the job, where he gets his inspiration, and how important the job can be to the art world.

In the column he references the great critic speech at the end of Ratatouille, using it to point out the importance of seeing and defending the "new." I found this to be a telling portion of the article. Think about it. Many think that critics only exist to tear films down and/or to promote an elitist agenda. I do not doubt that this may be true in some cases, but it is far from the whole truth.

I wonder how many great films, creators, performers would have slipped by unnoticed if not for the critic. Critics take their accumulated experience and use it to help recognize what is good, what is not, and offering their educated opinion on it. This includes new voices, the things that are different and push boundaries in the medium. There is also the ability of the critic to explain their positions, not allowing themselves to be content with saying "I like it" or "It's terrible." That is no way to go about forming an opinion. On top of that, reading critics and their thoughts will help the non-critic get in touch with why they like or dislike something, making them confront themselves and formulate taste.

I can only hope to be the tiniest bit like Mr. Ebert. The man is a treasure. Do yourself a favor, go read his column and then stick around to read some of his reviews.

Roger Ebert on "The Incident"

Last week I reported on the incident at the Toronto Film Festival that resulted in Roger Ebert getting whacked with a program. Just the other day, Roger Ebert addressed said incident on his site. He begins by saying that if he had anything to do with it, no one would have heard about the happening. I tell you, Roger Ebert is one classy guy.

Of course, with the state of information, the moment anything happens, it's online and flying around cyberspace. I was one of those doing my part to spread the news of what happened, thus getting the word out on a non-incident. Now, here I am spreading the word that it was a non-incident. Will I never learn?

Still, I felt it worthwhile to make mention of his response. In his column he describes the entire incident from start to finish. I will not repeat it here, but you should read it.

The reason I am even writing this is because I still think Lumenick (the other party) overreacted to the whole thing. So, this is a bit more of a rant on being over reactionary as opposed to speaking on the specific incident. I do not care who you are, but when someone taps you on the shoulder, your reaction should be to find out what the tapper wants. Don't yell, or make a scene, or draw undo attention to yourself, and don't turn around and smack them. That's liable to make the incident worse. It is a case of common sense and civility. We are all people here, we are all adults, act like one.

Roger Ebert and Lou Lumenick Altercation at the TFF

Catchy headline, no? Slash Film is reporting that Lou Lumenick attacked fellow critic Roger Ebert during a screening of Danny Boyle's Slumdog Millionaire at the Toronto Film Festival. Now, it was not exactly an attack, but it does make me wonder what was going through Lumenick's head when it did happen.

All right, here's how it went down: People heard a voice yell "Don't touch me!" The exclamation repeated a few minutes later followed by the man standing up the darkened theater and thwacking the man behind him with a festival binder, hard enough that the resultant noise was heard throughout the theater. The striker was revealed to be NY Post critic Lumenick, while the strikee was Ebert.

I have to admit to being a bit stunned and dismayed at this news. It turns out that Mr. Ebert was having a little trouble seeing the screen, and since his vocal ability is severely diminished due to his cancer surgeries, he tapped Lumenick on the shoulder in and Effie to get him to shift a little. That seems like a perfectly reasonable thing to do. What is not so reasonable is for someone to start yelling and smack someone with a binder over a shoulder tap.

What Lumenick did is completely unacceptable in any situation. I mean, seriously, he could not ask what the tap was for? He couldn't turn around to find out what was the matter? And you seriously could not recognize Roger Ebert in a theater? Even when the lights are down, you can still see. What a completely over the top reaction. Perhaps the next time someone taps me on the shoulder I will turn and smack whoever it is with whatever I have at hand and see what happens.... or maybe not, I am sure logic and sensibility will come into play before I do anything so stupid.

I can only hope that Lumenick offered some sort of apology for his insane action.

Don LaFontaine - "The King of Voiceovers" Dies

In a rare appearance, Don Lafontaine appeared in a GEICO insurance commercial where he narrated a woman's tale of a car accident with his signature "In a world..." introduction. It was the first time that I had ever seen the man, although the voice is unmistakable. The man with the great voice that has graced so many movie trailers over the years has passed away at the age of 68.

Mr. LaFontaine spent many providing voiceovers to trailers, more than 5,000 in his career. His first appearance came in the promo for the 1965 western Gunfighters of Casa Grande for MGM. Want to know how he got the chance? The original talent failed to show up. It just goes to show that you never now when a life changing opportunity will present itself.

The Minnesota native died in Los Angeles of a collapsed lung. Mr. Lafontaine is survived by his wife and three daughters.

The man, the myth, the legend, Don Lafontaine will be missed, you may not know the face, but you will always recognize the voice.

Heath Ledger's Will Revealed

Heath Ledger's tragic death has brought up an important point, update your will and insurance and what have you whenever you have a life changing event. It is impossible to foretell what will happen in the future, near or far, but the knowledge that anything could happen is of utmost importance. This point is made by the revelation of Ledger's will.

As reported at TVGuide.com, his will states that everything be left to his parents and three sisters. The will was last updated in 2003, two years prior to meeting Michelle Williams and, obviously, before the love of his life, his daughter Matilda, entered his life. The lack of Matilda in the will begged the question of whether or not any provisions would be made for her.

To answer the question of Matilda's care, Ledger's father, Kim, released a statement saying: "Matilda is an absolute priority and Michelle is an integral part of our family. They will be taken care of and that's how Heath would want it to be."

This paints the Ledger family as a class act. It is also indicative how I would expect any family to act when their blood is at stake. However, in the current state of Hollywood and the extended families of those related to Tinseltown, I would not be surprised to find someone with greed in their eyes want to strictly abide by the will and take everything. This is not what I want to see happen, or really expect to happen, but it would not surprise me.

Among the documents revealed, it was shown that Ledger had approximately $145,000 in New York based assets, including his car and the furniture in his apartment. It does not include anything that he may have in Australia, nor the townhouse he shared with Michelle Williams.

My thoughts still go out to the Ledger family in the aftermath of their loss.

The Dark Knight's Heath Ledger Dead at 28

Movie star Heath Ledger was found dead in his SoHo apartment on the afternoon of January 22, 2008., he was only 28 years old. Early word is labeling his death as possibly drug related and possibly a suicide. Whatever the case may be, he left this world too early, no one should die in this way. Not to mention he leaves behind a young daughter, Mathilda, with his ex-fiancée Michelle Williams, with whom he amicably split in late 2006. The next hours and days will be filled with speculation regarding the cause of death and the reasons for his death, but through it all we must not forget that we will never know his situation and will likely never understand exactly what happened to him. Beyond all of the speculation, Heath Ledger was quietly growing as an actor that was trending upwards following his Oscar nomination for his role in Brokeback Mountain.

Heath began acting at a young age, first appearing in 1992's Clowning Around in his native Australia. It wasn't until 1997 that he began catching the eye of American audiences when he starred in the short-lived series Roar. From there he went on to the teen-themed comedy 10 Things I Hate About You in 1999 and seemed poised to become the next heartthrob actor.

In 2000 his career took another big step as he co-starred in the Mel Gibson starring film set during the Revolutionary War, The Patriot. Next step was the irreverent medieval comedy A Knight's Tale in 2001. Each film saw him take another step along the path to stardom.

The next few years saw him take roles in lower profile films that garnered more critical acclaim, including Monster's Ball and Ned Kelly. However, his next step brought him back to a wider audience, but was a pretty bad film. Does anyone remember The Order? The fewer who do the better.

Ledger was absent from the big screen in 2004, only to make a big return in 2005 appearing in a number of films. That year saw him play a fantastic supporting role in Lords of Dogtown, a role that I feel many do not recognize him for. Next up is the interesting, if flawed, Terry Gilliam film The Brothers Grimm, co-starring with Matt Damon. Heath also took on the title role in Casanova, a film I have not seen but received mixed critical notice.

All of that led up to his fantastic performance in Brokeback Mountain, which garnered him his Oscar nod and seemed to point towards bigger things for the young actor.

2006 saw him in a film called Candy, which I had not heard of prior to checking his filmography for this writing. It was a quiet year that also saw him focusing on his budding relationship with actress Michelle Williams and they baby.

2007 brought some big developments for Heath. Not only did he land the much-coveted role of the Joker in Christopher Nolan's sequel to Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, but he was also tapped to play one of Bob Dylan's personas in Todd Haynes critical acclaimed and definitely unconventional I'm Not There.

He had one project that was currently in production, another collaboration with Terry Gilliam, The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus. He was co-starring in this film with Christopher Plummer, Tom Waits, and Verne Troyer. The future of this production is uncertain at this time.

Was Heath Ledger a great actor? No. But he did have very solid potential and his abilities were growing over the course of his career, with the occasional bump. What else can you ask for from a performer?

Following his death I watched some of the news stories concerning the unfortunate event as they tried to make sense of the situation. None of the pieces add up. However, through it all one thing was abundantly clear, Heath was dedicated to his craft. They spoke of recent interviews where he talked about the difficulties he had with getting into, and out of, character. He spoke of being haunted by the evil that is the Joker, how it kept him awake at night. Listening to these facts point out just how hard acting is, there is nothing easy about the craft, particularly if you are any good at it. If this had anything to do with these tragic events I do not know, but it makes me sad that we will never be able to see where his career would take him or how far his ability would develop.

Let me close by saying that my prayers go out to his friends and loved ones in these difficult times. It is never easy losing someone close to you, especially under such tragic circumstances. Whatever facts emerge over the upcoming days, remember that he left behind films that will be remembered for some time to come.

Film Critc Joel Siegel, Dead at 63

Joel Siegel, film critic for ABC, has died at the age of 63 following a ten year battle with colon cancer. I may not have been his biggest fan, but he was a popular and well known voice that many people loved. His death comes as a shock, I did not even know that he had been sick, apparently he was always so upbeat around the office that many co-workers would nearly forget it as well.

My biggest complaint with him was his handling of the Clerks II screening, last summer, that he walked out of, loudly. That seems like such a long time ago, any disgust that may still be buried within my mind has been replaced with sadness for his loved ones. If nothing else, he always offered his unique brand of insight into whatever film he happened to be reviewing. Insight that I would not often agree with, but would always respect.

In a statement today, ABC News President David Westin said, "Joel was an important part of ABC News and we will miss him. He was a brilliant reviewer and a great reporter. But much more, he was our dear friend and colleague. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family."

More than just a critic, or a member of the press, he is a man who cared about his family and being able to share life with his son, whom he knew he would not see grow up. He wrote a book for his young son, Lessons to Dylan: From Father to Son, a book that opened up his life to his son, and anyone who wishes to read it. I have not read the book, but it is such a beatiful and thoughtful concept that I applaud him for doing so, for having the foresight to do such a thing. Joel Siegel was not a man to fall into self pity over his condition, always keeping an upbeat demeanor.

Joel Siegel was born July 7, 1943 in Los Angeles, and has been the recipient of five New York Emmy's. Also, in 1991 he, along with Gene Wilder, founded Gilda's Club which offers support for cancer patients.

Read and see more about Joel Siegel at ABC News.

Again, my prayers go out to Joel Siegel's friends and loved ones.

Jack Valenti, Dead at 85

Jack Valenti died today at the age of 85 at his home in Washington, DC. In March, he suffered a stroke which led to his hospitalization where he spent several weeks. It was complications from that stroke which ultimately led to his death. He had an illustrious career, first as a White House aide, but more importantly as the head of the Motion Picture Association of America, a post he held for 38 years.

In 1963, Valenti was in charge of the press during JFK's visit to Dallas. Following JFK's assassination, Valenti become a close advisor to LBJ, even living in the White House for the first few months of his term. In 1966 he left his position at the White House and became president of the MPAA.

His tenure at as president of the MPAA was not without controversy. Before the controversy, the outspoken copyright proponent introduced the ratings system, which has stood in place ever since. Sure, there were some changes here and there, most notably in the dropping of the X rating after it was appropriated by the adult industry, and the creation of the PG-13 rating in 1984.

Controversy reached one of its peaks in 1982 when he lobbyied against the advent of the VCR and the ability of people to record programs at home. He famously made the following statement during a Congressional hearing: "I say to you that the VCR is to the American film producer and the American public as the Boston strangler is to the woman home alone." A rather extreme comparison, and one that ultimately proved to be false, as it did pave the way for the home video market which gave Hollywood another way to get some cash from the public.

Also during his tenure, he supported the Digital Millenium Copyright Act, of which many of us music and movie lovers are not much of a fan. He also was behind the screener ban, which did not allow any studios to send out copies of their films to Academy members for awards consideration. It was done in an effort to stave off the prevalence of copies of those films appearing online. It did not last long, as indie studios came together to oppose the ban.

From White House aide and confidante to MPAA chief, Jack Valenti had a long career in the public eye. For better or worse, he left an indelible mark on the entertainment industry, and while I cannot agree with some of what he stood for, he will be remembered for a long time to come.

My prayers go out to his family and loved ones.

Superman has left this World.

I first read this this morning, but only now do I have the chance to write a brief post about it. Christopher Reeve has passed on at the age of 52. I will always remember him as Superman, bringing the hero of truth and justice to the big screen so perfectly. In 1995 he became paralyzed following an accident during a horse riding competition and went on to be a spokesmen for medical research. This past Saturday he fell into a coma brought on by an infection and died of heart failure on Sunday.