Sadly, the rumors that started to show up on social media earlier today have been confirmed. Ace Frehley, the Spaceman, has passed away at the age of 74.
Here he is, performing New York Groove at the during 1996’s KISS reunion tour.
Rest in Peace, Paul Daniel “Ace” Frehley.
I’m so sad to hear the Diane Keaton has passed away. She was 79 years old.
A great actress, she was also one of the few performers who seemed to be as genuine off-screen as she was on-screen. She brought Kay Adams to life in The Godfather, adding a certain edge that wasn’t present in the novel or the script. She starred in Woody Allen’s best films. She lent her voice to Finding Dory. She won an Oscar for Annie Hall and was nominated for a few other films as well. In 1996’s Marvin’s Room, she easily stole the film from showy performers like Meryl Streep and Leonardo DiCaprio and earned perhaps her most deserved Oscar nomination. At a time of generic faces and publicist-written statements, she was refreshingly real.
Diane Keaton, RIP. She will be missed.
I knew this day was going to come, due to his advanced age and the fact that it had been a while since he had appeared in a film (his final appearance was a wonderful supporting role in Jeff Nichols’s Mud), but it’s still pains me to say goodbye to Joe Don Baker.
As a fan of grindhouse cinema, as a fan of the classic Bond films, as a fan of Texas actors, and as a fellow graduate of UNT who used to enjoy eating at that Denton Whataburger that had his picture painted on the wall, I will have a special place in my heart for Joe Don Baker and the entertaining, if often ridiculous, films that he made.
He was 89 years old when he was passed away on May 7th. They don’t make ’em like Joe Don anymore.
Here he is in 1973’s Walking Tall, enforcing justice with a big stick.
Rest in peace. I’ll be watching Mitchell in your memory.
Gene Hackman has passed away. He was 95 and reportedly found dead in his Santa Fe home, along with his wife and dog. That’s what the authorities are saying. They also say there’s no sign of foul play. I’m sure there will be a lot of online speculation about what that all means. That’s the way of the world nowadays and it’s a shame.
Gene Hackman was one of the greats. He went into acting after a stint in the Marines and, according to most accounts and his own interviews, he never lost that grit and that expectation of professionalism from everyone he worked with. A former roommate of Robert Duvall’s, a close friend of Dustin Hoffman’s (from the days when they were both unknown stage actors), Hackman went from doing episodic television to becoming one of our best film actors. He was hardly a traditional leading man but his talent was undeniable. His Popeye Doyle was the classic eccentric cop. His Lex Luthor was a great comedic villain while his performance as Little Bill Daggett in Unforgiven proved to be the perfect portrayal of the authoritarian impulse. Interestingly enough, he was reportedly set to make his directorial debut with The Silence of the Lambs but he withdrew from the project, saying he didn’t like the violence. (Reports vary on whether he would have also played Lecter or Jack Crawford.) Hackman was a liberal but of the old-fashioned, blue collar variety. He once said starring in The French Connection changed his whole view of policing. It takes courage to admit to having changed your mind on anything. It’s not something that a lot of celebs have the guts to do anymore.
I’ve always respected that Hackman retired under his own terms. Faced with spending the latter part of his career appearing in movies like Welcome to Mooseport, he said, “I’m done.” Someone would have to be the once great star who humiliated himself by taking the lead role in Dirty Grandpa but it wasn’t going to be Gene Hackman.
Gene Hackman, RIP. He had a great career and gave us many great performances and that’s all we can really ask of an actor.
I’m truly devastated to hear the David Lynch, one of the few true visionaries of our age, has passed away. His death was not totally unexpected. He had recently opened up about his health difficulties. But it’s still hard to believe that David Lynch is no longer with us. He was 78 years old and he was one of the best. I’m sure we all have much more to write and share about him in the future. For now, I’m still coming to terms with the news.
From What Did Jack Do?
4 Shots From 4 Films is just what it says it is, 4 shots from 4 of our favorite films. As opposed to the reviews and recaps that we usually post, 4 Shots From 4 Films lets the visuals do the talking.
Yesterday, it was announced that the veteran cinematographer Roger Pratt passed away in December. Known for his work with Terry Gilliam and Tim Burton, Pratt left behind a legacy of visually stunning films. It’s time for…
4 Shots From 4 Roger Pratt Films
Brazil (1985, dir by Terry Gilliam, DP: Roger Pratt)
Batman (1989, dir by Tim Burton, DP: Roger Pratt)
The Fisher King (1991, dir by Terry Gilliam, DP: Roger Pratt)
12 Monkeys (1995, dir by Terry Gilliam, DP: Roger Pratt)
Today, everyone was saddened to hear about the passing of actress Teri Garr. The veteran actress and dancer, who was best-known for her comedic performances but who also showed that she could handle drama, was 79 years old.
Since this is October, it seem fitting to share two scenes from 1974’s Young Frankenstein, featuring Teri Garr as Inga.
Rest in peace to one of our greatest actors, James Earl Jones.
It’s hard to pick just one scene when it comes to honoring James Earl Jones. I’m going to go with two and they both come from 1989’s Field of Dreams, a film that is a favorite for a lot of folks here at the Shattered Lens. I think they show the two sides of James Earl Jones. We all know the inspiring side of Jones and how his voice could make anything sound like the wisest words ever spoken. But Jones was just as good at comedy and just as good at playing people who, for lack of a better term, were just fed up with all the stupidity in the world.
In honor of James Earl Jones, here are two scenes from Field of Dreams.
Richard Roundtree has passed away. He was 81 years old and, for moviegoers in the past, present, and future, he will always be the epitome of cool, John Shaft.
Rest in peace, Richard Roundtree.
Burt Young has died. The actor was 83 years old.
Burt Young will, of course, always be remembered for playing the lovable drunk Paulie in the Rocky films. The later films in the franchise portrayed Paulie as being kind of a mooch and a loser and it’s easy to forget that, in the first film, Paulie was the one who supplied Rocky with a place to train and was really the first person to support Rocky in his mission to go the distance with the champ. Long before Mickey agreed to train him and Adrian agreed to live with him, Paulie believed in Rocky.
Young also appeared in several other classic films, including Chinatown and Once Upon A Time In America. Though it may not be considered a classic, he was absolutely terrifying as the abusive father in Amityville II: The Possession. Off-screen, Burt was a painter, a novelist, a playwright, and, by most accounts, a total gentleman.
Burt Young will be missed. Rest in Peace.
Through the Shattered Lens 