Jerry Lewis in Max Rose[/caption]
Jerry Lewis, the comedian, actor and filmmaker, died on Sunday morning at his home in Las Vegas. He was 91.
Jerry Lewis as last seen in the independent film Max Rose, his first movie in almost 20 years, playing jazz pianist Max Rose who makes a discovery days before the death of his wife and embarks on an exploration of his own past.
People
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RIP: Comedian, Star of MAX ROSE, Jerry Lewis Dead at 91
[caption id="attachment_23933" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Jerry Lewis in Max Rose[/caption]
Jerry Lewis, the comedian, actor and filmmaker, died on Sunday morning at his home in Las Vegas. He was 91.
Jerry Lewis as last seen in the independent film Max Rose, his first movie in almost 20 years, playing jazz pianist Max Rose who makes a discovery days before the death of his wife and embarks on an exploration of his own past.
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RIP: Country Superstar and Documentary “Glen Campbell: I’ll Be Me” Star Glen Campbell Dead at 81
Glen Campbell, the country and pop superstar and subject of the 2014 documentary, Glen Campbell: I’ll Be Me, died on Tuesday in Nashville after a long battle with Alzheimer’s. He was 81.
Campbell revealed that he had the disease in June 2011, saying it had been diagnosed six months earlier. He then announced that he was going ahead with a farewell tour later that year in support of his new album, “Ghost on the Canvas.”
What was supposed to be a five-week tour turned into 151 shows over 15 months. Mr. Campbell’s last performance was in Napa, Calif., on Nov. 30, 2012, and by the spring of 2014 he had moved into a long-term care and treatment center near Nashville.
That tour and the way he and his family dealt with the sometimes painful progress of his disease were chronicled in a 2014 documentary, “Glen Campbell: I’ll Be Me,” directed by the actor James Keach.
The documentary film features those who know and love Glen, including Bruce Springsteen, Bill Clinton, The Edge, Paul McCartney, Jay Leno, Vince Gill, Jimmy Webb, Blake Shelton, Sheryl Crow, Keith Urban, Brad Paisley, Steve Martin, Chad Smith and Taylor Swift among many others.
In addition to his wife Kimberly Campbell, he is survived by eight children, Debby, Kelli, Travis, Kane, Ashley, Cal, Shannon and Dillon;many grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren; three sisters, Barbara, Sandra and Jane; and two brothers, John Wallace and Gerald.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LAtgraWN5-I
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RIP: “Ed Wood” Actor Martin Landau Dead at 89
Academy Award-wining actor Martin Landau, who won an Oscar for playing Bela Lugosi in the movie “Ed Wood,” died Saturday. He was 89.
Landau died at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles following “unexpected complications during a short hospitalization,” his publicist Dick Guttman said in a statement.
Landau recently starred opposite Paul Sorvino in The Last Poker Game, which premiered at this year’s 2017 Tribeca Film Festival.
“The Last Poker Game’ follows Dr. Abe Mandelbaum (Martin Landau), who has just moved into a new manor with his ailing wife. After forming an unlikely friendship with a womanizing gambler (Paul Sorvino), their relationship is tested when they each try to convince a mysterious nurse (Maria Dizzia) that they are her long-lost father.”
A documentary about his life, An Actor’s Actor: The Life of Martin Landau, is reportedly in the works.
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RIP: “Night of the Living Dead” Filmmaker George A. Romero Dead at 77
George A. Romero, known for creating the modern zombie genre with his 1968 cult film, “Night of the Living Dead,” died on Sunday in Toronto after “a brief but aggressive battle with lung cancer,”. He was 77.
Romero went on to release “Dawn of the Dead” (1979), “Day of the Dead” (1985) and “Land of the Dead” (2005); and returned to independent filmmaking with “Diary of the Dead” (2008).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JS_JQsljVlI
He is survived by his wife, Suzanne Desrocher Romero; his daughter, Tina; and two sons, Andrew and Cameron.
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Nelsan Ellis’ Family Says He Died of Heart Failure Due to Alcohol Withdrawal Complications
The family of actor Nelsan Ellis who starred on HBO’s True Blood and recently in the independent film Little Boxes, has released an official statement regarding the cause of his death. In the statement released to The Hollywood Reporter, his family said that the actor struggled with drug and alcohol abuse for years, and his heart failure was due to alcohol withdrawal complications. Nelsan Ellis died on Saturday, at age 39.
His family released the statement to The Hollywood Reporter via his manager Emily Gerson Saines in an effort to help others who may be struggling with the same addictions that afflicted Ellis:
Nelsan’s father has bravely agreed for me to share the circumstances of Nelsan’s heart failure. Nelsan has suffered with drug and alcohol abuse for years. After many stints in rehab, Nelsan attempted to withdraw from alcohol on his own. According to his father, during his withdrawal from alcohol he had a blood infection, his kidneys shut down, his liver was swollen, his blood pressure plummeted, and his dear sweet heart raced out of control.
On the morning of Saturday July 8th, after four days in Woodhull Hospital, Nelsan was pronounced dead. Nelsan was a gentle, generous and kind soul. He was a father, a son, a grandson, a brother, a nephew, and a great friend to those that were lucky enough to know him. Nelsan was ashamed of his addiction and thus was reluctant to talk about it during his life. His family, however, believes that in death he would want his life to serve as a cautionary tale in an attempt to help others.
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RIP: ‘True Blood’, LITTLE BOXES Actor Nelsan Ellis Dies at 39
The actor Nelsan Ellis known for his work on the HBO series True Blood, has died aged 39.
His manager Emily Gerson Saines told the Hollywood Reporter “Nelsan has passed away after complications with heart failure.” He continued, “He was a great talent, and his words and presence will be forever missed.”
Ellis appeared in many films, including The Soloist (2009), Secretariat (2010), The Help (2011) The Butler (2013), and most recently, in the independent film Little Boxes (2016).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VK7jkBkvqVo
Ellis credits his work on the documentary Damn Wonderful, about gay suicide, with helping to prepare for his role on True Blood. In an interview with Vulture, he explained “You have to be open. But more importantly, you make a statement when you do something like that. I did a documentary called Damn Wonderful, about gay suicide, and you make a statement, a big statement, when you go, “I don’t want to play this part because it’s gay.” If you have a child, if you have a son, and he comes out as gay, what are you going to do? If you have a daughter who comes out gay …? You just made a statement, and it has ripple effects. First of all, this show, it’s True Blood, and shit, we get scared when we read scripts! Excuse my language. When scripts come, we’re like, “What are they going to have us do this week?” But when you make a statement that is a judgment … I was kind of like, “Have you met Alan Ball?” I’m supposed to do what my boss tells me to do, as an actor. I can’t approach a character with judgment. I certainly can’t tell my boss, “I can act what I want to act, but not what you tell me to act,” especially on a show where you come in, knowing what it is. I was like, “Okay… I guess?” I just thought that, having just done the documentary, I didn’t like what he did because he made a statement, and sometimes you have to take responsibility.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=01LcPeWuEW4
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Diane Keaton Honored with American Film Institute’s 45th AFI Life Achievement Award
Actor, director, writer and icon Diane Keaton was honored with the American Film Institute’s 45th AFI Life Achievement Award – America’s highest honor for a career in film – on Thursday, June 8, in an evening filled with laughter, stories, song and surprises at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood.
The televised special, AFI LIFE ACHIEVEMENT AWARD: A TRIBUTE TO DIANE KEATON, will air on TNT June 15 at 10:00 p.m. (ET/PT), followed by an encore presentation on sister network Turner Classic Movies (TCM) on July 31 during a night of programming dedicated to her career.
Keaton’s Tribute brought to the stage seven previous AFI Life Achievement Award honorees as performers and presenters for this historic event: Warren Beatty, Jane Fonda, Morgan Freeman, Steve Martin, Al Pacino, Meryl Streep and Sidney Poitier. Additional presenters who paid tribute to Keaton included Lisa Kudrow, Rachel McAdams, Martin Short, Sarah Silverman, Emma Stone, Reese Witherspoon and surprise guest Woody Allen.
Among the artists who gathered to celebrate Keaton were Candice Bergen, James L. Brooks, Jerry Bruckheimer, Richard Donner, Illeana Douglas, Richard Dreyfuss, Kenny “Babyface” Edmonds, Diane English, Andy Garcia, Vince Gilligan, Patty Jenkins (AFI Class of 2000), Carol Kane, Andie MacDowell, Nancy Meyers, Meg Ryan, Carole Bayer Sager, Jane Seymour, Steve Tyrell, Jacki Weaver and Dianne Wiest.
The evening began with a special onstage commemoration of AFI’s 50th Anniversary by AFI Founding Director George Stevens, Jr., and AFI founding Board of Trustees Vice Chair and Hollywood icon Sidney Poitier. “‘Film, without the American contribution, is unimaginable,'” said Stevens, quoting the words of Arthur Schlesinger, Jr., founding AFI Board of Trustees member. “That truth, and the belief of the founding Trustees and the importance of the motion picture, inspired an American Film Institute that would advance and elevate the art of film in the United States.”
Acclaimed cinematographer and AFI Conservatory Class of 1972 alumnus Frederick Elmes (BLUE VELVET, THE NIGHT OF) was awarded the 2017 Franklin J. Schaffner Alumni Medal for his commitment to excellence in film and television.
Steve Martin and Martin Short opened the Tribute to Diane Keaton with a hilarious musical roast of the actress and her body of work. The evening’s additional highlights included clips spanning her career and touching remarks and anecdotes from guests and presenters, with an emphasis on feminist spirit and empowerment.
The evening concluded with a surprise and rare appearance by Woody Allen, who presented the AFI Life Achievement Award to Keaton.
“The minute I met her, she was a great, great inspiration to me. Much of what I’ve accomplished in my life, I owe for sure to her,” Allen said. “This is a woman who is great at everything she does — actress, writer, photographer, director.”
Accepting the prestigious honor, Keaton concluded the evening by singing a rendition of “Seems Like Old Times,” the love theme from Annie Hall.
Building upon the evening’s theme of celebrating female artistry, the inaugural Audi Fellowship for Women, which will support the entire two-year AFI Conservatory enrollment for one promising female director, was spotlighted earlier at the event. Audi, an enduring supporter of the motion picture arts, and of AFI for over 14 years, is now investing in the future of our dynamic community by expanding opportunities for female storytellers. Natalie Camou, in attendance at the event, received the first-ever Fellowship, and will begin her journey as a Directing Fellow at the AFI Conservatory in August 2017.
A special moment was also taken to recognize AFI Conservatory alumna Patty Jenkins, whose Wonder Woman this past weekend garnered the biggest box-office opening ever for a female director.
Image: HOLLYWOOD, CA – JUNE 08: Honoree Diane Keaton arrives at American Film Institute’s 45th Life Achievement Award Gala Tribute to Diane Keaton at Dolby Theatre on June 8, 2017 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images for Turner)
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RIP: James Bond Actor Sir Roger Moore Dead at 89
James Bond actor Sir Roger George Moore died today in Switzerland after a battle with cancer. He was 89.
Roger Moore played the British secret agent James Bond in seven feature films between 1973 and 1985.
His family issued a statement, “With the heaviest of hearts, we must share the awful news that our father, Sir Roger Moore, passed away today. We are all devastated.”
With the heaviest of hearts, we must share the awful news that our father, Sir Roger Moore, passed away today. We are all devastated. pic.twitter.com/6dhiA6dnVg
— Sir Roger Moore (@sirrogermoore) May 23, 2017
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RIP: Kim Ji-seok, Deputy Director of Busan International Film Festival, Dies of Heart Attack at Cannes
Kim Ji-seok, the Deputy Director and the Executive Programmer of Busan International Film Festival, died at age 57 on Thursday evening, May 18th (French local time), following a heart attack while attending the 2017 Cannes Film Festival, France, the Busan International Film Festival confirmed in a statement.
Born in 1960, Kim was a founding member of Busan International Film Festival from 1996 and was currently the Deputy Director and the Executive Programmer of the Festival.
In its statement, the Busan International Film Festival said, “In undying efforts, contribution and devotion in discovery of Asian films, Kim led Busan International Film Festival to be the center of Asian cinema and one of world-class film festivals.”
Kim Ji-seok
1960 Born in Busan, Korea
1983 Graduated from Busan National University
1990 M.A. in Film and Theater at Joong Ang University
1996-2017 Working in Busan International Film Festival
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RIP: ‘SILENCE OF THE LAMB’ ‘RACHEL GETTING MARRIED’ Director Jonathan Demme Dead at 73
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Jonathan Demme[/caption]
Academy Award wining director Jonathan Demme died in New York on Wednesday morning after reportedly battling esophageal cancer and suffering complications from heart disease. He was 73 years old.
Demme directed blockbusters such as The Silence of the Lambs, and Philadelphia, but he never strayed too far from the indie world, directing the indie comedy Something Wild starring Melanie Griffith, and introducing Ray Liotta; and Rachel Getting Married, starring Anne Hathaway.
In addition to indie films, Demme directed documentaries on high profile subjects including the Pretenders, Bruce Springsteen, Neil Young, Jimmy Carter and Nelson Mandela, along with two documentaries about Haiti, 1988’s Haiti Dreams of Democracy and 2003’s The Agronomist. Recently, Demme directed the 2016 music documentary Justin Timberlake + the Tennessee Kids.
Demme is survived by second wife Joanne Howard and their three children: Ramona, Brooklyn and Jos.
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RIP: Egyptian Film Critic, Journalist and Film Historian Samir Farid Dead at 73
Egyptian film critic, journalist and film historian Samir Farid died on Tuesday after a long battle with lung cancer. He was 73.
In 2002, Samir Farid won the state award for excellence in the arts. He was also awarded the Cannes Film Festival Gold Medal in both 1997 and 2000. Earlier this year, he was given the honorary Berlinale Camera Award at the 2017 Berlin International Film Festival.
In 2014, he was the head of the Cairo International Film Festival.
The Berlin International Film Festival issued a statement:
The Berlin International Festival mourns the loss of renowned film critic and author Samir Farid who died after a long illness on April 4.
Samir Farid was highly esteemed as a film expert, and his opinions and advice were cherished worldwide. As a film critic he also accompanied the Berlinale over decades. In February 2017 the Festival awarded Farid a Berlinale Camera, an honour bestowed upon film personalities to whom the Berlin International Film Festival feels particularly indebted.
He first trained his sharp eye for film during his studies at the Higher Institute of Dramatic Arts at the Academy of Arts in Cairo. In 1965 he began his career as a critic at the Egyptian daily Al-Gomhoreya, where he worked for 38 years. During this period, he co-founded the National Festival of Short and Documentary Films (1970), the National Festival of Feature Films (1971), as well as the Egyptian Film Critics Association (1972). As of the 1970s, Farid was also a member of the FIPRESCI, the international federation of film critics. Over the course of his long career, he used his extensive knowledge while serving as a jury member at many world-renowned film festivals. For a few years during the 1980s, he was also a correspondent for the trade magazine Variety. In 2004 he began working for the daily Al-Masry Al-Youm. Farid was the author and translator of more than 60 books on Arab and world cinema.
“With Samir Farid we have lost an important voice from the Arab world. His commitment and passion for cinema were unrivalled. With his death I have also lost an old friend,” states Berlinale Director Dieter Kosslick.
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RIP: Actor, Director Bill Paxton Dead at 61
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Bill Paxton in Haywire[/caption]
TMZ is reporting that actor and director Bill Paxton died on Saturday February 25, 2017, due to complications of surgery. He was 61 years.
He appeared in a number of films, including The Terminator (1984), Weird Science (1985), Aliens (1986), Predator 2 (1990), True Lies (1994), Apollo 13 (1995), Twister (1996), and Titanic (1997).
The family released a statement “It is with heavy hearts we share the news that Bill Paxton has passed away due to complications from surgery.” The family accurately describes his “illustrious career spanning four decades as a beloved and prolific actor and filmmaker. Bill’s passion for the arts was felt by all who knew him, and his warmth and tireless energy were undeniable.”
Paxton was married to Louise Newbury, and the father of two children.