One of the most influential people in horror is now gone. Director and writer Wes Craven died on August 30, 2015 from brain cancer.
The genesis of many a sleepless night, Craven was the man behind the original Nightmare on Elm Street and the Scream series.
Rest in Peace, Wes.
No really, I mean that.
James Horner, one of the most prolific film composers died in a plane crash yesterday at the age of 61. His credits are too numerous to list here, but he has been a major fixture in genre films for decades. He scored two Star Trek films (II and III), was a frequent collaborator with James Cameron (Aliens, Titanic, Avatar), and scored many of the Don Bluth animated films (An American Tale, The Land Before Time, etc).
Horner was nominated for ten Academy Awards and won twice (both for Titanic, Best Score and Best Song). How influential is he? He was the 35th person added to the IMDB database back in the 90’s and his score for Titanic is the best selling orchestral film soundtrack of all time.
Some of James Horner’s work sampled below.
At the age of 83, Leonard Nimoy has passed away from end-stage chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
I am, frankly, bereft of words at this moment. And I think our readers here know who he was and what his accomplishments were. Please share your thoughts down below. I may have something more coherent later today.
Mr. Nimoy, you did live long and you did prosper. Thank you for everything you did for us fans.
You will be missed, but never forgotten.
Here’s his final message on Twitter:
A life is like a garden. Perfect moments can be had, but not preserved, except in memory. LLAP
— Leonard Nimoy (@TheRealNimoy) February 23, 2015
There is no joy in the world today.
Harold Ramis’ films defined a good part of my adolescence. He will be sorely missed.
http://variety.com/2014/film/news/harold-ramis-dead-at-69-1201118556/
If anyone needs me, I’ll be watching Ghostbusters and Groundhog’s Day on a loop for a while.
A true American pioneer, Sally Ride has passed away at age 61 after a 17 month battle with Pancreatic Cancer.
Flying aboard the Challenger in 1983, she made US history. She flew again on the same shuttle a year later. A physist as well as an astronaut, she helped design the robotic arm that made the shuttles (and later the ISS) so versatile and successful.
She also served on the two review boards overseeing the destruction of the Challenger and the Columbia.
“After serving the world for over 30 years, the space shuttle’s earned its place in history. And it’s come to a final stop.”
In the pre-dawn hours in Florida, the Space Shuttle Atlantis came to a stop, ending a 30-year era of space travel for the United States.
The crew of four ended their historic mission forty-two years and one day after we first set foot on the moon.
After a long and very active career, Michael Gough has passed away.
This crowd probably knows him best as Alfred Pennyworth from the Tim Burton era Batman films. Don’t hold that against him, he was probably the single best part of the films, bringing dignity and a little humor to the role.
Gough would go on to star in other Burton productions, including Sleepy Hollow, Corpse Bride, and last year’s Alice in Wonderland.
In 1979 he won a Tony Award for Best Actor (Feature Role – Play) for “Bedroom Farce.” He was nominated again for the same category in 1988 for his role in “Breaking the Code.”
Prolific fantasy author, Brian Jacques, passed away this weekend from a heart attack at age 71.
Jacques is best known for his Redwall series of fantasy novels that featured anthropomorphic woodland creatures in and around the abbey of Redwall. One of the best descriptions of his books have been “Lord of the Rings meets Watership Down.”