First female director to top $100 million. Rest in peace, ma'am.
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First female director to top $100 million. Rest in peace, ma'am.
Everybody is mentioning that in their obits, but how much did she have to do with that? Any reasonably competent director could have pulled that one off -- it was a vehicle for Tom Hanks to show off his chops, more than anything else.Quote:
Originally Posted by Delores Mulva
She filmed the walking piano scene. That alone should get her credit for the film, since it's one of the more memorable scenes in cinematic history.
It is one of my favorite movie scenes, but again -- having Tom Hanks (and Robert Loggia, for that matter) undoubtedly made that scene so much easier: "Here Tom, Bob, memorize the steps, GO." What would any director have to do in that scene? It's three cameras, all of them static, and most of the scene viewed through the kind of straight-on shot that's been a staple of filmmaking since talkies began:Quote:
Originally Posted by Delores Mulva
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CF7-rz9nIn4
Yes, I'm being overly simplistic. Marshall did a good job of building the crowd behind and around them, and editing the scenes to show the footwork occasionally.
But it's a great scene because of the actors, as opposed to any standout skill of the director. (As I said, she did have a legacy as a director, but just that "Big was a BLOCKBUSTER" isn't necessarily it, although it's part of the larger whole)
Personally I think A League of Their Own was better than Big, but then again that also had Hanks. Always enjoyed her in Laverne & Shirley.
It had an ensemble cast. It seems to me much more of a showcase for Marshall as a director, for wrangling those personalities and putting together a more complicated narrative (the story in Big didn't have to make that much sense, you just went with it, whereas A League had to hold up to scrutiny, especially since it was at least inspired by real-life events).Quote:
Originally Posted by Bonlainy
"Mean" Gene Okerlund, WWE interviewer, 76:
https://bleacherreport.com/articles/...aign=editorial
Bob Einstein, aka Super Dave Osborne, 76:
https://deadline.com/2019/01/bob-ein...rs-1202527938/
And The Captain, who was also ... 76.
Three 76-year-old celebrities dead in one day. Barbara Streisand and Harrison Ford better watch out this year.
No worries, it comes in 3s.
I would be concerned about my father, but he turns 79 this year.
https://www.cnn.com/2019/01/03/busin...bit/index.html
Herb Kelleher died at age 87. He was CEO of Southwest through their growth and rise. I did a paper and presentation on him in grad school.
Not famous for non-Canadians, but sports writer Jim Taylor, 81:
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/briti...dies-1.4969880
Just wanted stop by and say 2018 sucked pond scum for losing people. :rip:
Another one of interest to Canadians: Mike "Beard Guy" Taylor, of Walk Off The Earth, at 51 (natural causes).
Actually, this happened on Dec. 29, but the rest of the band (and some special guests) held a tribute concert for him the other day.
Wow! Way too young for natural causes.
Carol Channing, the original Hello Dolly:
https://www.npr.org/2019/01/15/10580...ing-dies-at-97
I remember her most from Hollywood Squares and various variety shows, IE Carol Burnett. She had that very unique voice that you would know was her in a second.
The DListed obit for Carol Channing:
http://dlisted.com/2019/01/15/the-on...ning-has-died/
Agreed on the voice, sort of like the woman playing the U.N. secretary on The Expanse.
Civilization V's Narrator Has Died
Quote:
British actor William Morgan Sheppard, the voice of Firaxis’ Civilization V, has died. He was 86.
Sheppard’s career spanned six decades, across TV, theatre, film and video games, and included appearances in everything from Doctor Who to Star Trek to Medal of Honor, whose earlier games he provided the briefings:
But it’s his role as Civilization V’s narrator that will perhaps be best-known to readers. Civ fans spend so long playing the games, and hear tech discovery lines so often that they start to burrow themselves deep into the subconscious.
An example: his reading of German writer Jean Paul’s “Men, like bullets, go farthest when they are smoothest” is absolutely fundamental to my memories of Civilization V.
He is survived by his wife, son and three grandchildren.
She is an adorable lady who will hopefully continue to be parodied. She was an act with imitating.