Ray Harryhausen passed away in London today at the age of 92 according to his family. His name might not sound familiar to you, but what he done is very familiar to anyone who has ever seen a Sci-Fi movie. In 1933 he went to see a movie called King Kong and his life was changed forever. It was then that he decided to go into movies and create the creatures that we grew up with like the ones in Clash of the Titans, Mighty Joe Young and Jason and the Argonauts to name a few. What he invented led to him being known as the Grandfather of Stop Motion and a Special Effects Pioneer. His work was so revered that Steven Spielberg, James Cameron, Peter Jackson, Tim Burton, John Landis and so many others say that he was their inspiration to getting into the business.
I only recently got to know who he was because of a documentary called Ray Harryhausen: Special Effects Titan that aired on the Sony Movie Channel. The film was so interesting, I couldn’t get enough of it because what he did just left me is such awe. It will be re-airing on the Sony Movie Channel on May 19th at 11:30 AM ET/8:30 AM PT, so make sure to watch it to learn more about him and his legacy. He was a man ahead of his time but when time got ahead of him, he got out the race he already won.
So today honor him by reading more about the man, who influenced so many others. Then watch what he did, and think how the heck did he do that.
Chrissy Amphlett the lead singer of Divinyls has passed away at the age of 53 according to Australia’s ABC News. Although the cause of death was not disclosed, in recent years she has suffered from Multiple Sclerosis and breast cancer.
The band’s biggest hit was I Touch Myself. A song I remember hearing she wrote when she was eating out at an restaurant and a couple was listening to her conversation. So today go eat out with someone and repeat part of the lyrics loud enough so that the person next to you can hear it as a way of keeping her raspy voice alive.
Jonathan Winters passed away today at the age of 87 according to AP and the world is a lot less funny because of it. Winters was a comedian who was way ahead of his time. In fact I still don’t think we have caught up to his brilliant sense of humor that inspired a lot of today’s comedians. His biggest fan is Robin Williams and the two of them got to work together on the final season of Mork & Mindy. Winters played Mork’s son Mearth and it was pure comedic genius. I remember hearing rumors that Pam Dawber had no idea what was going on on the show because the two of them were improvising all the time. Yet when you watched the show, you would never know it. Because of that I respected her so much as an actress because I loved watching all three of them together.
So today honor him by watching some of his hilarious videos on YouTube, they will put a huge smile on your face as you keep his beautiful spirit alive.
Annette Funicello passed away today at the age of 70 after being in a multiple sclerosis coma for years according to Extra. We all fell in love with America’s Sweetheart when she made her debut in the Mickey Mouse Club as a little girl. When she grew up she was famous for her doing the beach movies with Frankie Avalon. In her later years she was known for a battle with multiple sclerosis, a story she shared in her made for TV movie A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes.
So today honor her happier days and sing the Mickey Mouse Club song or watch one of her beach musicals. It will put a smile on your face as you wipe away your tears over her passing.
The world is giving this news two thumbs down because Roger Ebert passed away today at the age of 70 according to the paper he wrote for The Chicago Sun Times. The film critic along with Gene Siskel changed the way we all reviewed movies with their show At the Movies. In recent years he was no longer reviewing movies on television after surviving a cancer that silenced him for a while. But he was a fighter and didn’t give up. Two days ago he announced he was taking a “leave of presence” because the cancer had returned. Today the world is shocked that he is no longer with us.
So today honor him by reviewing a movie that deserves two thumbs up and one that deserves the opposite.
And just think that Siskel and Ebert are once again reviewing movies in heaven!
