Obituary: Former President Jimmy Carter (1924-2024)

Lt. James Earl Carter Jr., U.S. Navy left the service after seven years in 1953 to take over the running of his family's peanut farm before running for a state senate seat in 1962. On the last day of his state senate office he announced his congressional campaign later becoming the Governor of Georgia in 1971. He angered his supporters by declaring that "the time of racial discrimination is over" in his inaugural speech making civil right a core tenant of his office.

In 1976 Carter's successful presidential campaign defeated Gerald Ford and was run on supporting a consumer protection agency, a cabinet department for education and signing peace with the Soviet Union to name but a few.

Carter was sworn in as the 39th President of the United States in 1977. He inherited a troubled economy and an oil crisis which increased inflation. He faced considerable domestic issues in trying to get the American people to accept austerity.

He was successful in getting Egypt to recognise Israel with the Camp David Accords and he returned control of the Panama Canal to Panama. Unfortunately he mishandled the Iranian Hostage Crisis which was reflected in the downfall of his presidency and landslide defeat by Ronald Regan in 1980.

Following his White House tenure Carter remained active as a diplomat and statesman over much of the past 40+ years and was awarded the Nobel Peace prize for his promotion of human rights. Well into his early 90's he was also a volunteer with Habitat for Humanity who help low-income workers to build and buy their own homes and access clean water.

Carter also created The Carter Centre, a non-profit NGO and used his influence to improve the quality of life for people in more than 80 countries including assisting the WHO to nearly eradicate Guinea worm disease.

He died peacefully at this home at his home today aged 100. May "Deacon" (his secret service codename) rest in peace.

Obituary: Troubled actor Tom Sizemore 1961-2023

From the time of this blog's inception as The Colonel's Eagle in 2005 until 2007, actor Tom Sizemore was a regular subject to be reported on, so much so that he even had his own link-label. It wasn't so much for his acting prowess but rather his colourful and nefarious antics that ended a stellar Hollywood career after some 40 major film roles between 1989 and 2003.

Sizemore's first credited movie role was in the Sylvester Stallone starring prison movie Lock Up. From '89 to '91 he expanded his portfolio in movies such as Born on the Fourth of July with Tom Cruise and Point Break with Keanu Reeves. 

I first distinctly recall Sizemore in 1992's Passenger 57 where he plays Wesley Snipes' wisecracking boss. He furthered his career considerably over he next three years by working with some of the greatest directors of the day such as Tony Scott in True Romance, Laurence Kasdan as Bat Masterson in Wayatt Earp, Oliver Stone in Natural Born Killers and Michael Mann in Heat.

After recovering from the 1997 flop The Relic which was also his first leading role, he portrayed one of his best and most memorable roles as SFC Mike Horvath in Saving Private Ryan which would also become his most financially successful project.

Sizemore had a string of flops at the turn of the century with the disastrous misstep Red Planet, narratively flawed Pearl Harbor, and bomb-disposal thriller Ticker for which the director has publicly apologised for.  He had one more hit in 2001 when he played real life U.S. Army Lt.Colonel Danny McKnight of the 75th Rangers as part of an award-nominated ensemble cast for one of the finest war movies ever made, Ridley Scott's Black Hawk Down. 

The last movie I recall seeing him in was 2003's Dreamcatcher but it was by this point that Sizemore's Hollywood career had crashed and burned at the foot of his conviction for domestic violence against "Hollywood Madam" Heidi Fleiss and repeatedly failing drug tests while on probation. He continued his substance abuse and domestic violence tendencies throughout the following twenty years despite appearing in some 150 low-budget, direct-to-video or short film projects.

After his exile from Hollywood, Sizemore did make a number of Television appearances including CSI: Miami, Crash, Entourage, Hawaii Five-0, Law & Order: SVU, Lucifer, Shooter and Twin Peaks, Season 3. His TV roles ended in 2017 however, following allegations of sexual assault against an 11 year old girl on the set of a movie in 2003.

While my respect for the man waned and turned into morbid curiosity as the 2000's went on, there was a time when I would have wanted him to portray me on screen should there ever have been a movie of my life in the Corps. Few actors could spin from the intensity of my battle-hardened death-stare to my charismatic lady-killing smirk on a dime like Tom Sizemore. That dream was permanently laid to rest on March 3rd when he passed away following a brain aneurysm at 61. 

May he find the peace in death that he clearly hadn't in life.

Operation London Bridge Executed - Queen Elizabeth II 1926 - 2022

Queen Elizabeth II was constitutional monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and was arguably the most famous 'next door neighbour' to everyone else on this island. While she was 96 upon her death on Thursday, it came as a surprise to many due to the fact that she had only appointed a new Prime Minister a mere two days previous. While it may have been accepted due to biology that she had not a great deal of time left, it is nonetheless strange for anyone born in the 1950's or later as they have never been aware of any other monarch of the UK.

PrincessElizabeth had honorary military titles but in 1945, she was appointed an honorary officer in the Auxiliary Territorial Service (left) and trained as a driver and mechanic. She became Queen in February 1952 following the death of King George VI and reigned for more than 70 years, the longest of any British monarch and the longest recorded of any female head of state in history. Elizabeth II reigned through significant political changes marked by the Troubles in Northern Ireland, devolution in the United Kingdom, the decolonisation of Africa, and the United Kingdom's accession to the European Communities and more recent withdrawal from the European Union. 

As former British territories such as India gained independence and some realms became republics over her many years, Elizabeth II's territories ultimately shrunk in size. She travelled to China, Russia, Australia and New Zealand, and the Republic of Ireland in some of her historic visits. She was politically neutral and performed acts which were designed to widen the gap between the monarchy and the government so that the monarchy would have no political, only ceremonial role. Once such act was appointing an elected conservative party leader and not one based on advice given to her.

As well as being Queen, she was also a daughter, sister, wife, mother, grandmother and even great-grandmother. Such was the devotion to her family was that she sought to replace the term 'monarchy' with 'the Royal Family' which gained traction in the press and is one of the most successful rebranding examples in history. 

Operation London Bridge is the codename of the British government's plan for protocols to be followed in the event of the Queen's death. It went through many iterations over the decades and was the subject of extensive leaks in the U.K. media in that time. Sadly it began to be executed on Thursday September 8th 2022 before 18:30 BST when the world was informed she had passed.

A few short years before becoming Queen, Elizabeth II promised the British public “I declare before you all that my whole life, whether it be long or short, shall be devoted to your service.” Her life was long and she did indeed keep her word. May she rest in peace.

Rest in Peace my friend

 

 

Today the family and friends of one of my own dear friends gathered to say goodbye to him. While he peacefully passed away on the 4th of the month, it seemed so surreal to me that it's really only now I can acknowledge it. While he was added to the UK's Covid-19 statistics he will never be a statistic for me, he was a good friend and his name was James Dutton.

 

While his physical form is gone, James will for me, forever be a collection of fond memories that began on September 3rd 1997 when we started working together in our early 20s. He was a fan of both Star Wars and Star Trek, loved the music of Hans Zimmer and acknowledged Michael Bay as the greatest director of the time; so naturally we were instantly friends. For the next few years James instructed me on the finer points of Dungeons & Dragons which we played with friends and he would often come to my house to play LAN games of Quake, Unreal Tournament and StarCraft. While I always maintained we were evenly matched, James would hold his chin and go "hmmm!?" whenever I mentioned it, but I now freely admit to never being able to beat his Sithlord at Dark Forces II: Jedi Knight (even when I modded my character to have two lightsabers).

 

James was a fiercely loyal friend who never denied a favour or failed to offer advice. To those who didn't know him well he presented as a quintessentially polite British gentleman from a BBC period drama. Once you knew him better, you'd discover his sharp wit and experience an endless supply of colourful insults - many in different languages. He would often speak about topics covering business, law, economics, finance and politics - sometimes within the same conversation - and he would not be dissuaded from an opinion he held dearly.

 

While he left Ireland to return to live in South Yorkshire in the early 2000's, the magic of social media allowed us to keep in touch after text messaging became passé and James often posted here as the Sith Apologist I will miss his honest takes on the news of the day, his amusing yet often blasphemous (to me) Star Wars memes and most prominently our general banter.

 

Goodbye old friend, you're one with the force and you'll never be forgotten as I'll always remember you especially every time I 'Roll a 20'.

RIP Hector Garrido

I had heard the name Hector Garrido but I didn't know much about him other than his work. He was an Argentinian artist who immigrated to the U.S. and began working professionally in the 1950s. While he did a lot of book covers for the Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew novels among others and plates for the Bradford Exchange he will be forever immortalised as one of the people who brought G.I.Joe: A Real American Hero to life by creating the artwork that accompanied each action figure.

Because Palitoy, owners of the distribution licence for G.I.Joe toys under the Action Force name had a marketing design team bereft of any talent whatsoever, it would not be until they ceded market control to Hasbro before we began to see the proper artwork (and Larry Hama's filecards) printed on Action Force in the EU.

In many cases the artwork was a key factor in deciding which character to buy next. This may often have been the incorrect decision because Garrido's artwork could sometimes illustrate a toy in a much better light than what was rendered in plastic. But the images nonetheless are just as clear in my mind now over 30 years later as when I was playing with them.

Garrido retired some 20 years ago and it was announced yesterday that he passed away on Sunday last at 92. Rest in peace Mr. Garrido, and thank you.

RIP Robert Forster

RIP Robert Forster [78]. I first remember him as the bad guy in Delta Force [1986] and since then, while never really a lead actor he was also never out of work. He gave life to memorable characters which elevated many movies above their station such as Jackie Brown [1997] and even Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle [2003].

Forster was no stranger to TV appearing in more than 60 roles since the 1960's as a guest star with more substantial parts in Heroes [2007] and recently in the 2017 version of Twin Peaks. He also reprised his character Ed from an episode of Breaking Bad in El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie released yesterday, the day of his death. He will indeed be missed.

Forster as General Edward Clegg, a magnificent performance from the sublime cinematic treats: Olympus Has Fallen and London Has Fallen.

RIP W. Morgan Sheppard

William Morgan Sheppard was a British actor and a permanent fixture on TV and movies from 1983 to 2012.

Among his credits were General Trimble in Gettysburg & Gods and Generals, Captain Archibald Witwicky in Michael Bay's Transformers and several credits in the Star Trek franchise where he appeared in Star Trek: Voyager, Star Trek [2009], as Dr. Ira Graves in Star Trek: The Next Generation [pictured] and the Prison Warden in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country.

Other fans will note him as Professor Martinson in SeaQuest DSV, The Soul Hunter in Babylon 5, from an appearance in Dr. Who or his voice of Dum Dum Dugan in the Iron man animated series. He was also the narrator for the Medal of Honor video game series and Civilisation V.

Sheppard passed away Jan 6th in Los Angles, he was 86. He is survived by his son, actor Mark Sheppard (Warehouse 13, Dr. Who, Supernatural, Lampkin in Battlestar Galactica).

In memoriam, 2018

Let us remember those we lost in 2018:

Paul Allen, 65, American businessman and co-founder of Microsoft.

Stanley Anderson, 78, American actor who played the President in both "The Rock" and "Armageddon".

Kofi Annan, 80, Ghanaian diplomat, Secretary-General of the United Nations (1997–2006), Nobel Prize laureate (2001).

Captain Alan LaVern Bean, USN Ret., 86, American naval officer, naval aviator, aeronautical engineer, test pilot, and NASA astronaut. The the fourth person to walk on the Moon.

Ken Berry, 85, American actor, "F Troop".

David Bischoff, 66, American novelist and television writer "Star Trek: The Next Generation" episodes "Tin Man" and "First Contact".

Steven Bochco, 74, 10-time Emmy winning American television producer and writer "Hill Street Blues", "L.A. Law", "NYPD Blue".

Anthony Bourdain, 61, Four time Emmy winning American chef, author and television host

Jim Bowen, 80, English television presenter and comedian, "Bullseye".

Peter Brace, 94, British actor and stuntman, "Raiders of the Lost Ark", "Batman", "Highlander" and Peter Mayhew's stunt double in "Star Wars".

Staff Sgt. Russell Brown, USA Ret., 96, 82nd Airborne Division. Made every combat jump during World War II.

Barbara Bush, 92, American political matriarch, First Lady (1989–1993) and Second Lady (1981–1989).

President George H. W. Bush, 94, American politician, President (1989–1993), Vice President (1981–1989), Director of Central Intelligence (1976–1977).

Montserrat Caballé, 85, Spanish opera singer, "Barcelona" w. Freddie Mercury.

Joseph Campanella, 93, American actor "Mannix", "Silent Running", "Meteor".

Frank Carlucci, 87, American politician, Secretary of Defense (1987–1989), National Security Advisor (1986–1987).

Bunny Carr, 91, Irish television presenter (Quicksilver).

Debbie Lee Carrington, 58, American actress and stunt woman "Return of the Jedi", "Total Recall".

Reg E. Cathey, 59, Emmy winning American actor "House of Cards", "Luke Cage".

Colonel Joseph Gordon Clemons, Jr. USA Ret., 90, American soldier, subject of "Pork Chop Hill".

A1C Adrian Cronauer, USAF Ret., 79, American disc jockey, subject of "Good Morning, Vietnam".

L-R: Professor Stephen Hawking, Margot Kidder, John Mahoney

Steve Ditko, 90, American comic book writer and artist "Spider-Man", "Doctor Strange"
Sir Ken Dodd, 90, English comedian.
Rear Admiral Alene Duerk, USN Ret., 98, American Navy admiral, first female admiral in U.S.Navy.
John M. Dwyer, 83, Oscar/Emmy nominated American set decorator, "Star Trek", "Star Trek: The Next Generation" movies "Star Trek IV, V, Generations, First Contact, Insurrection" and "Nemesis".
Ssgt. (Hon GnySgt.) R. Lee Ermey, USMC Ret., 74, American drill  instructor and actor "Full Metal Jacket", "Toy Story"
Carlos Ezquerra, 70, Spanish comics artist,"Judge Dredd", "Strontium Dog"
Michael D. Ford, 90, Oscar winning English art director and set decorator "Raiders of the Lost Ark", "The Empire Strikes Back".
Miloš Forman, 86, Oscar winning Czech-American film director, "Amadeus".
Gary Friedrich, 75, American comic book writer, "Captain Marvel", "Iron Man" #45–46, co-creator of "Ghost Rider".
Aretha Franklin, 76, 18 time Grammy winning American Hall of Fame singer, "Respect"
William Goldman, 87, Oscar winning American author "The Princess Bride" and screenwriter "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid".
Leslie "Dirty Den" Grantham, 71, English actor "EastEnders" and convicted murderer.
Korvettenkapitän Reinhard Hardegen, 105, German U-boat commander (Battle of the Atlantic).
Stephen Hawking, 76, English theoretical physicist, professor (University of Cambridge) and writer "A Brief History of Time".
Brig. Gen. Anna Mae Hays, USA Ret., 97, American military officer and nurse, first female U.S. General.

L-R: Derrick O'Connor, Tim O'Connor, David Ogden Stiers

Tom Jago, 93, British liquor executive and distiller, creator of Baileys Irish Cream.

Jóhann Jóhannsson, 48, Icelandic film composer, "Arrival".

Mickey Jones, 76, American drummer and actor.

Ingvar Kamprad, 91, Swedish retail furniture-home design executive and philanthropist, founder of IKEA.

Gloria Katz, 76, American screenwriter and film producer, "American Graffiti", "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom", "Best Defense".

Margot Kidder, 69, Canadian-American actress, "Superman"

Richard H. Kline, 91, American cinematographer, "Star Trek: The Motion Picture".

Sonny Knowles, 86, Irish singer.

Charles Krauthammer, 68, Pulitzer Prize winning American political commentator (Fox News) and writer (The Washington Post).

Gary Kurtz, 78, American film producer, "American Graffiti", "Star Wars".

Stan Lee, 95, American comic book writer and publisher (Marvel Comics).

Sondra Locke, 74, American actress, "The Outlaw Josey Wales", "Sudden Impact".

John Mahoney, 77, English-American actor, "Frasier".

Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, 81, South African anti-apartheid activist and politician, MP.

Al Matthews, 75, American actor, "Sgt. Apone" in "Aliens".

Bill Maynard, 89, English actor

Sen. John McCain, 81, American politician and Navy officer, member of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives.

Chuck McCann, 83, American voice actor, "G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero", "Iron Man".

Capt. Ernest Medina, USA Ret., 81, American army officer, commander of unit responsible for the My Lai Massacre.

Donald Moffat, 87, British-born American actor, "The Thing", "Clear and Present Danger", "License to Kill".

Derrick O'Connor, 77, Irish actor, "Lethal Weapon 2", "Daredevil".

Tim O'Connor, 90, American actor, "Buck Rogers in the 25th Century"

William O'Connor, 47, American artist, "Dungeons & Dragons", "Magic: The Gathering".

David Ogden Stiers, 75, American actor "M*A*S*H".

L-R: Soon-Tek Oh, Donnelly Rhodes, John Young

Soon-Tek Oh, 85, South Korean-American actor, "The Man with the Golden Gun", "Missing in Action 2", "Death Wish 4", "The Muta-Do" in "Babylon 5".

Dolores O'Riordan, 46, Irish singer and guitarist, "The Cranberries".

Richard Arvin Overton, 112, American super-centenarian, oldest living World War II veteran in U.S.

Roger Perry, 85, American actor "Star Trek" episode "Tomorrow Is Yesterday" as "Captain John Christopher".

Burt Reynolds, 82, Emmy winning American actor, "Smokey and the Bandit", "Boogie Nights".

Donnelly Rhodes, 80, Canadian actor, ""Doc" Cottle" in "Battlestar Galactica (2004)".

Robert Scheerer, 89, Emmy nominated American director, "Star Trek: The Next Generation", "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" and "Star Trek: Voyager".

Frank Serafine, 65, American sound designer and editor, "Star Trek: The Motion Picture", "Tron", "The Hunt for Red October".

Marie Severin, 89, American Hall of Fame comic book artist, "Iron Man"#82–83, 85 (inker), #108 (colorist), G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero" #28 (penciller), co-creator of Spider-Woman.

Jon Paul Steuer, 33, American actor "Alexander" in "Star Trek: The Next Generation" episode "Reunion".

Dudley Sutton, 85, British actor, "Lovejoy".

Verne Troyer, 49, American actor, "Austin Powers".

Dame June Whitfield, 93, English actress, "Terry and June".

Scott Wilson, 76, American actor, "The Walking Dead".

Celeste Yarnall, 74, American actress, "Yeoman Martha Landon" in the "Star Trek" episode "The Apple".

Capt John Young, USN Ret. 87, American astronaut (Apollo 16, STS-1).

May they rest in peace.

RIP George H.W. Bush

Years before his son sent us to invade Iraq in 2003, George H.W. Bush gave us a mandate to liberate Kuwait from it's Iraqi invaders. It was a mandate few questioned, it was right, it was just. It was a glorious time and a decisive victory.

George H.W. Bush is known for the little things, such as getting the Secret Service to stop at stop lights so as not to inconvenience other road users - as he was for the big things such as the aforementioned Gulf War against the evil forces of Saddam Hussein. 

Also every American in a wheelchair or some disability benefits from George H.W. Bush's Americans with Disabilities Act (1990) and he famously spent many hundreds of hours amending the Clean Air act (now of course being eroded by the current administration).

What's truly amazing to me is that he did what he did while democrats controlled both houses. The U.S., nay the World has today lost one of it's most extraordinary leaders.

Rest in peace Mr. President.

 

RIP General Newton

RIP General Newton (U.S. Army Ret.), a patron of the arts but was not a traditional art lover. He admitted while he didn't know the difference between a Picasso and a car crash, he just couldn't "stand the idea of a bunch of frenchies owning America's greatest painting".

General Newton was played by Burt Reynolds in Bean (1997) who died today at 82. May he rest in peace.

McCain's memorial service

I was unable to attend Senator John McCain's memorial service today due to prior commitments but I wish to commend NBC who live streamed the event on Youtube.

RIP Sen. John McCain

Senator John S. McCain III, Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, has died aged 81. 

McCain was a Vietnam war hero who flew A4 Skyhawks for the U.S. Navy and survived five years as a prisoner of war after being shot down in 1967. His captors offered him early release after learning his father was a notable naval officer. But he refused to leave before the other prisoners and released in 1973 instead.

In '86, he was successful in the Republican Arizona senate race and subsequently served three decades in Congress, even securing his party’s nomination for president in 2008, a race which he unfortunately did not win.

McCain was diagnosed with brain cancer in 2017 and flew back to Washington days after surgery with a large scar visible above his eye to partake in the Senate’s health care debate. In his final hours,  his family announced that he had refused further treatment.

Capt John S. McCain's awards

He achieved the grade of O-6 (Captain) in the Navy and his "fruit salad" would allow him free drinks in any officer's mess with multiple awards of the Bronze Star, Legion of Merit and Navy Commendation Medal (all with combat 'V's to signify awards from combat engagements) in addition to the Silver Star, Combat Action Ribbon, POW Medal and two Purple Hearts, and many more, undeniable proof of his status as a hero despite the claims of some.

McCain is survived by his wife Cindy, seven children and five grandchildren.

R.I.P. Gunny

Gny. Sgt. R. Lee Ermey USMC a Marine for 11 years and later an actor and consultant in Hollywood made famous by Full Metal Jacket has died at 74.

I've lost one of my heroes and role models. Marines die, but the Corps is forever, so he is forever.

Semper Fi Gunny.

2017 - Those We Lost

We pay tribute to those lost in 2017 including:

Powers Boothe

Roger Ailes (77) American television executive and media consultant. Chairman and CEO of Fox News and the Fox Television Stations Group.

Richard Anderson (91) American actor ("The Six Million Dollar Man", "The Bionic Woman").
Jim Baikie (77) Scottish comics artist ("The New Statesmen", "Judge Dredd", "Star Trek", "Batman")

Chester Bennington (41) American singer, songwriter, and actor. Linkin Park lead vocalist.

Chuck Berry (90) American singer, songwriter, musician. Pioneer of rock and roll music. "Johnny B. Goode".

Jack Blessing (66), American actor (Dulmur in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine "Trials and Tribble-ations").

Powers Boothe (68) Emmy winning American actor ("Tombstone", "Red Dawn", "By Dawn's Early Light", "Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.")

Rich Buckler (68) American comic book artist. (Iron Man #196–197) Creator of Deathlok.

Wally Burr (91) American voice actor and director (The Transformers series, Transformers: The Movie and the G.I.Joe series/movie).

Glen Campbell (81) American singer, guitarist, songwriter, television host, and actor. "Rhinestone Cowboy".

Bernie Casey

Bernie Casey (78) American actor and football player. ("I'm Gonna Git You Sucka", "Under Siege", Lt. Commander Cal Hudson in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine).

Captain Eugene Cernan, USN Ret. (82) American astronaut, naval aviator, electrical engineer, aeronautical engineer, and fighter pilot. Apollo 17, last person to have walked on the Moon.

Don Cockburn (87) Irish journalist, presenter and RTÉ newsreader.

Fred Cogley (82) Irish sports broadcaster.

Alan Colmes (66) American radio and television host, liberal political commentator for the Fox News Channel, and blogger. Co-host of "Hannity & Colmes".

Mike Connors (91) American actor ("Mannix").

Chris Cornell (52) American musician, singer, and songwriter. Lead vocalist for Soundgarden and Audioslave. Perrformed theme song to "Casino Royale" (2006) "You Know My Name".

Liam Cosgrave (97) Irish politician, Taoiseach (1973–1977).

Alfie Curtis (87) British actor (Dr. Evazan in Star Wars: A New Hope).

John Cygan (63) American actor and voice actor ("Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic" video game series, Dash Rendar in "Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire" and "Star Wars: X-Wing Alliance").

Dick Gautier (85) American actor and singer (Rodimus Prime in "The Transformers" and Serpentor in "G.I.Joe").

Nelsan Ellis (39) American film and television actor and playwright. (Lafayette Reynolds in "True Blood").

Miguel Ferrer

Miguel Ferrer (61) American actor ("RoboCop", "Star Trek III: The Search For Spock", "NCIS: Los Angles").

Neil Fingleton (36) English actor and basketball player. Tallest British-born man. (Mag the Mighty in "Game of Thrones", motion capture for Ultron in "Avengers: Age of Ultron").

Captain Dara Fitzpatrick (45) Irish Coast Guard helicopter pilot.

Sir Bruce Forsyth, CBE (89) British presenter, actor, comedian, singer, dancer, and screenwriter whose career spanned more than 75 years.

Colonel Wesley L. Fox, USMC Ret. (86) Legendary American Marine Corps officer, Medal of Honor recipient.

Jim French (89) American radio host and voice actor (Father Grigori in "Half-Life 2").

Stephen Furst (63) American actor ("Babylon 5", "St. Elsewhere").

Frank Vincent (80) American actor, starred in many mafia tough guy roles.

Captain Richard F. Gordon Jr. USN Ret. (88) American naval officer and aviator, chemist, test pilot, and NASA astronaut. Gemini 11, Apollo 12.

Dick Gregory (84) African-American comedian, civil rights activist, social critic, writer, entrepreneur, conspiracy theorist.

Robert Guillaume (89) American actor and singer ("Benson", Dr. Eli Vance in "Half-Life 2").

Robert Hardy, CBE (91) British actor ("All Creatures Great and Small", "War and Remembrance").

Richard Hatch (71) American actor ("Battlestar Galactica" 1978 / 2004, "The Streets of San Francisco").

Maureen Haughey (91) Irish political figure, wife of Charles Haughey.

Glenne Headly (62) American actress ("Dirty Rotten Scoundrels", "Future Man").

John Heard (71) American film and television actor ("NCIS: Los Angeles", "Snake Eyes", Commander Barry Garner in "Battlestar Galactica" (2004)).    

Hugh Hefner (91) American magazine publisher (Playboy), businessman (Playboy Enterprises) and reality television personality.

John Hillerman

John Hillerman (84) Emmy winning American actor ("Blazing Saddles", Higgins in "Magnum, P.I.").

Skip Homeier (86) American actor (Melakon in "Star Trek "Patterns of Force"" and Dr. Sevrin in "Star Trek "The Way to Eden"").

Captain Thomas J. Hudner Jr. USN Ret. (93) American naval aviator, Medal of Honor recipient (Battle of Chosin Reservoir).

Dave Hunt (74) American comic book artist ("Transformers").

Sir John Hurt, CBE (77) BAFTA winning British actor ("Alien", "1984", "Hellboy", "Outlander").

Captain Arthur J. Jackson USMC Ret. (92) American military officer, Medal of Honor recipient.

Clifton James (96) American actor (Sheriff J.W. Pepper in "Live and Let Die").

Al Jarreau (76) Grammy winning American jazz and R&B singer ("Moonlighting").

Gordon Kaye (75) English actor and singer ("Allo 'Allo!").

Specialist Four Thomas James Kinsman, USA (72) American soldier, Medal of Honor recipient.

General William L. Kirk USAF Ret. (84) American air force officer. Commander in Chief, U.S. Air Forces in Europe/Commander, Allied Air Forces Central Europe (CINCUSAFE/COMAAFCE) from 1987 to 1989.

Sonny Landham

Sonny Landham (76) American actor ("Predator", "48 Hrs.", "Lock Up").

Martin Landau (89) Oscar winning American actor ("Space: 1999", "Mission: Impossible", "Meteor", "By Dawn's Early Light").

Peadar Lamb (87) Irish actor (Fargo Boyle in "Father Ted "Chripy Burpy Cheap Sheep"").

Joan Boocock Lee (95) Wife of Stan Lee (Computer Voice in Iron man (1994)).

Victor Llamas (41) American comic book artist ("Batman", "Star Wars: Republic", "G.I. Joe").

John Mollo (86) British costume designer ("Star Wars").

Lawrence Montaigne (86) American actor (Decius in "Star Trek "Balance of Terror"", Stonn in "Star Trek "Amok Time"").

Mary Tyler Moore (80) 7-time Emmy winning American actress.

Lt. General Harold G. "Hal" Moore, Jr. USA Ret. (94) American army officer and author ("We Were Soldiers Once… And Young").

Sir Roger Moore, KBE (89) English actor ("The Saint", "The Wild Geese",  James Bond in seven movies).

Captain Bruce McCandless II, USN Ret. (80) American astronaut (STS-41-B).

Douglas Netter (95) American television producer ("Babylon 5").

Barry Norman (83) British film critic and television presenter.

Michael Nyqvist (56) Swedish actor ("Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol", "John Wick").

Bill Paxton (61) American actor ("Navy SEALS", "Apollo 13", "Aliens", "True Lies", "U-571", "Twister", "Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.").

Michael Parks (77)American singer and actor (Kill Bill movies, "Argo", "Django Unchained").

Lt. General Leonard H. Perroots, Sr., USAF Ret. (83) American military officer, Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency (1985–1988).

Tom Petty (66) American Hall of Fame musician and voice actor.

Tim Pigott-Smith

Tim Pigott-Smith, OBE (70) BAFTA winning British actor ("Quantum of Solace", "Flyboys", "Johnny English", "Jewel in the Crown").

Richard Portman (82) Oscar winning American sound mixer ("The Godfather", "Star Wars", "The Deer Hunter").

Oberfeldwebel Willi Reschke (95) German Luftwaffe ace. 26 aerial victories in 70 missions.

Don Rickles (90) American stand-up comedian, actor, and author. ("Run Silent, Run Deep", "Kelly's Heroes", Mr. Potato Head in the Toy Story franchise).

George A Romero (77) American-Canadian filmmaker, writer and editor. Progenitor of the fictional zombie of modern culture ("Night of the Living Dead", "Day of the Dead", "Land of the Dead").

Master Sergeant Wilburn K Ross USA Ret.(94) American WWII veteran, Medal of Honor recipient.

Peter Sallis OBE (96) British actor. ("Last of the Summer Wine", Wallace and Gromit franchise).

Sam Shepard (73), Pulitzer Prize winning American playwright and actor ("The Right Stuff", "Black Hawk Down", "Stealth").

Harry Dean Stanton (91) American actor ("Alien", "Escape from New York", "Red Dawn").

Charles P. Thacker (74) American computer designer, co-inventor of Ethernet.

Jay Thomas (69) American actor, comedian, and morning radio personality. (Marty Grossman in "Ray Donovan", Brett Morris in "American Dad!").

Colonel Leo K. Thorsness, USAF Ret. (85), American air force officer and Medal of Honor recipient, member of the Washington Senate (1988–1992).

Private First Class Edward J. Tipper Jr. (95) American World War II veteran (Easy Company), depicted in "Band of Brothers".

Margaret Towner

Margaret Towner (96) British actress (Jira in "Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace").

Michael Twomey (83) Irish actor. (Cha and Miah).

Judge Joseph Wapner (97) American judge and television personality ("The People’s Court").

Stewart Wieck (49) American game designer (White Wolf Publishing).

Len Wein (69) American comic book writer and editor (Watchmen, Iron Man #82–85) Co-creator of Wolverine.

Captain Paul J.Weitz, USN Ret. (85) American naval officer and aviator, aeronautical engineer, test pilot, and NASA astronaut. Skylab 2, Commander of STS-6 mission.

Adam West (88) American actor ("Batman", "Family Guy").

Stanley Weston (84) American inventor and licensing agent. Created the G.I. Joe toy line in 1963, as well as the very concept of the action figure.

Lt. General Samuel V. Wilson, USA Ret. (93) American army officer, Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency (1976–1977).

Bill Woodson (99) American voice actor (Narrator on "The Winds of War", "War and Remembrance" and "Battle of the Planets").

Captain Jerry Yellin, USAAF (93) American fighter pilot. Flew final combat mission of World War II.

Malcolm Young (64) Scottish-born Australian Hall of Fame guitarist and songwriter (AC/DC). 

May they rest in peace.

In memory of Martin Landau

New York born actor Martin Landau dated Marilyn Monroe, was friends with James Dean, turned down the role of Mr. Spock and worked with Hitchcock. He was just as at home on the small screen in Space: 1999 and Without a Trace as on the big in Cleopatra and The Greatest Story Ever Told. Despite being awarded an Oscar for Ed Wood and a Golden Globe for Mission: Impossible among many other awards and nominations, Landau was not above lending his voice to the Spider-Man animated series and The Simpsons.

My favourite Martin Landau performance however is in the 1979 disaster movie "Meteor" in which he plays Major General Adlon, the U.S. Air Force commander of an underground control centre for Hercules, an orbital nuclear missile launcher. The movie itself is awful; it is rated only 5% on Rotten Tomatoes and has been selected by John Vaughan for inclusion in his world famous Video Vault of Horror presentation. It is however an important precursor for ideas brought to the screen decades later with more technical superiority (and more money) in Armageddon and Deep Impact. 

 

In Meteor, Landau despite obvious hamming, easily delivers the best performance over Sean Connery, Karl Malden, Peter Fonda, Natalie Wood and Brian Keith, and convincingly expresses the frustration of a dedicated and decorated military commander sidelined to pander to scientists - alas a feeling I have known all too well.

Landau died Saturday, at the age of 89 at the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center in Westwood, Los Angeles, California; he had been briefly hospitalized and, according to his representative, died of "unexpected complications." May he rest in peace.

Remembering the late Adam West

Long after the much too dated Batman serials of the 1940's were forgotten, Lorenzo Semple, Jr., William Dozier and Howie Horwitz developed an action-comedy version of the caped crusader to Television screens and cast the great Adam West as Batman/Bruce Wayne. 

West's Batman was a camp, dancing and delivered cornier one-liners than Schwarzenegger or Caruso ever would, but there ware many things that remained true to the Bat-mythos such as his defining detective skills sadly neglected by later incarnations by comparison. The show was a product of its time and while it can't hold up for viewing today, our memories of it while younger are fond and that's a legacy that Adam West, who passed way on Friday should be very proud of.

West had many small roles outside of Batman, but he accepted that the character had typecast him, however he embraced it rather than being embittered and accepted his status as a pop-culture icon in the 1990's and beyond. West understood and embraced how camp and dated this take on the character looked in later years and seemed to relish in every parody and tongue in cheek reference throughout his career, but never derided it. His list of voice credits as an animated Batman is extensive and he also played The Grey Ghost on Batman: The Animated Series as well as voicing the characters of Thomas Wayne and the mayor of Gotham in other series. He also voiced a parody version of himself as the mayor of Quahog on Family Guy for the past 17 years.

West defined Batman for a generation. While many of those born in the mid-late '80's will only define Micheal Keaton, Kevin Conroy or Christian Bale as the true Batman, for those born slightly earlier it has been and will always be Adam West.

Game Over Man! Game Over! RIP Bill Paxton

Tomorrow we will wake up in a world knowing it's without Bill Paxton, one of the most recognised actors of some of the greatest movies of the 80's and 90's and a more recent star of Television.

You may not remember his appearance in The Terminator in 1984, or in Commando in 1985 but if you don't know his first iconic role of Colonial Marine Private Hudson who famously uttered "Game Over Man! Game Over!" in James Cameron's Aliens which earned him a Saturn Award then you probably shouldn't be even reading this page.

Paxton had many subsequent roles, he was Floyd "God" Dane, the sniper in Navy SEALS in 1990, Detective Jerry Lambert in Predator 2 (earning him a distinction shared with Lance Henrickson of facing a Terminator, Predator and Alien on screen), Morgan Earp in Tombstone, Bill "The Extreme" Harding in Twister and portrayed astronaut Fred Haise in Apollo 13 earning him a SAG award as part of the cast.

He also had roles in True Lies, Titanic, U-571 and Vertical Limit to name but some of many. More recently he appeared in 2 Guns, The Edge of Tomorrow and in 2015 he lent his voice and likeness to the Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare - Exo Zombies video game. Paxton had a long running role in TV with five seasons of HBO's Big Love and was nominated for an Emmy and a SAG award for his role as Randolph McCoy in Hatfields & McCoys. He most recently appeared in Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and was currently the lead in a TV adaptation of Training Day. 

Paxton died on Saturday from complications after heart surgery. He was just 61, but his body of work immortalises him for eternity. May he rest in peace.

RIP Richard Hatch

I was at DragonCon with a group of friends in Atlanta in 2011 and in a large hall where many stars of both large and small screens signed autographs and greeted fans. I spied a face I knew who appeared to be getting ready to pack up before going to dinner. There was no one near him at the time so we approached him quickly and I told him I just wanted to greet him and thank him for his work. He was very appreciative, but as soon as he noticed my accent he was most reluctant to let me go with just a greeting. He packed up and sat on the edge of his booth talking to us for about 10 minutes or so. He asked me about science fiction fandom in Ireland and was curious to know if we had any conventions ourselves - because he said he would've jumped at the chance to visit here. He came across as an intelligent and well informed person who was genuinely interested in meeting people and interested in what we had to say. 

The man was Richard Hatch and he was the face of Battlestar Galactica from the original to the modern series. He sadly passed away today at age 71. He will be missed.

Fuck You 2016!

With the single exception of the death of dictator Fidel Castro, we say good riddance to a truly awful year. Brexit, that Gorilla that got shot in the zoo, the Shawshank tree fell down, toddler killed by Disney World Alligator, Jo Cox and Andrei Karlov's murders, football child sex abuse, war continues in Syria, the Zika virus, terrorist attacks in Brussels, Nice, Berlin, Normandy, Istanbul, Florida, the U.S. election and worst of all: Brangelina is no more.

But more than anything, this will remembered as a year of death and sorrow for all:

Colonel Abrams, 67, American musician ("Trapped")
Sir Ken Adam, 95, German-born British Oscar wining production designer (Dr. Strangelove, James Bond)
Joe Alaskey, 63, American voice actor (Looney Tunes)
Jean Alexander, 90, English actress (Hilda Ogden on Coronation Street)

Muhammad Ali, 74, American boxer, Olympic gold medallist, three-time world heavyweight champion [left]

Admiral of the Fleet Sir Edward Beckwith Ashmore, GCB, DSC, 96, British Royal Navy officer, First Sea Lord (1974–1977)

Kenny Baker, 81, British actor (R2D2 in the Star Wars franchise)
Erik Bauersfeld, 93, American voice actor (Admiral Ackbar in the Star Wars franchise) [right]
Boutros Boutros-Ghali, 93, Egyptian politician and diplomat, Secretary-General of the United Nations (1992–1996)

David Bowie, 69, English singer-songwriter, musician ("Space Oddity", "Starman"), and actor (Labyrinth, The Prestige)

Pete Burns, 57, English singer-songwriter ("You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)")
 

PFC Hector A. Cafferata, Jr., USMC, 86, American marine, Medal of Honor recipient
Robert Carrickford, 88, Irish actor (The Irish R.M., Glenroe)
Leonard Cohen, 82, Canadian singer-songwriter ("Hallelujah")
Ronnie Corbett, 85, British comedian and actor (The Two Ronnies, Sorry!)

 
Paul Daniels, 77, British magician (The Paul Daniels Magic Show)

Steve Dillon, 54, English comic book artist (Preacher, The Punisher, Judge Dredd), 

Jerry Doyle, 60, American talk show host and actor (Babylon 5), founder of EpicTimes [left]
Larry Drake, 67, American Emmy winning actor (L.A. Law, Darkman, Star Trek: Voyager "Critical Care") 

Ronnie Claire Edwards, 83, American actress (Corabeth Godsey on The Waltons, Talur in Star Trek: The Next Generation "Thine Own Self")

Wayne England, English artist (Magic: The Gathering)
SGT Santiago J. Erevia, US Army, 69, American soldier, Medal of Honor recipient

 

Carrie Fisher, 60, American actress and icon (Princess Leia in the Star Wars franchise), novelist and screenwriter (Postcards from the Edge) [right]

Rob Ford, 46, foul-mouthed and controversial Canadian politician, Mayor of Toronto (2010–2014)

Glenn Frey, 67, American songwriter, musician (Eagles) and actor (Jerry Maguire)

Brad Fuller, 62, American video game composer (Tetris), Director of Engineering for Atari 

Zsa Zsa Gabor, 99, Hungarian-born American actress and socialite

George Gaynes, 98, Finnish-born American actor (Commandant Lassard in the Police Academy franchise)
RADM Paul T. Gillcrist, 87, American Naval officer (Consultant on JAG)

Gary Glasberg, 50, American television producer and writer (NCIS)
Ron Glass, 71, American actor (Firefly)

Col John Glenn, USMC, 95, American marine and astronaut (Mercury-Atlas 6) and politician, U.S. Senator from Ohio [left]

 
Dan Haggerty, 74, American actor (The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams)
Guy Hamilton, 93, French-born British film director (James Bond, Battle of Britain)
Florence Henderson, 82, American actress (The Brady Bunch)

Drewe Henley, 75, British actor (Red Leader in Star Wars)
Gil Hill, 84, American police officer, actor (Inspector Todd in the Beverly Hills Cop franchise)
John Hostetter, 69, American actor (Bazooka in G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero, Heartbreak Ridge)

Ken Howard, 71, American actor (Rambo, Clear and Present Danger, 30 Rock)

David Huddleston, 85, American actor (The Big Lebowski, Blazing Saddles)
Gary Hutzel, 60, American visual effects supervisor (Star Trek, Battlestar Galactica)

 

Barry Jenner, 75, American actor (Admiral Ross in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine) [right]

Saki Kaskas, 45, Greek video game music composer (Need for Speed, Sleeping Dogs, Mass Effect 2)

Frank Kelly, 77, Irish actor (Fr. Jack in Father Ted)
George Kennedy, 91, American Oscar winning actor (The Naked Gun, Airport)

Burt Kwouk, 85, British actor (Cato in The Pink Panther franchise)

 
Melvin Laird, 94, American politician and writer, Secretary of Defense (1969–1973)
Flt Lt Keith Lawrence, DFC, 96, New Zealand-born British RAF officer during World War II, surviving member of "The Few"
Yevgeni Lazarev, 79, Russian-American actor (Iron Man 2, The Sum of All Fears, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare)

Michael Leader, 78, British actor (believed to be the Stormtrooper who walked into a door in Star Wars)
Richard Libertini, 82, American Actor, (Akorem Laan in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine "Accession", Rabbi in Lethal Weapon 4)
GEN William J. Livsey, US Army, 85, American army officer. Commander in Chief of United Nations Command/Commander in Chief, ROK/U.S. Combined Forces Command/Commander, United States Forces Korea/Commanding General, Eighth United States Army

 

P. J. Mara, 73, Irish public affairs consultant, Senator (1977–1981, 1982–1983) [left]
Don Marshall, 80, American actor (Lt. Boma in Star Trek "The Galileo Seven")
Michael Massee, 64, American actor (The Crow, 24, The Amazing Spider-Man)

George Michael, 53, British singer (Wham!) 

Edgar Mitchell, 85, American astronaut (Apollo 14)

Alethea McGrath, 95, Australian actress (Jocasta Nu in Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones)
Michu Meszaros, 76, Hungarian-born American actor (ALF)
Ivan Mikoyan, 89, Russian aircraft designer (Mikoyan MiG-29)

Rick Parfitt, 68, British singer, songwriter and guitarist (Status Quo)
MSgt Richard A. Pittman, USMC,  71, American Marine, recipient of the Medal of Honor
Jon Polito, 65, American actor (Modern Family, The Rocketeer, DC Comics IPs voice actor)
Prince, 57, American musician, songwriter ("Purple Rain", "Little Red Corvette") 

Nancy Reagan, 94, American First Lady (1981–1989) [right]

Debbie Reynolds, 84, American actress (Singin' in the Rain)
Alan Rickman, 69, English actor (Die Hard, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves)
Doris Roberts, 90, American actress (Remington Steele)

Major Erich Rudorffer, 98, German Luftwaffe fighter ace during World War II. 222 aerial victories. Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords

Christopher Rush, 50, American illustrator (Magic: The Gathering)
Paul Ryan, 66, American comic artist (Fantastic Four, Iron Man: The Dragon Seed Saga)

 
Andrew Sachs, 86, German-born British actor (Fawlty Towers)
Joe Santos, 84, Actor (The Rockford Files)
Antonin Scalia, 79, American judge, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court

William Schallert, 93, American actor (Star Trek "The Trouble with Tribbles")

Garry Shandling, 66, American comedian, actor and writer (The Larry Sanders Show, Iron Man 2) [left]

Gen William Y. Smith, USAF, 90, American air force general. Chief of Staff, Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (COFS SHAPE) from 1979 to 1981
David Spielberg, 77, American actor (Cmdr. Calvin "Hutch" Hutchinson in Star Trek: The Next Generation "Starship Mine)
Trevor Steedman, 62, British actor and stuntman (Private Wierzbowski in Aliens)
Peter Sumner, 74, Australian actor (Lt. Pol Treidum in Star Wars)

 
Alan Thicke, 69, Canadian actor and talk show host
Gareth Thomas, 71, Welsh actor (Blake's 7)
Ron Thornton, 59, Visual Effects Artist (Star Trek franchise, Babylon 5)
Ray Tomlinson, 74, American computer programmer, invented email and assigned use of @ sign

 
Peter Vaughan, 93, British actor (Game of Thrones)

Robert Vaughn, 83, American actor (The Man from U.N.C.L.E., The Magnificent Seven, The A-Team) [right]
GEN John William Vessey Jr., USA, 94, American military officer, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (1982–1985)
Abe Vigoda, 94, American actor (The Godfather, Batman: Mask of the Phantasm)

 
Maj. John Keith Wells, 94, Navy Cross, American Marine platoon commander (2nd Battalion 28th Marines).
Kit West, 79, British Oscar winning special effects artist (Return of the Jedi, Raiders of the Lost Ark)

General Sir Peter John Frederick Whiteley, GCB, OBE, DL, 95, was a British Royal Marines officer. Commandant General Royal Marines, Commander-in-Chief Allied Forces Northern Europe
Gene Wilder, 83, American actor (Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, Blazing Saddles)

Sir Terry Wogan, 77, Irish-British broadcaster

 

Anton Yelchin, 27, Soviet-born American actor (Star Trek, Green Room) [left]

and let us hope 2017 will be better.

RIP Colonel Abrams

It's with great regret that I must report the death of a fellow '80's veteran who answered the call to wear a uniform. Colonel Abrams, a true pioneer of house and dance music in the 1980s, has died at the age of 67.

The Colonel scored his biggest hit in 1985 with the club single "Trapped," which reached number three in the UK. Although Abrams had no American pop hits through his career, he had a number of entries on the US Hot Dance Club Play chart in the 1980s and 1990s, including four entries that hit number one.

It was reported last year that the Colonel had been homeless and suffered from diabetes.

May he rest in peace.