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In Memoriam: Entertainment Industry Celebrity Deaths

Kromm

By Kromm
in Everything Else TV

Mr. Sparkle
Message added by Mr. Sparkle,

Reminder:

This thread is for deaths of celebrities in the entertainment business only. No notices about politicians, please. 

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Bastet
Bastet

Piss up a rope, Val Kilmer.  If your physical illness got so bad that your life utterly sucked and no end to that suffering was in sight, so that suicide was or seemed to be the best of the available

wilsie
wilsie
BetterButter
BetterButter

Olivia Newton-John Has Died At 73

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UYI

UYI

4 hours ago, BW Manilowe said:

According to this article from People magazine, posted in the last hour or so, it appears Erin Moran died of Stage 4 Cancer. The type wasn't specified.

http://people.com/tv/happy-days-star-erin-moran-died-stage-4-cancer/?xid=socialflow_twitter_peoplemag

 

3 hours ago, Inquisitionist said:

I don't know how reliable a source Page Six is, but it quotes Paul Peterson as saying Moran had undergone treatment for throat cancer and "it was not going well." 

I'm glad my suspicion that she committed suicide turned out to be wrong, but because it can't be said enough: Fuck Cancer. 

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fishcakes

fishcakes

(edited)
On 4/23/2017 at 8:59 AM, hoosier80 said:

I had read last night that Henry Winkler had helped out Erin financially a few years back.  She'd also then leveled claims at him (her or someone through a tabloid) that he'd sexually harassed her (and Marion Ross) or worse.  She then recanted everything.  I am guessing that perhaps everyone distanced themselves from her.  I also watched an interview with Tom Bosley where they asked him about each member of the cast.  He'd said basically (although nicely) that her family was crap, she had no support even as a child, had a bad marriage, basically floundering after the shows went off the air.  She had declined appearing with the cast at a 5 year reunion, but then joined Tom and Marion to promote the show being on Nick at Nite.  She'd then found God by then, as he said never without her Bible.  She then slid back into drugs again (from what was inferred).  It sounded like maybe she'd burned her bridges, and as was stated above, the cast knew that you can't help an addict unless they want the help.  Very sad.

I had heard all these things as well but there's not much confirmation of it on the internet, so I'm glad to see there are a few other people who remember it too. I recall that at one point she said that she had been molested by at least one of the cast members, but later recanted and said that it was a family member who'd molested her. That was a little before the first reunion show, and I remember she said she wouldn't appear and also said of the cast that they were "evil people." She did appear on the reunion show they did about ten years ago, and seemed happy to see everyone and vice versa, although she and Chachi got into a minor disagreement about something and you could see how quickly the anger bubbled up for both of them. They basically clenched their teeth and the moment passed, but it looked like those two really disliked each other. To the credit of everyone involved with the show, none of them ever, as far as I know, commented publicly on her sex abuse allegations, either when it was current or later on, which I think is why it never took root. I'm sure they all did care about her and probably tried to help her in ways we'll never hear about, but I can see why they wouldn't go out on a limb to help her resurrect her career. Her problems were much bigger and apparently more intractable then just not getting acting jobs.

23 minutes ago, UYI said:

I'm glad my suspicion that she committed suicide turned out to be wrong,

Me too. The Paul Petersen post definitely made it sound like there was an intervention of some sort being attempted, which would imply suicide or a spiraling drug problem. Maybe he was trying to protect her privacy, but he kind of made it sound worse. I mean, the way she died sounds just awful too because if she was that close to the end from cancer, she should have been in a hospital or a hospice house or the like, but that's usually not an option for people who are struggling financially. I feel so bad for her. No one's life should be as difficult as hers ended up being.

Edited by fishcakes
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GHScorpiosRule

GHScorpiosRule

4 minutes ago, fishcakes said:

The Paul Petersen post definitely made it sound like there was an intervention of some sort being attempted, which would imply suicide or a spiraling drug problem. Maybe he was trying to protect her privacy, but he kind of made it sound worse. I mean, the way she died sounds just awful too because if she was that close to the end from cancer, she should have been in a hospital or a hospice house or the like, but that's usually not an option for people who are struggling financially. I feel so bad for her. No one's life should be as difficult as hers ended up being.

What I got from Paul Petersen's comment was that people reached out to her, but she refused any help. I mean, the lines that there were people there for her, and she knew it, but wouldn't accept their help. All we can do is suppose and try to fill in the gaps, but we, the public, will never know what happened. Only those involved know. And based on everything that Petersen has done for child actors, after what he himself had gone through when he was a child actor, I tend to not doubt what he says. He's never come across as someone wanting praise or glory.

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Macbeth

Macbeth

This is just my speculation - as I was a fan of Happy Days and close in age to Erin Moran - I always thought she might suffer from some sort of schizophrenia.  And that she was probably self-medicating herself. 

Schizophrenia can start in your 20s...  And different reports that I heard about her over the years led me to believe this.

Which in no way means it's true.

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bannana

bannana

19 minutes ago, VCRTracking said:

Fuck you Chachi.

Oh wow, it's even worse when you read his facebook page.  His defense is, he didn't know she had cancer, so now he feels bad, sort of.  Yikes.

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MsTree

MsTree

1 hour ago, bannana said:

His defense is, he didn't know she had cancer, so now he feels bad,

He shouldn't have to feel bad. The fact remains she still did drugs & drank...which probably contributed to her death.

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ari333

ari333

5 hours ago, VCRTracking said:

Fuck you Chachi.

What a mother fucking asshole. This is exactly why people who suffer with a disease of addiction hesitate to get help. Damn.

Stop the stigma.

And btw, the woman had cancer. What a colossal, judgmental  ass, Baio. Your day will come, Chachi.

and I won't cry.

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MrSmith

MrSmith

(edited)
7 hours ago, MsTree said:

He shouldn't have to feel bad. The fact remains she still did drugs & drank...which probably contributed to her death.

I disagree. I think he should feel bad enough to fully retract his stupid tweet and issue a full apology for ever tweeting something so incredibly uncaring and insensitive. Did doing drugs and drinking facilitate the onset of her cancer? Maybe. Nobody will ever know with any certainty. So, there's no point in asserting a link between them because there's nothing provable and, by doing that, you just make yourself look like a gigantic rude asshole who's constitutionally incapable of being nice to or having compassion for other people.

Edited to add: Please see 

My position in this original, now-edited post was incorrect.

Edited by MrSmith
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zxy556575

zxy556575

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Christ. Drugs/alcohol abuse or not, what's wrong with "I'll miss you, rest in peace?"

Hey, heartless, self-aggrandizing "truth speakers"? Fuck all y'all!

As if Baio hasn't done enough damage to himself in Hollywood with his politics. Mofo indeed.

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ari333

ari333

7 minutes ago, MrSmith said:

I disagree. I think he should feel bad enough to fully retract his stupid tweet and issue a full apology for ever tweeting something so incredibly uncaring and insensitive. Did doing drugs and drinking facilitate the onset of her cancer? Maybe. Nobody will ever know with any certainty. So, there's no point in asserting a link between them because there's nothing provable and, by doing that, you just make yourself look like a gigantic rude asshole who's constitutionally incapable of being nice to or having compassion for other people.

THIS ^^

I agree. I felt disgusted when I read what Baio said. Maybe god and the universe can forgive me, but I am kind of wishing bad things for him. I'll be in hell if you need me.

Compassion for other humans. Try it, Baio.

Just now, Lord Donia said:

Christ. Drugs/alcohol abuse or not, what's wrong with "I'll miss you, rest in peace?"

Hey, heartless, self-aggrandizing "truth speakers"? Fuck all y'all!

As if Baio hasn't done enough damage to himself in Hollywood with his politics. Mofo indeed.

PREACH! THIS^^^^ what an uncaring, insensitive asshole.

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merylinkid

merylinkid

1 hour ago, MrSmith said:

I disagree. I think he should feel bad enough to fully retract his stupid tweet and issue a full apology for ever tweeting something so incredibly uncaring and insensitive. Did doing drugs and drinking facilitate the onset of her cancer? Maybe. Nobody will ever know with any certainty. So, there's no point in asserting a link between them because there's nothing provable and, by doing that, you just make yourself look like a gigantic rude asshole who's constitutionally incapable of being nice to or having compassion for other people.

You don't do drugs or drink and you are still going to die.   As someone else noted -- try being a human being Baio.     The sad fact is this woman lost her life far too young.   A simple RIP if you can't think of anything else to say is fine.

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Drogo

Drogo

That tweet makes it seem like he was asked about it and just said "Drugs = death" and that's not really fair, either.  IMO, Scott's comments are close to the mark on what someone whose loved one battled with addiction and subsequently died too young might say, regardless of the technical C.O.D.    

When he first heard about her passing, this was his comment on Twitter:

Quote

"May people remember Erin for her contagious smile, warm heart, and animal loving soul. I always hoped she could find peace in her life. God has you now, Erin."

And for context, here are all of his interview comments (made while the toxicology results were still pending.) 

Quote

 

“My thing is, I feel bad because her whole life, she was troubled, could never find what made her happy and content. For me, you do drugs or drink, you’re gonna die."

“I’m saddened by what happened. I don’t know if it was drugs that killed her, I read one report said it might have been and I hope it … I don’t know what I hope. It’s what it is. What can you do?”

“She was just an insecure human being and fell into this world of drugs and alcohol. Again, I don’t know if that’s what killed her, I’m sure it was a culmination of years and years of doing it that might have had something to do with it. She just never found her way."

“How do you help somebody that doesn’t want to help themselves? You try a couple of times and if they don’t want the help, I gotta go, sorry.”

 

I don't love Scott Baio, but I don't think he deserves the heat he's getting on this.  Erin was a lifelong smoker who died of throat cancer, and her body couldn't have been in primo condition after years of alcohol/substance abuse.  Fuck cancer, fuck cigarettes, fuck drugs. 

RIP Erin Moran.

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MrSmith

MrSmith

29 minutes ago, Drogo said:

That tweet makes it seem like he was asked about it and just said "Drugs = death" and that's not really fair, either.  IMO, Scott's comments are close to the mark on what someone whose loved one battled with addiction and subsequently died too young might say, regardless of the technical C.O.D.    

When he first heard about her passing, this was his comment on Twitter:

And for context, here are all of his interview comments (made while the toxicology results were still pending.) 

I don't love Scott Baio, but I don't think he deserves the heat he's getting on this.  Erin was a lifelong smoker who died of throat cancer, and her body couldn't have been in primo condition after years of alcohol/substance abuse.  Fuck cancer, fuck cigarettes, fuck drugs. 

RIP Erin Moran.

I appreciate all the extra context, @Drogo. That said, he still tweeted what he tweeted and, as far as I'm concerned, he deserves the heat he's getting for it. The reason my position is such is that this is why you don't say things like that using a medium or in a situation where you're unable to supply all the context that is required for people to correctly understand your intent - and he should know this. As my Sophomore and Junior year high school English teacher always said: If the message you're trying to deliver is not understood, the failure to communicate rests entirely with you - not with your audience.

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Drogo

Drogo

@MrSmith that's what I'm saying, his tweet was kind.  The other stuff ("you do drugs you're going to die" and the slew of other comments) were made during a radio interview, but have been distributed sans context which is why I wanted to put those other soundbites out there.

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fishcakes

fishcakes

The additional context does make the, "you're gonna DIE" comment sound less insensitive, and I believe he does feel sadness for her. But it might be better if he just acknowledged that the statement that's getting all the attention does sound really assy, that it wasn't his intent to be judgmental, and then reiterate his sympathy for her and her family. Repeatedly tweeting, "I said IF and besides you're only attacking me because of my politics" isn't helping. It's not about you, Chachi.

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GHScorpiosRule

GHScorpiosRule

(edited)

Yeah, no. I'm not giving any slack to Chachi. I'd like to know where he heard Erin's death was due to drugs, since the initial reports didn't have the cause, and then after her autopsy, it was stated she had Stage 4 Cancer-but all of the articles I read, didn't say what type of cancer. Unless that was released today.

He can just shove it with his suppositions and the attitude that he couldn't be bothered after his one or two "attempts" to help were rejected and he had better things to do. That's how his statements above come across to me.  Jerkwad.

Edited by GHScorpiosRule
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MrSmith

MrSmith

34 minutes ago, Drogo said:

@MrSmith that's what I'm saying, his tweet was kind.  The other stuff ("you do drugs you're going to die" and the slew of other comments) were made during a radio interview, but have been distributed sans context which is why I wanted to put those other soundbites out there.

I missed that the tweet I thought was his is actually owned by "The A.V. Club". I take back what I said about him.

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DittyDotDot

DittyDotDot

5 minutes ago, GHScorpiosRule said:

Yeah, no. I'm not giving any slack to Chachi. I'd like to know where he heard Erin's death was due to drugs, since the initial reports didn't have the cause, and then after her autopsy, it was stated she had Stage 4 Cancer-but all of the articles I read, didn't say what type of cancer. Unless that was released today.

Actually, he clearly states he doesn't know if it was due to drugs. The AV Club took the comment out of context and turned it into a sound bite.

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MrSmith

MrSmith

9 minutes ago, DittyDotDot said:

Actually, he clearly states he doesn't know if it was due to drugs. The AV Club took the comment out of context and turned it into a sound bite.

This. I thought the tweet from "The A.V. Club" was actually a tweet from Baio himself. After going back and reading through everything a bit more carefully, I had to take back what I said about him. I was wrong and what I said doesn't apply.

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zxy556575

zxy556575

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Thanks for the context, @Drogo. That does soften it somewhat, but blaming people for their own illnesses or death is a hot button issue for me.

First, causality is often unprovable -- thin, fit people have heart attacks and non-smokers get lung cancer. But even if someone is sick or died directly as a result of, say, alcoholic cirrhosis, it's not necessary to blame them! Being judgmental makes people feel superior and helps them believe "that will never happen to me, " but I wish they'd try being kind instead. Mourn the loss instead of pointing fingers about the life.

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fishcakes

fishcakes

(edited)
11 minutes ago, Lord Donia said:

But even if someone is sick or died directly as a result of, say, alcoholic cirrhosis, it's not necessary to blame them!

Especially because drug addictions, including alcoholism and nicotine addiction, are diseases themselves. Some people are susceptible to falling ill with addiction and others aren't. People who think they're superior because they can drink socially and not be alcoholics are wrong; they're not better, only luckier.

Edited by fishcakes
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MrSmith

MrSmith

22 minutes ago, fishcakes said:

People who think they're superior because they can drink socially and not be alcoholics are wrong; they're not better, only luckier.

This cannot be said often enough, no matter what's going on in the real world. Even I forget that fact 99.999% of the time (or more!). I don't even drink alcohol, except about once every three years when my wife and I go out for New Year's and I feel like having a mixed drink with dinner. (Alcoholism runs in my family, mom's side; beer makes me very ill and so no alcohol tolerance for me!) Oh, and to clarify, my wife and I go out for New Year's every year; it's just that I don't usually get a drink with dinner.

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BW Manilowe

BW Manilowe

9 hours ago, bannana said:

Oh wow, it's even worse when you read his facebook page.  His defense is, he didn't know she had cancer, so now he feels bad, sort of.  Yikes.

Scott Baio explains/clarifies his remarks on Erin Moran's death after receiving a backlash over them. Or at least he attempts to. The linked article is from the news website of my local CBS affiliate.

http://wane.com/2017/04/25/scott-baio-explains-remarks-on-erin-moran-after-backlash/

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Blergh

Blergh

Since she had a feeding tube, I guess that means that Miss Moran HAD been getting treatment for cancer. Can it be too much to hope that she DID get at least some love and care in that trailer court that had she had sought so much   in Hollywood?

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Wings

Wings

2 hours ago, fishcakes said:

Especially because drug addictions, including alcoholism and nicotine addiction, are diseases themselves. Some people are susceptible to falling ill with addiction and others aren't. People who think they're superior because they can drink socially and not be alcoholics are wrong; they're not better, only luckier.

Applause!  Totally agree. 

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GHScorpiosRule

GHScorpiosRule

(edited)

Neither of the clarifications posted above have changed my mind or opinion. Granted, he didn't say "you do drugs, you're gonna die," but he did say the rest. Like I posted upthread, I don't know what headlines he was reading, but none of the more credible sources that reported Erin's death mentioned drugs, let alone a heroin overdose. And his statement about how he has his own life to live and them's the breaks, when she rejected his two offers of help, makes him sound like a cold unfeeling bastard. Then almost immediately, it was reported she'd died of cancer and no drugs were in her system.

He should have just kept to his memories of her and condolences. There was no need to speculate as to the cause of death when all the articles I read said no cause of death had been determined when the news initially broke. He's been in Hollywood since he was a kid. He is aware of how false information can explode and sometimes get conflated. So since he didn't know how she died, he shoulda kept his opinions on that to himself.

So yeah, jerkwad.

Edited by GHScorpiosRule
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GaT

GaT

2 hours ago, BW Manilowe said:

Here is a more extensive explanation/clarification from Scott Baio, than that posted by my CBS affiliate, via Entertainment Weekly, about his comments on former cast mate/girlfriend Erin Moran's untimely passing over the weekend.

http://ew.com/tv/2017/04/25/scott-baio-erin-moran-drugs-alcohol/?xid=entertainment-weekly_socialflow_twitter

Quote

You bash me ONLY because I support Pres [Donald Trump],” he tweeted to Tonight Show writer Chase Mitchell.

Works for me.

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UYI

UYI

(edited)
7 hours ago, GHScorpiosRule said:

Yeah, no. I'm not giving any slack to Chachi. I'd like to know where he heard Erin's death was due to drugs, since the initial reports didn't have the cause, and then after her autopsy, it was stated she had Stage 4 Cancer-but all of the articles I read, didn't say what type of cancer. Unless that was released today.

He can just shove it with his suppositions and the attitude that he couldn't be bothered after his one or two "attempts" to help were rejected and he had better things to do. That's how his statements above come across to me.  Jerkwad.

Paul Petersen mentioned in one of his statements that it was throat cancer. 

And now Scott's wife, Renee, is having a Twitter meltdown trying to defend him. That should probably go in the Miscellaneous thread, honestly, but I wanted to mention it here, too.

(For those of you who don't know, her Twitter handle is actually "Mrs. Scott Baio." Bitch, I ain't jealous of you for that.) 

Edited by UYI
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Jaded

Jaded

I was watching The Talk today and they played an audio clip of what Scott Baio said on a radio show I didn't catch the name of. It sounded even worse then it read in print.  I'm still in the "he's an asshole" camp.

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Blergh

Blergh

With her own husband's statement re how Miss Moran's condition deteriorated and how he was with her as she breathed her last, I'd like to say I'm rather annoyed at the collective media for reporting it as though she had been found dead of excess all alone in the trailer court by a total stranger and even made it seem like she'd been homeless for five years but just hanging around after that argument with her mother-in-law.  I'm not going to pretend that either the late Miss Moran or her husband were saints but, at least, it seems she WAS cared for as best as possible under the circumstances in that trailer court.

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DollEyes

DollEyes

(edited)

Truly tragic. Jonathan Demme not only made Silence Of the Lambs, he did Stop Making Sense, the Talking Heads concert film, Something Wild, Beloved and one of my favorites, Married To the Mob, which was not only one of Michelle Pfeiffer's greatest roles, it had a cameo with Demme's wife and child coming out of the beauty shop near the end.  Demme even had a cameo in John Landis' Into the Night. He was truly one of Hollywood's best. 

  The death of Erin Moran was another huge loss. She was great on Happy Days and Joanie Loves Chachi, which made Scott Baio's comments even worse.  She may have had a hard life after the show, including substance abuse, but since she was a woman that Baio once loved, one would think that he would have been much more compassionate, especially since his current wife is a cancer survivor and has a brain tumor, for which he's got my sympathy on that score, but nothing else.  Thank Heaven Ron Howard and Henry Winkler took the high road, (no pun intended).  Also, Howard and Winkler are still relevant, unlike Baio. I don't wish Baio ill will, but he's still an asshole, as far as I'm concerned. 

RIP, Ms. Moran & Mr. Demme. 

Edited by DollEyes
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CherryMalotte

CherryMalotte

Stop Making Sense is one of the best concert films ever, and I'm not even a big Talking Head fan.  I will agree with you DollEyes that MTTM is a great film - great acting, great story, and a whole lot of fun as well.  Demme always had a subversive sneak to his films, whether it was his casting or plot points, or the set direction.  Such a shame.    

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VCRTracking

VCRTracking

Stop Making Sense is one of my favorite movies. The live performance of the Talking Heads "Life During Wartime" is so much better than the album version.

I love Married to the Mob

Silence of the Lambs is still one of the best movies ever.

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amaranta

amaranta

Quote

Stop Making Sense is one of my favorite movies. The live performance of the Talking Heads "Life During Wartime" is so much better than the album version.

My favorite concert movie.  For a while it played at midnight at a local (no longer existing) art house theater and I saw it at least 20 times.  Once my friends and I had the place towards ourselves - it was in the smaller screen room - and we had an impromptu dance party.  I love live "Psycho Killer." And "why a big suit?"

And I loved, loved Melvin and Howard.  That movie made me want to believe Melvin. 

RIP Mr. Demme.

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spiderpig

spiderpig

Chiming in with the sads about Jonathan Demme.  SotL is one of the few films I wouldn't change a frame of.  We saw it when it opened on Valentine's Day 1991, and I swear there hasn't been a month since that Mr. pig and I haven't quoted a scene with knowing looks.  "Fava beans", "nice Chi-an-ti", "Oh, and Senator, one more thing - love your suit", "fff-fffff-ffffff" and of course the immortal "it rubs the lotion on its skin".

That's what a great movie is made of.

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Bastet

Bastet

5 hours ago, DollEyes said:

Jonathan Demme not only made Silence Of the Lambs, he did Stop Making Sense, the Talking Heads concert film, Something Wild, Beloved and one of my favorites, Married To the Mob,

Not to mention Philadelphia, a movie that left me sitting in the theatre after the lights had come on, because I was so emotionally wiped out I couldn't get up yet.

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