The Director with an Eye and Ear for Film is Gone

Jonathan Demme passed away at 73 much too soon and a major director of the past few decades with a few remarkable title like Silence of the Lambs, Philadelphia, Melvin and Howard, The Last Embrace, Something Wild, Stop Making Sense, and many other documentaries and film work. He had good perspective on Hollywood of old that nurtured him and he encourgaed and singled out the upcoming new generation of filmmakers. I saw most of his films in the theater first run and am better off for it. An important artist is gone but his work remains.

Mr. Warmth Has Passed

Don Rickles passed away at 90 and although he was slowed down physically, he still actively performed on talk shows and movies to the very end. The guy was still blasting rapid zingers and retorts faster than comedians half his age! Known as "Mr. Warmth", Rickles pioneered the insulting comic sparing no one whether it be race or religion or himself-he was an equal opportunity critic who could take down Presidents and even Frank Sinatra and his Rat Pack. He was a noted actor having appeared in the war classic Run Silent Run Deep with Burt Lancaster, Kelly's Heroes with Clint Eastwood, and Casino with Robert DeNiro among others. When Dean Martin featured the celebrity roasts, Rickles was often part of the fire. He was a regular on many classic TV sitcoms and among all talk shows beloved by all late night hosts and even Howard Stern. I relished every time he appeared on television because he was always at the top of his game. Very, very few comedians could or can get away with his brand of humor. A devoted family man and friend (Bob Newhart was a buddy), he gained new found audiences with his turn as Mr. Potato Head in the beloved Toy Story movies. I will miss this giant, one of the last great comedians of the last century. In his own words, "Hey you hockey puck!"