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Patrick Swayze Passes Away at 57

Molly — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 17:16:10 -0700

Patrick Swayze passed away today at home with his family. He was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2008 and his condition took a turn for the worse earlier this year. He was 57 years old. Swayze is survived by his wife, who he's been with since he was 18 years old, Lisa Niemi. Patrick has a very special place in our hearts for many of his movies like Ghost and Point Break to name a couple, but perhaps most of all for Dirty Dancing. Our thoughts are with his loved ones, and he will be missed.

Buzz In: What Are Your Favorite Michael Jackson Memories?

BuzzSugar — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 17:30:56 -0700

As soon as I heard the sad news that Michael Jackson had passed away, his entire career started flashing through my mind. The music, the dancing - he's contributed so much to popular culture that trying to wrap my mind around it feels daunting. For many people of my generation, Michael Jackson was one of the first untouchable musical legends we knew. It seems like he's always been in my life one way or another.

I happened to see him in concert as a little kid. My mom took me, and the experience was mind-blowing. There was something so insanely charismatic about him - I never took my eyes off the stage. It was one of the most special evenings of my life at that point, and it's still a treasured memory. I keep thinking about that concert today, and I've also been singing "The Way You Make Me Feel," one of my favorite songs of his, which captured my imagination at a young age.

That's what's on my mind in the wake of his sudden death. I'd love it if you shared what's on yours. Rest in peace, Michael.

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Michael Jackson Passes Away at 50

BuzzSugar — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 15:33:37 -0700

Michael Jackson apparently passed away this afternoon. It was confirmed by the LA Times. He was 50 years old and was rushed to the hospital today after suffering a heart attack at his LA home. He was a legend, famous almost all his life. Our thoughts are with his family and loved ones, especially his children.

Author Michael Crichton Dies at 66

BuzzSugar — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 10:33:55 -0800

Author, screenwriter, and ER creator Michael Crichton has died unexpectedly after a battle with cancer. Crichton's website reports that Crichton passed away on Tuesday in LA at age 66.

The site has been updated with an "In Memoriam" post that reads in part:

While the world knew him as a great story teller that challenged our preconceived notions about the world around us - and entertained us all while doing so - his wife Sherri, daughter Taylor, family and friends knew Michael Crichton as a devoted husband, loving father and generous friend who inspired each of us to strive to see the wonders of our world through new eyes. He did this with a wry sense of humor that those who were privileged to know him personally will never forget.

Through his books, Michael Crichton served as an inspiration to students of all ages, challenged scientists in many fields, and illuminated the mysteries of the world in a way we could all understand.

He will be profoundly missed by those whose lives he touched, but he leaves behind the greatest gifts of a thirst for knowledge, the desire to understand, and the wisdom to use our minds to better our world.

Crichton wrote more than 20 bestselling books of fiction and non-fiction - most famously Jurassic Park, which launched a similarly successful movie franchise. He also wrote the screenplays for movies including Twister and Rising Sun. In addition to creating ER, he wrote three episodes in the series' first season (including the pilot) and has been listed as a producer on every single episode.

His family is planning to hold a private memorial service.

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Remembering Paul Newman

BuzzSugar — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 05:30:13 -0700

For me, Paul Newman epitomized the term "Hollywood movie star." His devastating good looks (especially those blue eyes that make your knees go wobbly), paired with a great talent and sheer charisma made for a rare and winning combination. His cinematic career spanned over 50 years, a feat that only a handful of actors will probably ever match.

The New York Times has a terrific article about his life, and contextualized his mark in film with the following:

If Marlon Brando and James Dean defined the defiant American male as a sullen rebel, Paul Newman recreated him as a likable renegade, a strikingly handsome figure of animal high spirits and blue-eyed candor whose magnetism was almost impossible to resist, whether the character was Hud, Cool Hand Luke or Butch Cassidy.

While Newman will be remembered for his extraordinary career in movies, it was his mark in philanthropy and his dedication to his children and his wife of 50 years, Joanne Woodward, which ultimately made the man. It's an old cliché but it seems like it was coined for him: beautiful on the inside and out. He will be missed.

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Rest In Peace, David Foster Wallace

BuzzSugar — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 14:30:43 -0700

I'm still wrapping my head around the news that author David Foster Wallace died over the weekend of an apparent suicide. At just 46 years old, he was one of the more inventive, original, and observant writers of our time.

In his all-too-brief career, Wallace used his incisive prose in a wide variety of forms, including essays, short stories, and two novels, including the gargantuan, more-than-1,000-page (if you count the footnotes) Infinite Jest. I read Infinite Jest, footnotes and all, over one very long Summer, and I'll never forget the way its sprawling cast of characters wormed its way into my thoughts.

Infinite Jest wasn't his only memorable work, though, not by a long shot. He put a different spin on journalism in his essay collections, including his skewering of the Illinois State Fair and hilarious retelling of his experiences on a luxury cruise in A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again. His short stories, too, were a unique window on our popular culture and an adventure to read. The word "genius" gets thrown around a lot, but I truly believe it might be the most apt label for Wallace. His work had as many detractors as fans - but it always got people talking.

As a reader, I will miss the chance to explore his work - but of course, I just knew him as words on a page. My thoughts go out to his family and friends.

Photo courtesy of Steve Rhodes

Don LaFontaine, Hollywood's Voiceover Master, Dies at 68

BuzzSugar — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 10:30:16 -0700

In a world where movie trailers were a key way to drum up excitement for an upcoming feature, there was but one king: Don LaFontaine. LaFontaine, whose voice is probably the one that pops into your head anytime you hear that classic "In a world . . . " beginning, recorded more than 5,000 voiceovers for commercials, video games, and - most notably - movie trailers over the course of his career. LaFontaine died Monday at age 68 from complications from a collapsed lung.

Among the companies that used LaFontaine as their official voice: Paramount, TBS, TNT, the Cartoon Network, and every broadcast TV network except the WB. Some of his best-known work was in trailers for The Godfather, Fatal Attraction, and Terminator 2: Judgment Day, and he'd more recently parodied himself in a Geico insurance commercial. He often said in interviews that his own favorite voiceover was the trailer for The Elephant Man, but he tried not to let his own opinions seep into his voiceovers. As he once told Swindle magazine:

My philosophy is that you have to really believe what you're reading, even if you think the film's a piece of junk. Even the worst picture is someone's favorite film, and that someone is the fan I am always talking to.

One thing's for sure: Movie trailers won't be the same without him. To see some of LaFontaine's work, including a Good Morning America interview, the Geico ad, and the Elephant Man trailer he loved, just read more.

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Rest In #!&*@% Peace, George Carlin

BuzzSugar — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 09:47:48 -0700

Will we ever know why we drive on a parkway and park on a driveway? No. But I'm glad we had George Carlin around to ask these questions.

On Sunday, at the age of 71, the hilariously foul-mouthed comedian passed away from heart failure (and surely Carlin would make fun of that usage of "pass away" rather than just saying "died"; you can see his bit about death, now a funny, bittersweet video, here).

Often regarded as one of the greatest stand-up comedians, he is today deemed a "counterculture hero" who pushed the envelope in regard to profanity, most famously with his "Seven Words You Can Never Say on Television" routine.

The AP continues to note that Carlin leaves a "legal legacy: His most celebrated monologue, a frantic, informed riff on those infamous seven words, led to a Supreme Court decision on broadcasting offensive language." In a 2004 interview, Carlin explained his thoughts on language that's considered taboo:

There's an idea that the human body is somehow evil and bad and there are parts of it that are especially evil and bad, and we should be ashamed. Fear, guilt and shame are built into the attitude toward sex and the body. . . It's reflected in these prohibitions and these taboos that we have.

Over his life, Carlin put out "23 comedy albums, 14 HBO specials, three books, a few TV shows and appeared in several movies." He won four Grammy Awards and was nominated for five Emmys. Most of all, however, he influenced countless comedians who came after him. Judd Apatow notes, "Nobody was funnier than George Carlin. I spent half my childhood in my room listening to his records experiencing pure joy. And he was as kind as he was funny."

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Director Anthony Minghella Dies at Age 54

BuzzSugar — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 10:30:05 -0700

Oscar-winning director Anthony Minghella died today at the age of 54 of a hemorrhage following surgery. He won the Best Director Oscar in 1997 for The English Patient, and was later nominated for his work on The Talented Mr. Ripley. He also directed Cold Mountain and the 2006 drama Breaking and Entering.

According to the AP, "Minghella's publicist, Jonathan Rutter, said the filmmaker died at London's Charing Cross Hospital. He said Minghella was operated on last week for a growth in his neck, 'and the operation seemed to have gone well. At 5 a.m. today he had a fatal hemorrhage.'"

His latest projects included the adaptation of Alexander McCall Smith's book series The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, which Minghella filmed in Botswana and which will be turned into a 13-part series for HBO. He was also scheduled to direct a short for the film anthology New York, I Love You (the New York version of the 2006 anthology Paris, je t'aime). In addition to serving as executive producer on various projects like Michael Clayton and the Kate Winslet film Iris, Minghella has one acting credit on his filmography: he played the interviewer at the end of Atonement.

Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair is quoted as saying, "Anthony Minghella was a wonderful human being, creative and brilliant, but still humble, gentle and a joy to be with. Whatever I did with him, personally or professionally, left me with complete admiration for him, as a character and as an artist of the highest caliber."

Minghella photo source

Heath Ledger RIP

PopSugar — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 13:51:39 -0800

UPDATE #4 - Warner Bros. has issued the following statement: "The studio is stunned and devastated by this tragic news. The entertainment community has lost an enormous talent. Heath was a brilliant actor and an exceptional person. Our hearts go out to his family and friends."

UPDATE #3 - We hear from sources at Sundance that Michelle Williams is currently on a flight home from Sweden where she might have been filming Mammoth. No word on if she knows about this sad news yet.

UPDATE #2 - There are rumors that Heath was found at an apartment owned by Mary-Kate Olsen but this is not 100% confirmed. The pills are now being described as over-the-counter sleeping medication, according to police spokeswoman Barbara Chen. She also said, "This is being looked at as a possible overdose, but that is not confirmed yet." We're still in shock.

UPDATE - Apparently pills were found by his bed so claims of a drug related death are the latest news.

TMZ is reporting that Heath Ledger has sadly died. He was found dead at his home in NYC today by a housekeeper at 3:35 pm. No news on what happened and we are shocked and sad to report this terrible news. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and of course his baby girl Matilda.

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