The pebble has been taken.
How very sad... David Carradine was found dead in his hotel room in Bangkok.
David Carradine (December 8, 1936 - June 3, 2009)
Photo courtesy of The Official David Carradine Website
I vagely remember the Kung Fu TV series from when I was a kid, but it hit the late-late-night rerun circuit when I was in college, back in Greeley. I saw one episode when I was pulling an all-nighter studying for some test or another, and I have to admit, cheesy as it was, it hooked me. I stayed up late every night afterwards to catch it (I think it was on Thursday nights... or maybe Sunday... whatever it was, it came on at 1:35 in the frikkin' AM) and since I had an 8:00 class the next morning, watching it was definitely a sacrifice.
And, of course, when the sequel Kung Fu: The Legend Continues came on back in the early 90's, I had to watch that as well. Fortunately, it was on at a much more reasonable hour, although it was even cheesier than the original, if such a thing is actually possible. (Seriously -- Kwai Chang Caine III, which was the character Carradine played in that series, could have been a danged superhero, such were the powers he displayed and the miracles he wrought. A fellow cheesy-TV-show-fan friend of mine used to joke that the show actually made sense if you just accepted that Caine was God in a new incarnation.)
But, I have to admit, THE performance of David Carradine for me will now be "Bill," from the Kill Bill movies. I love those movies, as gory & over-the-top violent as they are, and having Carradine be the Evil Mastermind behind the whole thing was like watching Kwai Chang Caine after he sold his soul to the Devil -- a quiet, charming, understated man who was nonetheless completely ruthless and amoral. Very bizarre.
Mr. Carradine was found in his hotel room in Bangkok, naked in a closet, hanging by his neck from cords taken from the window blinds. At first his death was reported as a suspected suicide, but now I'm hearing that it "might have been accidental." So, what -- autoerotic asphyxiation gone bad?
Either way, a sad end for a strange, charming, and talented man.
David Carradine (December 8, 1936 - June 3, 2009)
Photo courtesy of The Official David Carradine Website
I vagely remember the Kung Fu TV series from when I was a kid, but it hit the late-late-night rerun circuit when I was in college, back in Greeley. I saw one episode when I was pulling an all-nighter studying for some test or another, and I have to admit, cheesy as it was, it hooked me. I stayed up late every night afterwards to catch it (I think it was on Thursday nights... or maybe Sunday... whatever it was, it came on at 1:35 in the frikkin' AM) and since I had an 8:00 class the next morning, watching it was definitely a sacrifice.
And, of course, when the sequel Kung Fu: The Legend Continues came on back in the early 90's, I had to watch that as well. Fortunately, it was on at a much more reasonable hour, although it was even cheesier than the original, if such a thing is actually possible. (Seriously -- Kwai Chang Caine III, which was the character Carradine played in that series, could have been a danged superhero, such were the powers he displayed and the miracles he wrought. A fellow cheesy-TV-show-fan friend of mine used to joke that the show actually made sense if you just accepted that Caine was God in a new incarnation.)
But, I have to admit, THE performance of David Carradine for me will now be "Bill," from the Kill Bill movies. I love those movies, as gory & over-the-top violent as they are, and having Carradine be the Evil Mastermind behind the whole thing was like watching Kwai Chang Caine after he sold his soul to the Devil -- a quiet, charming, understated man who was nonetheless completely ruthless and amoral. Very bizarre.
Mr. Carradine was found in his hotel room in Bangkok, naked in a closet, hanging by his neck from cords taken from the window blinds. At first his death was reported as a suspected suicide, but now I'm hearing that it "might have been accidental." So, what -- autoerotic asphyxiation gone bad?
Either way, a sad end for a strange, charming, and talented man.