Looks like 2017 is going to be evil too
2016 saw the passing of several celebrities, many of them ones I consider part of my "development" as a person. Carrie Fisher was a gut punch because I grew up with her as Princess Leia, then in more recent years she was an advocate for those with mental illness, doing her damnedest to remove the stigma.
Richard Hatch passed away earlier this month, and was another in the pantheon of childhood sci fi actors that influenced me. The original Battlestar Galactica was a product of the 70s and doesn't hold up well if you're not used to that aesthetic, but I'm a product of the 70s too. His Apollo was a "Beautiful Cinnamon Roll Too Good For This World, Too Pure” long before the meme was born. Looking back on the show as an adult, the relationship between Apollo and Starbuck pinged on my Slashdar before I really knew what that was about. It was in syndication when I was in my late teens/early 20s when I was starting to go to cons and online, and things started falling into place.
Bill Paxton passed away yesterday, and geeze, what has he not been in? He's the only actor who was killed by a Terminator, a Predator, and an Alien. Trifecta. His iconic portrayal of Hudson in Aliens contained a lot of ad libs, including the immortal, "Game over, man. Game over." He was the most quotable character in a very quotable movie, and it's one that has aged well too.
He also filmed a movie in my hometown. Unfortunately, I didn't get to see him due to my work schedule, but I was really chuffed when I heard the casting news. I haven't seen all of his movies and TV work, but enough have left an impression on me, and I'm really sad that his future roles -- and he had several in the works -- will never be. Though storm chasers who honored him and his character in Twister by literally putting his initials on the map was a touching reminder of how we often don't realize how much a movie or TV show can influence the lives and careers of many.
Richard Hatch passed away earlier this month, and was another in the pantheon of childhood sci fi actors that influenced me. The original Battlestar Galactica was a product of the 70s and doesn't hold up well if you're not used to that aesthetic, but I'm a product of the 70s too. His Apollo was a "Beautiful Cinnamon Roll Too Good For This World, Too Pure” long before the meme was born. Looking back on the show as an adult, the relationship between Apollo and Starbuck pinged on my Slashdar before I really knew what that was about. It was in syndication when I was in my late teens/early 20s when I was starting to go to cons and online, and things started falling into place.
Bill Paxton passed away yesterday, and geeze, what has he not been in? He's the only actor who was killed by a Terminator, a Predator, and an Alien. Trifecta. His iconic portrayal of Hudson in Aliens contained a lot of ad libs, including the immortal, "Game over, man. Game over." He was the most quotable character in a very quotable movie, and it's one that has aged well too.
He also filmed a movie in my hometown. Unfortunately, I didn't get to see him due to my work schedule, but I was really chuffed when I heard the casting news. I haven't seen all of his movies and TV work, but enough have left an impression on me, and I'm really sad that his future roles -- and he had several in the works -- will never be. Though storm chasers who honored him and his character in Twister by literally putting his initials on the map was a touching reminder of how we often don't realize how much a movie or TV show can influence the lives and careers of many.