The Watchers

The Watchers

Friday 31 December 2021

In Memoriam 2021


At the close of another twelve months of trials and tribulations, our thoughts pass to those who are no longer with us, passing during this most difficult year. We paid tribute to Christopher Plummer and Stephen Sondheim throughout the year, but there were many people whom we were unable to pay tribute to at the time of their deaths. So here we remember some of the stars- from both in front of and behind the camera- who sadly passed away this year.


British director
Michael Apted began his career as a researcher for Granada TV and even directed a few episodes of Coronation Street. He directed eight instalments of the ground-breaking 7 Up documentary series (which aired its first instalment in 1963), which followed the lives of fourteen Britons from the age of seven, coming back to them in seven-year increments (with his last instalment- 63 Up- broadcast in 2019). As well as an exceptional documentarian, Apted also directed feature films and television, directing Sissy Spacek to the Best Actress Oscar for her portrayal of country singer Loretta Lynn in Coal Miner's Daughter (1980). His other films include Agatha (1979), Gorky Park (1983), Gorillas In The Mist (1988), Nell (1994), The World Is Not Enough (1999), and The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (2010). He was President of the Directors' Guild of America from 2003-2009.



Best known for his multiple Emmy Award-winning performance as newspaper editor Lou Grant, first in The Mary Tyler Moore Show (1970-1977) and then his own self-titled spin-off (1977-1982),
Ed Asner became the first (and so far, only) actor to win an Emmy in both the comedy and drama category for the same role! Twice President of the Screen Actors Guild, Asner's career took in film, TV, and voice work. Other TV roles an Emmy Award-winning performance in the mini-series Roots (1977), playing Pop opposite Bette Midler's Mama Rose in the 1993 version of Gypsy, a stand-out turn opposite Lily Tomlin in an episode of The X Files titled "How The Ghosts Stole Christmas", and recurring roles in ER, Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip, Grace And Frankie, Dead To Me, and Cobra Kai. A gifted voice actor, he voiced roles in Captain Planet And The Planeteers, Gargoyles, Spider-Man, and Superman: The Animated Series, and also provided the voice for Carl Fredricksen in Up (2009). Some of Asner's film appearances include They Call Me Mister Tibbs! (1970), Fort Apache The Bronx (1981), JFK (1991) and as Santa in Elf (2003). 



Once described as "the busiest actor in Hollywood", Ned Beatty's first film role was one that would forever ensure he was recognised. He played Bobby Trippe in John Boorman's Deliverance (1972) who- in one infamous scene- is told to "squeal like a pig" as he is being violated. Talk about making a strong first impression! Beatty went on to have a career spanning five decades, taking in everything from Oscar-nominated dramas, such as Nashville (1975) and All The President's Men (1976), to comic book movies (providing a wonderful foil to Gene Hackman as Lex Luthor's inept henchman Otis in Superman [1978] and Superman II [1980]), action thrillers (The Fourth Protocol [1987]), horrors (Exorcist II: The Heretic [1977]) and animation (voicing Lots-O'-Huggin' Bear in Toy Story 3 [2010] and the Mayor in Rango [2011]). He received an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his role as network executive Arthur Jensen in Sidney Lumet's searing satire Network (1976), where- in an explosive monologue- he declares "There is no America." 



British composer and lyricist Leslie Bricusse won two Oscars throughout his career; one for Best Original Song for "Talk To The Animals" from the 1967 musical Doctor Dolittle (for which he also wrote the screenplay), the other for Best Adapted Score for Victor/Victoria (1982). He wrote the lyrics for the Bond themes "Goldfinger" and "You Only Live Twice" and Scrooge, the 1970 musical adaptation of A Christmas Carol. He also provided the lyrics and music for Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory (1971), giving us the memorable songs "Pure Imagination" and "The Candy Man". He also wrote the lyrics for "Can You Read My Mind" from Superman (1978), "They Won't Get Me" from Superman III (1983), "Life In A Looking Glass" from That's Life! (1986) - which garnered him both a Best Original Song Oscar nomination AND a Worst Original Song Razzie nomination- and "Somewhere In My Memory" from Home Alone (1990). His song "Feeling Good"- covered by artists as diverse as Nina Simone, Michael Bublé, and Muse- has appeared in over 80 movies and television shows, from So You Think You Can Dance to The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, and from Last Holiday (2006) to Cruella (2021)



Journalist, screenwriter and cultural icon, Joan Didion was born in Sacramento and worked for Vogue in New York for eight years, becoming associate features editor. Her incisive essays (some of which she referred to as "Personals") were anthologised in various collections, including Slouching Towards Bethlehem (1968), The White Album (1979) and Where I Was From (2003). Along with her husband John Gregory Dunne, Didion co-wrote the screenplays for The Panic In Needle Park (1971), Play It As It Lays (1972, adapted from her own 1970 novel), the 1976 version of A Star Is Born (with Barbra Streisand and Kris Kristofferson), True Confessions (1981, based on Dunne's 1977 novel) and Up Close & Personal (1996). Her 2005 memoir The Year Of Magical Thinking, written in the twelve months after Dunne's unexpected death in 2003, is a raw and honest look at grief and mourning, and was adapted as a monologue for stage, with Vanessa Redgrave taking the role in the West End.



Some film-makers define a genre. Some define a decade. Some do both, and Richard Donner was such a director. His insistence on playing Superman "straight" instead of campy or parodic helped to usher in an era of comic-book movies, whilst he also directed several movies which have come to define the 1980s. An accomplished television director (he directed the seminal Twilight Zone episode "Nightmare At 20,000 Feet"), Donner made his film directorial debut in 1961 with X-15 before making his name in 1976 with diabolical horror The Omen- a film plagued by so much tragedy, it's thought to be cursed. He injected new life into the buddy-cop genre with Lethal Weapon (1987) and its three sequels, put a contemporary twist on a classic story in Scrooged (1988), and brought the rollocking action-adventure of The Goonies (1985) vividly to life. His other films include Ladyhawke (1985), Maverick (1994), Conspiracy Theory (1997), and 16 Blocks (2006). He was also a producer, with credits on The Lost Boys (1987), Free Willy (1993), and X-Men (2000). 



Olympia Dukakis
won the Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her role as Rose Castorini, the mother of Cher's character Loretta, in Norman Jewison's romantic comedy-drama Moonstruck (1987). She also appeared as Clairee Belcher in Steel Magnolias (1989)- forming a fantastic double-act with Shirley MacLaine as the ornery Ouiser-, Rosie in Look Who's Talking (1989) and its two sequels, and Anna Madrigal in the Tales Of The City miniseries. Her other films include Death Wish (1974), Working Girl (1988), Jeffrey (1995), Mighty Aphrodite (1995), Mr. Holland's Opus (1995), The Last Of The Blonde Bombshells (2000), Away From Her (2006), In The Land Of Women (2007), Big Driver (2014), and The Infiltrator (2016)



French writer Jean-Claude Carrière was nominated for three Best Adapted Screenplay Oscars: for The Discreet Charm Of The Bourgeoisie (1972), That Obscure Object Of Desire (1977), and The Unbearable Lightness Of Being (1988). His other screenplays include Belle De Jour (1967), The Tin Drum (1979), The Return Of Martin Guerre (1982), Valmont (1989), Cyrano de Bergerac (1990), At Play In The Fields Of The Lord (1991), Birth (2004), Goya's Ghosts (2006), A Bigger Splash (2015), and At Eternity's Gate (2018). He won an Oscar for Best Live-Action Short in 1963 for The Anniversary (which he wrote and also directed), and was awarded an Honorary Oscar in 2015.



Whilst he will probably be best remembered for playing patriarch George Newton in family comedy Beethoven (1992)- about a St Bernard dog- and its 1993 sequel Beethoven's 2nd, one of Charles Grodin's first film roles was as Dr. Hill in Rosemary's Baby (1968). He also appeared as Aarfy Aardvark in Catch-22 (1970), Lenny Cantrow in The Heartbreak Kid (1972), and Fred Wilson in King Kong (1976). His other films include Heaven Can Wait (1978), The Incredible Shrinking Woman (1981), The Great Muppet Caper (1981), The Woman In Red (1984), Ishtar (1987), Midnight Run (1988), Dave (1993), and So I Married An Axe Murderer (1993). 



Esteemed character actor Hal Holbrook will be remembered for his roles as informant "Deep Throat" in All The President's Men (1976), Henry Northrup in the Creepshow (1982) segment "The Crate", Lou Mannheim in Wall Street (1987), the voice of Amphitryon in Disney's Hercules (1997), and Ron Franz in Into The Wild (2007) for which he was nominated for the Best Supporting Actor Oscar. Other films include The Great White Hope (1970), Magnum Force (1973), Julia (1977), Capricorn One (1977),  The Fog (1980), The Firm (1993), The Majestic (2001), and Water For Elephants (2011). He was also known for playing Abraham Lincoln on screen (in TV mini-series Lincoln [for which he won an Emmy] and North And South), and appeared in Steven Spielberg's 2012 biopic as Preston Blair. He also created and developed the one-man stage show Mark Twain Tonight! in which he portrayed the famous American writer, giving over 2000 performances. 



He starred in two of the biggest movie franchises in cinema history; however, they were only two entries in Yaphet Kotto's impressive filmography. One of his earliest film roles was in the 1968 version of The Thomas Crown Affair, before he played the Caribbean diplomat Dr. Kananga (also known as drug kingpin Mr. Big) in Roger Moore's first Bond film, Live And Let Die (1973). He puts in a performance of great menace (even if his demise is slightly ridiculous). In Alien (1979), he plays the Nostromo's chief engineer Parker who attempts to save the crew from the invading menace. He also appeared as Othello in a 1980 film version of Shakespeare's play, which is the first film portrayal of the character to be played by a Black actor. Other film roles include The Running Man (1987), Midnight Run (1988), Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare (1991) and The Puppet Masters (1994).



Cloris Leachman
won the Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her role as Ruth Popper, a neglected wife in The Last Picture Show (1971), reprising the role in the 1990 sequel Texasville. She also appeared in several Mel Brooks movies, playing Frau Blücher in Young Frankenstein (1974), and Nurse Diesel in High Anxiety (1977). Other film appearances include Kiss Me Deadly (1955), Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid (1969), Lovers And Other Strangers (1970), The Muppet Movie (1979), The Iron Giant (1999), Bad Santa (2003), Spanglish (2004), Sky High (2005), and The Croods: A New Age (2020). As well as an impressive filmography, Leachman had an extensive television career, playing Phyllis Lindstrom on The Mary Tyler Moore Show (and getting her own spin-off, Phyllis, for which she won a Golden Globe), as well as appearing in The Facts Of Life, Malcolm In The Middle (for which she won two Primetime Emmys for playing Grandma Ida), Raising Hope, Mad About You and American Gods. In 2008, she appeared on Dancing With The Stars, placing seventh. 



Helen McCrory
's career spanned television, film, and stage- and she excelled in all three mediums. On stage, she appeared in the title role of Medea and as Hester Collyer in The Deep Blue Sea, both for the National Theatre, and played in a double bill of Twelfth Night and Uncle Vanya for the Donmar Warehouse. One of her first television roles was playing opposite Michael Gambon in John Osborne's The Entertainer. She would go on to play the fearsome Aunt Polly in Peaky Blinders and the villainous Madame Kali in Penny Dreadful. She also had guest roles in Doctor Who, Inside No. 9, and His Dark Materials (voicing Asriel's daemon Stelmaria). On film, McCrory will be most remembered for playing Narcissa Malfoy in Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince (2009) and both parts of Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows (2010/2011). She was originally cast as Bellatrix Lestrange, but was unable to take that role due to pregnancy. Her other films include Interview With The Vampire (1994), The Count Of Monte Cristo (2002), The Queen (2006) [as Cherie Blair], Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009), Hugo (2011), and Skyfall (2012). 



Born in South Africa, Roger Michell began his directing career on TV, helming the BBC's 1993 adaptation of Hanif Kureishi's The Buddha Of Suburbia, and a well-regarded adaptation of Jane Austen's Persuasion. His feature debut came in 1997 with My Night With Reg (based on Kevin Elyot's play about a group of gay men at the beginning of the AIDS crisis). He also directed romcom Notting Hill (1999), The Mother (2003), and Enduring Love (2004), and directed Peter O'Toole to his eighth and final Best Actor Oscar in the comedy-drama Venus (2006). He also directed Hyde Park On Hudson (2012), My Cousin Rachel (2017), and The Duke (2020) and was on hand to capture the wonderful conversations between Eileen Atkins, Judi Dench, Joan Plowright, and Maggie Smith in the 2018 documentary Nothing Like A Dame.



Ronald Pickup
began his career with a role in the Doctor Who serial The Reign Of Terror (1964), opposite William Hartnell, and provided the voice of Aslan for the BBC adaptations of The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe, Prince Caspian And The Voyage Of The Dawn Treader, and The Silver Chair. On film, he appeared in The Day Of The Jackal (1973), The Thirty Nine Steps (1978), Never Say Never Again (1983), The Mission (1986), Bring Me The Head Of Mavis Davis (1997), Lolita (1997), and Prince Of Persia: The Sands Of Time (2010). He also played Norman Cousins in The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2011) and its 2015 sequel, and Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain in Darkest Hour (2017).



American actress Tanya Roberts has the distinction of being both one of Charlie's Angels and a Bond girl, appearing as Julie Rogers  in the final season of the TV show in 1980-81 (opposite Jaclyn Smith and Cheryl Ladd); and playing geologist Stacey Sutton in A View To A Kill (1985), Roger Moore's last film as Bond. She also appeared as Kiri in The Beastmaster (1982) and as the title character in Sheena: Queen Of The Jungle (1984). She also had a recurring role as ditzy housewife Midge Pinciotti in That '70s Show.



Making his film debut in 1961 in The Young Doctors, George Segal would go on to be nominated for the Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his role as Nick in Who's Afraid Of Virginia Woolf? (1966), opposite Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton. He also appeared opposite Glenda Jackson in A Touch Of Class (1973), Jane Fonda in Fun With Dick And Jane (1977), and Jeff Bridges in The Mirror Has Two Faces (1996). His other films include The Longest Day (1962), Ship Of Fools (1965), King Rat (1965), The Quiller Memorandum (1966), Look Who's Talking (1989),  To Die For (1995), Flirting With Disaster (1996), 2012 (2009), Love & Other Drugs (2010), and The Tale Of The Princess Kaguya (2013). He also had recurring television roles in Just Shoot Me!, Entourage, and The Goldbergs.



Born in Cape Town, Antony Sher became one of the most respected Shakespearean actors of his generation, winning an Olivier award for his performance of Richard III (as well as for playing drag queen Arnold in Torch Song Trilogy!) and impressing in productions of King Lear (as both the Fool and Lear himself), Macbeth, and The Tempest. Whilst primarily known for his stage work, Sher also had several film and television appearances, making an impression as Howard Kirk in the TV mini-series The History Man (1981) based on the novel by Malcolm Bradbury and playing British Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli opposite Judi Dench in Mrs. Brown (1997). He played Loki in Erik The Viking (1989), the Chief Weasel in The Wind In The Willows (1996) and Dr. Moth in Shakespeare In Love (1998). Other film appearances included Superman II (1980), The Young Poisoner's Handbook (1995), Churchill: The Hollywood Years (2004) and The Wolfman (2010). 



Dean Stockwell
's career spanned eight decades and encompassed both film and television roles. Making his film debut at the age of nine in The Valley Of Decision (1945)- opposite Gregory Peck and Greer Garson- his filmography features such diverse fare as Anchors Aweigh (1945), Gentleman's Agreement (1947), Kim (1950), Sons And Lovers (1960), and Long Day's Journey Into Night (1962)- for which he won the Best Actor award at the Cannes Festival, with his co-stars Ralph Richardson and Jason Robards. He also appeared in The Dunwich Horror (1970), Paris, Texas (1984), Dune (1984), Blue Velvet (1986), Beverly Hills Cop II (1987), Married To The Mob (1988) - for which he was nominated for the Best Supporting Actor Oscar-, Air Force One (1997), The Rainmaker (1997), and The Manchurian Candidate (2004). Television roles included Admiral Al Calavicci in Quantum Leap (1989-1993) (for which he was nominated for four Primetime Emmys and four Golden Globes, winning one), the voice of Duke Nukem in Captain Planet And The Planeteers (1990-1992), and John Cavil in Battlestar Galactica (2006-2009). 



Nominated for the Best Actress Oscar for her performance in Great Depression family drama Sounder (1972), Cicely Tyson's career on film and television spanned seven decades. Her other films include The Heart Is A Lonely Hunter (1968), The Concorde... Airport '79 (1979), Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Café (1991), Diary Of A Mad Black Woman (2005), Madea's Family Reunion (2006), The Help (2011), Alex Cross (2012), and Last Flag Flying (2017). Her television roles include Doris Jones in House Of Cards, and Ophelia Harkness (Annalise Keating's mother) in How To Get Away With Murder, which garnered her five Primetime Emmy nods for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series. She was honoured with an Honorary Oscar at the 2019 ceremony, and was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by Barack Obama in 2016. 



Born in Montreal, Jean-Marc Vallée started his directorial career with music videos before moving onto short films and television. One of his first major films was family drama C.R.A.Z.Y. (2005), followed by The Young Victoria (2009) which starred Emily Blunt as the titular monarch. In 2013, he directed biopic Dallas Buyers Club, starring Matthew McConaughey and Jared Leto, with both men winning Oscars (for Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor respectively). It was also nominated for Best Picture, with Vallée receiving a nomination for Best Editing. The following year, he directed Wild (based on the memoir by Cheryl Strayed) and directed both Reese Witherspoon and Laura Dern to Oscar nominations. For television, Vallée directed the first season of Big Little Lies, based on the novel by Liane Moriarty and starring Reese Witherspoon, Nicole Kidman, and Laura Dern, as well as the miniseries adaptation of Gillian Flynn's Sharp Objects (starring Amy Adams and Patricia Clarkson).



Many people will know Jessica Walter as the boozy matriarch Lucille Bluth in the TV show Arrested Development (stealing every scene with an acidic quip). But before taking the role, she already had a distinguished and varied career on television, in film, and on stage. In 1966, she appeared in The Group (directed by Sidney Lumet) and Grand Prix (directed by John Frankenheimer), making her mark in supporting roles as a brash, haughty writer and the bored wife of a racing driver respectively. Perhaps her best-known film role is that of Evelyn Draper, the obsessed stalker who terrorises Clint Eastwood's radio DJ in Play Misty For Me (1971), for which she received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress (Drama) for her performance. Her other film appearances include The Flamingo Kid (1984), Slums Of Beverly Hills (1998), and Unaccompanied Minors (2006). Aside from her role in Arrested Development (for which she received a Emmy nomination for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series), she also provided the voices of Fran Sinclair in Dinosaurs (1991-94) and Mallory Archer in Archer (2009-2020).



Italian film director Lina Wertmüller made history as the first woman to be nominated for the Best Director Oscar; she was nominated in 1977 for Seven Beauties [Pasqualino Settebellezze] but lost to John G. Avildsen for Rocky. Wertmüller was also nominated for Best Original Screenplay for the film, but lost to Paddy Chayefsky for Network. She was awarded an Honorary Oscar in 2020. Nominated twice for the Palme d'Or at Cannes, for The Seduction Of Mimi (1972) and Love & Anarchy (1973), Wertmüller's other films included The Lizards (1963), Swept Away (1974), A Joke Of Destiny, Lying In Wait Around The Corner Like A Bandit (1983), Saturday, Sunday And Monday (1990) and Too Much Romance... It's Time For Stuffed Peppers (2004). 



American actress Cara Williams received Oscar and Golden Globe nominations for Best Supporting Actress for her role as the mother of a young boy who encounters two runaway convicts (played by Sidney Poitier and Tony Curtis) in Stanley Kramer's The Defiant Ones (1958), although lost out to Wendy Hiller and Hermione Gingold respectively. Williams' other film roles included Boomerang! (1947), The Girl Next Door (1953), The Great Diamond Robbery (1954), and Viva Las Vegas! (1956). She was also nominated for a Primetime Emmy for her role in sitcom Pete And Gladys (1960-1962). 



Known for his television role as Lincoln Hayes in Mod Squad (1968-1973), Clarence Williams III also had an illustrious film career, playing the Father in Purple Rain (1984), Kalinga in I'm Gonna Git You Sucka (1988), Mr. Simms in Tales From The Hood (1995), Jelly Roll Morton in The Legend Of 1900 (1998), and Colonel Fowler in The General's Daughter (1999). He also appeared in Tough Guys Don't Dance (1987), Sugar Hill (1993), Life (1999), Reindeer Games (2000), American Gangster (2007) and Lee Daniels' The Butler (2013). Other television roles included FBI Agent Roger Hardy in Twin Peaks, and Omet'iklan in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine



As Omar Little in The Wire (2002-2008), Michael K. Williams created one of the most fascinating and engrossing TV characters of the 21st Century. He would also appear on TV in Boardwalk Empire (2010-2014), The Night Of (2016), When They See Us (2019), and Lovecraft Country (2020). His many film roles included Robert in 12 Years A Slave (2013), Jack Lewis in RoboCop (2014), Agent Hawkins in Ghostbusters (2016), and Moussa in Assassin's Creed (2016). He also appeared in Gone Baby Gone (2007), The Incredible Hulk (2008), The Road (2009), The Purge: Anarchy (2014), and Motherless Brooklyn (2019).




Other people who have passed away this year include:

- Cypriot-born visual consultant, designer, and conceptual artist Chris Achilleos (Willow, Heavy Metal, King Arthur)

- American actor Rick Aiello (Do The Right Thing, Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me, Jungle Fever)

- Australian stunt co-ordinator and performer Bradley James Allan (Rush Hour 2, Scott Pilgrim Vs.. The World, Kingsman: The Golden Circle)

- American actor Scott Atkinson (Elvira's Haunted Hills, Windtalkers, The Mostly Unfabulous Social Life Of Ethan Green)

- South African-born actor David Bailie (Pirates Of The Caribbean: The Curse Of The Black Pearl, Gladiator, Doctor Who)

- American actress Lisa Banes (Gone Girl, Cocktail, Young Guns)

- French actor Jean-Paul Belmondo (A Bout De Souffle [Breathless], La Ciociara [Two Women], Pierrot Le Fou)

- American screenwriter and producer Walter Bernstein (The Front, Fail-Safe, The House On Carroll Street)

- Canadian-born actor, choreographer and entertainer Lionel Blair (A Hard Day's Night, Absolute Beginners, Give Us A Clue)

- British actor Johnny Briggs (H.M.S. Defiant, Carry On England, Coronation Street)

- Australian actor Dieter Brummer (Home And Away, Neighbours, Underbelly)

- British actress Denise Bryer (Return To Oz, Labyrinth, Terrahawks)

- Italian actor Nino Castelnuovo (The Umbrellas Of Cherbourg, The English Patient, That Malicious Age)

- British actor John Challis (Only Fools And Horses, Doctor Who, Benidorm)

- Japanese actor and stuntman Shin'ichi "Sonny" Chiba (Kill Bill, The Fast And The Furious: Tokyo Drift, The Street Fighter)

- American actor Kevin Clark (School Of Rock)

- Australian producer, writer and director John Cornell (Crocodile Dundee, Crocodile Dundee II, Almost An Angel)

- Greek-American actor Michael Constantine (My Big Fat Greek Wedding, The Hustler, Voyage Of The Damned)

- American actor and rapper Deezer D (ER, Romy And Michele's High School Reunion, Cool As Ice)

- Australian actor David Dalaithngu (Crocodile Dundee, Rabbit-Proof Fence, Australia)

- American actor Henry Darrow (The Hitcher, Blue Heat, Runaway Jury)

- American producer Martha De Laurentiis (Red Dragon, Hannibal, U-571)

- American actor Dustin Diamond (Saved By The Bell)

- American actor and rapper DMX (Cradle 2 The Grave, Exit Wounds, Romeo Must Die)

- American actress Suzzanne Douglas (School Of Rock, How Stella Got Her Groove Back, Jason's Lyric)

- American actor, writer, director and producer Robert Downey, Sr. (Putney Swope, Tower Heist, To Live And Die In L.A.)

- American actress Marilyn Eastman (Night Of The Living Dead)

- British actor Mark Eden (Séance On A Wet Afternoon, Coronation Street, Doctor Who)

- American actor and voice-over announcer Mark Elliott 

- American poet and playwright Lawrence Ferlinghetti

- British actress Myra Frances (Doctor Who, Survivors, Don't Just Lie There, Say Something!)

- Croatian actress Mira Furlan (Babylon 5, Lost, When Father Was Away On Business

- American actor Willie Garson (Sex And The City, White Collar, Groundhog Day)

- American producer and documentarian Leon Gast (When We Were Kings, Smash His Camera, The Trials Of Muhammad Ali)

- American actor Richard Gilliland (Airplane II: The Sequel, Designing Women, Happy Hour)

- American actor Craig "muMs" Grant (Oz, Dark Water, BlacKkKlansman)

- Native American actor Saginaw Grant (Grey Owl, The World's Fastest Indian, The Lone Ranger)

- British actor Leon Greene (A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum, The Devil Rides Out, Carry On At Your Convenience)

- Italian producer Alberto Grimaldi (The Good, The Bad And The Ugly, Last Tango In Paris, Gangs Of New York)

- American actor, make-up artist, and special effects designer Cleve Hall (Twisted Nightmare, Re-Animator, Camp Dread)

- American actor James Hampton (The China Syndrome, Teen Wolf, Sling Blade)

- American actress Cynthia Harris (Mad About You, Mannequin: On The Move, Three Men And A Baby)

- British actress Damaris Hayman (Doctor Who, Bunny Lake Is Missing, The Pink Panther Strikes Again)

- British writer, producer, and actor Tony Hendra (This Is Spinal Tap, The Great White Hype, Jumpin' Jack Flash)

- American actor and stuntman Bob Herron (L.A. Confidential, Liar Liar, Diamonds Are Forever)

- British-born actress Patricia Hitchcock (Psycho, Strangers On A Train, Alfred Hitchcock Presents...)

- British actor Bernard Holley (Doctor Who, The Gentle Touch, Z Cars)

- American cinematographer John Hora (The Howling, Gremlins, Honey I Blew Up The Kid)

- British actress Sally Ann Howes (Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, The Admirable Crichton, The History Of Mr. Polly)

- Ukrainian cinematographer Halyna Hutchins (The Mad Hatter, Blindfire, Archenemy)

- Russian actor Ravil Isyanov (Transformers: Dark Of The Moon, Defiance, K-19: The Widowmaker)

- French stunt co-ordinator and driver Rémy Julienne (A View To A Kill, Licence To Kill, GoldenEye

- American broadcaster Larry King

- American actor Bruce Kirby (Crash, Throw Momma From The Train, Stand By Me)

- American actor Tommy Kirk (Old Yeller, The Shaggy Dog, Swiss Family Robinson)

- American actress Tawny Kitaen (Bachelor Party, Witchboard, White Hot)

- Indian actor Dilip Kumar (Devdas, Mughal-E-Azam, Kohinoor)

- American actor Art LaFleur (Cobra, Field Of Dreams, The Sandlot)

- British actress Jackie Lane (Doctor Who)

- American actor Joe Lara (Tarzan: The Epic Adventures)

- American actress Joanne Linville (A Star Is Born, Star Trek, Scorpio)

- American producer, director, and actor Norman Lloyd (Spellbound, Dead Poets Society, In Her Shoes)

- British comedian, writer and actor Sean Lock

- Canadian actor and writer Norm MacDonald (Saturday Night Live, Billy Madison, Doctor Dolittle)

- American actor Gavin MacLeod (The Sand Pebbles, Kelly's Heroes, The Love Boat)

- American comedian and actor Jackie Mason (The Simpsons, The Jerk, Caddyshack II)

- American actor Biff McGuire (The Thomas Crown Affair, The Heart Is A Lonely Hunter, Serpico)

- American author and screenwriter Larry McMurtry (Terms Of Endearment, The Last Picture Show, Brokeback Mountain)

- American actor Frank McRae (*batteries not included, Licence To Kill, Loaded Weapon I)

- Russian director and actor Vladimir Menshov (Moscow Does Not Believe In Tears, Day Watch, The Envy Of Gods)

- American writer and actor Paul Mooney (The Richard Pryor Show, The Buddy Holly Story, In Living Color)

- American sound editor Alan Robert Murray (Letters From Iwo Jima, American Sniper, Joker)

- American actor Walter Olkewicz (Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me, The Client, 1941)

- British actor Brian Osborne (Nighthawks, Cary On England, Under Milk Wood)

- British actress Nicola Pagett (Upstairs Downstairs, Anne Of The Thousand Days, An Awfully Big Adventure)

- British actor Trevor Peacock (The Vicar Of Dibley, Fred Claus, Hamlet)

- British-Italian screenwriter and director Clare Peploe (Zabriskie Point, Rough Magic, The Triumph Of Love)

- American casting director Don Phillips (Fast Times At Ridgemont High, Mallrats, Dog Day Afternoon)

- American actress Jane Powell (Seven Brides For Seven Brothers, Royal Wedding, A Date With Judy)

- American actress Marion Ramsey (Police Academy)

- American author and screenwriter Anne Rice (Interview With The Vampire, Queen Of The Damned, Exit To Eden)

- British actor Paul Ritter (Friday Night Dinner, Chernobyl, The Limehouse Golem)

- British actor and stuntman Doug Robinson (Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Doom, A View To A Kill, An American Werewolf In London)

- British actor Clifford Rose (The Iron Lady, Doctor Who, Secret Army)

- Italian actor Antonio Sabàto, Sr. (Grand Prix, Barbarella, Escape From The Bronx)

- British actor and stuntman Roy Scammell (Willow, Doctor Who, GoldenEye

- British actor Tony Selby (Doctor Who, Witchfinder General, Adolf Hitler: My Part In His Downfall)

- British actress Barbara Shelley (Village Of The Damned, Dracula: Prince Of Darkness, Quatermass And The Pit)

- American actor Gregory Sierra (Beneath The Planet Of The Apes, Papillon, The Towering Inferno)

- Italian-born actor and stuntman Felix Silla (The Addams Family, Batman Returns, Spaceballs)

- American actor Joseph Siravo (Carlito's Way, Maid In Manhattan, The Sopranos)

- American casting director Lynn Stalmaster (The Greatest Story Ever Told, Harold And Maude, Superman)

- American composer and songwriter Jim Steinman

- British actress Una Stubbs (Summer Holiday, Sherlock, Worzel Gummidge)

- French director, writer, and producer Bertrand Tavernier (The Watchmaker Of St. Paul, A Sunday In The Country, 'Round Midnight)

- American actor James Michael Tyler (Friends)

- German voice actress and dialogue coach Nikki Van der Zyl (Dr. No, Goldfinger, You Only Live Twice)

- American actor, writer, director, and producer Melvin Van Peebles (Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song, Watermelon Man, Last Action Hero)

- American director, producer, and writer David Von Ancken (Seraphim Falls)

- Japanese costume designer Emi Wada (Ran, Hero, House Of Flying Daggers)

- British director Norman J. Warren (Bloody New Year, Terror, Inseminoid)

- American actress Erica Watson (Dirty Laundry, Precious, Chi-Raq)

- American producer Diane Weyermann (An Inconvenient Truth, CitizenFour, American Factory)

- British actor Henry Woolf (The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Superman III, Doctor Who)

- American actor Samuel E. Wright (Bird, The Little Mermaid, Dinosaur)


Friday 24 December 2021

The Watchers Film Show Review Of 2021

 

Here's your starter for ten: what do Last Night In Soho, Everybody's Talking About Jamie, and No Time To Die? Also, what links Venom: Let There Be Carnage, A Quiet Place: Part II, and Space Jam: A New Legacy? 

Yes, each set of three films do have the same number of words in their titles, but that wasn't the answer on the card. The correct answer is: all of them get a mention in the Watchers Film Show Review of 2021.

This is, amazingly, the 11th annual round-up of the good and the bad in film according to us three nerdy blokes. 

In this bumper edition, we talk the triumphs and turkeys of 2021, Matt gives us his round-up of the best horror of the year, and we look forward to what 2022 has in store (cinema-wise, of course). 

We hope you enjoy it!

 

 

Saturday 18 December 2021

Review: Spider-Man: No Way Home (UK Cert 12A)

 

After the events of Spider-Man: Far From Home, which ended with Mysterio outing Peter Parker as the web-slinging superhero, Peter's life has changed drastically. Desperate, he turns to Doctor Strange for help and a spell which will make people forget that Peter is Spider-Man. But when the enchantment goes awry, dangerous foes from other worlds appear, all looking for Spider-Man... but not this one... 


Before I begin this review proper, please be assured:
there are no spoilers here. Yes, it's gonna make discussing the film as a whole a bit more difficult, but- frankly- anyone reading this who hasn't seen the film deserves to have the same experience in the cinema that I did. There are moments in the film which will have so much more impact if you don't know they are coming. I daresay, once all three of us have seen it, we might release a more spoiler-filled podcast but, for the moment, if it wasn't something revealed in the trailers or official pre-release publicity, you ain't gonna find me talking about it here. Also please respect the "no spoilers" policy that people may have - don't be that person. Thank you!

Director Jon Watts and screenwriters Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers deserve a great big pat on the back. This had the potential to be a bloated, self-referential mess. It's far from it. Yes, there's the occasional bit of fan-service, but nothing that would alienate a more casual viewer. Yes, it's a long film (nearly 2hrs 30m) but it never feels long. The script is well-paced and nothing feels superfluous. It manages to balance heart-racing action with heartwrenching emotion, with a healthy does of humour to counterbalance it all. 


Performance-wise, this is the strongest that Tom Holland, Zendaya, and Jacob Batalon have been. Holland still has that puppyish enthusiasm that has been the hallmark of his portrayal as Spidey, but here it's also tempered with a much more mature streak of dealing with rage and pain, and what it truly means to be a hero. There are moments where he'll break your heart, and moments where he'll make you feel exhilarated. Zendaya imbues MJ with more than just a level of snark, making the stakes for her relationship with Peter feel real. Finally, Batalon's Ned also becomes more than just a comic relief character, again showing a level of maturity and growth in the character. 


In support, Cumberbatch is great as the mentor-figure to Peter. Still haughty, still self-important, and still arrogant enough to think he can change the world, Strange decides to go against advice from Wong (a lovely cameo by Benedict Wong) and casts the spell anyway. Quick to abdicate himself of responsibility, he sends Peter on a mission to catch any interlopers from other dimensions. Cumberbatch has to deliver a great deal of expository dialogue (especially to do with the idea of "the multiverse") but it never feels like an infodump. 

In other supporting roles, Marisa Tomei and Jon Favreau continue to shine as Aunt May and Happy Hogan (who turns out to actually be called Harold), with Tomei's May providing a moral imperative for Peter in light of the multiversal villain situation. It's great to see J.K. Simmons reprise his role as blowhard newsie J. Jonah Jameson, who pops up almost like a warped Greek chorus, to give the right-wing opinion on Spider-Man's actions. 


Time to discuss the villains of the piece. In all honesty, and I've said this before, Alfred Molina's performance as Dr. Otto Octavius/Dr. Octopus in Spider-Man 2 is not only one of the main reasons why that film is so good, I'm gonna go further and say it's one of the strongest comic-book villain turns one film (don't @ me). So to anchor the multiversal villains with his turn is a canny move. And, considering he's reprising a role seventeen years later, Molina slips effortlessly back into the part. 

Jamie Foxx's performance as Max Dillon/Electro is miles better than the one he gave in The Amazing Spider-Man 2, and Willem Dafoe adds a steely menace as Norman Osborn/Green Goblin. Of the villains, Dafoe probably gets the meatiest role (in terms of character arc and development) and his unpredictable nature put me on the edge of my seat more than once. The action set-pieces are strong and unmuddied, even towards the end in the final big battle. There's an admirable lack of kinetic shakycam- which I greatly appreciate.

There's a lot, lot, lot more I want to say about the film. But I won't. Not yet. In conclusion, for me, this is the strongest of the three Sony/MCU Spider-Man films and a major contender for my film of the year. 

Rating: 5 out of 5

Tez

Tuesday 14 December 2021

Awards Season 2022: Golden Globes, Critics' Choice Awards, and Film Independent Spirit Awards Nominations

 

Well, this was a surprise. Awards season 2022 has properly snuck up on me. I didn't even have a chance to do my usual "For Your Consideration" post. Ah well, no matter. What's important is that we're here. 

Over the last two days, we've had three sets of awards nominations. So here we go!



GOLDEN GLOBES NOMINATIONS

Yesterday (Monday 13th December 2021) saw the announcement of the nominees for the 79th Golden Globe Awards, awarded by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA). HFPA president Helen Hoehne and Snoop Dogg announced the nominees. 


As longtime readers of the blog will be aware, the HFPA split their awards, giving certain categories for both Drama and Musical or Comedy, rather than just going for the out-and-out drama as most awards tend to do.

Below is a selection of the film nominees: 

Best Picture - Drama
Belfast
CODA
Dune
King Richard
The Power Of The Dog

Best Picture - Musical or Comedy
Cyrano
Don't Look Up
Licorice Pizza
tick, tick… Boom!
West Side Story

Best Director
Kenneth Branagh (Belfast)
Jane Campion (The Power Of The Dog)
Maggie Gyllenhaal (The Lost Daughter)
Steven Spielberg (West Side Story)
Denis Villeneuve (Dune)

Best Actor - Drama
Mahershala Ali (Swan Song)
Javier Bardem (Being The Ricardos)
Benedict Cumberbatch (The Power Of The Dog)
Will Smith (King Richard)
Denzel Washington (The Tragedy Of Macbeth)

Best Actor - Musical or Comedy
Leonardo DiCaprio (Don't Look Up)
Peter Dinklage (Cyrano)
Andrew Garfield (tick, tick… Boom!)
Cooper Hoffman (Licorice Pizza)
Anthony Ramos (In The Heights)

Best Actress - Drama
Jessica Chastain (The Eyes Of Tammy Faye)
Olivia Colman (The Lost Daughter)
Nicole Kidman (Being The Ricardos)
Lady Gaga (House Of Gucci)
Kristen Stewart (Spencer)

Best Actress - Musical or Comedy
Marion Cotillard (Annette)
Alana Haim (Licorice Pizza)
Jennifer Lawrence (Don't Look Up)
Emma Stone (Cruella)
Rachel Zegler (West Side Story)

Best Supporting Actor
Ben Affleck (The Tender Bar)
Jamie Dornan (Belfast)
Ciarán Hinds (Belfast)
Troy Kotsur (CODA)
Kodi Smit-McPhee (The Power Of The Dog)

Best Supporting Actress
Caitriona Balfe (Belfast)
Ariana DeBose (West Side Story)
Kirsten Dunst (The Power Of The Dog)
Aunjanue Ellis (King Richard)
Ruth Negga (Passing)

A full list of nominees can be found here.

The Power Of The Dog leads the pack with seven nods, whilst Belfast is one behind on six. King Richard, Don't Look Up, Licorice Pizza, and West Side Story have four apiece. 

It has been something of a torrid year for the HFPA, with reports of its lack of membership diversity and issues over transparency (amongst others) leading to various boycotts and NBC announcing they would not broadcast the 2021 Golden Globes. It was telling that many TV stations didn't send a camera crew to the announcement, although it was available to be streamed online (and there's still the matter of COVID to deal with). Nonetheless, the HFPA will still hand the Golden Globes out on Sunday 9th January 2022. But they won't be the only awards body to do so...

* * *




CRITICS' CHOICE AWARDS

As if the Golden Globes weren't excitement enough, yesterday also saw the announcement of the movie nominations for the 27th Annual Critics' Choice Awards.

Here are a selection of their nominees:

Best Picture
Belfast
CODA
Don't Look Up
Dune
King Richard
Licorice Pizza
Nightmare Alley
The Power Of The Dog
tick, tick… Boom!
West Side Story

Best Director
Paul Thomas Anderson (Licorice Pizza)
Kenneth Branagh (Belfast)
Jane Campion (The Power Of The Dog)
Guillermo del Toro (Nightmare Alley)
Steven Spielberg (West Side Story)
Denis Villeneuve (Dune)

Best Actor
Nicolas Cage (Pig)
Benedict Cumberbatch (The Power Of The Dog)
Peter Dinklage (Cyrano)
Andrew Garfield (tick, tick… Boom!)
Will Smith (King Richard)
Denzel Washington (The Tragedy Of Macbeth)

Best Actress
Jessica Chastain (The Eyes Of Tammy Faye)
Olivia Colman (The Lost Daughter)
Alana Haim (Licorice Pizza)
Nicole Kidman (Being The Ricardos)
Lady Gaga (House Of Gucci)
Kristen Stewart (Spencer)

Best Supporting Actor
Jamie Dornan (Belfast)
Ciarán Hinds (Belfast)
Troy Kotsur (CODA)
Jared Leto (House Of Gucci)
J.K. Simmons (Being The Ricardos)
Kodi Smit-McPhee (The Power Of The Dog)

Best Supporting Actress
Caitriona Balfe (Belfast)
Ariana DeBose (West Side Story)
Ann Dowd (Mass)
Kirsten Dunst (The Power Of The Dog)
Aunjanue Ellis (King Richard)
Rita Moreno (West Side Story)

A full list of nominees can be found here.

Belfast and West Side Story both have 11 nominations, whilst The Power Of The Dog and Dune have 10 apiece.

On a personal note, I'm over the moon to see Rita Moreno get a nod for her role in the new version of West Side Story (she plays Valentina, the owner of the drugstore that Tony works at). Here's hoping she gets an Oscar nod as well. 

The 27th Critics' Choice Awards will be handed out on Sunday 9th January 2022, in a ceremony co-hosted by Taye Diggs (returning to hosting duties for the fourth time) and Nicole Byer. The Critics' Choice Awards will be broadcast on The CW and TBS. 

* * *



FILM INDEPENDENT SPIRIT AWARDS NOMINATIONS

If yesterday's double whammy wasn't enough awards news, today (Tuesday 14th December) saw the announcement of the nominees for the 37th Film Independent Spirit Awards, announced by Beanie Feldstein, Regina Hall, and Naomi Watts. Truly our cup runneth over. 

As you're probably aware by now, these awards recognise films made wholly or partly outside the traditional studio system. The budget for eligible films is $22.5 million (meaning films like The Power Of The Dog, Don't Look Up, tick, tick... Boom!, Belfast, and The Harder They Fall would be ineligible for Independent Spirit consideration). 

Below is a selection of nominations:

Best Feature
A Chiara
C'mon C'mon
The Lost Daughter
The Novice
Zola

Best Director
Janicza Bravo (Zola)
Maggie Gyllenhaal (The Lost Daughter)
Lauren Hadaway (The Novice)
Mike Mills (C'mon C'mon)
Ninja Thyberg (Pleasure)

Best Male Lead
Clifton Collins, Jr. (Jockey)
Frankie Faison (The Killing Of Kenneth Chamberlain)
Michael Greyeyes (Wild Indian)
Udo Kier (Swan Song)
Simon Rex (Red Rocket)

Best Female Lead
Isabelle Fuhrman (The Novice)
Brittany S. Hall (Test Pattern)
Patti Harrison (Together Together)
Taylour Paige (Zola)
Taylor Reece (Catch The Fair One)

Best Supporting Male
Colman Domingo (Zola)
Meeko Gattuso (Queen Of Glory)
Troy Kotsur (CODA)
Will Patton (Sweet Thing)
Chaske Spencer (Wild Indian)

Best Supporting Female
Jessie Buckley (The Lost Daughter)
Amy Forsyth (The Novice)
Ruth Negga (Passing)
Revika Anne Reustle (Pleasure)
Suzanna Son (Red Rocket)

A full list of nominees can be found here.

Zola leads the nominations with seven, The Novice has five, whilst The Lost Daughter and Wild Indian each have four. 

Also, for anyone who cares, the Swan Song that Udo Kier has received a Best Actor nod for is not the same as the Swan Song that Mahershala Ali got a Golden Globe Best Actor nom for- Kier plays an ageing hairdresser who escapes his nursing home to do a former client's hair one last time, whilst Ali plays a terminally ill man who clones himself in order to save his wife and son from grief (he also plays the clone). 

Changing things up a little, the Film Independent Spirit Awards will be given out in a ceremony on the Santa Monica beachfront on Saturday 6th March 2022.  



Congratulations to all nominees!

So, we are off again on the awards trail. Luckily the next stop isn't until January (when the Golden Globes and the Critics Choice Awards will be handed out).