The Watchers Film Show Blog: 2022

As another tumultuous year comes to an end, we think about those who are no longer with us. IMDb lists over 5,800 deaths during 2022. We celebrated the life and extraordinary career of Angela Lansbury at the time of her death, but there were many (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.

One of Kirstie Alley's first film roles was as Vulcan lieutenant Saavik in Star Trek II: The Wrath Of Khan (1982) (although the character was recast for Star Trek III and IV). She appeared as Mollie in the Look Who's Talking trilogy (1989-1993)- opposite John Travolta and Bruce Willis- and makes a wonderfully arch villain as small-town beauty pageant organiser Gladys Leeman in Drop Dead Gorgeous (19999). Other film roles include Village Of The Damned (1995), Deconstructing Harry (1997), and Accidental Love (2015). Her television credits include a main role as Rebecca in Cheers (1987-1993) [for which she was nominated for five Primetime Emmys, winning once], Veronica Chase in Veronica's Closet (1997-2000), a heightened version of herself in Fat Actress (2005), and as Ingrid Hoffel in the second season of Scream Queens (2016). She has also appeared on several reality TV shows, appearing in the last series of Celebrity Big Brother in the UK (2018) [coming second] and taking part in both Dancing With The Stars (2011-2012) and The Masked Singer (2022) in the US.

Peter Bogdanovich received a Best Director Oscar nomination for The Last Picture Show (1971) and received a second nomination in the Best Adapted Screenplay category for the same film. He directed four of his cast- Jeff Bridges, Ellen Burstyn, Ben Johnson, and Cloris Leachman- to Oscar nominations, with Leachman and Johnson taking home the statuettes for Best Supporting Actress and Best Supporting Actor. respectively His follow-up film was a lighthearted screwball comedy, What's Up, Doc? starring Barbra Streisand and Ryan O'Neal. He would reunite with O'Neal in Paper Moon (1973), in which he would direct the ten year old Tatum O'Neal to the Best Supporting Actress Oscar- making her the youngest winner of an Oscar in any competitive category (a record which still stands as of 2022). His other films as director include Mask (1985), Noises Off... (1992), and The Cat's Meow (2001). Bogdanovich was also an actor, appearing in Saint Jack (1979), 54 (1998), and Infamous (2006) as well as having a recurring television role in The Sopranos as Dr. Elliot Kupferberg.

James Caan received his only Oscar nomination for his performance as the volatile Santino "Sonny" Corleone in The Godfather (1972). He made his first credited movie appearance as one of the hoodlums to menace Olivia de Havilland in Lady In A Cage (1964), and went on to appear in Rabbit, Run (1970) and Brian's Song (1971). Following on from The Godfather, he appeared in Cinderella Liberty (1973), Funny Lady (1975), Rollerball (1975), and A Bridge Too Far (1977). In 1990, he played novelist Paul Sheldon opposite Kathy Bates as his "number one fan" in Misery, and played mob boss Frank Vitale in Mickey Blue Eyes (1999). He appeared in perennial Christmas favourite Elf (2004) as Buddy's human father Walter and provided the voice for Tim Lockwood in the animated comedy Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs (2009) and its 2013 sequel. His other films roles include Bolero (1981), Dick Tracy (1990), Eraser (1996), Dogville (2003), Get Smart (2008), The Tale Of The Princess Kaguya (2013) and Undercover Grandpa (2017).

Within the massive cast of the Harry Potter films, Robbie Coltrane was the first person to be cast, selected for the role of Rubeus Hagrid by the author herself. He appeared as the lovable half-giant gamekeeper in all eight films. Coltrane also appeared as Russian gangster Valentin Zukovsky in two Bond films: GoldenEye (1995) and The World Is Not Enough (1999). His other film roles include Henry V (1989), Nuns On The Run (1990), The Pope Must Die (1991), From Hell (2001), Van Helsing (2004), Ocean's Twelve (2004), Stormbreaker (2006), Great Expectations (2012), and Effie Gray (2014), and voice roles in Arthur Christmas (2011), Brave (2012) and The Gruffalo (2009).He won three consecutive Best Actor BAFTAs for his role as troubled criminal psychologist Eddie "Fitz" Fitzgerald in Cracker (1993-2006). His other television roles include A Kick Up The Eighties, The Young Ones, Blackadder The Third (as Dr. Samuel Johnson, compiler of the first dictionary), Tutti Frutti, The Comic Strip Presents..., and National Treasure.

In a career spanning seven decades, Bernard Cribbins appeared in many iconic British films and TV shows. In the 1960s, he appeared in two movies in the Carry On... franchise (Carry On Jack [1964] and Carry On Spying [1964]) and also appeared as Tom Campbell in Daleks' Invasion Earth 2150 A.D. (1966), a big-screen adaptation of the Doctor Who serial The Dalek Invasion Of Earth with Peter Cushing as the Doctor. In 1970, he appeared as Albert Perks in The Railway Children (getting a Best Supporting Actor BAFTA nomination for his performance) and played Felix Forsythe in Alfred Hitchcock's Frenzy (1972). He made an appearance in Fawlty Towers as the demanding guest Mr Hutchinson in "The Hotel Inspectors" (1975) and voiced several roles on children's TV shows, including The Wombles (1973-1975) and over 100 episodes of Jackanory (1966-1995). In 2003, he made an appearance in long-running UK soap opera Coronation Street and made a cameo appearance in the revived series of Doctor Who as Wilfred Mott, a newspaper seller, in the 2007 festive episode "Voyage Of The Damned". It was originally meant to be a one-off appearance but- due to another actor's death- he was asked to return to the show and the character was altered to become the grandfather of returning companion Donna. He will reprise the role in the 60th anniversary celebration in 2023.

Louise Fletcher's iconic performance as the sadistic Nurse Mildred Ratched in One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest (1975)- for which she won the Best Actress Oscar, BAFTA, and Golden Globe- often ranks highly in lists of cinema's best villains. In her Oscar acceptance speech, she used sign language to thank her parents (who were both deaf). Fletcher's other roles include Dr. Gene Tuskin in Exorcist II: The Heretic (1977), Anna Sage in The Lady In Red (1979), Norma Manders in Firestarter (1984), Grandmother in Flowers In The Attic (1987), Shirley Turner in Blue Steel (1990), and Aunt Helen in Cruel Intentions (1999). On television, Fletcher played the Bajoran religious leader Kai Winn in fourteen episodes of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993-1999). Other television roles include recurring roles in VR.5, ER, Heroes, and Shameless.

In a career spanning seven decades, with 45 feature films and many shorts as well, French director Jean-Luc Godard was a pioneer of French New Wave [Nouvelle Vague] cinema. His 1960 feature film debut À Bout De Souffle [Breathless] starred Jean-Paul Belmondo and Jean Seberg, and its unconventional use of jump cuts in editing and its visual style brought Godard much attention. Other major works by Godard include Une Femme Est Une Femme [A Woman Is A Woman] (1961), Le Mépris [Contempt] (1963), Bande à Part [Band Of Outsiders] (1964) which includes the iconic "sprint through the Louvre" (which has been pastiched several times since, as well as providing Quentin Tarantino with the name of his production company), Pierrot Le Fou (1965), and Week-End (1967). He was awarded an Honorary Academy Award in 2010 "for passion. for confrontation. for a new kind of cinema."

One of comedian Gilbert Gottfried's most recognisable roles is that of Iago the talking parrot in Aladdin (1992). He reprised the role in various Disney TV shows, direct-to-video movies, and video games. One of his other most recognisable roles is much less family-friendly: his appearance at the 2001 New York Friars Club roast of Hugh Hefner where, having made a joke about 9/11 which the audience heckled was "too soon", he regaled the crowd with a truly jaw-dropping telling of the old music-hall joke "The Aristocrats" which is featured in the 2005 documentary of the same name. His other films include Beverly Hills Cop II (1987), The Adventures Of Ford Fairlane (1990), Problem Child (1990) and its 1991 sequel, Look Who's Talking Too (1990), Meet Wally Sparks (1997), A Million Ways To Die In The West (2014, as Abraham Lincoln) and Ron McDonald in Sharkado 4: The Fourth Awakens (2016) and Sharknado 5: Global Swarming (2017). He was a regular panellist on the gameshow Hollywood Squares, and made appearances on The Apprentice USA, and Saturday Night Live.

Esteemed character actor Philip Baker Hall did not begin his acting career until he was 30 years old. Despite making his first film appearance in 1970 (as an uncredited diner owner in Antonioni's drama Zabriskie Point), he first came to prominence in 1984 for his tour-de-force performance as disgraced US President Richard Nixon in Secret Honor. He appeared in the first three films directed by Paul Thomas Anderson: Hard Eight (1996), Boogie Nights (1997), and Magnolia (1999). Hall would go on to appear in many different films, but usually playing a figure of authority (judges, sheriffs, businessmen) such as in Midnight Run (1988), Say Anything... (1989), Ghostbusters II (1989), The Rock (1996), Air Force One (1997), The Truman Show (1998), Psycho (1998), The Talented Mr Ripley (1999), The Insider (1999), The Sum Of All Fears (2002), Bruce Almighty (2003), Dogville (2003), The Amityville Horror (2005), 50/50 (2011), and Argo (2012). He will also be remembered for his ferociously funny turn as Lt. Joe Bookman in two episodes of Seinfeld, as well as his appearances in Curb Your Enthusiasm and Modern Family.

From drama (The Adventures Of Huck Finn [1993] and Donnie Brasco [1997]) to disaster movie (Volcano [1997]), comedy (Six Days Seven Nights [1998] and Wag The Dog [1997]) to horror (I Know What You Did Last Summer [1997] and Gus Van Sant's shot-for-shot remake of Psycho [1998] where she played Marion Crane), Anne Heche's career was nothing if not diverse. She also appeared in The Juror (1996), John Q (2002), Birth (2004), Cedar Rapids (2011), Rampart (2011), and My Friend Dahmer (2017). Her TV roles include Ally McBeal (2001), Everwood (2004-2005), Nip/Tuck (2005), Hung (2009-2011), and Chicago P.D. (2018-2019).

British director, writer, and producer Mike Hodges' first film was the seminal British gangster film Get Carter (1971), starring Michael Caine and Britt Ekland. He also wrote and directed Pulp (1972) and The Terminal Man (1974), whilst writing the screenplay for Omen II; Damien (1978) and doing some uncredited directing work too. In 1980, Hodges directed the cult classic sci-fi action-adventure Flash Gordon (starring Sam Jones, Max Von Sydow, Timothy Dalton and Brian Blessed). He also directed two music videos for Queen, who provided Flash Gordon's soundtrack. His other films included A Prayer For The Dying (1987), Black Rainbow (1989), Croupier (1998) and I'll Sleep When I'm Dead (2003).

Making his film debut in 1980 in Ken Russell's sci-fi thriller Altered States, William Hurt would go on to be nominated for the Best Actor Oscar for three consecutive years in the 1980s, for his roles in Kiss Of The Spider Woman (1985, which he won), Children Of A Lesser God (1986), and Broadcast News (1987). Throughout the 1990s he appeared in such films as Jane Eyre (1996), Dark City (1998) and Lost In Space (1998), whilst he would receive a fourth Oscar nomination- this one for Best Supporting Actor- for his role as crime boss Richie Cusack in David Cronenberg's A History Of Violence (2005). In 2008, he appeared as General Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross in The Incredible Hulk (the second film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe), reprising the role in Captain America: Civil War (2016), Avengers: Infinity War (2018), Avengers: Endgame (2019), and Black Widow (2021). His other films include Body Heat (1981), The Big Chill (1983), The Accidental Tourist (1988), One True Thing (1998), A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001), The Village (2004), Syriana (2005), Into The Wild (2007), Vantage Point (2008), Robin Hood (2010), and A New York Winter's Tale (2014).

Flamboyant actor Leslie Jordan will be best remembered for playing the acid-tongued Beverley Leslie in Will & Grace (2001-2020). He appeared on film in Accidental Hero (1992), Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday (1993), Sordid Lives (2000), The Help (2011), The Last Sharknado: It's About Time (2018), and The United States vs. Billie Holiday (2021). His other television roles include Star Trek: Voyager (1995, playing a Ferengi named Kol), Boston Public (2001-2002), Boston Legal (2005), Desperate Housewives (2011), three seasons of American Horror Story (2013-2019), and Call Me Kat (2021-2022). He was also a regular on reality TV shows, appearing in the 2014 series of Celebrity Big Brother UK.

Sally Kellerman received Best Supporting Actress nominations at both the Oscars and the Golden Globes for her role as the prim and prudish Major Margaret Houlihan (also known as "Hot Lips") in Robert Altman's satirical war comedy-drama M.A.S.H. (1970). Despite being something of a thankless role- and almost certainly most remembered for the scene in which she is exposed to a waiting bunch of soldiers as she showers- Kellerman was the only cast member to be recognised by the Academy. In addition to M.A.S.H., Kellerman appeared in several other Altman films, including Brewster McCloud (1970), The Player (1992), and Prêt-à-Porter (1994). She also appeared in The Boston Strangler (1968), Last Of The Red Hot Lovers (1972), Welcome To L.A. (1976), Back To School (1986), It's My Party (1996), and I Could Never Be Your Woman (2007). As well as being an actor, she was also a talented singer, releasing two jazz albums and performing "Thank You Very Much" at the 43rd Academy Awards.

Ray Liotta made his film debut in 1983 in the multiple Razzie-winning The Lonely Lady (opposite Pia Zadora and Lloyd Bochner), but would go on to work with such cinematic luminaries as Martin Scorsese, Ridley Scott, and James Mangold. After a dignified turn as Shoeless Joe Jackson in Field Of Dreams (1989), Liotta took the lead role of Henry Hill in Goodfellas (1990). In a star-studded cast including Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci, and Paul Sorvino, Liotta more than holds his own. He also appears as the calculating Paul Krendler in Hannibal (2001), Fred Jung in Blow (2001), Detective DeLuca in The Place Beyond The Pines (2012), Big Papa in Muppets Most Wanted (2014), and Jay Marotta in Marriage Story (2019). Other films include Cop Land (1997), Muppets From Space (1999), Identity (2003), Revolver (2005), In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale (2007), Wild Hogs (2007), Killing Them Softly (2012), Sin City: A Dame To Kill For (2014), and The Many Saints Of Newark (2021). He won a Primetime Emmy in 2005 for his guest role in ER.

Born Marvin Lee Aday (and later changing his first name to Michael), Meat Loaf's operatic, bombastic rock songs- such as "Bat Out Of Hell", "Paradise By The Dashboard Light", and "I'd Do Anything For Love (But I Won't Do That)"- have been used in such diverse productions as Ed (1996), Meet Dave (2008), Zookeeper (2011), That's My Boy (2012), Sausage Party (2016), and Book Club (2018). As an actor, he appeared as Eddie the Delivery Boy in The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975) [reprising one of the roles he'd played on stage in the original L.A. Roxy cast], as Tiny the doorman in Wayne's World (1992), Dennis the bus driver in Spice World (1997), and as Bob Paulsen in Fight Club (1999). Other films include The 51st State (2001), BloodRayne (2005), Tenacious D In The Pick Of Destiny (2006), and Stage Fright (2014).

Olivia Newton-John will forever be associated with one of the most iconic roles in musical movies; Sandy Olsson in Grease (1978). Whatever you may think about the politics of Sandy's character arc, it's undeniable that Newton-John's charisma and screen presence shines through. Her other film roles include muse-made-human Kira in Xanadu (1980), Debbie in Two Of A Kind (1983, which reunited her with Grease co-star John Travolta), Lina Bingham in It's My Party (1996) and as Orion in Sharknado 5: Global Swarming (2017). She was also a recording artist, gaining Number 1 singles in the Australian, Canadian, and US charts with "Physical", and a Number 1 in the UK with "Xanadu", in addition to several songs from the Grease soundtrack.

Nichelle Nichols was a trailblazer. Her role as Lt. Nyota Uhura on Star Trek: The Original Series (1966-1969) was one of the first times an African-American actress was portrayed in a non-stereotypical domestic role. She also famously shared one of the first interracial kisses (with William Shatner) on American television. She appeared as Uhura in the first six Star Trek movies [from Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979) to Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991)]. Outside of the Star Trek franchise, Nichols' other film roles include Mister Buddwing (1966), The Supernaturals (1986), Snow Dogs (2002), Are We There Yet? (2005), and Sharknado 5: Global Swarming (2017). She also appeared as Nana Dawson in five episodes of Heroes (2007).

German director Wolfgang Petersen received a Best Director Oscar nomination for his work on Das Boot (1981), and a Best Adapted Screenplay nod for the same film [although lost the latter to Costa-Gavras and Donald E. Stewart for Missing (1982), and the former to Richard Attenborough for Gandhi (1982)]. His other work as a director include films as diverse as The NeverEnding Story (1984), In The Line Of Fire (1993), Outbreak (1995), Air Force One (1997), The Perfect Storm (2000), Troy (2004), and Poseidon (2006). He was also a producer on Red Corner (1997), Instinct (1999) and Bicentennial Man (1999)

Two words will always come to mind when the name Leslie Phillips is mentioned, and those are "Oh, hello..." This louche greeting- usually at a beautiful woman- became his hallmark. After a series of uncredited bit parts, Phillips made an impression in George Cukor's Les Girls (1957) by punching Gene Kelly! He appeared in four Carry On... films, starting with Carry On Nurse (1959), as Lt. Pouter in The Navy Lark (1959), and as Dr. Tony Burke in the Doctor... films. His other roles include Sir Joseph in Out Of Africa (1985), Mr. Maxton in Empire Of The Sun (1987), Lord Astor in Scandal (1989), Gordon in King Ralph (1991), and Woolburton in The Jackal (1997). In his later years, he appeared as Mr. Wilson in Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001), voiced the Sorting Hat in three Harry Potter films, and received his first BAFTA nomination (for Best Supporting Actor) for his role in Venus (2006) opposite Peter O'Toole. He also appeared in The Barretts Of Wimpole Street (1957), The Longest Day (1962), Don't Just Lie There, Say Something! (1974), Saving Grace (2000), and Churchill: The Hollywood Years (2004).

When Sidney Poitier won the Best Actor Oscar in 1964 for his performance in Lilies Of The Field, he made history as the first Black actor to win the award. Five years earlier, he was the first Black Best Actor nominee when he was nominated for his performance in The Defiant Ones. In 1967, Poitier appeared in three important films which challenged their audience's views on race: firstly as a teacher at a rough London school in To Sir, With Love; as no-nonsense cop Virgil Tibbs in In The Heat Of The Night (where he gets slapped by a racist shop-owner, and slaps him back), and finally as the boyfriend brought home to meet his white girlfriend's parents in Guess Who's Coming To Dinner. His other films included Cry, The Beloved Country (1951), Blackboard Jungle (1955), Porgy And Bess (1959), A Raisin In The Sun (1961), The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965), A Patch Of Blue (1965), Sneakers (1992), and The Jackal (1997). He was also a director, helming such films as Buck And The Preacher (1972), Let's Do It Again (1975), and Stir Crazy (1980) - which was the first movie directed by an African-American to gross over $100m in North America. Poitier received an honorary knighthood in 1974 (due to his citizenship in the Bahamas, a part of the British commonwealth, although he was actually born in Miami), an Honorary Oscar in 2002, and the BAFTA Film Academy Fellowship in 2016,

Ivan Reitman directed several of the most cherished comedies of the 1980s and 1990s, including Stripes (1981), Ghostbusters (1984), Twins (1988), Ghostbusters II (1989), Kindergarten Cop (1990), Dave (1993), and Junior (1994). He also directed Six Days Seven Nights (1998), My Super Ex-Girlfriend (2006), and Draft Day (2014). Reitman was also a writer and a producer, involved with National Lampoon's Animal House (1978), Beethoven (1992), Space Jam (1996), EuroTrip (2004), Up In The Air (2009)- for which he received an Oscar nomination (as producer for Best Picture)-, Hitchcock (2012), and the sequels Space Jam: A New Legacy (2021) and Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021).

Esteemed character actor Paul Sorvino had one of his first movie roles in The Panic In Needle Park (1971). Throughout the 1990s, Sorvino appeared in several of his most well-regarded roles: as Lips Manlis in Dick Tracy (1990), Paul Cicero in Goodfellas (1990), Eddie Valentine in The Rocketeer (1991), Henry Kissinger in Nixon (1995) and Lord Capulet in Baz Luhrmann's Romeo + Juliet (1996). His other film roles included A Touch Of Class (1973), The Day Of The Dolphin (1973), Cruising (1980), Reds (1981), Bulworth (1998), The Cooler (2003), Mambo Italiano (2003), Repo! The Genetic Opera (2008), and Rules Don't Apply (2016).

One of Jean-Louis Trintignant's first roles was opposite Brigitte Bardot in Roger Vadim's And God Created Women [Et Dieu... Créa La Femme] (1956). In 1966, he appeared in Claude Lelouch's A Man And A Woman [Un Homme Et Une Femme], as a widowed racing driver who falls in love with a widowed script supervisor (Anouk Aimée). The film would win two Oscars- Best Original Screenplay and Best Foreign Language Film- whilst Aimée and Lelouch would receive Best Actress and Best Director nominations respectively. The three would reunite for a 1986 sequel, and a 2019 film entitled The Best Years Of A Life [Les Plus Belles Années D'une Vie]. He also appeared in Z (1969), My Night At Maud's (1969), The Conformist (1970), Other People's Money (1978), Long Live Life (1984), The Woman Of My Life [La Femme De Ma Vie] (1986, for which he received the first of five César Awards nominatons), The City Of Lost Children (1995), and Those Who Love Me Can Take The Train (1998). His turns as a reclusive judge opposite Irène Jacob in Krzysztof Kieslowski's final film Three Colors: Red [Trois Couleurs: Rouge] (1994) and as a loving husband pushed to the edge by his wife's dementia (a heart-breaking Oscar-nominated performance by Emmanuelle Riva) in Michael Haneke's Amour (2012) [for which he finally and rightfully won the César Award for Best Actor] are particular highlights in a long and varied career.

Gaspard Ulliel made his feature film debut in 2001 in French-language thriller Brotherhood Of The Wolf [Le Pacte Des Loups] where he played a young shepherd injured by the beast in the woods. He won the César Award for Most Promising Actor for his performance as Manech in A Very Long Engagement [Un Long Dimanche De Fiançailles] (2004). His first major English-language film was Hannibal Rising (2007), in which he played the young Hannibal Lecter. He portrayed fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent in a 2014 biopic, and also appeared in The Vintner's Luck/A Heavenly Vintage (2009), It's Only The End Of The World (2016), and Eva (2018). One of his final roles was as Anton Mogart in Marvel Studios' TV series Moon Knight (2022)

Greek composer Vangelis won the Oscar for Best Original Score for his evocative music for Chariots Of Fire (1981). He also composed the score for Missing (1982), Blade Runner (1982), The Bounty (1984), Vampire In Venice (1988), Bitter Moon (1992), 1492: Conquest Of Paradise (1992), and Alexander (2004). His work has also been used in films as diverse as The Year Of Living Dangerously (1982), Single White Female (1992), Candyman (1992), Good Burger (1997), Kolya (1997), How The Grinch Stole Christmas (2000), Bruce Almighty (2003), The Holiday (2006), Gamer (2011), and Blade Runner 2049 (2017).

David Warner made his credited movie debut in 1963, playing Blifil in Tom Jones (opposite Albert Finney). He appeared in the title role of Morgan: A Suitable Case For Treatment (1966), as Lysander in Peter Hall's A Midsummer Night's Dream (1968) and as Henry Niles in Straw Dogs (1971). He made an impression as doomed photographer Keith Jennings in The Omen (1976) and appeared in star-studded disaster movie The Concorde... Airport '79 (1979). Throughout the 1980s, Warner appeared in many cult movies including as Evil Genius in Time Bandits (1981), Ed Dillinger/Sark in TRON (1982), Dr. Necessiter in The Man With Two Brains (1983), and as St. John Talbot in Star Trek V: The Final Frontier (1989). He would go on to make two more appearances in the Star Trek universe: as Klingon Chancellor Gorkon in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991) and as Cardassian Gul Madred in the two-part Star Trek: The Next Generation (1995) story "Chain Of Command" (where he memorably tortures Patrick Stewart's Jean-Luc Picard by asking how many lights there are). He also appeared in The Company Of Wolves (1984), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret Of The Ooze (1991), In The Mouth Of Madness (1994), Titanic (1997), Scream 2 (1997), Planet Of The Apes (2001), The League Of Gentleman's Apocalypse (2005) and Mary Poppins Returns (2018).

Other people who have passed away this year include:

- American actress Mary Alice (The Matrix Revolutions, Awakenings, The Bonfire Of The Vanities)

- American actor, writer, and comedian Louie Anderson (Coming To America, Baskets, The Wrong Guys)

- American composer Angelo Badalamenti (Twin Peaks, Mulholland Drive, Blue Velvet)

- British actress Lynda Baron (Open All Hours, Doctor Who, Carry On Columbus)

- American producer and director Jules Bass (The Year Without A Santa Claus, Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer, The Last Unicorn)

- American songwriter and composer Marilyn Bergman (The Way We Were, Never Say Never Again, The Thomas Crown Affair)

- British actor Stewart Bevan (Doctor Who, To Sir With Love, The Scouting Book For Boys)

- American director James Bidgood (Pink Narcissus)

- British actor and writer John Bird (Bremner, Bird and Fortune, Cluedo, The Seven-Per-Cent-Solution)

- American actor Taurean Blacque (Hill Street Blues, Rocky II, Oliver And Company)

- British screenwriter and script editor Chris Boucher (Doctor Who, Blake's 7, Bergerac)

- British author Raymond Briggs (The Snowman, Ethel & Ernest, When The Wind Blows)

- British producer, writer and theatre director Peter Brook (King Lear, Marat/Sade, Lord Of The Flies)

- British actress June Brown (EastEnders, Doctor Who, Gormenghast)

- Trinidadian actor Sonny Caldinez (Raiders Of The Lost Ark, Doctor Who, The Fifth Element)

- Welsh actor Wyn Calvin

- American visual effects artist Colin Cantwell (Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, WarGames, 2001: A Space Odyssey)

- American actress and singer Irene Cara (Fame, Flashdance, Sparkle)

- American voice actress Pat Carroll (Ursula in The Little Mermaid, Freedom Writers, My Neighbour Totoro)

- American voice actor Kevin Conroy (Batman: Mask Of The Phantasm, Batman: The Killing Joke, Justice League)

- American actor and musician Coolio (Midnight Mass, Dangerous Minds, Batman & Robin)

- Brazilian singer and actress Gal Costa (O Mandarim, Bacurau, Wild Orchid)

- American singer and actress Julee Cruise (Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me, Blue Velvet, Scream)

- British writer and comedian Barry Cryer (Bloodbath At The House Of Death, Monty Python's Flying Circus, The Magnificent Seven Deadly Sins)

- Italian director, writer, and actor Ruggero Deodato (House On The Edge Of The Park, Cannibal Holocaust, Hostel: Part II)

- British stunt co-ordinator Joe Dunne (Curse Of The Pink Panther, The Usual Suspects, Ronin)

- American art director, production designer and animator Ralph Eggleston (FernGully: The Last Rainforest, Inside Out, The Incredibles)

- American actor Ned Eisenberg (Primary Colors, Million Dollar Baby, Flags Of Our Fathers)

- American actor Jason David Frank (Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, Nerd Love, The One Warrior)

- American actor Clarence Gilyard Jr. (Top Gun, Die Hard, Walker Texas Ranger)

- Scottish comic-book artist and writer Alan Grant

- British actor Stephen Greif (Nicholas And Alexandra, Citizen Smith, Casanova)

- American actor Clu Gulager (The Return Of The Living Dead, A Nightmare On Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge, I'm Gonna Git You Sucka)

- Jamaican-born actress Mona Hammond (EastEnders, Kinky Boots, Desmond's)

- American actress Estelle Harris (Toy Story 2, Brother Bear, Seinfeld)

- American musician and actor Taylor Hawkins (Studio 666, CBGB)

- American producer and assistant director Duncan Henderson (Master And Commander: The Far Side Of The World, Harry Potter And The Philosopher's Stoine, Deep Blue Sea)

- American actor Howard Hesseman (Police Academy II: Their First Assignment, Clue, Flight Of The Navigator)

- American actor Bo Hopkins (The Wild Bunch, American Graffiti, Hillbilly Elegy)

- American stuntman Zach Hudson (Spider-Man, Le Mans '66, Jason Bourne)

- American actress Marsha Hunt (Pride And Prejudice [1940], The Human Comedy, The Valley Of Decision)

- American actor Gregory Itzin (24, Law Abiding Citizen, Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas)

- French director and writer Just Jaeckin (Emmanuelle, Story Of O, Lady Chatterley's Lover)

- American actor L.Q. Jones (The Wild Bunch, Pat Garrett & Billy The Kid, Casino, The Mask Of Zorro)

- British actress and punk singer "Jordan" (Jubilee, Sebastiane, The Filth And The Fury)

- American actor, writer, and director Max Julien (Cleopatra Jones, Getting Straight, How To Be A Player)

- South African-born actress Anna Karen (On The Buses, Beautiful Thing, Carry On Camping)

- American writer and actor Jak Knight (Big Mouth, black-ish)

- German actor Hardy Krüger (Hatari!, The Flight Of The Phoenix, Barry Lyndon, A Bridge Too Far)

- American actor Mickey Kuhn (A Streetcar Named Desire, Gone With The Wind, Red River)

- American producer Alan Ladd Jr. (Braveheart, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Blade Runner)

- American writer, producer, and director Douglas Langway (Raising Heroes, BearCity)

- American musician Jerry Lee Lewis

- British writer and actor Henry Lincoln (Doctor Who, Curse Of The Crimson Altar, Don't Raise The Bridge Lower The River)

- American actress and activist Sacheen Littlefeather

- American singer-songwriter Loretta Lynn (Coal Miner's Daughter)

- Welsh actress Ruth Madoc (Hi-de-Hi!, Under Milk Wood, Fiddler On The Roof)

- Italian actor Marcello Magni (Mr. Turner, Doctor Who, Nine)

- Indian actress and singer Lata Mangeshkar (Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India, Dunno Y Na Jaane Kyun..., Sholay)

- British writer Hilary Mantel (Wolf Hall)

- American screenwriter James McCausland (Mad Max)

- American screenwriter Douglas McGrath (Bullets Over Broadway, Emma, Nicholas Nickelby)

- British writer and producer Kay Mellor (Band Of Gold, Playing The Field, Fat Friends)

- French comic book artist and art designer Jean-Claude Mézières (The Fifth Element, Valerian And The City Of A Thousand Planets)

- American visual effects artist, sculptor, and model maker Richard Miller (Star Wars: Return Of The Jedi, Star Trek: First Contact, The Mummy)

- American art director and production designer James J. Murakami (Changeling, Unforgiven, J. Edgar)

- American producer Mace Neufeld (No Way Out, Patriot Games, Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit)

- British composer Monty Norman (James Bond)

- British comic book artist Kevin O'Neill (The League Of Extraordinary Gentlemen)

- Greek actress Irene Papas (The Guns Of Navarone, Zorba The Greek, Captain Corelli's Mandolin)

- American actress Virginia Patton (It's A Wonderful Life, Black Eagle, A Double Life)

- Btazilian footballer and actor Pelé (Escape To Victory)

- American film curator and co-founder of the Telluride Film Festival Bill Pence

- American actor Bob Penny (Mississippi Burning, Sweet Home Alabama, The Legend Of Bagger Vance)

- American artist and comic-book writer George Pérez (Young Justice, Teen Titans GO! To The Movies)

- French actor Jacques Perrin (Z, Cinema Paradiso, Brotherhood Of The Wolf)

- Israeli-born actor Nehemiah Persoff (Some Like It Hot, Voyage Of The Damned, Yentl, An American Tail)

- American writer Julie Powell (Julie & Julia)

- British actress Gwyneth Powell (Grange Hill, Man Down, Echo Beach)

- American director Albert Pyun (The Sword And The Sorcerer, Cyborg, Captain America)

- American director, writer, and producer Bob Rafelson (Five Easy Pieces, Easy Rider, The King Of Marvin Gardens)

- American director, producer, and documentarian Julia Reichert (American Factory, Union Maids, Seeing Red)

- American actor Bob Saget (How I Met Your Mother, Full House, The Aristocrats)

- American comic book artist and writer Tim Sale (Batman: The Long Halloween)

- British actress Jane Sherwin (Doctor Who, Blake's 7, Paul Temple)

- American actor Henry Silva (Ocean's Eleven [1960], The Manchurian Candidate, Ghost Dog: The Way Of The Samurai)

- American actor Tony Sirico (The Sopranos, Goodfellas, Bullets Over Broadway)

- New Zealand actor Pete Smith (The Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King, Once Were Warriors, The Piano)

- Scottish actor John Stahl (Game Of Thrones, Mary Queen Of Scots, Victoria & Abdul)

- Trinidadian-born actor Austin Stoker (Airport 1975, Assault On Precinct 13, 3 From Hell)

- American actor Al Strobel (Twin Peaks)

- North Korean-born actor Akira Takarada (Godzilla, King Kong Escapes, Mothra Vs. Godzilla)

- American visual effects pioneer Douglas Trumbull (Blade Runner, Star Trek: The Motion Picture, 2001: A Space Odyssey)

- Chinese actor Kenneth Tsang (The Replacement Killers, Die Another Day, Rush Hour 2)

- British make-up artist and designer Christopher Tucker (The Company Of Wolves, The Elephant Man, The Boys From Brazil)

- American actor Joe Turkel (The Shining, Blade Runner, The Killing)

- British producer Beryl Vertue (Tommy, Up Pompeii, Sherlock)

- British actor Ronan Vibert (Saving Mr. Banks, Shadow Of The Vampire, Tristan + Isolde)

- American editor Dennis Virkler (The Hunt For Red October, Batman & Robin, Daredevil)

- British actor Leon Vitali (Barry Lyndon, Romeo & Juliet, Eyes Wide Shut)

- American actor Lenny Von Dohlen (Twin Peaks, Tender Mercies, Home Alone 3)

- American actor and stuntman Robert Wall (Game Of Death, Enter The Dragon, Way Of The Dragon)

- American journalist and news anchor Barbara Walters

- British production designer, arti director, and costume designer Tony Walton (All That Jazz, Mary Poppins, Murder On The Orient Express)

- British actor Dennis Waterman (The Sweeney, Minder, New Tricks)

- American actor Kenneth Welsh (Twin Peaks, The Hound Of The Baskervilles, The Exorcism Of Emily Rose)

- American actor and stuntman Ted White (Friday the 13th Part IV: The Final Chapter, Escape From New York, Road House)

- British art director Ian Whittaker (Howards End, The Watcher In The Woods, The Remains Of The Day)

- American actor and stuntman James Winburn (Halloween, Tron, Escape From New York)

- American producer and writer Jay Wolpert (The Count Of Monte Cristo, Pirates Of The Caribbean: The Curse Of The Black Pearl)

- German production designer and art director Rolf Zehetbauer (Cabaret, The NeverEnding Story, Das Boot)

- Canadian actor Matt Zimmerman (Thunderbirds, A Man For All Seasons, The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy)

The Watchers Film Show Blog

The Watchers

Monday, 9 January 2023

The Watchers Film Show Review Of 2022

Saturday, 31 December 2022

In Memoriam 2022

Saturday, 1 January 2022

Happy New Year From The Watchers!