I just read about the death of Patrick Swayze. Such sad news, but I suppose he's in a better place (if you believe in that sort of thing). I can only assume living with pancreatic cancer for the past year or two was no walk in the park for him. At least there will be no more suffering. I'll need to go back and watch Dirty Dancing again in tribute. It's not my fave movie but it has its moments.
Clips from Dirty Dancing:
Showing posts with label death. Show all posts
Showing posts with label death. Show all posts
September 14, 2009
August 6, 2009
RIP John
I just read that John Hughes died today. WTF?!?!
Man, that's such a loss. He had a huge impact on kids growing up in the '80s. While I was probably a little too young to fully enjoy The Breakfast Club, Pretty in Pink, Sixteen Candles, Ferris Bueller's Day Off and all the other great teen flicks when they were first released, I've been able to watch a lot of them over the years.
In each film, Hughes was able to capture the teen experience with honesty and was never patronizing about it. People, teens especially, could relate to the hurdles his characters faced because they had lived through them too. Hughes never diminished the significance of getting to first base or waiting around for a boy to call. These were, and still are, stressful times that everyone experiences growing up, and I don't think anyone has been able to capture this feeling or time of life as well as he did.
He will be missed.
Man, that's such a loss. He had a huge impact on kids growing up in the '80s. While I was probably a little too young to fully enjoy The Breakfast Club, Pretty in Pink, Sixteen Candles, Ferris Bueller's Day Off and all the other great teen flicks when they were first released, I've been able to watch a lot of them over the years.
In each film, Hughes was able to capture the teen experience with honesty and was never patronizing about it. People, teens especially, could relate to the hurdles his characters faced because they had lived through them too. Hughes never diminished the significance of getting to first base or waiting around for a boy to call. These were, and still are, stressful times that everyone experiences growing up, and I don't think anyone has been able to capture this feeling or time of life as well as he did.
He will be missed.
June 25, 2009
RIP Farrah
Farrah Fawcett died today at the age of 62. While it isn't too shocking, especially with all the media coverage about her battle with cancer, it is still equally upsetting. In her interviews with the press, she was always very upbeat and positive that she'd beat the disease. I, like everyone else, was pulling for her. There was just a story the other day that said she was to wed Ryan O'Neal. I was really hoping that things were going to be okay for her and that it'd lift her spirits even more. Unfortunately, it seems that it was a dying wish that will never be fulfilled.
June 15, 2009
Children Full of Life
Most things you get via email are a bunch of crap, and that's not even counting all the spam. But, this email I received tonight is really worth passing on to others because I think we can all take a lesson from it and apply it to our daily lives.
The email contained links to a documentary called Children Full of Life. It followed the fourth grade class of Toshiro Kanamori at an elementary school in Kanazawa, Japan. It follows him throughout the year and highlights some tough life experiences that the kids face.
Unlike most teachers, Kanamori allows his students to dig deeper and encourages them to feel emotions from which most would shy away. He motivates his class to be compassionate and empathetic to one another but to also think independently. To do this, he has each child keep a notebook full of letters and each day students read from their notebook and share their thoughts with each other. The only rule is that the students write honestly and from their hearts.
While the children have only spent two years with Kanamori (3rd and 4th grade), they've confronted serious issues together, such as the death of family members and bullying. Kanamori's favorite word is bonding, and he hopes that by experiencing life together his students will be able to think of others before they think of themselves. He doesn't shelter them from life but helps them through difficult times without condescending to them. Sometimes it's hard to believe the kids are only 10 years old.
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The email contained links to a documentary called Children Full of Life. It followed the fourth grade class of Toshiro Kanamori at an elementary school in Kanazawa, Japan. It follows him throughout the year and highlights some tough life experiences that the kids face.
Unlike most teachers, Kanamori allows his students to dig deeper and encourages them to feel emotions from which most would shy away. He motivates his class to be compassionate and empathetic to one another but to also think independently. To do this, he has each child keep a notebook full of letters and each day students read from their notebook and share their thoughts with each other. The only rule is that the students write honestly and from their hearts.
While the children have only spent two years with Kanamori (3rd and 4th grade), they've confronted serious issues together, such as the death of family members and bullying. Kanamori's favorite word is bonding, and he hopes that by experiencing life together his students will be able to think of others before they think of themselves. He doesn't shelter them from life but helps them through difficult times without condescending to them. Sometimes it's hard to believe the kids are only 10 years old.
Clip 1 of 5
Clip 2 of 5
Clip 3 of 5
Clip 4 of 5
Clip 5 of 5
June 5, 2009
Knocked Off While Getting His Rocks Off
Who would've thought that the man who played an ascetic monk on the boob tube would die because of a mishap during some kinky S&M sex? You think I kid, but it could be true.
Apparently after more investigating and an autopsy, Bangkok officials think this may be the cause of death for David Carradine, especially since there was no suicide note. Family members and friends all deny that he would committ suicide. No comments on whether or not they think he'd participate in some Thai S&M during his time off the movie set. Interesting, no?
While this is a little shocking (the dude was in his 70s for crying out loud), I find it funny in an almost absurdly morbid way. I'm not laughing about the fact that this guy died. I'm giggling over the way he might've died. Who would've predicted this would be the way they'd go out of this world? Geez, what a way to go. And most mothers are worried that you're wearing clean underwear. How about NO underwear, Ma? How 'bout that?
You can look at it as the absolute best way to go (while doing the deed). Or you can look at it as the most embarrassing position to be caught in. This got me on the train to morbidville and I started pondering how I'd like to die if I got to choose. Here's what I came up with:
1. Kick the bucket in the middle of an ice cream eating contest with a gigantic glop of ice cream in my hand and my face planted in a 21 scoop sundae. Sounds heavenly to me.
2. Dying peacefully in my sleep sounds like a nice way to go. However, I'm afraid I'd start to attract the extended family of roaches who live in my building and that they'd start nibbling on me before my stink alerted the neighbors. Guess there goes the open casket route.
3. Just so my name would live on, I'd like to go in some exciting/devastating/awe-inspiring manner. I'm not really sure how though. Croaking while doing some kind of Evil Knievel-like move involving a lot of rings of fire atop a moving airplane while riding a motorcycle blindfolded sounds kick ass.
4. Being the last person alive aboard a spaceship looking back at the dead earth while hurtling uncontrollably toward the sun sounds like a poetic demise.
5. Turning into a popsicle in the vast lands of Antarctica while exploring icy caverns in the name of science makes my death sound noble and gives me a chance to get jump started once technology figures out how to unfreeze me and jolt me back to life.
So how would you like to take your last curtain call if you had the choice?
Apparently after more investigating and an autopsy, Bangkok officials think this may be the cause of death for David Carradine, especially since there was no suicide note. Family members and friends all deny that he would committ suicide. No comments on whether or not they think he'd participate in some Thai S&M during his time off the movie set. Interesting, no?
While this is a little shocking (the dude was in his 70s for crying out loud), I find it funny in an almost absurdly morbid way. I'm not laughing about the fact that this guy died. I'm giggling over the way he might've died. Who would've predicted this would be the way they'd go out of this world? Geez, what a way to go. And most mothers are worried that you're wearing clean underwear. How about NO underwear, Ma? How 'bout that?
You can look at it as the absolute best way to go (while doing the deed). Or you can look at it as the most embarrassing position to be caught in. This got me on the train to morbidville and I started pondering how I'd like to die if I got to choose. Here's what I came up with:
1. Kick the bucket in the middle of an ice cream eating contest with a gigantic glop of ice cream in my hand and my face planted in a 21 scoop sundae. Sounds heavenly to me.
2. Dying peacefully in my sleep sounds like a nice way to go. However, I'm afraid I'd start to attract the extended family of roaches who live in my building and that they'd start nibbling on me before my stink alerted the neighbors. Guess there goes the open casket route.
3. Just so my name would live on, I'd like to go in some exciting/devastating/awe-inspiring manner. I'm not really sure how though. Croaking while doing some kind of Evil Knievel-like move involving a lot of rings of fire atop a moving airplane while riding a motorcycle blindfolded sounds kick ass.
4. Being the last person alive aboard a spaceship looking back at the dead earth while hurtling uncontrollably toward the sun sounds like a poetic demise.
5. Turning into a popsicle in the vast lands of Antarctica while exploring icy caverns in the name of science makes my death sound noble and gives me a chance to get jump started once technology figures out how to unfreeze me and jolt me back to life.
So how would you like to take your last curtain call if you had the choice?
June 4, 2009
RIP David
Wow, just got online and the first thing I saw was a story reporting the apparent suicide of Kung Fu star David Carradine. He was found hanged in his Bangkok hotel room.
It seems his career was going well and that he was in Thailand for a new movie. According to imdb.com, he had six movies in post-production and one in pre-production. He also had an illustrious acting career and had been in a ton of movies. This is an unfortunate tragedy.
Growing up I loved watching Kung Fu: The Legend Continues. Carradine had a kind of calmness surrounding himself as Kwai Chang Caine. Very zen-like. I loved his relationship with his tv son Peter, played by Chris Potter. Their fighting styles, one ancient and one contemporary, complemented each other well. It was a great show.
August 10, 2008
RIP Isaac
Wow, two stars in a weekend. Devastating! First Bernie Mac, then Isaac Hayes. Apparently his family found him collapsed near a treadmill . . . perhaps a heart attack? It's just horrible that people trying to live a healthy lifestyle can fall victim to the same health issues that they are trying to avoid. It's such a tragedy.
August 9, 2008
RIP Bernie
Just got online and a head line caught my eye: "Actor and comedian Bernie Mac dies at age 50." Wow, how can this be? Known for his distinctive laugh and booming voice, Mac was just starting to make it big. He'd done some films and had a sitcom. His career was only just beginning. It's shocking to hear the news that he's passed.
While I enjoyed him in Oceans Eleven and Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, I loved him on The Original Kings of Comedy. I think this is where he really shined and where he really belonged. I for one am really going to miss his raucous brand of humor. RIP Bernie.
While I enjoyed him in Oceans Eleven and Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, I loved him on The Original Kings of Comedy. I think this is where he really shined and where he really belonged. I for one am really going to miss his raucous brand of humor. RIP Bernie.
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