Patrick Macnee-A Tribute.

Patrick Macnee was a British actor best known for his role as John Steed in the 1960's TV show, The Avengers. He had a long career which included TV and film roles. He starred in a lot of movies before and after The Avengers but it is that role that defined him for many people. He starred in a 1972 movie called Incense for the Damned which I will be reviewing soon with Peter Cushing and also in The Howling which is now a cult classic. He also popped up in This Is Spinal Tap, another cult classic. He starred in the Bond movie, A View to A Kill as an ally of Bond and he was in Waxwork and the sequel which were not bad horror movies. On TV, he was in a lot of shows such as The Twlight Zone, Columbo and of course, The New Avengers, where he reprised his role as Mr John Steed. He continued to act in his later life but not as much. He died at his home in California. He was 93.

To me, Patrick Macnee will always be associated with John Steed in the The Avengers. That show is a cult classic and deservedly so. I love the stories and the ridiculous plots in the episodes, especially in the later seasons. John Steed was the quintessential British gentleman in a time when it was dying out. In the show, he is always impeccably dressed with his trademark umbrella and bowler hat. He always has a witty remark and he rarely gets his feathers ruffled by anything, even when his life is in danger. He is undeniably British and proudly so. His career has been in the army and he has been working with British Intelligence Organisations. He has the rank of Major and he is well respected by his peers. He gets to fight crime with a beautiful woman by his side who is just as capable of kicking butts as he is. Macnee was the perfect choice for Steed and now, you could not imagine anyone else in the role.

I will always remember him as Mr. John Steed and I think that many people will too. He was such a great actor in that role and I think that the show would not have been a success without him....I will leave it at that with one of the iconic lines from the show- Mrs. Peel, we're needed....

Christopher Lee- A Tribute

I suppose that everyone has a picture of Christopher Lee as Dracula in all of those Hammer movies and I do too. Christopher Lee made that role his own as well as many others during his long career. Let me discuss those films that I like. Lee starred in his first Dracula movie in 1958 with Peter Cushing who was a lifelong friend of Lee's. He went on to star as Dracula in another ten movies! It is no wonder that people associate him with the role. He was a versatile actor and he played roles from Sherlock Holmes to Fu Manchu.

I remember him as being in Death Line(1972), a 70's horror movie starring Donald Pleasance and Dark Places(1973)  in which he had a lead role. I enjoyed that movie. But, my favourite Christopher Lee film has to be The Wicker Man(1973). His role as Lord Summerisle was very well played.  He seemed like a normal man who lives on the island and you would not guess that he is the leader of this pagan cult that burns people alive in the giant Wicker Man. Lee also appeared in the sequel The Wicker Tree but the less said about that movie, the better.He also did lots of voice work and if you can believe it music as well!

Lee was in a James Bond movie- The Man With the Golden Gun(1974), as well as The Three Musketeers(1973)which I enjoyed. He starred in House of The Long Shadows in 1983 which was famous as he starred with Peter Cushing, Vincent Price and John Carradine! What a cast! He was also in Howling 2 as a vampire hunter!! He had roles in Gremlins 2 and Police Academy:Mission to Moscow, Sleepy Hollow and Star Wars Episode 2 and 3. I could list all of his movies but there isn't enough time for that.

The role that I really enjoyed him in is a role that millions of people will know him for- the role of Saruman in The Lord of the Rings trilogy and The Hobbit trilogy. He was brilliant in the role as the sorcerer gone bad and I don't think that anybody else could have done better. Lee also starred in many TV shows including The Avengers, The Alfred Hitchcock hour and many many more. He had such a great career and he left so many great movies behind that he will never be forgotten.

He was 93 when he passed away last week, so he had a good long life and I think that his films will live on forever. Whichever films you enjoy, there is bound to be at least one Christopher Lee movie in your collection.A great actor and he will be sadly missed. R.I.P Christopher Lee(1922-2015).

Robin Williams- A Comic Icon.

I think that we all know about the recent death of Robin Williams and it is sad to think that we have lost an actor who all of us knew and loved. Whether you grew up with Mork and Mindy or loved Good Morning Vietnam, you will have a favourite Robin Williams movie. He was a funny guy with a serious side too. His films have brought joy and laughter to so many people that you would have to say that he was a comic icon. He starred in so many movies that children love like Aladdin, Jumanji, Hook, Mrs Doubtfire , Flubber and Happy Feet. He was also in the Night at the Museum 1 and 2 movies which were good fun.

On the more adult side, there are good movies such as Good Morning Vietnam, Awakenings, The Fisher King, The Birdcage, Patch Adams and The Night Listener. From a personal point of view, my favourite  Robin Williams film would have to be Dead Poets Society. That film will always be the definitive Robin Williams movie for me. I liked his character in the movie and it stands out for me. I love that movie and it would be my top favourite. Next would be Good Will Hunting which I also enjoyed. Lastly, but not least, is One Hour Photo in which he played a lonely guy who works at a photo place and who becomes obsessed with a family he sees in pictures. This movie is very good and he is brilliant as the lonely Sy. That movie proves that Williams could do serious and creepy. 
 

So, in the end, we will always have his movies to enjoy. Whether you enjoy the comical ones or the more serious ones, most people will have a favourite one. Mine is Dead Poets Society. What is yours?? He was a great actor and a funnyman in his movies and it is sad that he has gone now, but the best way to remember him is to enjoy his work and not to focus on how he died. There is enough misery in the world, so just put on one of his films and enjoy that instead! Robin Williams(1951-2014)- Rest in Peace...

Leslie Nielsen 1926-2010

We at Jigsaw's Lair are saddened to hear of the death of comic actor Leslie Nielsen. He was 84 years old. Everyone will have seen his movies and he will always be Lt.Frank Drebin in the Naked Gun movies.

He was in other movies too such as Airplane,Prom Night, Creepshow,Repossessed,Dracula:Dead and Loving It,Spy Hard, Mr Magoo and Scary Movie 3 and 4.

He also made appearances in so many television shows such as Murder She Wrote, The Love Boat, Fantasy Island, The Golden Girls, Father Dowling Mysteries, Who's The Boss and Due South to mention just a few. He was a very versatile actor and you could see him playing any part he wanted to from funny to dramatic. He is a household name and he will always be remembered for his comical talents. His most famous part was in Police Squad and The Naked Gun Movies, but he was good in everything he was in. I liked him and he could always make you smile.

He had a long and varied career and he will be sorely missed as he was one of those actors you expect to be around forever. Sadly that is not the case but at least we have all of his movies to look at and we can laugh along with him. He is survived by his wife and 2 daughters. May he rest in peace..

Corey Haim R.I.P. (1971-2010)

What can I say about Corey Haim? He was an icon in the 1980's. He was part of a double act with his pal Corey Feldman. They starred in movies together and they were good buddies. Corey got into drugs though and it seems as if he could never kick the habit no matter how hard he tried. They say that he died from a drug overdose which is really sad as he was just 38. That  is way too young. I grew up with his movies and he was a teen idol for me when I was younger.

Corey's career wasn't always great, but I am just going to concentrate on the movies I love and the ones I am going to watch to remember him. Firstly, Silver Bullet is a favourite horror movie of mine and in it Corey plays Marty, a young boy who is in a wheelchair and he has to escape from the werewolf who is hunting him...He was also in the touching drama Lucas alongside Winona Ryder.Then came a great movie called The Lost Boys which needs no explanations. This was a really 80's classic and I love it. Corey Feldman, Jason Patric and Kiefer Sutherland co starred. License to Drive, Fast Getaway,Watchers and Dream Machine were a few other movies which weren't too bad. There were some hiccups along the way, but Corey continued his acting and he even starred in a reality TV show with Corey Feldman called The Two Coreys.

There are a few movies which he has starred in this year and last year which have not been released yet so they will be his legacy. It is a shame that he couldn't keep himself clean and kick his drug habit if that is what killed him. He struggled for years with his habit and I guess it got the better of him in the end. May he Rest in Peace...

Brittany Murphy 1977-2009 R.I.P.

We at Jigsaw's Lair are very saddened to hear about the premature death of Brittany Murphy. She died of a heart attack at her home. She was just 32 years of age which is way too young for her to die..She is survived by her husband, Simon Monjack.

Well, most people will know her from her roles in Clueless(1995), Sin City(2005) and 8 Mile(2002). She was a quirky kind of person who often played off beat characters and she had a distinctive voice. She was the voice of Luanne Platter in the brilliant series King of The Hill. I knew her from Clueless of course because it was her breakout role and she played the rough around the edges girl who is taken in by the stylish crowd in high school and changed into one of them. She was also in Just Married(2003) with her ex-boyfriend Aston Kutcher. She also starred in Uptown Girls(2003), Little Black Book(2004), Deadline(2009) and Across The Hall(2009).

Some of her movies might not have been Oscar contenders but she played characters well and she was an up and coming star. She had a part in Stallone's The Expendables so I wonder what will happen with that now. She has a few more movies in production too so we will see what happens. It is rumoured that she had some problems with drugs and that she was too thin. You can never really know in Hollywood. Actresses are under a lot of pressure to look a certain way and I guess it can endanger their lives. But, we don't really know for certain what circumstances directly contributed to her death so there is no point speculating.

She was a young woman who should not have died so young. She seemed like a happy person and the tributes to her from her friends etc all say that she was a bright and sunny person. For this to happen is a tragedy and it brings to mind other young actors whose lives were cut short. River Phoenix and Heath Ledger are just two that come to mind. It seems Hollywood has claimed another victim. May she rest in peace and we send our best wishes to her family..