Paul Newman, Dead at 83

This may seem like a funny way to start out an article about Paul Newman, but growing up I always liked Steve McQueen better. I loved Steve McQueen in movies such as The Magnificent Seven and The Great Escape, and I thought that Paul Newman was, frankly, boring.

There is an old saying, though, and it goes like this: "If you are young and not a liberal, then you have no heart, but if you are older and still a liberal, then you have no brain." The quote is paraphrased a lot, and mangled, and it has been attributed to Winston Churchill, but the fact of the matter is this: this quote applies to Steve McQueen and Paul Newman.

Steve McQueen was cool when I was growing up. It was great to see him shooting bad guys in The Magnificent Seven, or racing around San Francisco in Bullitt. As I got older, I realized that, while those Steve McQueen movies were great, Paul Newman's movies were of a higher quality.

The Magnificent Seven is my favorite western of all time, and my second favorite movie of all time, but Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid is a far superior product. It has shootouts, and one of the most famous last stands in movie history, but it is also thought provoking, bringing up subjects such as time, age, and obsolescence. And the impact that Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid had on popular culture is much greater. Robert Redford named a film festival and a ski resort after the Sundance Kid, and Paul Newman named his charity, the Hole in the Wall Gang Camp after the gang in the movie.

Do I hate Steve McQueen now that I am an adult? Absolutely not. But the days of me dreading when Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid was shown on television are over; I appreciate the movie, and its actors, more than ever. Especially Paul Newman.

Paul Newman was a great actor, one who never sold out, one who maintained a high quality product, and one who always remained active in the community and in society. And he will be missed.

Check out Paul Newman's charity, The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp, a residential camp in Connecticut for children suffering from serious illnesses: http://www.holeinthewallgang.org/

Roy Scheider, Dead at 75

On Sunday, February 10th, 2008, Roy Scheider died at the University or Arkansas Medical Sciences Hospital from possible complications of a staph infection. He was 75.

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Roy Scheider has always been one of my favorite actors. I was first exposed to him thanks to the blockbuster classic, Jaws, but the first movie I ever saw him in was The French Connection. And then, thanks to the Movie Loft (with Dana Hersey), I watched Roy Scheider reprise his French Connection role in the spin off, The Seven-Ups. Two great movies (with two fantastic car chases).

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I think loved Roy Scheider so much because I saw him as me thirty and forty years from that point. He was the common man and the backbone in those films, just like he was in Jaws, and Blue Thunder, and 2010. He had some edgier stuff later on, films like 52 Pick-Up, Cohen and Tate, and The Fourth War, but he handled those roles with all the grace of a veteran actor. Of the over eighty works to his credit, the one I wish I had seen, and the one I will be adding to my 2008 Resolutions list, is All That Jazz.

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Roy Scheider, may you rest in peace.

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Roy Scheider (November 10, 1932 - February 10, 2008)

Heath Ledger, Dead at 28

On Tuesday afternoon, January 22, 2008, Heath Ledger was found dead in his SoHo apartment in New York City. He was 28.

I don't really know what to say about someone who I don't even know. I can't say that Heath Ledger was a great friend, or that he was fun to be around. I can't say that he was happy or sad. I can't even say what kinds of food he liked or disliked. I can only say two things about him. One, he was a great actor (one of my top five modern actors). And two, he was not in the news for any real celebrity foolishness.

For an actor of such, relatively, little acting experience, Heath Ledger was exceptional. He mastered the ability to make you like his characters, and to make them seem real. He showed a range that spread from comedy to action / adventure to drama. And he was able to portray each character with a quiet power that other actors of his age and experience sorely lacked. Am I saying this just because he is dead? Hell no. Just watch Brokeback Mountain and you will see. Heath Ledger is able to take his character throughout decades, aging the character as the film goes on, without the use of any real makeup or special effects. He was like an actor of old, like a Henry Fonda or a William Powell; he acted his roles, and acted them well.

In today's Hollywood, Heath Ledger was downright boring. According to Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heath_Ledger), Heath Ledger had only three "scandals" to his credit. One was a run in with the paparazzi (happens). One was his perceived demeanor during a formal announcement (chalked up to "stage fright"). And one was erroneous information that he relayed that he heard (in truth, the info was only 50 years off the mark). In Hollywood, with that record, Heath Ledger should be put up for sainthood!

So I don't have much to say about the man, but I will say that he was a great actor and, apparently, a gentleman. I pray that his family and friends find the strength to get through this time of loss.

Heath Ledger, may you rest in peace.

Heath Ledger (April 4, 1979 - January 22, 2008)