Tag: obit

FilmLeave a comment

Peter O’Toole, 1932 – 2013

Dan Seeger

PLAYBOY: Are you afraid of dying? O’TOOLE: Petrified. PLAYBOY: Why? O’TOOLE: Because there’s no future in it. PLAYBOY: When did you last think you were about to die? O’TOOLE: About four o’clock this morning. A few weeks ago I watched a commercial on television. It was selling insurance, and I had realized how graphic and Grand Guignol they’d got. There’s a fellow on the beach with his wife and ten children romping around in the sand, and suddenly they all dissolve. And he thinks: “Must insure with Prudential” or whatever. But if I was going to die, I’m afraid I … Continue reading Peter O’Toole, 1932 – 2013

MusicLeave a comment

Lou Reed, 1942-2013

Dan Seeger

I have a special fondness for the music that flooded college radio in the first six months or so of 1989. That’s partially a byproduct of my position at the station at the time, still fresh in my overall tenure and gifted with an atypically early ascension to the director staff level, specifically with responsibilities that related to reviewing new music. (Lorne Michaels has mused that everyone’s favorite Saturday Night Live cast is whichever one was in place when they were in high school. Surely, there’s a corresponding truth to college radio: everyone thinks the music scene was peaking the … Continue reading Lou Reed, 1942-2013

Film, TelevisionLeave a comment

James Gandolfini, 1961 – 2013

Dan Seeger

And The Sopranos is on right now. Six years after the show went off the air, it remains a staple on the various HBO side channels, enduring in perpetual rotation in a way that other acclaimed series from the network haven’t quite. Not that there’s any shortage of treasures within the show, led by the inspiration of creator David Chase and a multitude of great performances. But watch any given episode and it’s clear that a major part of its greatness–the reason it truly lasts–is the incredible central performance by James Gandolfini. It’s absolutely one of the pinnacles in the … Continue reading James Gandolfini, 1961 – 2013

Books, Film, Television1 Comment

Roger Ebert, 1942 – 2013

Dan Seeger

I watch movies the way I do because of Roger Ebert. I started watching the venerable Chicago Sun-Times film critic verbally spar with Gene Siskel, his counterpart at crosstown paper the Chicago Tribune, when the two were hosts of the PBS program Sneak Previews. This was before the direction each of their thumbs pointed was keenly watched by studios, before the breadth of their influence reached a level that arguably exceeded that of any film critics that came before. These were simply two guys–equally passionate, equally smart, equally committed to exploring the value of cinema in all its forms–talking about … Continue reading Roger Ebert, 1942 – 2013

Music3 Comments

Clarence Clemons, 1942 – 2011

Dan Seeger

…And last but not least…do I have to say his name? Do I have to speak his name? Do I have to say his name? In this corner: the king of the world, the master of the universe. Weighing in at 260 pounds, the Big Man, Clarence Clemons. That’s how Bruce Springsteen touted the venerable saxophone player during the band introductions that arrived at the midway point of the typically robust performance of “Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)” captured on the majestic Live: 1975-1985 box set. I listened to Springsteen’s music at near-obsessive levels during my high school years, paying special … Continue reading Clarence Clemons, 1942 – 2011

Everything ElseLeave a comment

Gary Coleman, 1968 – 2010

Dan Seeger

Gary Coleman was the first actor I knew by name. I’ve been mulling that over for the past day, and I think it’s true. He was a kid when I was a kid, but he was also a star. When I watched most TV shows at that time, I was thinking about them strictly in terms of characters–Archie Bunker or Arthur Fonzarelli. But when I watched Gary Coleman in something, I was always aware that I was watching him, a kid like me. I was eight-years-old when Diff’rent Strokes debuted on NBC, and even a little bit younger when I … Continue reading Gary Coleman, 1968 – 2010

Books1 Comment

J.D. Salinger, 1919 – 2010

Dan Seeger

I was fascinated by J.D. Salinger before I’d ever read a word of his prose. In retrospect, I missed a lot of the touchstone authors that are greedily consumed by literary-minded adolescents. When I was supposed to be reading Vonnegut and Salinger as a salve against the tumbling indignities of high school, finding solace in voices that served as echoes of my own detachment and societal disdain, I was instead tracking through the works of John Steinbeck when I wanted something pulpy and smart, and the works of Stephen King when I just wanted something pulpy. The authors that were … Continue reading J.D. Salinger, 1919 – 2010