R.I.P. Anne V. Coates (1925-2018)

Anne V. Coates

On May 8, 2018, film editor Anne V. Coates died at the age of 92 in Los Angeles, California. She was frequently working welling into her later years and received acclaim as one of the few female editors out there. Her work was acclaimed and spanned more than 60 years, including work that would win her an Oscar for Lawrence of Arabia. Her work was versatile and diverse, reflecting how a simple cut could be turned into an art form. Even if her work goes unappreciated to the casual viewer, it's hard to imagine a world without the magic that she brought to a film, helping to shape it into its inevitable final form. Her work will continue to live on, no matter what genre you tend to enjoy.

R.I.P. John Morris (1926-2018)

John Morris

On January 25, 2018, composer John Morris died at the age of 91 in Red Hook, New York. over the course of his career, he has produced some of the most iconic scores ranging from films by Mel Brooks such as The Producers and Blazing Saddles; to more mature work like The Elephant Man. Even if he wasn't a household name, he managed to create some of the most empathetic and effective music in comedy and drama, and leaves behind an impressive body of work. Who could forget the melodies of a Brooks film? A lot of the credit is owed to Morris, who foudn a way to make melodies funny and catchy. With an impressive career spanning 30 years, he leaves behind an impressive body of work that will leave film fans happy and dancing, no matter how much they try to resist.

Theory Thursday: "The Elephant Man" is David Lynch's Best Movie

Scene from The Elephant Man

Welcome to a weekly column called Theory Thursdays, which will be released every Thursday and discuss my "controversial opinion" related to something relative to the week of release. Sometimes it will be birthdays while others is current events or a new film release. Whatever the case may be, this is a personal defense for why I disagree with the general opinion and hope to convince you of the same. While I don't expect you to be on my side, I do hope for a rational argument. After all, film is a subjective medium and this is merely just a theory that can be proven either way. 

R.I.P. John Hurt (1940-2017)

John Hurt

On January 25, 2017, actor John Hurt died at the age of 77 in Norfolk, England. With a career spanning 60 years and over 120 movie and TV roles, the charismatic actor was considered to be one of the best at depicting outsiders. Among his most noteworthy roles are many performances that reflect this, including Alien, The Elephant Man, and Midnight Express. Even then, the actor was game for any role, giving it his all and bringing the character to life in invigorating fashion. He leaves behind an impressive and massive body of work that will leave audiences laughing and crying for generations to come. He may not always have the most recognizable face, but he always knew how to make movies better.

R.I.P. Eric Bergren (1954-2016)

On July 14, writer Eric Bergren died at the age of 62 in Pasadena, California. He was suffering from liver cancer at the time. While not a lot is known about him, his one claim to fame is that he penned the screenplay for director David Lynch's adaptation of The Elephant Man - which earned eight Oscar nominations. His career remained consistent if understated in the years since with scripts for Jessica Lange's Frances and Errol Morris' The Dark Wind. While he lost the Best Adapted Screenplay nomination for The Elephant Man, he continued to remain busy while producing an impressive body of work. Not bad for a student from University of Southern California. While he doesn't leave behind the most impressive body of work, he definitely left a strong mark on cinema that is sure to be felt forever.