Sometime between the time I went to bed last night and woke up this morning, I got a text from a friend that said...RIP Blue Thunder. Now, in my blurriness, I thought at first...Jan Michael Vincent died? Then I remembered, he was on Airwolf, so who was in Blue Thunder....OH NO ROY!!!!!!!
A little backstory. Back at the U, I went with a friend of mine from the dorm to another dorm to hang out with his friends from home. When I got there, I got into a room with several people maybe 6, drinking busch lights (or something similar), ordering delivery, and watching Blue Thunder on Umass Cable Access (a truly underrated time of my life, the Umass movie channel would show a mix of old movies, suprisingly new releases, foreign films, and hour long public service announcements about the dangers of binge drinking and riding on the top of elevators). The six or so guys barely noticed I was there, but offered me a beer, and a seat, and I sat there transfixed on the wonder that was Blue Thunder, cheering out the movies hero...Roy Schieder with well placed...Fuck Yeah Roy!'s and the like. Needless to say several of those people are still many of my best friends.
So I'd like to say goodbye to one Roy Scheider. He'll never know, but he's part of a very good memory for me. I look forward to seeing you in the Oscar's Parade of Death.
Monday, February 11, 2008
RIP Blue Thunder
Posted by fuge at 10:22 AM
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7 comments:
He might not make the Death Parade, the cut off might be Feb 1. Might have to wait til next year.
I can't believe I forgot about the Umass elevator PSA until this post!
I would like clarification on the parade of death...I mean, shouldn't it really follow the oscar rules, that films released in 07, are eligible for the 08 oscars?
I think Deaths should be the same way.
But there's no way they are holding off Heath Ledger till next year.
Due the whole James Brown bet of last year I have tried to do research into the rules of the parade of death, or Members Memoriam as they call it. I believe they have a cut off of Feb 1, but I can't be sure of that and could find no documentation. I think that there should indeed be a cutoff but that it doesn't matter if its in sync with the award season, as long as whatever cut off is followed each year. I think it would be wrong to include Heath if he did not make the cut off and I don't think they would show him just because he's more famous than someone else who died - I think they really do stick to the schedule. However, they also like to put in a blend of Academy Members, not just actors - so sometimes people you think will make it to the Death Parade don't always, sometimes with people getting mad - such as when Deforest Kelly died and the trekkies went apeshit.
But who knows what the academy does, I mean they put Juno up for best picture!
If it's Feb 1st, it's Feb 1st, I'm fine with whatever cut off they come up with.
I have a feeling, they'd have adjusted whatever rules they needed to adjust to get Heath Ledger in there...they would probably show him next year too if they adjusted the rules...and yes, apparently the Grammy's are much stranger than the oscars...Apparently Herbie Hancock won a grammy for best Album, for something in which he covers Joni Mitchell, it seems very Mettallica v. Jethro Tull to me.
oh Jan Michael Vincent... I actually thought he was dead.
I heard a funny Jan Michael VIncent story on NPR last week...Bryan Cranston...Hal from Malcolm in the Middle was talking about his early years as an actor, and he was cast as the bad guy in an Airwolf episode. And when the director was ready to start the shot, he'd motion to Bryan to wake up Jan Micheal because he was so messed up on whatever it is you get messed up on when your name is Jan.
Blue Thunder - my first movie boob shot. It was the first R rated movie I'd ever seen (my father brought me to see it in the theater (probably because he was hungover and couldn't bear the thought of sitting through a kids movie)). If I remember correctly, the boob shot was when one of the helicopter pilots hovered near a skyscraper and used his scope to zoom in on the unknowing stripping beauty. Joyce Heyser was the best movie boob flash of my youth, but I cherish the Blue Thunder one just as much since it was my first. Sorta parallels my two childhood sports heroes, Larry Bird (biggest idol) and Reggie Jackson (first idol). So, to recap:
Blue Thunder Boob Shot : Reggie Jackson :: Joyce Heyser Boob Shot : Larry Bird ; Dad was a drunk.
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