R.I.P.’s

These are a little late, but I figured I should comment on them since both of these gentlemen have had an impact on my life.

Robert Altman passed away. There was and is no one else that can make a movie like Robert Altman. He was hit or miss as far as his success rate, but you can’t deny that every film he made held his stamp. From the long lens to the overlapping dialog, he could make something special out of just being a witness to life.


When I was around fifteen, I rented M.A.S.H and watched it at least seven times that weekend. I’d finish it, rewind the tape and start right over again. I was rewinding scenes to pay attention to what each character was saying as dialog overlapped and the jokes were several layers deep. It is an incredible experience and still one of the best anti-war movies that exist today. It ranks up there with Duck Soup, it’s that good.

He has plenty of other classics: The Long Goodbye, McCabe & Mrs. Miller, California Split, Streamers, The Player, Short Cuts, Nashville. Hell even Popeye is one of those movies I saw repeatedly as a kid.

Even if you don’t like Robert Altman movies, he has a couple that anyone could enjoy like Cookies Fortune or Prairie Home Companion. If you don’t like those flicks, you have no heart.

He enjoyed a good drink, a good joint and was always able to make films he wanted to make. He directed theater, opera and I believe painted as well. I could be wrong on that last one; it’s been a while since I read his bio. He did love him the good weed though, that’s a fact.

I am glad that he was here to give use/me so many great films and I will honestly miss the fact that there will be no more…Except fro Dr. T and the Women, that could be buried with him.

The second great loss this week is Philippe Noiret. You will remember him as the projectionist from Cinema Paradiso. He also played Pablo Neruda in The Postman.


He was an excellent actor that always seemed to bring a certain sense of life to any character he portrayed. I can’t really say more about him, because I don’t know that much about him or his life.

A couple of movies you could check out are Coup De Torchon, Life and Nothing But and La Grande Bouffe. I probably spelled all of those wrong.

Anyway. Two men who really added something to that thing we call cinema.

I will miss you both. Thank you for all you’ve given me