The Rabbit Hole
The passing of a beloved actor or actress always breaks the hearts of fans and admirers. The untimely death of a young star at the peak of their career or the shocking loss of a veteran are tragic enough on their own, but when they die in the middle of a project, their unfinished business leaves the cast, crews, and audiences unfulfilled. Here are five examples of movies that were finished after the death of one of their stars, preserving their final performances.
Heath Ledger was the heartthrob who rose to fame in films like Ten Things I Hate About You, A Knights Tale, and Brokeback Mountain. After finishing filming as the Joke in the highly anticipated The Dark Knight, Ledger began work on The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus. In the story he plays a mysterious outsider named Tony, who joins a theater troupe on a mission to rescue a girl.
About half way through filming, on January 22 2008, Ledger was found unconscious in his bed by his housekeeper and masseuse. His death was rule an accidental overdose of prescription medications.
Production on The Imaginarium was immediately disrupted, the suspended indefinitely as director Terry Gilliam tried to decide what to do with the film. Deciding to keep Ledger’s footage intact, Gilliam cast Johnny Depp, Colin Farrell, and Jude Law to portray transformed versions of Tony as he travels through the magical realms. Filming resumed in March 2008. The release date is set for September 24, 2009.
Here is the official teaser trailer:
Beginning as a child actress in films like Tomorrow Is Forever and Miracle on 34th Street, Natalie Wood went on to appear in the classics Rebel Without a Cause and West Side Story.
In 1981 she was playing a researcher in the science fiction film Brainstorm. On November 29, at the age of 43, while the cast and crew were on Thanksgiving break, she drowned near Catalina Island. Wood, her husband Robert Wagner, and co-star Christopher Walken spent the weekend on the Wagner’s yacht. Somehow she fell from the boat after a night of drinking. There were no witnesses and her body wasn’t found until the next morning. Speculation over the circumstances continues today, though it’s officially ruled as an accidental death.
Her climactic scene and many other crucial shots for Brainstorm had not yet been filmed and it was two years before the film was finished by using body doubles, creative shots, and whatever footage they already had. The film was critically acclaimed but bombed at the box office.
The trailer for Brainstorm:
A hilarious comedic actor, John Candy appeared in such memorable films as Spaceballs, Planes Trains and Automobiles, and The Blues Brothers.
In 1994, he was filming Wagons East! a film he was contractually obligated to complete. On the morning of March 4, his bodyguard discovered him non-responsive in his hotel room. He passed away from a fatal heart attack resulting from a blockage of one of his coronary arteries at the age of 43.
The remaining scenes were rewritten to exclude him, or stand-ins and digital inserts were used. The film was released in August, with John playing an alcoholic wagon master who takes a group of settlers back east to their homes. Though this was the last project he worked on, it was not the last film he appeared in. Canadian Bacon, the only non-documentary film Michael Moore has made, was released in 1995.
This video shows an example of a scene used twice in the movie:
A British actor with an impressive resume, Oliver Reed is best known for roles in movies like Oliver! and The Three Musketeers. He also had a notable reputation as a heavy drinker.
In 1999 he was filming the role of Proximo, a former gladiator who trains Russell Crowe’s character Maximus, for the movie Gladiator. After a night of intense drinking at The Pub in Malta, where Gladiator was being filmed, he suffered a heart attack which took his life at age 61. This left the filmmakers with major scenes, including Proximo’s dramatic death, incomplete.
Director Ridley Scott began a $3 million project to digitally recreate Reed’s likeness. His body double was filmed and then a 3D digital image of Reed’s face was embedded onto the double. The film was a box office success and critically acclaimed, with 7 Oscar nominations and 5 wins, including Best Picture.
Here’s Part 1 of the documentary “Resurrecting Proximo,” which covers the cast and crew’s reaction to the tragic loss and the technology they used to bring Proximo to life.
[Part 2] [Part 3]
The son of Bruce Lee, Brandon Lee followed in the footsteps of his father making action movies like Legacy of Rage and Showdown in Little Tokyo. At age 28, he was filming The Crow, playing Eric Draven, a man who was brutally murdered with his fiancé the night before their wedding, then brought back to life by the crow to enact his revenge.
Towards the end of the shooting schedule, they were filming a scene in which Draven is shot. “Dummy” cartridges were used for filming close-ups of the gun. When it came time for a wide shot of the shooting, the gun was loaded with blanks. No one knew that there was a dislodged bullet left in the gun from earlier shots. As they filmed the scene, Lee was shot in the abdomen and immediately rushed to the hospital. He died later from severe internal hemorrhaging.
The remaining scenes were finished using a stunt double and special effects. Though studios were wary about taking on the film, Miramax promoted it and it did well at the box office, earning over $50 million.
Here is the scene in which Brandon Lee was accidentally shot:
Educational shorts from the 1940s & 1950s are best known for being hilariously skewed portrayals of an unrealistic, ideal way of life.
Even though they’re funny on their own, the hilarious commentary by the folks at Mystery Science Theater 3000 takes the laughter to a whole new level.
Take some time to watch five choice clips.
This short focuses on the importance of good posture set in a class room where a teacher obsessively instructs four students on the importance of standing up straight for health and overall well being.
Here, young Tommy realizes that the house isn’t cleaned and maintained by magic but instead by his mother and father, by sneaking out of bed and spying on his parents. In the end, he learns to be a part of the “family team” and not be such a lazy, ungrateful child.
This short features a bizarrely unrealistic portrayal of a “happy” family who sets aside their opinions, emotions, and real selves for a “date” with the family. Note the strange relationship between Brother and Junior.
Part of the famous “Health Education Series” this short begins by brutally tearing down the appearance of an unkempt woman (horridly uneven socks, untucked blouse, and un-styled hair–what was she thinking?) and continues detailing an obsessive hygiene routine.
This how-to video teaches everything you need to know to be a fully competent public speaker who is “heard, understood, and pleasing.”
The holiday shopping season officially started last friday, and gift shopping is on everyone’s mind. With the poor economy, most people are looking to cut back on holiday spending this year. There are many affordable gift options available, but in these shaky modern times it’s good to not only give to those you love but also give a little back to others in need. Luckily there’s an abundance of websites available where your purchases benefit non-profit organizations, individuals, and even animals across the world. Here’s five websites where you can find affordable and meaningful gifts for everyone on your list.
Better World Books began with a single book drive started by three college friends and has grown into worldwide bookseller. What makes this site different is their partnership with non-profits like Books for Africa, Room to Read, and National Center for Family Literacy. Through those partnerships, they’ve made a huge impact, raising money for literacy and education through their book sales and also helping the environment.Have some extra books around? You can also help by donating your books.
As a bonus, check out this video about the history and impact of Better World Books.
New Mexico Creates is a store that features unique items by New Mexico artisans. The Museum of New Mexico Foundation Shops in four museums in New Mexico and their online store, and the purchases benefit the Museum of New Mexico and the artists who create the items.
The Animal Rescue Site sells various items and the proceeds help feed and care for the millions of unwanted animals in shelters in the US. Many of the products feature their purple paw print logos on clothing, jewelry, and even gifts for your pets. You can also select Gifts that Give More to give money for a specific purpose like caring for two rescued rabbits or feeding a US Family for five weeks–there’s over 125 ways you can help.
The organization One Laptop Per Child has launched a campaign called Give One, Get One where if you donate one to a child in a developing nation, you can also can purchase a XO laptop for yourself (or as a gift for a love one). The cost is $199 for the donated laptop and $399 for the pair
. That price is unbeatable when it comes to a laptop, and this would make the perfect gift for any child.Here is part one of their mission video. You can view part 2 here, which explains why give a laptop to a child who may not have electricity.
Giftback.com offers a variety of gifts for every occasion, and 10% of every purchase goes to a charity of your choice. You can buy gift baskets, flowers, baby gifts, or something for the special guy or gal in your life, and shop with the warm fuzzy feeling that comes with doing something good.
See Also…
5 Sites Where You Can Donate to Charities For Free With One Click
With the economy the way it is, everyone’s cutting back on the non-necessities. One of the little luxuries that has become a necessity in modern times in television. Cable and satellite prices are outrageous, and usually you’re paying for channels you don’t even watch, just to get the few that have your favorite shows. And don’t even get me started on the premium channels like HBO and Showtime.
Thankfully there are alternatives available on the internet, and there are countless websites where you can watch your favorite shows anytime day or night, for free.
I love Hulu–I’ve been using it since it launched. It has a clean, simple design and features full length episodes of many of the shows I love (The Office, The Daily Show, & Heroes) plus older TV shows (like Alfred Hitchcock Presents), and even movies. New episodes are usually posted the day after they air on TV. You can browse by popular episodes or shows, and also genre, network, and recently added shows. The site also features a queue, so you can add several episodes (or clips) and then sit back and watch them back to back without having to pull up each one separately.
Similar to Hulu, Joost features a variety of TV shows, including Adult Swim shows, How I Met Your Mother, and others. The site also features movies, and unique from Hulu, has a music section with collections of music videos by popular artists.
If there’s a specific show you like, try checking the network website. Many sites feature full streaming episodes. Some have all the episodes up all the time, other feature episodes for certain periods. Some places to check include ABC, NBC, TBS, Discover Channel, TLC, Animal Planet, VH1, & MTV.
Yes, even Youtube has full episodes of TV shows. These are usually lower quality and split up into chunks since they’re uploaded by users, but you’ll be surprised what you can find on there. I often watch Daria, The Soup, and MST3K on Youtube, and with the quicklist, I just put all the parts on there in order and it will automatically play each clip in order.
Though you can’t actually watch the episodes at Sidereel, it is the ultimate reference for finding TV (and movies) streaming online. Unless I know I can find a specific show on Hulu or Youtube, Sidereel is the first place I go to find online episodes. Just search for the show you’re interested in and you can find links to watch specific episodes online. Often there will be links to buy the episodes on iTunes or Amazon, but a lot of the time there will be links to other random sites to stream the videos.Since I live in Chicago, I was fortunate enough to be in Grant Park on Election Night 2008. In my opinion, there was no better place on earth to experience that historic night.
November 4, 2008 has to be one of the most documented dates ever, between the press coverage and the countless amount of personal audio, pictures, and video. Unfortunately, none of technologies, no matter how advanced, can truly capture the feelings of excitement, happiness, and pure hopefullness that radiated in the atmosphere of Grant Park that night.
The press coverage from Grant Park was exensive, with CNN’s constant cutaways to the growing crowd in the park and even their laughable “holograms,” but the real treasures from that night are the videos not shown on TV, those filmed by regular Americans on their cell phones and personal video cameras. Below are five memorable videos by regular citizens, capturing the reality of this legendary moment.
One of the most energetic moments of the night, this video captures the moment the election was called, including the countdown and the deafening cheers that errupted when the screen announced: “Barack Obama Elected President.”
Though this moment was fully covered by the media, I love this 2 minute amateur clip of President-Elect Obama and his family taking the stage. The shakiness of the camera may be annoying, but it captures the excitement of the moment along with the cheers of the crowd and that inspiring chant “Yes We Can.” Plus, the little intimate moments Obama shares with his family before his speech are even more touching, because the moment seems more real than simply watching the moment on CNN with pundits talking over it.
This video, by “Ben,” is a collection of images and videos from Grant Park, set to John Legend’s “Coming Home.” This video clearly depicts the night’s excitement and celibration, including spontaneous dancing and the rejoicing after the anouncement of Obama’s win.
Youtube regular johnnysmooth, posted his own account of the Grant Park Rally. This video does have a bit of a humorous tone to it (note the “paparazzi” and the “scenesters”), but it captures the massiveness of the crowd, the overwhelming emotions experience by Vanessa, and the peaceful exit of the masses from the park.
This ten minute video chronicles the entire night, to the music of Fat Boy Slim and Journey. It’s an impressive collage of footage showing the anticipation and enthusiasm of the crowd and the celebrations in the street afterwards.
And for those who’ve been in a cave for the past week, Barack Obama’s stirring acceptance speech:
ETA: Here’s a bonus video edit by a friend of mine, Arlen, which was added to Youtube yesterday. It covers his entire Election Day, including filming in Indiana for Video the Vote and ending the day in Grant Park at the rally.