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Athol Fugard, primarily one of the greatest of all South African playwrights (Václav Havel is his closest equivalent in combining artistic merit with astonishing political bravery), but he also played a small acting role in Gandhi and Gavin Hood’s film Tsotsi was adapted from his work.

MichaelB wrote: Sun Mar 09, 2025 6:54 pm Athol Fugard, primarily one of the greatest of all South African playwrights (Václav Havel is his closest equivalent in combining artistic merit with astonishing political bravery), but he also played a small acting role in Gandhi and Gavin Hood’s film Tsotsi was adapted from his work.

Thanks. Hadn't heard. Legendary playwright. R.I.P.

Italian actress Eleonora Giorgi who appeared in Damiano Damiani's A Man on His Knees. She
apparently passed away on March 3rd.

https://www.ilmessaggero.it/persone/ele ... 65149.html

She's also the friend Sara who accidentally intercepts the letter for Mark from his sister near the beginning of Argento's Inferno, gets a Suspiria-style taxi ride and eventually a death scene that kind of homages the Irving August section of The Seventh Victim. She's also the lead in nunsploitation film Story of a Cloistered Nun (NSFW!)

I'm most curious about her lead role in Liliana Cavani's Beyond The Door together with Marcello Mastroianni, Michel Piccoli and Tom Berenger(!). Or starring in Bulgakov adaptation Heart of a Dog with Max Von Sydow and directed by Variety Lights co-director Alberto Lattuada!

Critic and forum member David Ehrenstein, per social media

hearthesilence wrote: Wed Mar 12, 2025 9:31 pm Critic and forum member David Ehrenstein, per social media

I'm very sorry to hear that. He was a big presence initially on the auteurist-themed a_film_by yahoo group in the early 2000s before he came to this forum briefly as that group waned. He has not been posting here at the forum for a long while but had been very active in commenting over at David Cairns' Shadowplay blog, which I think he moved across to from here around 2008 or so. When I was looking into Cairns' upcoming Three Musketeer's documentary by going to his blog a few weeks ago I was surprised to not see one of Mr Ehrenstein's comments there, and had started to worry.

RIP to one of our own

Ehrenstein was a fierce, passionate critic with a unique and irreplaceable perspective, always worth reading. It's true of any death really, but felt more acutely for artists and critics: with him goes a way of seeing. Among other things, Ehrenstein's raves spurred me to seek out Jean-Claude Guiguet, a great and still undervalued filmmaker. (And it is a damn shame that none of Guiguet's films have arrived on Blu-ray in time for Ehrenstein to pen liner notes.) His thoughts and comments on cinema will be missed.

A nice way to remember him is to peruse the many insightful writings he did for Criterion, gathered here. It’s startling that his first essay went all the way back to 1986. An amazing legacy.

https://www.criterion.com/current/autho ... ehrenstein

Belgian actress Émilie Dequenne dead at 43 from a rare cancer. She won the Best Actress award at Cannes for her performance in Rosetta, her debut film role, and since then appeared in films directed by, among others, Catherine Corsini, André Téchiné, Joachim Lafosse, and Lukas Dhont. I assume some board members saw her relatively recently in Albert Dupontel's Au revoir là-haut and Emmanuel Mouret's Les choses qu'on dit, les choses qu'on fait.

Damn, RIP. She was the best part of Mouret’s film

brundlefly wrote: Thu Mar 13, 2025 8:47 pm Sofia Gubaidulina

One of the great composers of the last half century. Her work is stunning.

Never Cursed wrote: Sun Mar 16, 2025 11:06 pm Belgian actress Émilie Dequenne dead at 43 from a rare cancer. She won the Best Actress award at Cannes for her performance in Rosetta, her debut film role, and since then appeared in films directed by, among others, Catherine Corsini, André Téchiné, Joachim Lafosse, and Lukas Dhont. I assume some board members saw her relatively recently in Albert Dupontel's Au revoir là-haut and Emmanuel Mouret's Les choses qu'on dit, les choses qu'on fait.

This is very upsetting news to say the least. She was a wonderful actress who had a very varied career.

I'd like to highlight two lesser known films which illustrate Emilie's versatility and should be added onto anyones watch list who would like to explore more of her work. Lucas Belvaux's Chez nous (2015) & Gilles Legardinier's Complètement cramé! (2023) which is such a lovely film with beautiful performances from Emilie, John Malkovich, Fanny Ardant & Philippe Bas.

Aunt Peg wrote: Mon Mar 17, 2025 3:14 am

Never Cursed wrote: Sun Mar 16, 2025 11:06 pm Belgian actress Émilie Dequenne dead at 43 from a rare cancer. She won the Best Actress award at Cannes for her performance in Rosetta, her debut film role, and since then appeared in films directed by, among others, Catherine Corsini, André Téchiné, Joachim Lafosse, and Lukas Dhont. I assume some board members saw her relatively recently in Albert Dupontel's Au revoir là-haut and Emmanuel Mouret's Les choses qu'on dit, les choses qu'on fait.

This is very upsetting news to say the least. She was a wonderful actress who had a very varied career.

I'd like to highlight two lesser known films which illustrate Emilie's versatility and should be added onto anyones watch list who would like to explore more of her work. Lucas Belvaux's Chez nous (2015) & Gilles Legardinier's Complètement cramé! (2023) which is such a lovely film with beautiful performances from Emilie, John Malkovich, Fanny Ardant & Philippe Bas.

Yes, an actress of steady, grounded excellence. She was brilliant in Lafosse's Our Children, a pretty showy role, but equally fine doing support work in Close.

And she was also the female lead (or co-lead with Monica Bellucci) in Christophe Gans' Brotherhood of the Wolf, which was her second film after Rosetta.

It looks as if we missed Diane Langton back on 22nd January. I only just noticed this as episodes of On The Buses spin-off comedy series The Rag Trade are currently showing on the "That's 3" TV channel. Only a few film roles in mid-1970s bawdy comedies as they turned into sex comedies, with the biggest pair being Gladys Armitage in Eskimo Nell and in Confessions of a Pop Performer. Though she provides a couple of high points in one of the last in the Carry On series, 1976's Carry On England!

She does also briefly turn up in Peter Greenaway's The Cook, The Thief, His Wife and Her Lover, as the wife of Ian Dury's character.

David Steven Cohen, animation and television writer and producer, at age 58 due to to cancer. Perhaps best-known as a head writer for Courage the Cowardly Dog, he actually started in sitcoms before getting into animation on shows like Steven Spielberg's Tiny Toon Adventures and later wrote for The Wubbulous World of Dr. Seuss, Arthur and Peg+Cat.

Wings Hauser

Time to throw on Tough Guys Don't Dance

He’s genuinely incredible as the villain in Vice Squad. So good at playing sleeze.

Champagne & Bullets (or any of its 17 or so other names) is one of the best worst movies I've ever seen. I also liked him in his small role in The Insider.

therewillbeblus wrote: Thu Mar 20, 2025 5:42 pm Wings Hauser

Time to throw on Tough Guys Don't Dance

Ah, shit! The epitome of the 'outlaw actor' tag. Always an entertainingly disruptive presence. I think there's a new interview with him on Vinegar Syndrome's recent disc of The Carpenter, so he was still active in some way.