Director of the mystical road movie Vanishing Point
Vanishing Point was one of a crop of existential road movies in the early 1970s – the others included Two-Lane Blacktop and Electra Glide in Blue – which quickly gained cult status. Its director, Richard C Sarafian, who has died aged 83, never made another film that struck such a resounding chord with audiences, countercultural or otherwise. No matter: the appeal of Vanishing Point was enduring enough to make him a noted, even influential, figure. Quentin Tarantino thanked Sarafian in the closing credits of his own four-wheeled thriller, Death Proof (2007), and the Scottish band Primal Scream signalled their admiration for Vanishing Point by naming a 1997 album after the movie. "It's always been a favourite of the band," said the singer Bobby Gillespie. "We love the air of paranoia and speed-freak righteousness."
This 1971 film concerns the Vietnam veteran Kowalski (played by Barry Newman after the studio overruled Sarafian's first choice,...
Vanishing Point was one of a crop of existential road movies in the early 1970s – the others included Two-Lane Blacktop and Electra Glide in Blue – which quickly gained cult status. Its director, Richard C Sarafian, who has died aged 83, never made another film that struck such a resounding chord with audiences, countercultural or otherwise. No matter: the appeal of Vanishing Point was enduring enough to make him a noted, even influential, figure. Quentin Tarantino thanked Sarafian in the closing credits of his own four-wheeled thriller, Death Proof (2007), and the Scottish band Primal Scream signalled their admiration for Vanishing Point by naming a 1997 album after the movie. "It's always been a favourite of the band," said the singer Bobby Gillespie. "We love the air of paranoia and speed-freak righteousness."
This 1971 film concerns the Vietnam veteran Kowalski (played by Barry Newman after the studio overruled Sarafian's first choice,...
- 9/20/2013
- by Ryan Gilbey
- The Guardian - Film News
"I'd hate to die young and never have made Grapes of Wrath. Life goes by so fast...I just don't want to miss out on anything." Jon-Erik Hexum Jon-Erik Hexum (he was advised to drop the 'C' in favour of a 'K' as it looked much stronger,) and used to go by the name of Jack; was born November 5 1957 in Englewood, New Jersey. He was 6' 1", and of Norweigan/Icelandic descent. His parents Gretha and Thorleif Hexum separated when he was 5. He had an older brother, Gunnar. The two were raised by their mother, who held down two jobs. Though they couldn't afford to, his mother also bought him a piano. As a child, Jon-Erik took violin, singing and dancing lessons, also playing the baritone horn and was very eager to play Flight of the Bumble Bee after only one lesson on the piano. His interests included writing, cinema, football,...
- 11/8/2011
- by mhasan@corp.popstar.com (Mila Hasan)
- PopStar
November 5, 1957 - October 18, 1984
October 18, 1984. "A day that will live in infamy." At least in my mind — and a bunch of other gay boys of a certain age.
This Sunday marks the 25th anniversary of the death of mega-hunk, Jon-Erik Hexum.
The event can only be described as tragic — a hot, young, rising star accidentally shoots himself with a prop gun while on the set of his latest TV show. My best friend and I were devastated when we learned of the tragedy. At the time, neither of us knew the other was gay (remember, this was the '80s and we were kids). Yet for a brief moment, we let down our guard to lament the horrible tragedy: How could someone so young and talented (not to mention handsome) be gone forever?
Over two decades later I would include the incident in my debut novel, Band Fags!
“Oh, my God…...
October 18, 1984. "A day that will live in infamy." At least in my mind — and a bunch of other gay boys of a certain age.
This Sunday marks the 25th anniversary of the death of mega-hunk, Jon-Erik Hexum.
The event can only be described as tragic — a hot, young, rising star accidentally shoots himself with a prop gun while on the set of his latest TV show. My best friend and I were devastated when we learned of the tragedy. At the time, neither of us knew the other was gay (remember, this was the '80s and we were kids). Yet for a brief moment, we let down our guard to lament the horrible tragedy: How could someone so young and talented (not to mention handsome) be gone forever?
Over two decades later I would include the incident in my debut novel, Band Fags!
“Oh, my God…...
- 10/16/2009
- by franQ
- The Backlot
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