Dear Kevin -- Only 476 potential production days until the 400th anniversary of Will Shakespeares death in 1616. Two weeks ago -- December 28th, 2014 -- saw another anniversary. The 30th since the untimely death of filmmaker Sam Peckinpah in 1984 at the age of only 59. Hard to believe three decades have passed. In truth, Sam looked 80. But then, having managed to pour 80 years through the 59 he was given, that should come as no surprise. Mark Twain once wrote: “Thunder is good; thunder is impressive. But it is lightning that does the work.” Sam flashed across our lives like lightning and his best work will live forever. A true visionary, he had that capacity to stare unblinking into the fire and capture on film the truth he found there. At the close of the revised edition of the book I wrote on Sam — PECKINPAH: A Portrait in Montage (Limelight / Amadeus) — I wrote: On December 28, 1984, in Los Angeles, California, Sam Peckinpah died. Some said too soon, others not soon enough. The cause of death was listed as heart failure. Which has to be a lie. For of all the things in life that failed him, it could never have been his heart.” Without question, I still stand by those words today. And so let us raise a glass to Sam’s memory and to honest unflinching filmmaking. Attached as in all my previous posts on this site is the short :45 second video for Poet, Player, Lover, Spy -- a Portrait of William Shakespeare as a Young Dog. Hopefully, after reading this, you will take the time to view the video and then contact Larry Becsey at IPG to request a copy. I promise that you will not regret the time it will take you to read it. Until tomorrow -- All the best, Garner (garnersimmons)
Posted on: Sun, 11 Jan 2015 15:47:06 +0000
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