R.I.P.

You might remember him from Grange Hill, but I prefer to recall him in a riveting football hooligan film(British TV film) called 'The Firm', based on 'The Inter City Firm'  of the 1980s. Great cast, with Gary Oldman as the head hooligan. Seem to remember old Benny boy getting razored by a rival gang and wandering around with a massive facial scar for the rest of the film. Anyone else remember it? Quite controversial at the time...

Ex All Black Jerry Collins killed in a car crash in France along with his wife.Very sad used to love watching him play and was a nice guy,RIP Jerry.

Alan Bond.   RIP

First bloke to take the America's Cup off the Yanks.

Got even richer, then lost it all, then ended up in prison, then...... the man led a full on life, that is for sure.

One of rugby's Mr Nice guys off the field of play and yet gave everything and hard as nails on the field. You will be missed Jerry. My si cerest condolances to his and his wifes families and friends. Jerry really was a legend.

Sad to hear about Jerry. Remember an interview with him once where he explained that after breaking his leg during his first season of pro rugby he did rehab by going back and running behind the rubbish trucks with his mates but refused to take any pay. Used to regularly back up from a canes or abs game to play club rugby for Norths the next day also. Legend who just loved to play.

RIP Jerry Collins. A great player and a salt of the earth guy. Thinking of your daughter

James Last.    RIP

An outstanding musician.

I've watched practically every hammer and similar studio films he did when I used to stay awake at night when I was little. When he was opposite his great friend Peter Cushing it was magical. Christopher Lee, Fu Manchu, Dracula, the Monster, The Mummy, Saruman, Sherlock and a host of others.

Also his Edgar Allen Poe narration on tape was second to none. The Tell Tale Heart and The Black Cat - spellbinding.

taken from the guardian, worth a read.

A shame the Grauniad did not do his obituary justice.

http://wlmager.tumblr.com/post/42350397080/christopher-lee-the-real-james-bond-i-was

“I was attached to the SAS from time to time but we are forbidden – former, present, or future – to discuss any specific operations. Let’s just say I was in Special Forces and leave it at that. People can read into that what they like.”

Christopher Lee was Ian Fleming’s cousin. Both were distantly related to Charlemagne - and Lee, in his 80s, released a heavy metal album named after his regal ancestor.

Christopher Lee has an illustrious military past. As well as fighting for the SAS (then known as the Special Operations Executive or SOE), he also volunteered to fight for Finland in the Winter War prior to WW2, during WW2 fought in North Africa, and saw the concentration camps first hand. After WW2, he spent time hunting Nazi war criminals.

It was on the set of the original Lord of the Rings trilogy that Peter Jackson and his crew were given a chilling hint of Lee’s past.

Filming a scene in Return of the King (seen only in the extended version), when Grima Wormtongue (Brad Dourif) stabs Saruman in the back on top of the tower, Christopher Lee corrected Peter Jackson on the fact that when a person is stabbed in the back of the chest, they do not scream (as the director wanted), in fact the air is pushed out of their lungs and they “groan” with an exhalation of air, very quietly, as their lungs have been punctured.

From Peter Jackson’s DVD commentary: “When I was shooting the stabbing shot with Christopher, as a director would, I was explaining to him what he should do… And he says, ‘Peter, have you ever heard the sound a man makes when he’s stabbed in the back?’ And I said, 'Um, no.’ And he says 'Well, I have, and I know what to do.’”

The crew said that they knew Christopher Lee had been in the British Royal Air Force Intelligence Service in World War Two, and they didn’t really push him for more information about how he knew in such detail exactly what noise a person makes when this is done to them.

He wouldn’t have told them anyway.

When pressed by an eager interviewer on his SAS past, he leaned forward and whispered: “Can you keep a secret?”

“Yes!” the interviewer replied, breathless with excitement.

“So can I.” replied a smiling Lee, sitting back in his chair.

Ron 'gotta pick a pocket or two' moody iconic british actor died yesterday R.I.P

Edgar Allen Poe stuff was awesome. I remember once on parkinson where he told a story of how he was driving through Spain, it was midnight and his car broke down. he saw a light in a small house a short way off and proceeded to walk to it and knock on the door, The man who answered the door let out a strangled cry and fainted. It turns out that he was watching a hammer horror on television and it was.......Dracula.  Dont know if this was fully true but I want to believe it!  R.I.P Christopher lee

:( Christopher Lee

But also today: RIP Virgill Runnels (aka Dusty Rhodes)

The man with the Golden Gun. Legendary  Actor as said, with others on here, villanous roles seemed to be his forte and so bloody good at them.

Hey forget all that Hammer stuff! Nobody has mentioned his greatest movie: " The Wicker Man ", on of the all time creepiest films and Sir Christopher is excellent in it. The ending is to be believed!

Virgil Runnels although you will know him as Dusty Rhodes

His promo for NWA as the working man is gold. 

The American Dream! RIP Dusty.

I quite liked him in The Devil Rides out. Played the good guy for a change

Stormin' Norman Berryman. At only 42, way too young. 

Two of the real characters of NZ rugby gone. 

Cracking up at this on his wikipedia page "In his most recent appearance on 19 June 2010 he came on as a substitute, scored 2 tries and then promptly vomited, all in the space of 15 minutes. Norm disputed this, saying he was merely dry-retching."

I know I will get slammed but tough luck. Berryman was a better player than Lomu - At least he could defend despite being a very big boy. He had a wonderful turn of spped which surprised many.

Dick van Patten

86 is enough

RIP

Patrick Macnee    -- The Avengers----     RIP

Dapper !!!    Even looked good in the Oasis video !!

Peel was pure sex in her day......but u youngsters would not understand !!

The ultimate cool Agent. Was good in A view to a Kill too. Paying homeage to himself basically.

Yeah. Nice geezer. A gentlemanly queen. Hit on someone I knew in Welly circa early 80's when he was here for an AirNZ promo (I think).

Chris Squire, bassist for Yes

RIP

During my younger irish family days we were coerced into listening to an irish cardigan wearing, arm chair singer called Val Doonican. Sadly his singing days have come to an end. RIP sir.

Phil Walsh - Adelaide Crows (AFL) Coach... "allegedly" murdered by his 26yr old son in a domestic dispute.

Terrible, just terrible.

The trouble is there was very little else to do on a Saturday evening. Also he was "ok". Today he'd last about 3 minutes into Paddy McGinty's Goat.

I am surprised some rapper hasnt included a few chords/vocals into a rap song yet.

However Stiff Little Fingers covered Walk Tall.

Omar Sharif

Night of the Generals, Dr Zhivago, Lawerence of Arabia

He was good in Top Secret as well.

One of Omar Sharif's favourite recollections concerned the great Sir Tom Finney. Sharif was on the reserve bench(as it was then) when the British Army played the Egyptian national team during WW2. He watched in awe as Finney destroyed the right fullback, and the Egyptians were trounced. He admitted that as the reserve fullback, he longed to go on as a replacement, but at the same time, he was sh*tting himself in case he did, because he would have to mark Finney! 

very true, paddy mcgintys goat was a classic

Clive Rice...south Africas first post apartheid skipper has died from a brain illness..RIP

Vic Firth

Drums and shark

RIP

Roddy Piper

One of the best talkers in Pro Wrestling.

Roddy Piper was in a good film called "They live" directed by john carpenter.