More RIPs

Maximilian Schell (1930-2014), aged 83 - Born in Vienna (his birthday was the day after mine, December 8) actor, writer, director Schell, brother of actress Maria, burst on the international scene with JUDGEMENT AT NUREMBURG winning him the Best Actor Oscar in 1961. Follow-up movies included THE CONDEMNED OF ALTONA, TOPKAPI, RETURN FROM THE ASHES, JULIA, THE MAN IN THE GLASS BOOTH, trash classics like POPE JOAN (Trash label), DEEP IMPACT, and of course war movies like CROSS OF IRON. His 1984 fiilm on Dietrich, MARLENE, is a fascinating curiosity too, as is his 1970 directing debut FIRST LOVE (which I am seeing again soon) from Turgenev, with the eclectic casting of John Moulder Brown, Dominique Sanda, Dandy Nichols, Richard Warwick, and writer John Osborne. A fascinating career then, from THE YOUNG LIONS in 1958 onward.

Christopher Jones (1941-2014) aged 72, had an odd career, but was the new hot American dude of the late '60s, the Zac Efron of his era? with those AIP classics WILD IN THE STREETS and THREE IN THE ATTIC (Jones label) which caught the hippie era perfectly. David Lean's overblown RYAN'S DAUGHTER did not do much for him, nor the John Le Carre THE LOOKING GLASS WAR. It seems he was badly affected by the Manson murders as he had known Sharone Tate ... the reclusive would-be James Dean left the movies after that. 

• Miklos Jansco (1921-2014), aged 92, prolific Hungarian director who had that international hit with THE ROUND-UP in 1966, with those complex camera movements; as well as titles like AGNUS DEI, THE RED AND THE WHITE, SILENCE AND CRY. I saw his 1970 THE PACIFIST with Monica Vitti, at a London Film Festival then. 

Philip Seymour Hoffman (1967-2014), aged 46. We were shocked by this latest news, another of the leading actors of his generation gone too soon. Stage and screen actor Hoffman would surely have gone on to yet more successes, like his best actor win for CAPOTE. Ever since BOOGIE NIGHTS in 1997 and MAGNOLIA, THE TALENTER MR RIPLEY where he was a splendid Freddie, as well as roles in COLD MOUNTAIN, PUNCH DRUNK LOVE, THE BIG LEBOWSKI and BEFORE THE DEVIL KNOWS YOU'RE DEAD (waiting in my pendping pile). DOUBT, and THE MASTER. Several of his last roles are still to be released. I will be looking at his CAPOTE again soon, I really wanted Heath Ledger (for BBM)  to win that year, how odd they are both gone now, and from overdoses ...