RIP continues ....

Haskell Wexler (1922-2015), aged  93. Cinematographer Haskell Wexler photographed some great movies such as WHO'S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF? in 1966, and directed MEDIUM COOL in 1969, an essential '60s film, about a TV news reporter who finds himself right in the middle of the late '60s zeitgeist, in particular the 1968 Democratic convention in Chicago. His other 80 credits include: early '60s items like ANGEL BABY, THE HOODLUM PRIEST, Kazan's AMERICA AMERICA, THE BEST MAN, IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT, THE THOMAS CROWN AFFAIR (he could do glamour as well as grit), ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST, and more, and had been working until recently. 

Vilmos Zsigmond (1930-2016), aged 85. Four time Academy Award nominee Vilmos Zsigmond, who won the award as director of photography for CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND, had left his native Hungary after the Russian invasion in 1956 and started his career in Hollywood (after a couple of shorts in his native country) photographing low budget exploitation films, eventually working up to projects like Robert Altman's McCABE & MRS MILLER  and THE LONG GOODBYE, giving them his distinctive look, Brian DePalma kept him busy with that favourite of mine OBSESSION, and  BLOW-OUT, and he lensed Michael Cimino's THE DEER HUNTER. and HEAVEN'S GATE, plus Rydell's THE ROSE and Boorman's DELIVERANCE Another essential 1970s Director of Photography then, and according to IMDB he had several projects lined up for 2016.

Robert Stigwood (1934-2016) aged 81. Australian music mogul who quickly realised the cross-over power of pop, film and theatre as he dominated the 1960s and 1970s music scene, managing groups lke Cream, The Who, The Bee-Gees, and behind films like SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER, TOMMY and GREASE. A rare flop for him was SGT PEPPER'S LONELY HEARTS CLUB BAND, which nobody wanted to see. He also managed Eric Clapton for a long time. The "flamboyant" Stigwood never married and lived his last years in seclusion, but was certainly one of the music biz's major names and lived the high life with all those yachts and parties ...