GODSPEED, JOEL SCHUMACHER...

You had a vast and varied directorial career, ranging from the dark and sinister to the bold and bright.

You orchestrated the flashy (and controversial) "Batman Forever" and "Batman and Robin," along with "The Lost Boys", "Flatliners '90", "Blood Creek", "The Incredible Shrinking Woman" and the film adaptation of Andrew Lloyd Weber's "Phantom of the Opera", not to mention your superb screenplay for Sydney Lumet's spin on "The Wiz". 

However, your cinematic know-how didn't end there, as you also gave us such harried thrillers as "The Number 23"; "Phone Booth"; "Tigerland"; "Trespass"; "8MM"; "A Time to Kill", "The Client" and that melodramatic, cult classic, "Falling Down".

You were you're own man, Mr. Schulmacher, never afraid to do things your own way, regardless of what anyone thought. There's no doubt you had more yet to give, but for the daring exhibitions you did leave us, we'll be forever in your debt.