FAREWELL, SAM NEILL

The Jurassic franchise became your identified brand and banner, but as broad and potent as the series is (and as iconic as your Alan Grant will remain), you shined beyond it. 

 

My favorite of your roles is Damien Thorn in The Omen III: The Final Conflict. Your slick, commanding demeanor was so right for the cloaked Antichrist. 

Then there's your best all-around performance in the abstract, horror picture, Possession, where your wide, emotional swings complemented Isabelle Adjani's to a frightful and unshakable tee. 

You were also great in Peaky Blinders; And Then There Were None; The Hunt for Red October; Hunt for the Wilderpeople; The Hunter; Attack Force Z; Event Horizon, In the Mouth of Madness; Merlin; Dead Calm; Snow White: A Tale of Terror; Bicentennial Man; The Portable Door; Thor: Ragnarok and Thor: Love and Thunder (in cool, "Odin" cameos); Scary Girl; Daisy Quokka: World's Scariest Animal; Peter Rabbit; Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway; The Fox; Perfect Strangers; My Brilliant Career; Bring Him to Me; Restoration; Zookeeper; Sirens; Death in Brunswick; The Umbrella Woman; The Jungle Book 1994; Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole; The Dragon Pearl; The Adventurer: The Curse of the Midas Box; Enigma; Evil Angels; Landfall; Sleeping Dogs; Dirty Deeds; Under the Mountain; Irresistible; Yes; The Journalist, A Long Way Down; Just Out of Reach; Backtrack; Blackbird; Palm Beach; The Blood of Others; Robbery Under Arms; Gallipoli 2005; The Commuter; Little Fish; Plenty; Ride Like a Girl; The Country Girls; Sweet Country; Far From A Country: Pope John Paul II; For Love Alone; La revolution francaise; Wimbledon; Angel; Dean Spanley; Shadow of China; Rams; The Assassin Club; Leap of (Question of) Faith; and Molokai: The Story of Father Damien. (You'll also grace the upcoming Monsterverse epic, Godzilla x Kong: Supernova.) 

You were, in essence, ubiquitous, which is an admirable position for an actor, and one that makes your passing hard to accept, Mr. Neill. Nevertheless, your vast body of work will always keep us entertained, proving time and again that, when it comes to your prestigious profession, it's obvious why you stood out from the pack.

WISE WORDS:

 

COLLECTIBLE TIME: HALLMARK MILLY ALCOCK SUPERGIRL & KRYPTO KEEPSAKE ORNAMENTS

 

Even though Craig Gillespie's Supergirl has fizzled at the box office (and in the process, caused quite an impassioned rift between DC camps), collectibles on the movie were produced in high hopes of its release, including two Hallmark Keepsake ornaments. 

One, of course, represents Milly Alcock's Kara Zor-El, sculpted with delicate grace by Iman Zadrozny. In this instance, our celebrated, Argo City citizen is seen ascending, with fists pressed to her hips. Her cape carries significant, streamlined detail, in particular from the back.

Supergirl measures 3.5" x 4.25" x 2.25" and is accentuated by her iconic costume. As such, the classic, color scheme has no choice but to grab one's attention.

In addition to Supergirl, there's Krypto, sculpted to the super-cute tee by Gregor Benedetti. The figure measures 1.5" x 2.5" x 3.5" and shows our rambunctious canine in his red cape and bearing an inquisitive (one-ear-up) expression.

Both pieces are companions to Hallmark's 2025 David Corenswet, Superman ornament, seen below.

For devoted, DC/Superman/Super-Family collectors, the trio should hold sentimental significance, despite Supergirl's underperformance. For those who wish to obtain the set, all three are available online, with Supergirl having entered release for Hallmark's July 2026 premiere and Krypto available for preorder for Hallmark's October, grand-finale spree.

Visit the main Hallmark site or your neighborhood, Hallmark Gold Crown shop to learn more.

https://www.hallmark.com/ornaments/keepsake-ornaments/

FOR THE FUN OF IT:

 

SO LONG, RANDOLPH MANTOOTH

You became pop-cultural royalty in the 1970s, thanks to your portrayal of firefighter John Cage (partner and pal of Kevin Tighe's Roy DeSoto) on Jack Webb/Robert A. Cinader's Emergency!

Emergency! wasn't only a primetime hit; it made its way into Saturday-morning animation as Emergency +4, where it secured yet another level of fandom, supported by comics, action figures, lunch boxes, puzzles and games. 

Though Emergency! may be your main claim to fame, you covered an impressive stretch of melodramatic ground, having guest starred on Webb's Sierra and Adam 12; Go!; Charlie's Angels; Walker, Texas Ranger; Fantasy Island; China Beach; Promised Land; MacGyver; Baywatch; Dallas; L.A. Law; ER; JAG; Under Cover; Criminal Minds; Ghost Whisperer; The Fall Guy; Diagnosis: Murder; Murder, She Wrote; Sons of Anarchy; Schoolbreak Special; and in two miniseries, Taylor Caldwell's Testimony of Two Men and John Jake's The Seekers (as the lead, Abraham Kent). You can also be found in the movies Fire Serpent; White Cobra Express; Scream of the Bikini; Bold Native; Agent Red; Killer Holiday; Before the Storm; and He Was a Quiet Man. 

The soap-opera scene also benefitted from your talents, as you covered General Hospital, One Life to Live, Loving, The City and As the World Turns. 

Although these accomplishments are impressive, those on the inside appreciated your continued involvement in promoting the virtues of firefighting and paramedic practices, where you shined the light on the exemplary services that such professionals bring. 

When all is said and done, you were the epitome of a stand-up guy, Mr. Mantooth, one with substantial skill and a perpetual propensity to do good. That stands for something that few can boast of, but you dealt it all with humble dignity and endless, selfless care. 

TERRIFIC TEAM-UP IMAGE: SPIDEY & GOLBIN

 

HEAR YE, HEAR YE!: MR. LOBO & CINEMA INSOMNIA'S 25TH & RETRO CON 2026

Here's a special announcement regarding MR. LOBO, RETRO CON 2026 and CINEMA INSOMNIA's 25 years of presenting the creme de la creme in misunderstood movies: 

Our old friend Mr. Lobo returns for Retro Con 2026! The always well-dressed ambassador of B-movies, forgotten gems, and cinematic oddities is ready to prove once again that there are no bad movies- just misunderstood ones!

For 25 years, Mr. Lobo has proudly championed the weird world of cult cinema as the host of Cinema Insomnia, the nationally syndicated late-night movie show that's been entertaining sleepless horror fans and B-movie lovers since 2001. Today the show airs on 66 television stations and streams on Roku via Mr. Lobo's OSI 74 channel, proving that sometimes insomnia pays off!

Mr. Lobo has also brought his unique brand of movie madness to Cinemassacre, Angry Video Game Nerd, Hack the Movies, Movie Dumpster, Coast to Coast AM, Creature Features, and MST3K bonus features. He's appeared in films such as Plan 9 (2016), American Scary, Spirit Riser, Pizza Guy 8, A Blind Bargain with Crispin Glover, and multiple Troma productions. He was also spoofed in an episode of 'Scooby-Doo Mystery Incorporated', and was a featured part of cutscenes in the recent Angry Video Game Nerd 8-Bit game!

Come celebrate 25 years of Cinema Insomnia, meet the man behind the motto "They're Not Bad Movies- Just Misunderstood!", and stick around for a special panel he has planned for Retro Con!

Find Mr. Lobo on Twitch at twitch.tv/cinemainsomnia