R.I.P. ALAN ARKIN...

You were gentle yet sinister, happy yet sad, making each performance personable and unique. 

The proof is in the pudding: The Return of Captain Invincible; Wait Until Dark; Edward Scissorhands; The Rocketeer; The Seven-Percent Solution; Gattaca; Escape from Sobibor; The Other Side of Hell; Simon; Argo; Popi; Full Moon High; Big Trouble; The Magician of Lublin; Magicians; Raising Flagg; Freebie and the Bean; Spencer Confidential; Inspector Clouseau; The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause; Noel; The Fourth Wise Man; Get Smart '08; Dumbo '19; Minions: The Rise of Gru; The Last Unicorn; The Muppets; Firewall; Thin Ice; The Change-Up; Marley and Me; Going in Style; The Kominsky Method; Eros; The Incredible Burt Wonderstone; Stand Up Guys; Joshua Then and Now; Catch-22; The Russians are Coming, the Russians are Coming; The Defection of Simas Kudirka; Jakob the Liar; The Private Lives of Pippa Lee; Woman Times Seven; Improper Channels; The Monitors; City Island; Slums of Beverly Hills; Glengarry Glen Ross; Deadhead Miles; Fire Sale; The In-Laws '79; The Pentagon Papers; North; Hearts of the West (aka Hollywood Cowboy); Bad Medicine; Grudge Match; Grosse Point Blank; Havana; Indian Summer; Rendition; Mother Night; So I Married an Axe Murderer; Little Murders; Million Dollar Arm; Coupe de Ville; Picture Windows; Jerky Boys: The Movie; Enter Laughing; Steal Big Steal Little; Little Miss Sunshine; Sunshine Cleaning; Last of the Red Hot Lovers; America's Sweethearts; Thirteen Conversations About One Thing; Chu Chu and the Philly Flash; Rafferty and the Gold Dust Twins; And Starring Poncho Villa as Himself.

However, my favorite of your portrayals remains that of Mr. John Singer in The Heart is a Lonely Hunter. Without uttering a word, you emoted loud and clear, expressing empathy and concern in the throes of a difficult world.

You were also a skilled singer, as heard in Calypso Heat Wave; a deft director, as shown by Samuel Beckett is Coming, and a prolific writer, with such titles as Out of My Mind and An Impoverished Life under your belt. Heck, you even contributed to Galaxy Magazine. 

You were one of my all-time favorites, Mr. Arkin, a man I looked up to and favored. No matter the role, no matter the intent, you did it all with merit and ease, and for that, I (and your many fans) will always regard you with unbounded respect.   

Time Travel Time: I saw Indy V...

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, directed by James (The Wolverine/Logan) Mangold (who cowrote with David Koepp and Jezz and John Henry Butterworth), is the fifth, theatrical chapter for seasoned adventurer. I'll say this, it's got its heart in the right place, but at the end of the day, it's at best and most an energetic mixed bag. 

The content commences with a hefty end-of-WWII prelude (with another actor sporting Harrison Ford's digitalized face), where Indy tangles with Nazis who are after The Spear of Longinus (that which pierced Christ), but instead come upon a half of The Dial of Destiny (aka The Antikythera Mechanism). The intricate device was constructed by Greek mathematician, Archimedes, who imbued it with the calculating ability to locate fissures in time that allow one to pass through and alter the course of history (a plot element similar to The Flash's and the continuing Marvel Avengers queue, though in this instance it rolls more like H.G. Wells, flavored by a Siege of Syracuse twist; hint hint). 

After the prologue, we bounce to 1969 (the time of The Lunar Landing) and find a weary, almost-retired Indy conducting a class when, lo and behold, his relic-robbing goddaughter, Helena Shaw, played by Phoebe Waller Bridge, recruits him to locate The Dial's other half. This agitating turn leads to a heap of bickering between the two, but at least good ol' Antonia Banderas intervenes as salty diver Renaldo, along with the magnificent Mads Mikkelsen (who also appears in the prologue) as the villainous Jurgen Voller, a (fictional) scientist who ushered the moon mission. Voller wishes to make The Dial whole again with a little help from his henchmen friends, led by Agent Klaber, played with cut-and-dry curtness by Boyd Holbrook. 

The overriding problem with Dial is not Bridge (who's a solid enough actress) but Shaw. To the character's benefit, she does display some fetching spunk (i.e. Willie Scott-spun diversions), but she's far too crooked to sustain cheers throughout the sojourn. And to those who may claim I'm objecting to her for being "a strong woman," I'd like to point out that I'm admirer of many strong, cinematic females, in particular Lara Croft. Alas, Shaw throws matters asunder with too much know-it-all distractions and far worse, a misunderstanding of her goals. (For one, she degrades capitalism yet seeks extreme wealth. For another, she aligns herself with others, but doesn't shed a tear when a compatriot falls.)

And for the record, I don't mind Indy being old (shoot, Sean Connery's Henry Jones was "old" and still got it on with Alison Doody's Elsa Schneider), but I don't like him waddling around like some disoriented place holder, which he often does. Okay, in all fairness, this aged Indy isn't all that bad, and yes, he does rise to the occasion by landing punches, riding a horse through NYC and even deals with eels (for all intents, underwater snakes), but watching him do so kinda smarts. In other words, one can't help but wince when he leaps into action, and that blunts the fantasy's believability, and even the most fanciful fantasies require more than a suspension of disbelief. (Consider sturdy Sly Stallone in Tulsa King.) 

This is supposed to be the last, Harrison Ford Indy movie, and I guess it's a decent enough sendoff, but if this is the end, does that mean that Shaw now carries the torch? Does that mean (contrary to Kathleen Kennedy's claim) that Chris Pratt (or Tom Hardy, Ryan Gosling, Sam Worthington or maybe, just maybe, Ford lookalike, Anthony Ingruber) will play a spry Indy in prequels with straight-shooting stories like long-time admirers desire, or will this chapter's time-travel gimmick jumble it all about, so that it lands up who-knows-where? (DC and Marvel look out!) Hey, I've no idea. I guess this is just another case in point where time (ahem) will tell.  

SO LONG, NICOLAS COSTER...

Your life was abundant and varied (with a marriage to Carnival of Soul's gorgeous Candace Hilligoss, no less), distinguished by Broadway jaunts and performances that touched adventure, mystery, romance, comedy and horror. 

Among your television stints, there's Buck Rogers in the 25th Century; Wonder Woman; Star Trek: The Next Generation, T.J. Hooker and The Facts of Life. You were also a staple on soap operas, including Young Doctor Malone, The Secret Storm, Somerset, All My Children, One Life to Live, Santa Barbara, Another World, Our Private World and As the World Turns. 

For your feature queue, there's The Last Exorcist; The Deep Ones; The Black Shield of Falsworth; Incident at Dark River; By Dawn's Early Light; Titanic '53; Sea of Lost Ships; The Eternal Sea; Desert Rats; My Blood Runs Cold; The Outcast; City of Shadows; Ebony, Ivory & Jade; MacArthur; All the President's Men; The Sporting Club; The Big Fix; The Concorde: Airport '79; A Fire in the Sky '78; Goldengirl; The Electric Horseman; The Hunter; Why Would I Lie?, Stir Crazy; The Solitary Man; Slow Dancing in the Big City; Just You and Me, Kid; Little Darlings; 1776; Reds; Race; Blood Type; Plot 7; Natural Selection; Flower Girl; A Winter Rose; Betsy's Wedding; Love Happens; Big Business; How I Got Into College; Beverly Hills Madame; The Day the Bubble Burst; Full Circle; Cold Turkey; Chemical Cut; Princess Daisy; The Pursuit of D.B. Cooper; The Dukes of Hazzard: Hazzard in Hollywood; M.A.D.D.: Mothers Against Drunk Drivers; and more. 

Your diligence kept you active, Mr. Coster, and your ardent work paid off, leaving an artistic lineage that's so vast, so prolific--so worthy of envy--that it leaves the competition in the distant, expressive dust. 

GOODBYE, JULIAN SANDS...

Your final hours remain cloaked in mystery and for the longest while, we hoped beyond hope. The confirmation of your departure seemed inevitable, but it still hurts like hell. 

Your legacy, however, prevails, with many outstanding performances, some tender, some nefarious: Warlock; Warlock II: The Armageddon; Phantom of the Opera '98; Tale of a Vampire; Death Rider in the House of Vampires; Arachnophobia; Gothic; Red Rose; Naked Lunch; Boxing Helena; Romasanta: The Werewolf Hunt; Extraordinary Tales; The Escape; The Haunted Airman; Ghosts of Borley Rectory; The Ghosts of Monday; Stormy Monday; The Turn of the Screw '92; Dark Kingdom: The Dragon King; Stargate: The Ark of Truth; Vibes; Beyond Sherwood; The Painted Bird; Girl With the Dragon Tattoo '11; Cat City; A Room With a View; The Killing Fields; Ocean's Thirteen; The Sun Also Shines at Night; Blood and Bone; Crooked House; Harem; Hotel; The Browning Version; Suspension of Disbelief; Witch Hunt; Oxford Blues; Marple: Toward Zero; Romance on the Orient; The Loss of Sexual Innocence; Leaving Las Vegas; Internal Affairs; One Night Stand; Cold Creek Manor; Timecode; Mr. Jones; Impromptu; Easy Six; Benediction; Seneca--On the Creation of Earthquakes; All Things to All Men; Siesta; Vatel; Manika; Hirokin; Mercy; Unknown Heart; The Chosen; Yeh Ballet; Husband and Lovers; Mario and the Magician; Jackie Chan's The Medallion, not to mention your vocalization of Valmont on the animated Jackie Chan Adventures, as well your unfailing participation on 24 (as Vladimir Bierko), Banshee (as Yulish Rabitov), Dexter (as Miles Castner) and Smallville (as Jor-El).

Your style and sophistication never waned, and as such, you were a consistent beacon of interest. no matter the characterization, no matter the theme.  

You had so much yet to give, Mr. Sands, and yet your prestige and evident creativity remains unremitting. You were, and will continue to be, one of the best. 

FAREWELL, FREDERIC FORREST...

You were refined, ferocious and compassionate, sharing intrinsic portrayals that left haunting impressions.

The indubitable evidence exists in Apocalypse Now; The Conversation; One From the Heart; The Two Jakes; The Missouri Breaks; Lonesome Dove; When Legends Die; The Deliberate Stranger; Falling Down; Permission to Kill; Right to Kill?; The Don is Dead; Die Kinder; The Gravy Train; Saigon: Year of the Cat; Cat Chaser; Chasers; Point Blank '98; Quo Vadis? '85;  Adventures of Huckleberry Finn '86; Gotham '88; Lassie '94; All the King's Men '06; The Spreading Ground; Return; Militia; Alone; Little Girl Lost; Valley Girl; The Stone Boy; Boogie Boy; Music Box; Precious Victims; Double Obsession; Against the Wall; Black Thunder; Rain Without Thunder; One Night Stand; The First 91/2 Weeks; Shadow Lake; Sweetwater; A Piece of Eden; Double Jeopardy; One of Our Own; The End of Violence; Hidden Fears; $weep$takes; Whatever; Valentino Returns; The Quality of Light; The Rose; The Filthy Five; Futz!; 21 Jump Street (the original); Path to War; Hammett; Citizen Cohn; Ruby and Oswald; Tucker: A Man and His Dream; and perhaps your crowning achievement, the touching and tender, Larry.  

Fright fans appreciate you above all for your roles in Larry Cohen's It's Alive II (aka It Lives Again), one of those rare sequels that rivals the original, and Dario Argento's gruesome and vengeful Trauma. (And for those in the macabre know, you even secured an uncredited stint as a Blue Whale patron in Dan Curtis' perennial Dark Shadows.)

You were often applauded, but too often unsung, Mr. Forrest. Even so, with each varied role, whether traveling a dusty trail, investigating in a smoky room, immersed in a nail-biting escapade or heightening a carefree jaunt, you made it all work: the perpetual personification of a pinnacle performer.