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Post by Polarice on Aug 11, 2014 18:19:06 GMT -5
CBCApparent suicide....hung himself I guess. I'm shocked....he was a very funny man!! RIP
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Post by Disgruntled70sHab on Aug 11, 2014 18:37:48 GMT -5
He made a lot of people laugh, including me ... far too early an exit ... he made a huge difference and you do not simply replace people like him ... RIP
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Post by franko on Aug 11, 2014 19:21:18 GMT -5
peace . . . missing in a (lately) tortured life . . . a sad way to leave the tumults of life and find rest. may it be his.
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Post by blny on Aug 11, 2014 20:53:30 GMT -5
It's truly sad, and remarkable, how many comedians are tortured souls. Robin was not without his demons (alcohol, cocaine). He was always a bit manic, but genuinely seemed to be a kind-hearted person.
Adrian Cronauer: Gooooooooood-byyyyyyye Vietnaaaaam! That's right, I'm history... I'm outta here. I got the lucky ticket home, baby. Rollin, rollin, rollin'... keep them wagons rollin', rawhide! Yeah, that's right... the final Adrian Cronauer broadcast... and this one is brought to you by our friends at the Pentagon. Remember the people who brought you Korea? That's right, the U.S. Army. If it's being done correctly, here or abroad, it's probably not being done by the Army.
[imitating officer]
Adrian Cronauer: I heard that.
[as himself]
Adrian Cronauer: Oh, you're here... good to see ya.
[imitates officer again]
Adrian Cronauer: I'm here to make sure you don't say anything controversial.
[as himself]
Adrian Cronauer: Speaking of things controversial, is it true that there is a marijuana problem here in Vietnam?
[as officer]
Adrian Cronauer: No, it's not a problem, everybody has it.
[as Leo]
Adrian Cronauer: I don't know, Adrian.
[as himself]
Adrian Cronauer: Leo! Leo!
[as Leo]
Adrian Cronauer: Adrian, take care of yourself. I just want you to know one thing... if you're going to be dressing in civilian clothes, don't forget pumps.
[as himself]
Adrian Cronauer: Thank you Leo... thanks for these. Oh, these are special.
[as Leo]
Adrian Cronauer: They're ruby slippers, Adrian. Put these on and say 'there's no place like home', 'there's no place like home' and you can be there.
[as himself]
Adrian Cronauer: I hope... I hope we all could.
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Post by Cranky on Aug 12, 2014 2:21:40 GMT -5
The top of my list as a comedian. What I liked a lot about him is that he wasn't too political or basing his comedy on racism.
RIP.
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Post by Cranky on Aug 12, 2014 2:23:24 GMT -5
We would probably say....
"f@ck it. I don't have to make hairballs jokes anymore"
.....and as I wrote this....I'm thinking........why him and not one of the endless parades of scum that make all the headlines?
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Post by BadCompany on Aug 12, 2014 7:30:41 GMT -5
A comedic genius for sure, but an underrated dramatic actor as well. Rest in peace.
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Post by Polarice on Aug 12, 2014 8:20:53 GMT -5
A comedic genius for sure, but an underrated dramatic actor as well. Rest in peace. Some of my favorite movies of his were dramas.....What dreams may come, Good will hunting, Dead poet's etc.. |
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Post by blny on Aug 12, 2014 10:07:16 GMT -5
He was fantastic in GWH. Stole every scene he was in.
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Post by Disgruntled70sHab on Aug 12, 2014 10:35:08 GMT -5
A comedic genius for sure, but an underrated dramatic actor as well. Rest in peace. GWH was probably my favourite movie of his ... he won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for that role and he was nominated for two additional Oscars ... a huge talent and a loss on many different levels ... Cheers. |
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Post by Doc Holliday on Aug 12, 2014 12:30:17 GMT -5
So many great movies.... hard to pick a favorite... Good Will Hunting is certainly a classic among classics but The Fisher King and Dead Poet Society are definitely up there for me as well.
Simply amazing how broad his acting talent was, he could do anything.
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Post by franko on Aug 12, 2014 12:40:52 GMT -5
the fact that you never knew what you would get from him made him one of the best.
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Post by Disgruntled70sHab on Aug 12, 2014 13:21:24 GMT -5
the fact that you never knew what you would get from him made him one of the best. I'm trying to find the quote now, but Carson once said about having Williams on his show, "... the best way is to sit back and let him go ..." Amen |
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Post by franko on Aug 12, 2014 13:25:44 GMT -5
the fact that you never knew what you would get from him made him one of the best. I'm trying to find the quote now, but Carson once said about having Williams on his show, "... the best way is to sit back and let him go ..." Amen heard an interview about that this morning. they'd start out by asking him a question and he'd just go . . . hard to follow and all of a sudden you're back where you started, it all made sense, and he'd have answered the question . . . it just took five minutes to get there [five minutes of laughing, I imagine]. |
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Post by CentreHice on Aug 12, 2014 13:42:58 GMT -5
Allow me, a former stand-up, a bit of cold water.
He was a superb talent--a comedy sponge with a mind like a steel trap. And he used it to his advantage on his way up. There's a saying in the profession--"First one to TV wins."
He was disparaged by many of his fellow comics for thievery. When he was making everyone laugh on Carson, for example, he had been in comedy clubs a few nights before...stealing current material from working comics. When he'd walk into a club at that time, many comics would abandon their acts and start just talking to the audience (spritzing). He admitted doing this and paid if called on it. Doesn't make it right completely, as those comics could no longer use their own material, but at least they received compensation.
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Post by franko on Aug 12, 2014 14:00:06 GMT -5
true, CH . . . but he isn't the only one to do so.
and sometimes it works out for the "borrower" (I love that term) and sometimes it doesn't.
happens even in my "business" (though our core audience normally won't notice that what is said isn't original with us).
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Post by blny on Aug 12, 2014 14:33:29 GMT -5
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Post by Disgruntled70sHab on Aug 12, 2014 14:36:46 GMT -5
Still in disbelief over this ... WHAMO! ... seems the world was caught off guard ... have been looking up some notes on Robin Williams ... found some interesting findings about him on IMDB.com: Trade Mark (7)
Wild improvised stream-of-consciousness comedy dialogue where he will do cultural references, impersonations and one-liners with rapid switching.
Unique skill at imitating voices
Frequently plays offbeat and eccentric characters
Frequently plays fathers or family men
Often plays characters lacking in self-awareness
Often plays men who have suffered a trauma or loss
Often plays characters with mental instability and/or a deep capacity for violence (One Hour Photo, Insomnia) |
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Post by Disgruntled70sHab on Aug 12, 2014 14:40:59 GMT -5
A very nice tribute, BLNY ... Cheers. |
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Post by Skilly on Aug 12, 2014 16:10:47 GMT -5
Still in disbelief over this ... WHAMO! ... seems the world was caught off guard ... have been looking up some notes on Robin Williams ... found some interesting findings about him on IMDB.com: Trade Mark (7)
Wild improvised stream-of-consciousness comedy dialogue where he will do cultural references, impersonations and one-liners with rapid switching.
Unique skill at imitating voices
Frequently plays offbeat and eccentric characters
Frequently plays fathers or family men
Often plays characters lacking in self-awareness
Often plays men who have suffered a trauma or loss
Often plays characters with mental instability and/or a deep capacity for violence (One Hour Photo, Insomnia)I found that almost all his characters, save maybe one or two, were the same ... (Jim Carey, and Steve Martin I have the same knock against) .... But Williams seemed to be able to pull it off, to make you forget those other similar characters he played. The funniest skit I've seen of his, is a stand up routine where he discusses the invention of the game of golf .... I just about piss my pants every time watching it |
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Post by franko on Aug 12, 2014 16:26:42 GMT -5
nsfw
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Post by CentreHice on Aug 12, 2014 16:27:09 GMT -5
true, CH . . . but he isn't the only one to do so. Doesn't make it right no matter who does it. They're taking away your bread and butter with no conscience about it. The funny thing is that Williams was talented enough that he didn't have to steal jokes. He still would've risen to the top. All part of his insecurity, no doubt. Respect among the community falls when thievery occurs. But the public doesn't care. Hence the phrase: First one to TV wins. |
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Post by Disgruntled70sHab on Aug 12, 2014 16:55:35 GMT -5
Still in disbelief over this ... WHAMO! ... seems the world was caught off guard ... have been looking up some notes on Robin Williams ... found some interesting findings about him on IMDB.com: Trade Mark (7)
Wild improvised stream-of-consciousness comedy dialogue where he will do cultural references, impersonations and one-liners with rapid switching.
Unique skill at imitating voices
Frequently plays offbeat and eccentric characters
Frequently plays fathers or family men
Often plays characters lacking in self-awareness
Often plays men who have suffered a trauma or loss
Often plays characters with mental instability and/or a deep capacity for violence (One Hour Photo, Insomnia)I found that almost all his characters, save maybe one or two, were the same ... (Jim Carey, and Steve Martin I have the same knock against) .... But Williams seemed to be able to pull it off, to make you forget those other similar characters he played. The funniest skit I've seen of his, is a stand up routine where he discusses the invention of the game of golf .... I just about piss my pants every time watching it and Mrs Doubtfire were good movies ... fun ... keep coming back to Good Will Hunting ... any of his standup routines are brilliant ... what a talent ... can't remember where I first read it, but he had ADHD ... not that it hurt him at all ... Cheers. |
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Post by CentreHice on Aug 12, 2014 17:54:14 GMT -5
Many performers have ADHD. Rick Green (The Frantics, Prisoners of Gravity, History Bites) has done much to illuminate the topic--discussing not only his own experience, but bringing in experts to talk about how it can be treated and managed to beneficial outcomes.
His PBS special "ADHD And Loving It" is a good watch.
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Post by seventeen on Aug 12, 2014 18:15:31 GMT -5
I heard a documentary on radio, where it was shown Don Adams (Get Smart) had stolen material from another comic (a well known guy, but I can't recall his name) and it seems he had a bad habit of doing that. I didn't realize Williams had the same flaw.
He really was manic and might be classed as a comic genius. Depression and other mental illnesses seem to follow geniuses around. It seems like there's a fine line between amazing creativity and going bonkers and Williams seems to have walked that line a lot. Too many voices in your head? With most of us, it's our own thoughts bouncing around up there, but I wonder, with expecially bright and creative people, if it isn't a number of thoughts voicing themselves and overwhelming them. In the interviews that I saw of Robin Williams, (nothing really recent), he didn't really look happy or content. Too many demons I guess. They're gone now.
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Post by Cranky on Aug 13, 2014 3:50:02 GMT -5
Allow me, a former stand-up, a bit of cold water. He was a superb talent--a comedy sponge with a mind like a steel trap. And he used it to his advantage on his way up. There's a saying in the profession--"First one to TV wins." He was disparaged by many of his fellow comics for thievery. When he was making everyone laugh on Carson, for example, he had been in comedy clubs a few nights before...stealing current material from working comics. When he'd walk into a club at that time, many comics would abandon their acts and start just talking to the audience (spritzing). He admitted doing this and paid if called on it. Doesn't make it right completely, as those comics could no longer use their own material, but at least they received compensation. I read what you wrote and did a little more research. I don't find what Wiliams did as funny. This cuts pretty deep with me because over the decades, I made my money by developing bleeding edge technology....only to have big companies steal it from me. This took a bit of the the shine from the Williams glow. |
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Post by jkr on Aug 13, 2014 6:49:18 GMT -5
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Post by Disgruntled70sHab on Aug 13, 2014 10:35:08 GMT -5
It's been my experience that pilfering or plagiarizing is most rampant wherever there are opportunities for recognition ... it's pretty much at every level, too ... going into a meeting only to hear your ideas/concepts tabled by someone you were talking to only minutes later ... finding your work on a colleague's paper ... or finding out that Tom Hanks' character, Forrest Gump, is not totally his own creation ... According to this reference, Gump's mannerisms were created by his brother, Jim: In 1995 "A Current Affair" revealed that Tom Hanks had created the mannerisms for the character of Forrest Gump in the film of the same name based upon the simpleton mannerisms earlier created by Jim for the role of Jeeter in 1993 ... including Forrest's "now-famous jerky run".Hanks is getting credit for his brother's work and he received an Oscar for the role, no less ... Is this what Hanks will be remembered for ... I don't think so ... still, it's not his material ... it also makes me ask, how common a practice is it for entertainers to pilfer material ... there are even allegations that Elvis Presley stole some of the music he performed. ... I'll try to find a better reference later but I once read that some of Elvis' music was pirated from Chet Atkins ... yet people don't focus on that (probably because many don't know of it) ... they tend to remember Presley as "The King" ... I'm thinking a lot of folks don't know about this side of Mr Williams, but it will be interesting to see if some network decides to run with it ... I suspect it would be more about scandal, ratings and revenues than it would be about Williams, himself ... Cheers. |
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Post by Polarice on Aug 13, 2014 11:01:27 GMT -5
It's been my experience that pilfering or plagiarizing is most rampant wherever there are opportunities for recognition ... it's pretty much at every level, too ... going into a meeting only to hear your ideas/concepts tabled by someone you were talking to only minutes later ... finding your work on a colleague's paper ... or finding out that Tom Hanks' character, Forrest Gump, is not totally his own creation ... According to this reference, Gump's mannerisms were created by his brother, Jim: In 1995 "A Current Affair" revealed that Tom Hanks had created the mannerisms for the character of Forrest Gump in the film of the same name based upon the simpleton mannerisms earlier created by Jim for the role of Jeeter in 1993 ... including Forrest's "now-famous jerky run".Hanks is getting credit for his brother's work and he received an Oscar for the role, no less ... Is this what Hanks will be remembered for ... I don't think so ... still, it's not his material ... it also makes me ask, how common a practice is it for entertainers to pilfer material ... there are even allegations that Elvis Presley stole some of the music he performed. ... I'll try to find a better reference later but I once read that some of Elvis' music was pirated from Chet Atkins ... yet people don't focus on that (probably because many don't know of it) ... they tend to remember Presley as "The King" ... I'm thinking a lot of folks don't know about this side of Mr Williams, but it will be interesting to see if some network decides to run with it ... I suspect it would be more about scandal, ratings and revenues than it would be about Williams, himself ... Cheers. Lots of comics "borrow" from other comics, Jeff Foxworthy with his red neck routines, Tim Allen when he did stand up before he got his show. The list goes on and on. It's so common that most comics will only practice their routines in small underground clubs. |
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Post by Disgruntled70sHab on Aug 13, 2014 11:56:06 GMT -5
I've never worked the entertainment business, CH, though the friends I have in the industry (mostly locally-established live musicians) who pretty much talk and feel the same way you do about pilfering ... I don't blame you guys for that and I think that's just part of being a professional ... that said, though, I always used a bit of entertainment when teaching classes ... a lot of it was from my own personality and experiences, but I also used some approaches I saw on the tube while growing up ... it pissed off a few of my more education-should-be-teacher-centered peers, but at the same time I almost always got the students' attention and respect (I have many former students on my Facebook list) ... in turn, that equated to improved results and I have a few people to thank for that ... true, CH . . . but he isn't the only one to do so. Doesn't make it right no matter who does it ... All part of his insecurity, no doubt. No, it's not right, more so when it happens to us, personally ... in fact, it often hurts when it's someone we actually know (and used to respect) ... I'm wondering if some of his traits aren't the result of his adult ADHD ... from what I researched, insecurity is a big part of that ... however, it could be as simple as, if it made Williams laugh then it must have been good enough for him to use ... not saying it's right, by any means, I'm saying that I really don't know one way or the other ... I referred to this before, but I wonder if the public actually knows about this side of Mr Williams ... still, even if it were widely known, I suspect the hype would just fall off by the wayside after a certain amount of time ... I find people often have short memories when it comes to bringing down their heroes ... Cheers. |
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