George A. Romero, Martin Landau Both Died This Weekend (variety.com) 53
This weekend the world lost two familiar faces from the world of fantasy, horror and science fiction films -- director George A. Romero and actor Martin Landau. An anonymous reader writes: Bronx-born director Romero started his career with a segment for Mister Rogers' Neighborhood about tonsilectomies, but is best remembered for his influential zombie movies Night of the Living Dead (1968), Dawn of the Dead (1978), Day of the Dead (1985), and Land of the Dead (2005), as well as the 1982 horror film Creepshow (written by Stephen King). In 1998 Romero also directed a zombie-themed ad for Resident Evil 2, and later even wrote a rejected script for the first Resident Evil movie. In 2004 Romero began work on a zombie video game City of the Dead, which was ultimately never finished. Romero appears as himself in the zombie section of Call of Duty: Black Ops, and in 2014 Marvel comics launched Empire of the Dead, a 15-issue title written by Romero.
Martin Landau began his career playing a gunfighter in the third episode of The Twilight Zone, and a time-travelling astronaut in the sixth episode of The Outer Limits. Soon he was starring as master of disguise Rollin Hand on Mission: Impossible -- which ran from 1966 to 1973 -- and on Space: 1999, which ran from 1975 to 1977. At the age of 66 Landau finally won an Oscar for his portrayal of Bela Lugosi in Tim Burton's 1994 film Ed Wood. In 2012 Landau also provided the voice of the science teacher in Burton's Frankenweenie, and had an uncredited role in the director's 1999 movie Sleepy Hollow as one of the early victims of the headless horseman. Landau was also in the 1998 X-Files movie (playing the doctor who tips off Mulder that there's something suspicious in the morgue).
Slashdot reader schwit1 remembers that Landau began his career playing a sadistic henchman in Alfred Hitchcock's North by Northwest (who appears in the climactic final scene on Mt. Rushmore) -- and that Landau famously turned down the role of Mr. Spock on Star Trek.
Martin Landau began his career playing a gunfighter in the third episode of The Twilight Zone, and a time-travelling astronaut in the sixth episode of The Outer Limits. Soon he was starring as master of disguise Rollin Hand on Mission: Impossible -- which ran from 1966 to 1973 -- and on Space: 1999, which ran from 1975 to 1977. At the age of 66 Landau finally won an Oscar for his portrayal of Bela Lugosi in Tim Burton's 1994 film Ed Wood. In 2012 Landau also provided the voice of the science teacher in Burton's Frankenweenie, and had an uncredited role in the director's 1999 movie Sleepy Hollow as one of the early victims of the headless horseman. Landau was also in the 1998 X-Files movie (playing the doctor who tips off Mulder that there's something suspicious in the morgue).
Slashdot reader schwit1 remembers that Landau began his career playing a sadistic henchman in Alfred Hitchcock's North by Northwest (who appears in the climactic final scene on Mt. Rushmore) -- and that Landau famously turned down the role of Mr. Spock on Star Trek.
Rest In Peace (Score:5, Funny)
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Which is it? (Score:2)
"Martin Landau began his career playing a gunfighter in the third episode of The Twilight Zone, ..."
"... Landau began his career playing a sadistic henchman in Alfred Hitchcock's North by Northwest"
To be fair, both of these were in 1959. And North By Northwest is probably my favorite movie, so I may be a bit biased here, but - that role may have been just a tad higher profile than a gunfighter who's casting on a fledgling TV show doesn't even rate a mention in the Wikipedia synopsis of the episode.
In any ca
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My favorite of Landau's roles was as Judah Rosenthal in Woody Allen's Crimes and Misdemeanors. The way he sort of backs into having his mistressed murdered is just jaw dropping, and I've always viewed that as a window of how people can turn to evil by simply rationalizing the evil act, repeating its necessity enough times until they've convinced themselves that somehow they're doing it for the greater good. It really is a masterful performance and one of my favorite Woody Allen films.
Good disguise! [Re:Which is it?] (Score:2)
Soon he was starring as master of disguise Rollin Hand on Mission: Impossible -- which ran from 1966 to 1973 -- and on Space: 1999...
Wow, I had no idea he played master of disguise Rolin Hand on Space:1999.
That really was some good disguise!
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Come on, it was all explained very clearly in the show. Quoting here from season two's intro:
"To escape from his enemies... Rolin Hand did away with the real Commander Koenig, then engineered the "accidental" explosion which tore Earth's moon out of orbit and hurled it into outer space."
Brain Auto-Truncate (Score:1)
Brain Auto-Truncated as: George...R ...Martin...Died This Weekend
Bricks were shat.
Space 1999 (Score:5, Informative)
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Huh? There was.
Re:Wish there had been a second season (Score:4, Insightful)
Last set of panels [xkcd.com].
That should give you an idea how it was meant.
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Science Fiction != Science Fact (Score:2)
Hopefully not your defining understanding of physics
If you are watching science fiction to improve your understanding of physics you are doing something very, very wrong. Space 1999 was the very first science fiction show I can remember watching as a kid (shortly followed by Thunderbirds) and I'm now a physics professor. Yes looking back at them now the physics was appallingly bad at times but I'm sure they played a role in sparking my interest in science fact.
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Dragon's Domain. That is all.
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If that's the one with the derelict ships with monsters in them... that suck people in... damn... it was childhood nightmare fuel.
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Yup.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/... [wikipedia.org]
I'm convinced that the writers of Galaxy Quest had this in mind when Guy says, "Did you guys ever WATCH the show?"
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There was also that guy in Detroit who developed the cost-saving measure of only putting half of a vinyl top on cars.
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Originally named after Landau Germany.
George Romero dead? (Score:2, Funny)
Not yet. Ya gotta shoot 'im in the head.
I hear George begins directing new movie next week (Score:4, Funny)
nt
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How will cancer get cured, if you interrupt your work to post on /. all the time?
How can you not mention Space:1999? (Score:2)
Clearly his best and most memorable role! :)
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An A-rab and a women. Will oppression of white males never cease!
R.I.P Mr Romero (Score:2)
North by Northwest (Score:2)
From the post:
Landau began his career playing a sadistic henchman in Alfred Hitchcock's North by Northwest
And from IMDB [imdb.com]: .
At age 19, [Romero] worked briefly as a page-boy on the set of North by Northwest
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Martin Landau and George Romero also both have a Bacon Number of 2.
AND
Martin Landau and George Romero also have a connection distance of 2 to each other.
Misread as George R. R. Martin (Score:2)
Rest in peace to the deceased, and I am sorry to their families.
But don't you EVER scare me like that again.
As Dr Bergman would toast... (Score:2)
"Here's to everything that was."
Entourage (Score:2)
I most remember him from his recent role in entourage! Is that something you'd be interested in? Haha
By Dawn's Early Light (Score:2)
By Dawn's Early Light is still one of my favorite movies Landau was in. It is such a great sleeper title with a great allstar cast.
Martin Landau
James Earl Jones
Powers Boothe
Rebecca de Mornay
Rip Torn
Darren McGavin
I think I'm going to have to watch it tonight.
Rounders (Score:2)
--Landau was memorable in Rounders.