Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Son of Birthday Suits

Celebrating the cinematic personalities born on 11/24. Even if you're not cinematic, you're probably a personality. Wish yourself a happy one in the comments. There's no way there's been no Scorpios (or now) Saggitarians reading. Speak up when it's your big day!

Garret, Shirley and 'Izzy'

1913 Geraldine Fitzgerald actress (Wuthering Heights, The Mango Tree, Rachel Rachel)
1942 Billy Connolly, comedian, actor, 'Mr. Brown' (he who was beloved by Judi Dench) and 'Barry' (he who was poisoned by Michelle Pfeiffer)
1949 Manuel De Sica composer (The Garden of the Fitzi Continis), Son of Vittorio
1954 Emir Kusturica two-time Cannes winning Serbian filmmaker behind Underground & When Father Was Away on Business (Oscar nominee)
1964 Garret Dillahunt, terrific actor who has lately specialized in the skin-crawlingly creepy (The Road, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles) and the endearingly pathetic (No Country For Old Men and The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford) but a blog post to whoever can tell me what the hell movie that photo is from up top!?!
1965 Shirley Henderson helium voiced actress, who billions will recognize as "Moaning Myrtle" but she's been quite memorable in some films like Topsy Turvy, Yes and Miss Pettigrew...
1977 Colin Hanks, Son of Tom
1978 Katherine Heigl "difficult" actress... though sometimes that's code word for "won't suffer fools". The difficult ones are sometimes well regarded after the fact (see: Bette Davis) but that's not until the dust settles. Think Katherine is burning too many bridges or just warming up her inner screen fire?

And finally today is the 93rd anniversary of the birth of Irwin Allen, multihyphenate "master of disaster". He's the 70s force behind The Towering Inferno, The Poseidon Adventure and less heralded TV films with wonderfully literal titles like "Fire!" and "Flood!".

Roland Emmerich is not his direct descendant, biologically speaking, but you're forgiven if you assumed so. The 2012 director is also fond of staging epic disasters and end of civilization scenarios (The Day After Tomorrow, 10,000 BC, Independence Day). Who saw and loved that Palin 2012 spoof on SNL? You have to laugh or you'll be too terrified to go on living.

8 comments:

fanshawe said...

That's Garret Dillahunt in Beastwizard VII, a film starring one of his characters in Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (episode: The Mousetrap). Here is a link:

http://www.garret-dillahunt.net/television/terminator-the-sarah-connor-chronicles/2x03-the-mousetrap/

And no blog post, thanks. Mentioning the Beastwizard as often as possible feels more like a public service. It is one of the world's great injustices that so few people are unaware of him.

NATHANIEL R said...

@fanshawe -- is that anything like The Beastmaster? Like a spinoff of that cheesy must-see 80s movie? And there are SEVEN? of these movies? Or was this something played by his actor character pre Terminator transformation. wait i should know this already argh. my memory my memory.

I love Dillahunt.

Catherine said...

Oh, Geraldine Fitzgerald. Whenever I hear your name I can't help but stiffle a giggle, because the first thing I always think of is your thankless role of Ann in Dark Victory. I've been a Bette devotee since I was a wee girl, but I just cannot get on board the Dark Victory train - that film is HILARIOUS. My sister and I always re-enact the ridiculous "Prognosis negative" scene.

adelutza said...

Emir Kusturica is almost unknown in US, which is a shame because his films are always something special. Underground, Black Cat, White Cat, Time of the Gypsies are all masterpieces and Arizona Dream - which is on my list of top 50 films - even has Johnny Depp in it and people still don't see it.
Usually the music in his films is made by Goran Bregovic, which is a treat in itself.
I highly recommend any of his films.

fanshawe said...

@Nathaniel

Beastwizard VII was just mentioned in passing (with a couple of clips from the movie) as the crown achievement of the actor whose identity a Terminator stole. The actor was killed by the Terminator and blamed posthumously for the robot's misdeeds because they looked the same.

Yeah, it was a nod to both The Beastmaster and Arnie's Conan.

Andy said...

Katherine Heigl is not a "difficult" actress at all. She is an intelligent woman who has an opinion and is not afraid to share it. She is never malicious but thankfully doesn't subscribe to the Hollywood stereotype that actress should just look pretty and not be heard.

MrW said...

I'd throw in fine French actor Alain Chabat (*1958), who almost stole 'Science of Sleep'.

Glenn said...

Ooh I get it now. Dillahunt wasn't actually in a movie called "Beastwizard VII" but his character from the Sarah Connor Chronicles was.