RAY HARRYHAUSEN

Ray Harryhausen, a nice man, legend of creative, hand-made, non-digital special effects in movies, died. Age 92. He learned from Willis O'Brien, and added art, humor, and warmth to his mentor's visual inventions. Low-cost, humanly imperfect, Ray's effects made the films accessible to kids and adult audiences in way that perfect photo-realism can never do....

Now that film, film pioneers, and hand-hewn story-telling are virtually extinct, it is sad, but fitting, that Ray goes on to have fun in imperfect Heaven. He leaves new scientific technology to more greedy, less talented, and certainly less charming Hollywood feature videogame entrepreneurs.

A BOULDER OF MUSIC

George Jones died.  He did not pass away.  Anyone who has ever been emotionally moved by carefully-crafted modern country pop music, should listen to his old-fashioned truthful albums.  His songs are shot from his heart into your ears, without dilution by producers, managers, marketeers, or public image ego.

George Jones lived a tortured self-destructive life, but instead of physically killing others or himself, he turned his love and pain into intimate art that he shared courageously with anyone who would listen.  His singing style was not manufactured to win screaming concert fans, or to sell 100 albums he recorded.....Everything in George Jones' songs - his traumatic voice, unequaled precise phrasing, brilliant succinct poetry lyrics - was straight from his soul.  It was not entertainment.  A life was at stake.

ANOTHER ARTIST GONE

LES BLANK, one of the greatest documentary film directors, just died....We are losing so many heroes of cinema !

Born 1935 in Florida, Les Blank graduated Tulane University (BA, English literature; MFA, theatre), Ph.D. film program at USC, and five years freelancing in Los Angeles. To finance his own films, Blank made industrial films from 1967-1972.

MRS. THATCHER

On one hand, we have so few leaders who have strong convictions, who look stunning and unforgettable, who are women in power.... On the other hand, she did so many things that hurt her country, her citizens, Argentina, and ultimately, indirectly, America....       It is not nice to speak ill of those recently deceased, because     their loved ones and many strangers grieve for them, and     because we know we will soon be next. Yet some leaders, consciously, whether misguided or not, made wrong decisions,

TONY CURTIS

Tony Curtis was the Hollywood guest super-star in a silly movie, "Brainwaves" (by one of the most prolific bad directors who had

artistic potential, but no integrity or humor). Tony was paid a lot to simply show up for a day,