Patrick Swayze Dies At Age 57

Welcome back to The Expressionist Magazine

I think the closing scene of Dirty Dancing says it best, when describing the life of Patrick Swayze.. “I had the time of my life.”  Today, at the age of 57, acclaimed actor Patrick Swayze surcome to pancreatic cancer; passing away quietly at his home with his wife and family by his side. He lived life doing what he loved and had so much fun doing it.

Patrick was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer almost two years ago.  The actor bravely fought for a cure, while fighting for his life, never once giving in to the disease that was ravaging his body.  Swayze in the last few months of life looked frail and sickly but his heart was full of strength and will.

This is not the first time this disease has taken out an actor of his caliber, just look at Michael Landon.  Swayze’s best and most recognized roles include Dirty Dancing (Johnny Castle), and Ghost (Sam Malone).  Swayze was currently working on a television series “The Beast.”  According to A&E this series had a respective 1.3 million viewers during the short 1 year of publication before being pulled.  Swayze remarkably went through the series without pain killers because they would affect his performance.  Swayze was also putting together a memoir of his life with his wife; look for that to hit stores in the future.

We will all miss this great actor, and wish his family our best in a time of tragedy.

David Carradine Dead

David is best known for his television role as Kwai Chang Caine of the popular 70s karate drama “Kung Fu”, which reincarnated in 1992 as “Kung Fu, The Legend Continues.”  David also had many other televison appearances to his name that span almost three decades. Probably his most notable silver screen appearance was in Kill Bill, David played Bill “The Snake Charmer.”  If you haven’t seen that insanely popular movie, I know you’ve seen him on the Yellowbook.com commercial.

Sadly, the Kung Fu actor was found dead in a hotel in Thailand on June 4th.  He apparently hung himself in a closet, naked, and oddly enough other parts of his body were tied together too.

Thai police call it suicide, but many are asking more questions into how valid that assumption is.  How could Carradine hang himself, when his legs and hands were bound also.  The pieces are not adding up, which many are overriding the suicide claim calling it murder.

His death shocks the world, his manager Chuck Binder goes on record to say “He was full of life, always wanting to work… a great person.”  Something that doesn’t sound like someone who is suicidal.

Despite acting, David also is a notable artist, musician, composer, and musical performer… oh yea he also sculpts.  An artist in many fields, its a sad day for all the arts.

He is survived by his wife, Annie Bierman, and three children including actresses Calista and Kansas. He was 72 years old.

Television Loses Some Legends

These past two weeks have proven costly for the small screen as two of television’s legends passed away, starting April 25th when we lost comedienne Bea Arthur and then on May 5th when we lost Dom DeLuise.

Bea Arthur:  We all remember her as Dorothy from the “Golden Girls.” Arthur played the  tall school teacher who took in her pesky mother Sophia when she left the Shady Acres Nursing Home.  She moved into Blanche’s home in Miami and became one of her best friends and roommates.  Dorothy was always the brunt of  jokes due to her lack of dating, but her character was always the dependable, sound one of the group who gave wisdom and guidance through all the tough times.  The original series ended when Dorothy married Blanche’s uncle played by Leslie Neilsen. Arthur died at the age of 85 from cancer.

 

Dom DeLuise:  DeLuise was a lovable character on and off television.  He struggled with his weight all his life but he loved food which made him a great cook, thus producing top selling cookbooks throughout the years.  He also appeared on his own cooking show in the 80s that made him a household name.  DeLuise, however, played in more than just television; he starred in a number of movies including Blazing Saddles. The cause of his death is unknown. The family is not leaking out the actual cause of death, but we do know he battled cancer for almost a year.  He died at the age of 75.

 

The Expressionist gives our condolences to the families of these wonderful actors, and realize that television will never be the same again.

Lindsay Lohan- A Look At A Positive Career

The last few years have been filled with celebrity gossip and tabloid headlines, and Lindsay Lohan has had her share of them. Unfortunately, for this young actress she’s given them so much to work with in terms of her lesbianism, drug filled binges, rehab stays, and rebellious behavior. Lohan is a tabloid cash cow. What we tend to forget is what a wonderful career Lohan has and the great movies that she has given us to watch.

You’d think someone with a tarnished good girl reputation would produce somewhat tasteless movies. Instead, Lohan has twice worked with Disney on projects such as Herby the Love Bug and the Parent Trap remakes. Both of these movies are family friendly and entertaining to watch. Parent Trap, a movie that made Haley Mills famous in the 60s, made Lohan famous in the 90s. She played a well kept pre-debutant child from England and her rough Californian tomboy twin sister from America. They meet at camp and decided to switch lives so they can see their other parent they never met. The girls decide they would rekindle their parents’ love for each other and get them back together again. Lohan was spectacular in this family film and is still fun to watch even to this day. It will make you laugh, cry and will show you the true innocence of this young lady.

Then there is Herby the Love Bug, another big hit for Disney throughout the 60s and 70s, which Lohan revived in 2005. She played the owner of the car that she got from a second hand dealer. The car was in disarray, but she put love and effort into reviving it. Later, Lohan’s character finds out the car has a mind of its own.  Herby is then entered into a race and easily wins, bringing it back into a legacy. Lohan reviving this movie was wonderful for the younger generation because it brought back a lovable character we grew up with and introduced it to a new generation. That inspired this generation to go back and watch the original Herby movies, bringing the old car back to life again.

Lohan has also done some movies that expose issues most teenagers face in school today, such as with the movie Mean Girls. This movie is about popular girls who think they are better than everyone else.  Mean Girls also points out what this kind of cold hearted person does to others and how senseless this kind of behavior is. In the end, Lohan’s character rebels and turns against the “cool crowd,” who she once had wanted to be accepted by.  Parents should watch this to see what kind of peer pressure their children face in school and how popularity becomes an obsession as well as a health risk. What extent would your child go to be accepted?  

Sure, Lohan’s behavior has been less than desirable. She has shown true lack of responsibility and almost became the character she portrayed in Mean Girls. Nonetheless, she has had a wonderful career and has made movies that will impact our lives and our children’s lives. Her actions could be used by parents to show our children what not to do and why you shouldn’t idolize or make a celebrity a hero. So there is a positive to the tabloids after all. If Lohan cleans up her act and takes life more seriously, I am sure without a doubt, her acting career will soar to the sky. We, as Americans and human beings, should try to encourage Lohan to do the right thing and help her in a time of need, instead of plastering her across the tabloids to sell papers. Really, does that make us any better than her? I think not.

John Travolta’s Tragedy

John Travolta has probably in some way touched your life, either through his comedy or dramas on the silver screen.  His career started in the mid 70s with his musical hit “Grease.”  Some other major performances from Travolta include “Saturday Night Fever, Look Who’s Talking 1-3, Pulp Fiction, and Faceoff,” just to name a few.

He has been a positive impact in Hollywood on and off the big screen; that’s why it’s so tough to hear about his son Jett Travolta’s death.  Nobody should ever lose a child, and its worse when you are well known because the world forever reminds you of the loss.  You’ll see it in magazine posts, celebrity television shows, you name it. It’s harder for a celebrity to grieve and put things to rest, so it’s our job to allow him to do so.

We are saddened by the Travolta family’s loss and wish them all the best.  We hope this tragedy heals soon and encourage all those out there, despite the fact it is news, to be respectful for the mourning family.  The Expressionist gives our deepest condolences to this man who will forever be in Americans’ hearts.