Two Stars Shine Bright in the Heavens

By now, I am sure many of you have already heard that legendary rock star David Bowie passed away on January 10^th, 2016. What you may not yet have heard is that iconic British actor Alan Rickman passed away earlier today.

It is a tough week for lovers of the arts, and both men will surely be remembered for their lasting impact on the film industry. Though Bowie will firstly be thought of as a dynamic rock legend, he also created memorable characters in classic films such as Labyrinth, The Man Who Fell To Earth, The Hunger, Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence and The Prestige (this gives you a sampling of his work). To further illustrate his lasting impact, his music was used countless times to improve movie and television soundtracks. His songs played vital roles in motion pictures – a list of them would takes hours to compile. Yet, from memory, I can fondly recall a song like ‘Golden Years’ adding a perfect tone to the unusual mix of history and rock that comes together in A Knight’s Tale or Gale Boetticher singing ‘Major Tom’ in Breaking Bad. His song ‘Under Pressure’ fit nicely into the tapestry of the John Cusack film Grosse Pointe Blank. Similarly, his tune ‘Heroes’ has played a part in many a film, including the entertaining underdog sports story The Replacements. I am sure each of you will recall and cherish the characters he created and the songs he made unforgettable over the coming months and years.

Further above, a photo of David Bowie from Labyrinth. Directly above, a photo of Alan Rickman as Severus Snape in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. Both men died this week at the age of 69.

In Alan Rickman, we have lost one of the most memorable voices in the industry. He was able to play any character, but was especially skilled at bringing villains to life. For many young readers, his take on Severus Snape in the Harry Potter franchise will come to mind, but for most, they will immediately recall how he perfectly encapsulated the 1980s action villain as Hans Gruber in Die Hard. If you are interested in reminiscing, use the search bar at the top of the screen to search his name and it will bring you to two of his best motion pictures, Die Hard and Love Actually. Also, check back over the next several months as I will be posting reviews of some of these two legend’s films. It is clear that the world has lost two iconic figures. I leave you with a reworked lyric from Bowie’s ‘Starman’, or more fittingly ‘Starmen’: There’s starmen waiting in the sky; They’d like to come and meet us; But they’re sure they’d blow our minds!