RIP Brittany Murphy 1977 - 2009

Brittany Murphy, aged 32, passed away due to a cardiac arrest this past Sunday morning. Even though I hadn't seen much of this actress since 2005's "Sin City", she did have a role in the newest Sylvester Stallone action flick "The Expendables". And who could forget her career-making role as Tai in "Clueless". . . or, if you're a "King of the Hill" fan, she was the voice of the Luanne character for the entire run of that show. No details as of yet as to what might have brought on the cardiac arrest. Remember Brittany Murphy at her IMDB page where you can see all of her past and upcoming film work.

Samuel L. Jackson is Next

That's not a threat by the way. It's just an educated guess, a hypothesis if you will. Bernie Mac passed away on Saturday. Isaac Hayes met his untimely demise on Sunday. It would seem that the Grim Reaper is cutting a swath through the protagonists of the movie "Soul Men" from left to right, and the last cat in the picture is . . . Sam Jackson. But, I'd like to see Death go after Jackson. Not because I want him to die. Hell no. That would be a sweet fight though. I can already see Sam Jackson sending death with it's tail between its boney legs back to wherever the fuck it hangs out when it's not taking lives. So, on behalf of Mr. Samuel L. Jackson, BAFW would like to say: "Bring it on bitch!".

Isaac Hayes 1942 - 2008

Celebrities seem to be dropping like flies these days. The latest victim to mortality is Isaac Hayes, legendary (at least around these parts) musician and cool ass motha - shut my mouth? I'm just talkin' 'bout Isaac. Hayes was also known for providing the voice of South Park's "Chef" and was set to co-star in a movie called "Soul Men", which also co-starred Bernie Mac, who also passed away this weekend. Weird coincidence? Hmmm . . .

George Carlin: 1937 - 2008

Fuck! Another great bites the dust. George Carlin died yesterday from heart failure. He was 71. He had a long career as a stand-up comedian, had been in movies and television. This guy was a comic legend. I will personally miss him, even though I personally never knew him.

Stan Winston, 1946 - 2008

I'm going to interrupt my regular sick-as-a-dog scheduled programming to drop this post in, because I feel it's somewhat important. Stan Winston passed away over the weekend. Those who are into movies will instantly know who I'm talking about. If you don't, chances are you've enjoyed many of the films he's worked on in the past. Check out his IMDB page to see this prolific special effects master's work.

Charlton Heston: 1924 - 2008

Charlton Heston passed away a couple of days ago. I just heard about it this morning when I was looking through some websites. The picture above is not meant to ridicule the man. I used to have that picture on a t-shirt a long time ago. It was, hands-down, my favorite piece of clothing at the time and I wore that t-shirt until the image was no longer recognizable. Some people might not have agreed with Heston and his stand on the 2nd Amendment and his long running leadership of the NRA, but I don't think anyone can argue that this man was a living legend. He will be missed around the BAFW HQ.

Heath Ledger, 1979 - 2008

Heath Ledger was found dead today. My wife just told me she saw it being reported at her work's elevator. Weird how one finds these things out sometimes. CNN has the developing story up at their website. Check it out for more details. Ledger was 28 at the time of his passing, and it's presumed to be an overdose. You can also check out his IMDB page for more of his work.

Brad Renfro, 1982 - 2008

I just read Brad Renfro passed away within the past couple of days. I don't remember liking much of what he did as an actor, but I do remember the movie "Apt Pupil" being extremely good. TMZ.com has more info about this:

The 25-year-old actor was found dead at his Los Angeles home this morning. The cause of death has not been determined, however, Renfro had a history of drug abuse.

Sources tell us Renfro, who had starring roles in "The Client" and "Apt Pupil" had been working valiantly to stay clean, especially since this summer. Renfro had been convicted of several drug offenses, including attempted heroin possession.

Renfro had been filming a movie with Winona Ryder and Billy Bob Thornton. The movie, "The Informers," just wrapped.

Renfro has had a rough time personally since moving from Tennessee to Los Angeles. His parents split, and we're told he did not have real guidance from adults as he tried navigating the treacherous movie industry.

I don't do much posts about people dying, because . . . it's not something that I find funny, so, I'm not making any jokes here. Check out his filmography here at his IMDB page. I really hope the makers of "The Informers" keep it classy and don't include this in their marketing for the movie. 'Cause that, would be teh suck.

News Break!

Anna Nicole Smith is dead at 39. I couldn't believe it at first and was about to call shanannigans on the whole deal when I found a legitimate news story on FOX News about it. Well, actually, my colleague Mike V. had it five minutes before me. He just got stuck on a call with an elderly client and couldn't get to my cubicle before I had found it. But, hey, thanks buddy. You always bring me the best tips on recent deaths . . . wait, is "thanks" really the word I'm looking for? It is a bit on the morbid side. Either way, he's a class act. If he had a page, I would link you . . . but he's a scrub when it comes to that.