Death is a natural part of life, but sadly it takes a death before we celebrate someone's life and contributions. We lost a lot of people who made serious contributions to the science-fiction, fantasy and horror genres on television and the big screen over the past year. Join us in celebrating these lives of those lost. Corey Allen June 29, 1934-June 27, 2010 Best known for his work in "Rebel Without a Cause," Mr. Allen made a name for himself later as a popular television director, including the series premiere of "Star Trek: The Next Generation" and four other episodes, including "Journey's End." He also directed four episodes of "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine." He died of Parkinson's disease. Eddie Barth Sept. 29, 1931-May 28, 2010 The raspy voice actor appeared in shows ...
- 12/31/2010
- GeekNation.com
Eddie Barth was a veteran character actor who was a familiar face on television from the early 1960s, guest-starring in episodes of such series as The Twilight Zone, The Invaders, The Bionic Woman, The Incredible Hulk, Whiz Kids, Mike Hammer, and Scarecrow and Mrs. King.
Barth was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on September 29, 1931. He co-starred as Lt. Al Rossi in the short-lived 1973 television version of Shaft starring Richard Roundtree, and appeared in the recurring role of Myron Fowler, a rival private detective, in the series Simon & Simon from 1981 to 1988. He was also seen in the tele-films The Man in the Santa Claus Suit (1979) and The Murder of Sherlock Holmes (1984), and the feature films The Amityville Horror (1979) and Killing Obsession (1994).
He was also noted as a voice actor in such films as Rover Dangerfield (1991), Babe: Pig in the City (1998), and Osmosis Jones (2001), and in the animated television series Challenge of the GoBots,...
Barth was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on September 29, 1931. He co-starred as Lt. Al Rossi in the short-lived 1973 television version of Shaft starring Richard Roundtree, and appeared in the recurring role of Myron Fowler, a rival private detective, in the series Simon & Simon from 1981 to 1988. He was also seen in the tele-films The Man in the Santa Claus Suit (1979) and The Murder of Sherlock Holmes (1984), and the feature films The Amityville Horror (1979) and Killing Obsession (1994).
He was also noted as a voice actor in such films as Rover Dangerfield (1991), Babe: Pig in the City (1998), and Osmosis Jones (2001), and in the animated television series Challenge of the GoBots,...
- 6/22/2010
- by Harris Lentz
- FamousMonsters of Filmland
Filed under: TV News
Eddie Barth, who played rival detective Myron Fowler on the detective series 'Simon & Simon,' died May 28 of heart failure, the Hollywood Reporter has confirmed. He was 78.
According to the report, Barth died at his home in Los Angeles.
In addition to 'Simon & Simon,' on which he appeared in 38 episodes, Barth acted on a number of famous television shows throughout his career, from 'Kojak,' to 'Shaft' to 'Murder She Wrote.' He also provided the closing line in the Miller Lite beer commercials of the '80s.
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Eddie Barth, who played rival detective Myron Fowler on the detective series 'Simon & Simon,' died May 28 of heart failure, the Hollywood Reporter has confirmed. He was 78.
According to the report, Barth died at his home in Los Angeles.
In addition to 'Simon & Simon,' on which he appeared in 38 episodes, Barth acted on a number of famous television shows throughout his career, from 'Kojak,' to 'Shaft' to 'Murder She Wrote.' He also provided the closing line in the Miller Lite beer commercials of the '80s.
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- 6/4/2010
- by Andrew Scott
- Aol TV.
Film review: 'Babe: Pig in the City'
This is a wolf in pig's clothing. "Babe: Pig in the City" -- while waddling along in the guise of a family film -- is down to its shank, a grizzled depiction of a vicious and hideous world. Dark-toned and laden with oppressively grimy aesthetics, it's more akin to the sort of snide-and-sour offering one encounters at independent film festivals or Left Bank art houses, not what one expects given the film's sweet pedigree. Undoubtedly, Universal will slice some hefty boxoffice grosses over the holiday weekend based on the giddy expectations that recall this sequel's proud lineage, but word-of-mouth will be decidedly "Oscar Mayer" -- this porker is headed quickly to the slaughterhouse. Sensible parents with tots will be particularly nettled by the film's cruel and sadistic depictions such as animals squirming in death throes, etc.
While those folk who shop at Piggly Wiggly may be turned off by its dark and nasty ingredients, "Pig in the City" may find its best pastures overseas. With its pessimistic underpinnings, addled plotting and abstract meanderings, it's the sort of surreal cinematic slab that might be selected as a first-weekend competition entrant at Cannes.
Narratively, "Pig in the City" is a pig-out-of-water yarn. Old man Hoggett (James Cromwell) has been laid up and is in danger of losing ye olde farme. It's up to his spunky wife Esme (Magda Szubanski) to take hold of the reins and save it from foreclosure. The only course of action is to go to the city and capitalize on Babe's recent fame and garner an appearance fee at a big-time fair. Unhappily, air travel, being what it is today, botches things up and Esme and Babe never make it to the fair on time. They're left stranded in the big, bad city and take refuge in a seedy Bates-like hotel infested with all sorts of weird and dysfunctional creatures. Undeniably, the sweet-natured Babe and the stout Mrs. Hoggett are a sympathetic duo and we certainly want them to experience no harm. It's in these initial city scenes as Babe and Mrs. Hoggett counter The City Slickers' hostilities with their down-home brand of kindness that "Babe" really jells. Babe's naive and helpful ways are not only endearing, they are inspiring, and given the awfulness of the situations, quite funny.
But alas, this sequel focuses more on the maliciousness of the city characters as well as the inherent evil of the city (civilization) itself than it does on Babe's goodly, transcendent nature. Thematically, the power of one tiny individual to make the world a better place is lost in the film's overall ferociousness. As written by George Miller, Judy Morris and Mark Lamprell, the screenplay is not so much a scenario as it is a pessimistic smear of the dangers of city life. Narratively, it's merely assaultive as Babe and Mrs. Hoggett endure evil after evil. Structurally, the story is largely without tendons: it's a mere compendium of similar scenes -- Babe and Mrs. Hoggett enduring attack after attack. Eventually, this larder limps off to a pat and force-fed resolution, a happy-feel ending that is, well, just plain out of left field. Nonetheless, there is considerable skill in the writing: the dialogue is droll, deadpan and downright funny in a sparse kind of way. Unfortunately, it's going to be lost on much of its target audience, indicative of the enterprise's elevated, coffeehouse-noir sensibilities.
Still, "Babe" is filled with delightful moments in large part due to the charming animal cast, including not only pigs, but ducks, dogs, monkeys, kitties and cows. The voicework is terrific, particularly E.G. Daily's winning warbles as Babe and James Cosmo's wily deliveries as a monkey named Thelonius. Not only are these animals winning in their "performances" but they are integrated nicely into the story by the skilled and creative workings of the production team. In particular, costume designer Norma Moriceau's animal and human costumes are a constant delight chock full of personality and humor. Also a plus is cinematographer Andrew Lesnie's smartly composed groupings: back shots of Babe peering out at the big-bad world are wonderfully cute and comforting.
This time out, James Cromwell appears only briefly as a bookend as the sinewy Hoggett. That's a shame, for his gangly, practical-mannered performance in the original was a true highlight. As the determined Mrs. Hoggett, Szubanski brims with energy and chubby cheerfulness, while Mickey Rooney is well-cast as a comedic codger. Mary Stein's angular agility perks up her landlady part with some nifty comic touches.
While wildly appealing as a pet show, as a movie, "Babe: Pig in the City" is penned in by the lackadaisical story line as well as the film's grimy sensibilities. Despite the funny flourishes of the costumes and some sprightly animated figures and spunky visual effects, "Babe" is a pretty oppressive-feeling production. Under Miller's dark hand, the film's inventively expressionistic production design (Roger Ford) and baleful musical score (Nigel Westlake) only serve to further sodden this surprisingly dreary family outing.
BABE: PIG IN THE CITY
Universal Pictures
A Kennedy Miller film
Producers: George Miller, Doug Mitchell, Bill Miller
Director: George Miller
Screenwriters: George Miller, Judy Morris, Mark Lamprell
Additional unit director: Daphne Paris
Director of photography: Andrew Lesnie
Music: Nigel Westlake
Editors: Jay Friedkin, Margaret Sixel
Production designer: Roger Ford
Costume designer: Norma Moriceau
Executive producer: Barbara Gibbs
Visual effects and animation: Ryhthm & Hues, Mill Film, Animal Logic Film
Animatronics: Neal Scanlan Studio
Concept artist: Peter Pound
"That'll Do" written by Randy Newman, performed by Peter Gabriel
Animal action: Karl Lewis Miller
Casting: Alison Barrett, Nicki Barrett, Barbara Harris
Art director: Colin Gibson
Sound recordist: Ben Osmo
Color/Stereo
Cast:
Mrs. Hoggett: Magda Szubanski
Farmer Hoggett: James Cromwell
The Landlady: Mary Stein
Fugly Floom: Mickey Rooney
Voices:
Babe: E.G. Daily
Ferdinand: Danny Mann
Zootie: Glenne Headly
Bob: Steven Wright
Thelonius: James Cosmo
Easy: Nathan Kress, Myles Jeffrey
The Pitbull and the Doberman: Stanley Ralph Ross
The Pink Poodle: Russi Taylor
Flealick: Adam Goldberg
Nigel and Alan: Eddie Barth
The Sniffer Dog: Bill Capizzi
Fly: Miriam Margolyes
Rex: Hugo Weaving
The Narrator: Roscoe Lee Browne
Running time -- 88 minutes
MPAA rating: G...
While those folk who shop at Piggly Wiggly may be turned off by its dark and nasty ingredients, "Pig in the City" may find its best pastures overseas. With its pessimistic underpinnings, addled plotting and abstract meanderings, it's the sort of surreal cinematic slab that might be selected as a first-weekend competition entrant at Cannes.
Narratively, "Pig in the City" is a pig-out-of-water yarn. Old man Hoggett (James Cromwell) has been laid up and is in danger of losing ye olde farme. It's up to his spunky wife Esme (Magda Szubanski) to take hold of the reins and save it from foreclosure. The only course of action is to go to the city and capitalize on Babe's recent fame and garner an appearance fee at a big-time fair. Unhappily, air travel, being what it is today, botches things up and Esme and Babe never make it to the fair on time. They're left stranded in the big, bad city and take refuge in a seedy Bates-like hotel infested with all sorts of weird and dysfunctional creatures. Undeniably, the sweet-natured Babe and the stout Mrs. Hoggett are a sympathetic duo and we certainly want them to experience no harm. It's in these initial city scenes as Babe and Mrs. Hoggett counter The City Slickers' hostilities with their down-home brand of kindness that "Babe" really jells. Babe's naive and helpful ways are not only endearing, they are inspiring, and given the awfulness of the situations, quite funny.
But alas, this sequel focuses more on the maliciousness of the city characters as well as the inherent evil of the city (civilization) itself than it does on Babe's goodly, transcendent nature. Thematically, the power of one tiny individual to make the world a better place is lost in the film's overall ferociousness. As written by George Miller, Judy Morris and Mark Lamprell, the screenplay is not so much a scenario as it is a pessimistic smear of the dangers of city life. Narratively, it's merely assaultive as Babe and Mrs. Hoggett endure evil after evil. Structurally, the story is largely without tendons: it's a mere compendium of similar scenes -- Babe and Mrs. Hoggett enduring attack after attack. Eventually, this larder limps off to a pat and force-fed resolution, a happy-feel ending that is, well, just plain out of left field. Nonetheless, there is considerable skill in the writing: the dialogue is droll, deadpan and downright funny in a sparse kind of way. Unfortunately, it's going to be lost on much of its target audience, indicative of the enterprise's elevated, coffeehouse-noir sensibilities.
Still, "Babe" is filled with delightful moments in large part due to the charming animal cast, including not only pigs, but ducks, dogs, monkeys, kitties and cows. The voicework is terrific, particularly E.G. Daily's winning warbles as Babe and James Cosmo's wily deliveries as a monkey named Thelonius. Not only are these animals winning in their "performances" but they are integrated nicely into the story by the skilled and creative workings of the production team. In particular, costume designer Norma Moriceau's animal and human costumes are a constant delight chock full of personality and humor. Also a plus is cinematographer Andrew Lesnie's smartly composed groupings: back shots of Babe peering out at the big-bad world are wonderfully cute and comforting.
This time out, James Cromwell appears only briefly as a bookend as the sinewy Hoggett. That's a shame, for his gangly, practical-mannered performance in the original was a true highlight. As the determined Mrs. Hoggett, Szubanski brims with energy and chubby cheerfulness, while Mickey Rooney is well-cast as a comedic codger. Mary Stein's angular agility perks up her landlady part with some nifty comic touches.
While wildly appealing as a pet show, as a movie, "Babe: Pig in the City" is penned in by the lackadaisical story line as well as the film's grimy sensibilities. Despite the funny flourishes of the costumes and some sprightly animated figures and spunky visual effects, "Babe" is a pretty oppressive-feeling production. Under Miller's dark hand, the film's inventively expressionistic production design (Roger Ford) and baleful musical score (Nigel Westlake) only serve to further sodden this surprisingly dreary family outing.
BABE: PIG IN THE CITY
Universal Pictures
A Kennedy Miller film
Producers: George Miller, Doug Mitchell, Bill Miller
Director: George Miller
Screenwriters: George Miller, Judy Morris, Mark Lamprell
Additional unit director: Daphne Paris
Director of photography: Andrew Lesnie
Music: Nigel Westlake
Editors: Jay Friedkin, Margaret Sixel
Production designer: Roger Ford
Costume designer: Norma Moriceau
Executive producer: Barbara Gibbs
Visual effects and animation: Ryhthm & Hues, Mill Film, Animal Logic Film
Animatronics: Neal Scanlan Studio
Concept artist: Peter Pound
"That'll Do" written by Randy Newman, performed by Peter Gabriel
Animal action: Karl Lewis Miller
Casting: Alison Barrett, Nicki Barrett, Barbara Harris
Art director: Colin Gibson
Sound recordist: Ben Osmo
Color/Stereo
Cast:
Mrs. Hoggett: Magda Szubanski
Farmer Hoggett: James Cromwell
The Landlady: Mary Stein
Fugly Floom: Mickey Rooney
Voices:
Babe: E.G. Daily
Ferdinand: Danny Mann
Zootie: Glenne Headly
Bob: Steven Wright
Thelonius: James Cosmo
Easy: Nathan Kress, Myles Jeffrey
The Pitbull and the Doberman: Stanley Ralph Ross
The Pink Poodle: Russi Taylor
Flealick: Adam Goldberg
Nigel and Alan: Eddie Barth
The Sniffer Dog: Bill Capizzi
Fly: Miriam Margolyes
Rex: Hugo Weaving
The Narrator: Roscoe Lee Browne
Running time -- 88 minutes
MPAA rating: G...
- 11/25/1998
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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