In Memoriam: This was a dark week in the film world. Marvel creator and writer Stan Lee, actor Douglas Rain, and beloved novelist and screenwriter William Goldman all passed away. In honor of these three stars, I thought I’d look at a few of the moments that will be sure to immortalise them for generations to come.
Stan Lee (1922-2018)
Stan Lee, famous for helping create virtually every Marvel superhero in the galaxy, was also known for his hilarious cameos. Starting as early as 1989 in the little-known TV-movie The Trial of the Incredible Hulk, Stan Lee has snuck himself into small roles in around 40 different films and countless comics, TV episodes, and animated episodes, usually playing some random old guy. Spider-Man 3 (2007) probably has one of his most famous appearances and quotes: “You know, I guess one person can make a difference.”
Douglas Rain (1928-2018)
Douglas Rain was certainly most famous for his role as the world’s most human computer in 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968). Although we never actually see him, his voice performance as the HAL 9000 Supercomputer is one of the most memorable in film history. In fact, in 2003, the American Film Institute (AFI) ranked HAL as the 13th best villain on their “100 Years…100 Heroes & Villains” list.
William Goldman (1931-2018)
Novelist and screenwriter William Goldman helped write one of my favorite films of all time, The Princess Bride (1987). In 1967, Goldman made the news by selling the screenplay for Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1967) for $400,00. He then went on to write All the President’s Men (1976) and later, the screenplay for The Princess Bride, which was based on one of his earlier novels.
