Category Archives: Rest in Peace

To highlight those that we have lost, that have made an impact to this genre we love so much. They may be gone, but will never be forgotten.

Mara Corday – Rest in Peace

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Mara Corday (1954)

I’m posting about this now because I just heard about it. But it seems the lovely Mara Corday had passed away back on February 9th, at the age of 95. While she had a relatively short career in movies, making only 46 appearances, in film and TV, mainly because she left the business to concentrate on her marriage and family. But she did appear in three of my favorites from the ’50s, Tarantula (1955), The Black Scorpion (1957), and my all-time favorite, The Giant Claw (1957)! That last title showed that no matter how silly the subject matter might be, Corday always played it straight and gave some wonderful performances. Later in life, after her husband had died, her friend and Tarantula co-star, Clint Eastwood, would cast her in small roles in his films, such as The Gauntlet (1977) and Sudden Impact (1983), that way she could keep her SAG membership (and all its benefits)!

I know she will always be remembered for a lot of fans because of the work she did, especially in the sci-fi/horror titles because those types of films never lose their charm. And one of those reasons is the work that Corday did in them. Gone, but she will definitely never be forgotten.

Joe Don Baker – Rest in Peace

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We lost another tough guy from American cinema, with the passing of Joe Don Baker. Now, he really only appeared in a couple of films that could be considered horror, especially the 1977 killer dog movie The Pack, which is highly underrated. But when he appears on screen, no matter if he’s playing the good guy or bad guy, he’s going to give one hell of a performance. His tough guy attitude was always intimidating, especially in roles like that of Buford Pusser in Walking Tall (1973), or even in a minor role the same year in The Outfit. But he could also appear in comedies, such as in Fletch (1985). He was one of the few actors to play a villain in a James Bond film, The Living Daylights (1987) and then play a good guy in GoldenEye (1995) and Tomorrow Never Dies (1997).

The point is that he always made an impact with the roles he took. Baker passed away on May 7th, at the age of 89. He will always be remembered in these roles that are here for us fans to remember, as well as creating new fans each year. Our thoughts go out to him and his family during this difficult time.

Rosanna Norton – Rest in Peace

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I had every intention of posting this several days ago, but life has a tendency to get in the way. But wanted to make sure I did get it posted, even if it’s a little late. Rosanna Norton is a name that few of us horror fans might know. She was a costume designer and had passed away on May 7th, at the age of 80 years old. She had gone to UCLA as a painting major but got into costume design. After she retired from film, she went back to her love of painting.

When I saw the news of her passing, it made me realize there yet another part of the filmmaking process that tends to get very little credit from fans. Sure, there is an Oscar category for it, which Norton got a co-nomination for her work on Tron (1982). But as deviant cinephiles, where we often recognize the cinematography, the makeup effects, the story, and of course the direction and acting, but how many times have we brought up costumes in those conversations.

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Greg Cannom – Rest in Peace

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Back in the ’80s, it was a time when the makeup effects artists were treated like celebrities. Sometimes we’d go to a movie because of who did the special effects more than who was in it! Names like Tom Savini, Rick Baker, Rob Bottin, and countless others help create the monsters and makeup that made the 80s and beyond so much entertaining. One of those names was Greg Cannom, who we lost yesterday at the age of 74.

From his very beginning assisting Rick Baker on films like It Lives Again (1978), The Incredible Melting Man (1977), to going on his own path, continuing to create some amazing work. He had been nominated 14 times for an Oscar, winning 7 times, mainly for non-horror characters like in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008) and Mr. Doubtfire (1993), but he also won for Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992), which is still one of my favorite versions of the Stoker novel. Over the years, he had worked on films like The Lost Boys (1987), Blade (1998), and even turning Ozzy Osbourne into a werewolf for his 1983’s Bark at the Moon album cover!

I had the honor to meet him at the Monsterpalooza convention back in 2019, and it was indeed an honor, and I thanked him for the many, many hours of entertainment his work had given me, and countless other fans. Upon hearing the news of his passing, Rick Baker said “His work will be remembered long after his passing.” I couldn’t agree more. That is the one positive mark of working in the film industry, that you will live on through your amazing work. Rest in Peace, Mr. Cannom. Gone, but not forgotten.

Lar Park Lincoln – Rest in Peace

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As horror fans know, most all who did battle with Jason Voorhees either barely escaped or ended up as another statistic. Out of all the Final Girls to do battle with that undying monster in that series, I feel that it was the character of Tina Shepard in Part 7: The New Blood. So, it was sad news of her passing, on Tuesday the 22nd. She didn’t appear in a ton of horror films, though did appear in House II: The Second Story (1987) and an episode of Freddy’s Nightmares (1988), but she still left her mark when she did. But she also spent a lot of her time helping younger actors get their start, by starting the Actors Audition Studios, based in Dallas, TX.

Our thoughts go out to her friends and family during this difficult time. She may be gone, but as long as there are Friday the 13th fans (which there ALWAYS will be), she will live on. Rest in Peace.

Damien Thomas – Rest in Peace

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One of my all-time favorite Hammer Films is Twins of Evil (1971), and one of those reasons was the highly memorable villain Count Karnstein, played wonderfully by Damien Thomas. He seemed to just revel is playing this character and just makes the film so much more enjoyable. Sadly, we have heard the news that he has recently passed away.

He didn’t appear too much in the horror genre over the years, but was always a treat to see no matter what he was in. He is one of the many reasons that Hammer Films still are remembered and cherished today.

Our thoughts go out to his friends and family. Gone, but never forgotten.

Clive Revill – Rest in Peace

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Actor Clive Revill has passed away earlier this month, at the age of 94. While he has appeared in a few horror films in his long career, such as The Headless Ghost (1959), Bunny Lake is Missing (1965), and even C.H.U.D. II: Bud the Chud (1989), he did appear in a film that think is one of the greatest haunted house movies ever made. While it doesn’t top Robert Wise’s The Haunting (1963), John Hough’s 1973 film The Legend of Hell House, based on the novel from Richard Matheson, comes damn close. Revill played the condescending Dr. Barrett, so sure of himself that he doesn’t even entertain any notion or idea that disagrees with his theories. Working alongside Roddy McDowall and Pamela Franklin, they create such tension between their characters, even though they all have the same goal. But it is their performances that make the film so special. And Revill was very much a part of that.

Our thoughts go out to his friends and family during this difficult time. But I know that, like the ghosts wandering around the Belasco House, he will live on in his wonderful performances that he left us. In Hell House, as well as the countless others in his 200 appearances. Rest in Peace.

Jay Warren – Rest in Peace

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If any of you have gone to see a silent movie with a live organ accompaniment in Chicago in the last couple of decades, chances are it was Jay Warren playing the organ. I can’t tell you how many screenings that I have been to, which always amazed me. Most of the time, I would completely forget that someone was down there playing the music, just thinking it was in the actual soundtrack. That’s how good Warren was. But unfortunately, it was in the news that Warren had passed away last Sunday at the age of 74.

Warren’s real name was Dennis Wolkowicz but used the stage name because it was easier for people to say than his real name! He was the founder of the Silent Film Society of Chicago and first performed at what used to be the Gateway Theater, located on Lawrence, which he managed for almost two decades. He’s played all over the Midwest, and especially in the Chicagoland theaters, from the Portage to the Music Box. His talent will be greatly missed.

Our thoughts go out to his friends and family during this difficult time.

Tony Isbert – Rest in Peace

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I missed this when it was announced by a few people online but wanted to make sure I mention it here, because while he might not be a famous name amongst some of fans, he appeared in a ton of great films, so it needs to be mentioned and remembered. Tony Isbert was a Spanish actor who appeared in close to 100 films, shorts, and TV appearances in his career that spanned almost 50 years. He passed away on Feb. 19th, at the age of 75.

His first appearance, though uncredited, was in an episode of Narciso Ibáñez Serrador’ TV anthology series, Historias para no dormir in 1966. But he would also go on to appear in Riccardo Freda’s Tragic Ceremony (1972), the Spanish giallo No One Heard the Scream (1973), León Klimovsky’s The Dracula Saga (1973), John Gilling’s Cross of the Devil (1975), and even worked with Paul Naschy in Secuestro (1976) and Inquisition (1977). Later in he would appear in José Ramón Larraz’s Rest in Pieces (1987) and Juan Piquer Simón’s The Rift (1990). So, while you might not recognize the name, I’m sure you know at least some of these films.

As I always say, because of the films that he did appear in, many of which have been released on wonderful Blu-rays, we will always be able to remember this fine talented man and the work that he put out. Never to be forgotten. Our thoughts go out to his friends and family during this difficult time.

Peter Jason – Rest in Peace

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Peter Jason is one of those actors that you might not know the name, but you know the face. Director John Carpenter, who worked with Jason in 7 of his films, such as Prince of Darkness (1987) and In the Mouth of Madness (1994), called him “one of the great character actors in cinema.” With well over 250 screen and TV credits, Jason appeared in just about everything and every kind of genres. His first role was in Howard Hawks’ last film, Rio Lobo (1970). One of my favorites of his work, even though the overall picture isn’t that great, is the 1982 film Treat or Treats, where he plays someone who’s a bit crazy.

But no matter what he was in, he was always on spot and always entertaining, whether he was trying to be funny, or sometimes scary. Jason passed away yesterday at the age of 80 years old. But he has left us hundreds and hundreds of hours of entertainment that we can watch and remember this incredibly talented man. Our thoughts go out to his friends and family during this difficult time.