Richard Fleischer has passed away!

Harry here and this just plain sucks. I was at a mall today, just killing time watching an Easter Bunny molesting little children while the parents smiled and danced a little happy dance, when suddenly my phone received a text message from Rav, "Holy Shit! Richard Fleischer is dead!" FUCK!

I had always hoped to meet Richard Fleischer. He's a director that has several of my favorite movies, movies that I've watched over and over and over again. He took us with him 20,000 LEAGUES BENEATH THE SEA for a whale of a tale. He introduced me to THE VIKINGS and a badass torn faced Kirk Douglas and mean muther of a viking with Ernest Borgnine. He made the oddest cannibal film of all time with SOYLENT GREEN. Then he put Raquel Welch in a skin tight diving suit and shrunk her so she could be injected into a body with Donald Pleasance and assorted other folks in FANTASTIC VOYAGE. Then he made films that just fucking blew me away like COMPULSION with Orson Welles giving one helluva fucking performance and THE BOSTON STRANGLER, where Tony Curtis turned in his best performance ever, and Richard Fleischer took the gloves off and directed something with fierce style and cinematic nerve! He directed one helluva badass Charles Bronson film in MR. MAJESTYK "You make it sound like you're a mean little asskicker... only I ain't convinced. You keep talking and I'm gonna take your head off!" hehehe. He's also responsible for 3 of my all-time guiltiest pleasures with AMITYVILLE 3-D, CONAN THE DESTROYER and RED SONJA. All three of those are pretty dreadful, yet undeniably fun as hell flicks.

Richard Fleischer was comfortable making films all over the map, from family flicks like DR. DOLITTLE to Blaxploitation epics like MANDINGO. Name a genre and he did it. And usually did it really well. He's got around 13-15 flicks I've enjoyed the hell out of, and given me some great memories with some of the best memories with some of fave actors. This is a sad day. I know Richard, who was the son of Max Fleischer (BETTY BOOP, SUPERMAN, POPEYE cartoons) - was spending his twilight years meeting with younger directors and passing on his experiences and wisdom. It is very sad to see him go...