RIP PHILLIP SEYMOUR HOFFMAN
You've no doubt heard that Phillip Seymour Hoffman, one of Hollywood's best character actors has passed away, and word is coming down that it was from a drug overdose. I don't have to explain what a great actor he was, there's a whole Wikipedia page listing his awards and nominations.
He was one of a handful of performers in Hollywood who actually looked and acted like the characters they played were real people in a real world, no matter how unreal the on-screen situation was.
That's what makes his loss so saddening.
The fact that he most likely died of a heroin overdose is what makes his loss so enraging.
It's sickening to hear of an actor who was always so original in his work to die from a celebrity cliche.
Reports are saying that he had been clean for twenty years, but had recently relapsed, and gone into a heroin induced death spiral. Heroin is especially pernicious because it induces a chemically induced selfishness in the addict. They lose all interest in family, friends, work, and life in general, and become single-mindedly dedicated to getting more heroin.
We'll never know exactly what sparked his initial addiction or his lethal relapse. There is no scan for the state of the human soul. So I won't speculate, I will just say that I hate to see such a disaster happen yet again.
If you are using heroin: Get help.
If you are thinking of starting to use heroin: Don't.
Too many have died for an illusion.
DC COMICS MATURITY PROBLEM
A tip of my jaunty sombrero to reader and twitter follower @MediaWarrior for linking me to this video review of some of the questionable decisions being made by DC Comics. It's nice to see someone agree with me on many points, though I must admit that I deliver them differently.
ZOOEY GETS ANIMATED
Zooey Deschanel has inked a deal to produce a fairy tale themed animated comedy for the Fox Network.
I don't have an opinion on the project, I just needed a cheap excuse to post her picture to cheer me up after two stories about things that made me sad and angry.
Okay, much better.
Coincidentally, last night I watched the movie GIA about supermodel Gia Carangi. She died of AIDS brought about by using infected needles to feed her heroin addiction. She was so out of normal society, when told she has AIDS, she didn't know what it was.
ReplyDeleteI admit it's hard to feel sympathy for a person whose problems are self-created. I have never understood why people begin using drugs, or even tobacco or alcohol, when they must know that addiction and death and other health problems may result.
Mr. Hoffman's death is tragic. Doubly so since it impacts people outside those who knew him personally. Even more tragic is that he could have avoided it.
Rainforest Giant here,
ReplyDeleteI have seen first hand the effects of hard drugs. I am not a libertarian but I think drugs are both a symptom and a problem that more intrusive enforcement cannot solve. I do not say no enforcement but as long as we do not care to enforce our border sovereignty drugs will always be available.
I have no easy solutions. Since Hollywood will not sanction any libertine social behavior I fail to see how further laws or attempts to stigmatize drug use will stop it. Polanski and Allen are not even shunned for vile behavior worthy of a short rope and long drop. No one will take the social route with drug use.
On a better note, good pic of Zooey. Pretty girls are always nice.