In Memoriam
Paul Reubens – Best-known for his iconic character Pee-wee Herman—a singular blend of subversive, innocent, hilarious, and heartfelt—Reubens won over fans of all ages thanks to Tim Burton’s 1985 feature Pee-wee’s Big Adventure, now a comedy classic, and his kooky, Emmy-winning TV series Pee-wee’s Playhouse. Beyond Pee-wee, Reubens further enhanced his cult-legend status with turns in Buffy the Vampire Slayer (the movie), Mystery Men, and Blow, plus voice roles in The Nightmare Before Christmas and Flight of the Navigator, among others.
Piper Laurie – Many character actors get one iconic role; Laurie had multiple standout moments across her nearly 70-year career. But genre fans probably know her best as Carrie White’s dangerously controlling, dangerously religious mother in Brian De Palma’s Carrie (which brought her one of her three Oscar nominations)—and as the wonderfully scheming Catherine Martell in David Lynch’s Twin Peaks (for which she won a Golden Globe).
Bert I. Gordon – Dubbed “Mr. BIG” by Famous Monsters of Filmland’s Forrest J. Ackerman, Gordon was indeed big-time when it came to creating delightfully schlocky, creature-packed sci-fi movies across multiple decades, including 1957’s The Amazing Colossal Man, 1965’s Village of the Giants, 1976’s The Food of the Gods, and 1977’s Empire of the Ants.
