Heath Ledger Tributes and Obituaries...

[Andrew]

For those who did not see it, here is Daniel Day-Lewis' wonderful, mystical tribute at the SAG awards:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d5HAzZ8GgUg

This was posted yesterday on the SAG thread, but I know many people did not see that or hear there would be a tribute.

[Ellemeno]

But Shiach added that Ledger was making practical plans right up to the day he died about The Queen's Gambit and other matters.

"I spoke to him last week about the schedule and the budget and we were to meet this coming week, on Monday and Tuesday in London. We were down to casting details and things."

Ledger was going to act in the film, as well as direct it. They had offered the lead role to Ellen Page, the Oscar-nominated new star of the comedy Juno. They were waiting for her to confirm acceptance and were planning to shoot in North America and Russia this year.

Shiach, who works in the movie business under the name Allan Scott, revealed Ledger had also set himself a personal goal. "One of his reasons for being interested in The Queen's Gambit was the fact that he was a very, very advanced chess player. He was in fact very close to grandmaster and he said to me he thought he would try and go for grandmaster before we started shooting the movie."

The Queen's Gambit is based on a novel by Walter Tevis, whose other works include The Hustler, The Color Of Money and The Man Who Fell To Earth, all of which have been filmed.

Its central character is Beth Harmon, who grows up in a Kentucky orphanage, where the children are given tranquillisers to keep them quiet.

She learns to play chess with the janitor. She proves a teenage phenomenon, but has become addicted to drugs and is also a habitual thief.

Shiach has had the film rights to The Queen's Gambit for 20 years and wrote the screenplay. At various stages actress Molly Ringwald and the late Italian film director Bernardo Bertolucci were involved.

Ledger, who made his Hollywood debut in 10 Things I Hate About You in 1999, persuaded Shiach to let him direct on the strength of music videos and commercials he had directed. "We worked for about a week in New York and then we worked briefly in LA and then we worked quite a lot in London, because he was in London a lot last year, with Batman as well as the Terry Gilliam film."

http://heathledgermemorialblog.blogspot.com/2008/01/my-friend-heath-would-never-commit.html

This was so interesting.  Damn.  Like BBM, it floated until the right cast and crew may have come together, but now nope.

I just this moment ordered the novel "The Queen's Gambit" from Amazon.  Anyone want to read it with me?

[dot-matrix]

http://www.newsweek.com/id/105580

Charisma as Natural as Gravity
By Christopher Nolan
 
Christopher Nolan 's tribute to Heath, he talks about working with Heath on The Dark Knight, what a classy guy Heath was and how he misses him.

[Ellemeno]

This is a long radio interview with Gary Oldman, who worked with Heath on The Dark Knight.

I think it was made the day after Heath died.  He reminisces for quite a while about Heath.  You have to wade through beginning junk at first, but then it's good.

Also a couple of song tributes that Gary Oldman chose.

http://www.indie1031.com/root_mods/media_viewer/view_media.php?pgid=14%20&id=32

[Ellemeno]

This is the song Gary Oldman dedicated to Heath on the radio show above.  I found this unrelated but beautiful video of it on YouTube.

Pass Me Over
Anthony Hamilton

[youtube=425,350]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YxGWdpRcjlU[/youtube]

[Ellemeno]

Here are some lovely words on Heath by Jason Ritter, at Sundance.

I hadn't heard of Jason Ritter, but he is John Ritter's son.  His next movie, incidentally, is called A Hand Full of Beans (which is about all we got left...). 


[youtube=425,350]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FxLZ18XvWr0[/youtube]

[ennisjack]

  Not real sure how to take this, but I'll let y'all read it for yourselves.

http://www.nationalledger.com/artman/publish/article_272618513.shtml

Maybe because I'm tired or something, but it doesn't seem to make all that much sense to me.

EJ

[mvansand76]

  Not real sure how to take this, but I'll let y'all read it for yourselves.

http://www.nationalledger.com/artman/publish/article_272618513.shtml

Maybe because I'm tired or something, but it doesn't seem to make all that much sense to me.

EJ

Ugh it's another one of those we-have-no-news-so-we-will-fabricate-it articles.

[Jeff Wrangler]

I hadn't heard of Jason Ritter, but he is John Ritter's son.  His next movie, incidentally, is called A Hand Full of Beans (which is about all we got left...). 

Jason Ritter played Amber Tamblyn's older brother, who was confined to a wheelchair, in Joan of Arcadia a couple of TV seasons back. FWIW. ...

[mvansand76]

The lyrics to that Hamilton song:

"Pass Me Over"

[Verse 1]
Another day chance to make another chance, a fragile place runnin on empty, a smile so faint
can barely even break his face, world is on shoulders now, don't be afraid, he who knows will make a way,
his word alone is what has kept me, born the son, king of eternal peace, lay your burdens down

[Chorus]
If you catch me dreamin please don't wake me til im done, just leave me sleeping until the
morning come, just pass me over, make believe that im not there just leave me be until the saviour comes

[Verse 2]
Another night makes a way to the morn , sleeping peace joy come early, a covered child steps
away victorious, salvation holds joy surrounds her

[Chorus 2x]

Pass me over
Pass me over
Pass me over
Til the saviour comes [repeat]