Xixax Film Forum

Film Discussion => In Front of the Camera => Topic started by: Gamblour. on November 19, 2003, 08:11:30 PM

Title: Jonathan Brandis is reported dead...
Post by: Gamblour. on November 19, 2003, 08:11:30 PM
He was the star of Seaquest and the Neverending Story II, he was also in Ladybugs and more recently Hart's War. I found this kinda shocking, there was a blurb about it on Dark Horizons : http://www.darkhorizons.com/news03/031119g.php

So far, no details, just that he was found in his hotel room.
Title: Jonathan Brandis is reported dead...
Post by: coffeebeetle on November 19, 2003, 10:11:42 PM
Never heard of him.  :?
Title: Jonathan Brandis is reported dead...
Post by: Pubrick on November 19, 2003, 10:25:25 PM
i was just talking about brandis the other day.. i will always remember Seaquest DSV as the first place i saw those cool ergonomic keyboards, that are split in two.

that shit was so futuristic.
Title: Jonathan Brandis is reported dead...
Post by: Ghostboy on November 19, 2003, 11:04:47 PM
I remember him in that horrible Chuck Norris movie Sidekicks.
Title: Jonathan Brandis is reported dead...
Post by: Gamblour. on November 19, 2003, 11:16:46 PM
Quote from: GhostboyI remember him in that horrible Chuck Norris movie Sidekicks.

The great thing about Chuck Norris movies is you never really have to put the word "horrible" in front of it...heh
Title: Jonathan Brandis is reported dead...
Post by: TheVoiceOfNick on November 20, 2003, 01:15:20 PM
It's really strange that this news story isn't confirmed and isn't all over the net by now... he used to be as famous and popular as the New Kids on the Block, so it should be everywhere... but alas we only find this news on small indie sites, and none of them have any details... hrm...
Title: Jonathan Brandis is reported dead...
Post by: xerxes on November 20, 2003, 09:03:38 PM
i saw it one the news... they said it was a suicide... man i used to love that talking dolphin
Title: Jonathan Brandis is reported dead...
Post by: edison on November 20, 2003, 11:21:56 PM
Quote from: GhostboyI remember him in that horrible Chuck Norris movie Sidekicks.

I was at the world premier here in Houston, saw them all walk by to their theater while i went into a celebrity-less screening at the same time.
Title: Jonathan Brandis is reported dead...
Post by: Gamblour. on November 21, 2003, 10:31:29 AM
CNN article: http://www.cnn.com/2003/SHOWBIZ/TV/11/21/obit.brandis.ap/index.html
Title: Jonathan Brandis is reported dead...
Post by: Weak2ndAct on November 21, 2003, 11:01:18 PM
If my claim to fame was being in 'Ladybugs,' I'd probably snuff it too.
Title: Jonathan Brandis is reported dead...
Post by: modage on November 21, 2003, 11:29:27 PM
am i the only one who thinks brandis faked his own death to get the public clamoring for a Ladybugs 2 that could never be?  only to re-emerge months from now to become the biggest star on the planet?
Title: Jonathan Brandis is reported dead...
Post by: Pubrick on November 21, 2003, 11:51:22 PM
Quote from: themodernage02am i the only one who thinks brandis faked his own death to get the public clamoring for a Ladybugs 2 that could never be?  only to re-emerge months from now to become the biggest star on the planet?
yes.
Title: Jonathan Brandis is reported dead...
Post by: godardian on November 24, 2003, 01:52:19 PM
I think I hurt someone's feelings over Jonathan Brandis.

This friend of mine who has an almost creepy fandom towards male teen idols such as Brandis sends me this grief-stricken e-mail about Brandis, saying "This is very sad."

I write him an e-mail back saying that I reserve no more grief for the death of actors/artists/royalty than I do for the children who die of starvation every day, and the people I know, and it's silly to get worked up over Jonathan Brandis. I wish Stanley Kubrick were still alive and making films, but I didn't know him as a person, so how can I feel anything really beyond the loss of his work? And when it comes to Brandis, there's not even really that.

I made sure to remind my friend that I would be really distraught if, say, HE were to die, or my partner, or my family, but Jonathan Brandis's death doesn't really affect me... neither did the death of Princess Di, to tell you the truth. Or even people I really love, like Billy Wilder and Stanley Kubrick and Jean Vigo. It just seems important to me to have perspective on this stuff and not get carried away, the way the media does.

Then he writes me back, saying "Remind me never to tell you my emotional responses to sad things." Then he tells me it's tragic because it was a suicide, of "hopelessness," etc, and I write him back telling him that suicide is usually a very selfish, narcissistic act, almost an act of passive-aggression, really. And on an on.

Am I completely heartless to not feel emptied out over the loss of a celebrity, and annoyed that someone could take something so trivial so personally? Am I morbid to believe that any of us could die, at any time, so that death is never really a surprise to me, whether the person's young or old? Am I selfish to care more about my own family and friends than about famous people I don't know or have any personal attachment to? Am I diminishing the famous American who died when I say they're no more important than the children who die by starvation and genocide all over the world, and if I don't cry for those children (which I don't, since it wouldn't help and I'd spend all my time crying), how in the hell can I cry for or be disturbed by the death of Jonathan Brandis?
Title: Jonathan Brandis is reported dead...
Post by: Weak2ndAct on November 24, 2003, 02:03:43 PM
Godardian--
You're friend is insane.  And I agree with you.  

Times I feel bad for a 'celebrity' death: sudden and accidental, or out of nowhere.  And even then, I don't 'feel' bad.  Just more of a 'aw, that sucks.'  And that's it.

Now suicide... it's just the lamest, bullshit cop-out ever.  Don't even get me started on that whole Elliot Smith business.  There are plenty of more awful things to get upset about in the world.
Title: Jonathan Brandis is reported dead...
Post by: Sleuth on November 24, 2003, 02:10:59 PM
I agree mostly with you, except for some reason suicide does feel like a bigger impact to me (rather than him dying another way, not more than victims of starvation, genocide, etc), and I'm not sure why.
Title: Jonathan Brandis is reported dead...
Post by: Gamblour. on November 24, 2003, 02:58:48 PM
I'd say I felt pretty sad when Ritter died, I tend to have the whole Picasso (or was it Van Gogh, I always confuse those guys) syndrome, where I become more interested in someone after their dead, I guess because only then can you reflect and put their importance into perspective. As for all this comparison to children's deaths, I see the point, but I tend to just not think about all that, it's a little too grand for me. I gotta go right now, if needed, I'll explain myself later.
Title: Jonathan Brandis is reported dead...
Post by: aclockworkjj on November 24, 2003, 04:00:17 PM
Quote from: godardian"Remind me never to tell you my emotional responses to sad things."
::makes mental note::: :wink:

ha, sure being upset over this guy may not be a thing one should worry about, but maybe he just needed somebody to listen to him...
Title: Jonathan Brandis is reported dead...
Post by: SoNowThen on November 24, 2003, 04:09:23 PM
Quote from: godardianI think I hurt someone's feelings over Jonathan Brandis.

This friend of mine who has an almost creepy fandom towards male teen idols such as Brandis sends me this grief-stricken e-mail about Brandis, saying "This is very sad."

I write him an e-mail back saying that I reserve no more grief for the death of actors/artists/royalty than I do for the children who die of starvation every day, and the people I know, and it's silly to get worked up over Jonathan Brandis. I wish Stanley Kubrick were still alive and making films, but I didn't know him as a person, so how can I feel anything really beyond the loss of his work? And when it comes to Brandis, there's not even really that.

I made sure to remind my friend that I would be really distraught if, say, HE were to die, or my partner, or my family, but Jonathan Brandis's death doesn't really affect me... neither did the death of Princess Di, to tell you the truth. Or even people I really love, like Billy Wilder and Stanley Kubrick and Jean Vigo. It just seems important to me to have perspective on this stuff and not get carried away, the way the media does.

Then he writes me back, saying "Remind me never to tell you my emotional responses to sad things." Then he tells me it's tragic because it was a suicide, of "hopelessness," etc, and I write him back telling him that suicide is usually a very selfish, narcissistic act, almost an act of passive-aggression, really. And on an on.

Am I completely heartless to not feel emptied out over the loss of a celebrity, and annoyed that someone could take something so trivial so personally? Am I morbid to believe that any of us could die, at any time, so that death is never really a surprise to me, whether the person's young or old? Am I selfish to care more about my own family and friends than about famous people I don't know or have any personal attachment to? Am I diminishing the famous American who died when I say they're no more important than the children who die by starvation and genocide all over the world, and if I don't cry for those children (which I don't, since it wouldn't help and I'd spend all my time crying), how in the hell can I cry for or be disturbed by the death of Jonathan Brandis?

Agreed. It's nice to see for once that you can be totally heartless like me.  :wink:

Hehe. Anyway, it doesn't usually affect me much when famous people die. However, I was pissed when Phil Hartman's wife killed him, the cunt.

And for some reason, everytime I read Baxter's Fellini biography, I cry when Fellini dies. I mean I weep. There's a feeling of incredible loss each and every time...
Title: Jonathan Brandis is reported dead...
Post by: Gamblour. on November 24, 2003, 05:18:16 PM
Quote from: SoNowThenI cry when Fellini dies.

Thanks for ruining the ending, asshole.
Title: Jonathan Brandis is reported dead...
Post by: modage on November 24, 2003, 06:02:19 PM
so godardian, if morrissey commited suicide, it wouldnt affect you in the slightest?
Title: Jonathan Brandis is reported dead...
Post by: SoNowThen on November 24, 2003, 06:34:05 PM
Quote from: Gamblor the Manwhore
Quote from: SoNowThenI cry when Fellini dies.

Thanks for ruining the ending, asshole.

:)
Title: Jonathan Brandis is reported dead...
Post by: godardian on November 24, 2003, 10:27:12 PM
Quote from: themodernage02so godardian, if morrissey commited suicide, it wouldnt affect you in the slightest?

You may have me on that one in a way... but still, I bet I'd not get as desperate as many of the real die-hard fans. I would definitely talk about it, and I'm sure I'd be reminiscent for a while about his work and all that it means to me, but I don't think I'd roll up in a ball and shut the blinds and stay in bed because of it, or make it more of an urgent thing than it was. For one thing, I would know that it was absolutely his choice; any drugs or external things would be very unlikely in that scenario. I try to be as mentally prepared as I can be for almost anyone to die, though, including myself. Mentally prepare, take the worst-case scenario into account, and go on with life.

All that being said, I won't be surprised if Morrissey outlasts us all.  :)
Title: Jonathan Brandis is reported dead...
Post by: Reinhold on November 29, 2003, 11:06:30 AM
i get a little bit more upset about some celebrity deaths than others. if pta were to snuff it, i'd be pretty upset because i feel in some small way that i've gotten to know him through the thousands of times that i've seen his work. i wouldn't mourn him like he was my father... but i guess it'd be on the same level as some guy who i used to see around town all the time that got hit by a car or something like that. it's case-specific for me. that line of thought is how i justify all of those fucking aaliyah and lisa lopez vigils even though i'm not a fan. perhaps others feel that they knew them through their music or whatever.