Gene Wilder: A Man of Pure Imagination

Good evening everyone and welcome to The Magical Mystery Blog.

Holy gobstoppers, Gene Wilder is deceased.

Gene Wilder (originally born as Jerome (“Jerry”) Silberman) has passed on August 28^th, 2016 in Stamford, Connecticut at the age of 83 due to complications from Alzheimer’s disease. He hadn’t informed the public of his condition because he didn’t want children to sadly view him for his illness, but rather happiness for all the joy he brought them.

My heart has been punched severely by this news and still aches as I write this entry.  So much so that I needed longer than usual to craft an entry that at best would convey my feelings for the man and to do it in a proper fashion. Even so, I’m still tearing up at “Pure Imagination” as it plays in my head.

In a sense, I feel as though I’ve grown up with Gene Wilder. We first met during my childhood with “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory”. The movie terrified me greatly, but as an adult I appreciate it and adore it dearly especially with its trivia. Did you know that the first time Wilder ever appeared to the cast was when he rolled out to them upon opening the factory? And that the reactions of everyone during the boat scene were completely genuine? The director had informed the cast they were going on a boat ride, but didn’t mention the horrific images or Wilder’s improvised lines (“There’s no earthly way of knowing which direction they are going…”). In fact, most of the reactions in this movie were genuine – even down to the final scene where Charlie confronts Willy Wonka in his office.

Wilder returned to me in my teen years where I fell in love with “Saturday Night Live” especially the older, original cast including Gilda Radner.  It was during this time that I had learned that he had married Gilda Radner and when she died from breast cancer, he created Gilda’s Club. Gilda’s Club was a non-profit charity to help those with cancer. The notion of Wilder wanting to continue breast cancer efforts despite her passing and his suffering from it was beyond immeasurable and imaginable for me. The mere amount of heartbreak he must have endured had to be ungodly.

Following me through my adolescence and adulthood, Wilder thrilled me with “The Producers” (Pre-Nathan Lane/Matthew Broderick (though he loved their Broadway version)), “Blazing Saddles”, and “Young Frankenstein” (“FRONKensteen!”) both produced by Mel Brooks. Gene Wilder had met Mel Brooks in his early stage career and the two housed a wonderful friendship and partnership.  He was nominated for an Oscar for his role in “The Producers” which caused him to be a highly demanded actor which secured his iconic role as Willy Wonka.

It’s been about a week since Wilder passed and my chest still throbs terribly in knowing we lost a great man. In knowing I lost someone who I seemingly grew up with, who would always wind his way back into my life. For every moment he visited, I learned to love more of his work as well as life. Thank you Gene Wilder, for somehow secretly always being there and being a wonderful person.

Thank you for reading tonight’s entry. If you enjoyed it, feel free to share, subscribe, critique, and comment.

So tell me, what did you like Wilder in the most?

Sleeping With the Stars: Anton Yelchin

Good evening everyone and welcome to The Magical Mystery Blog.

This year is incredibly bizarre so far. No, not for personal reasons, but more so the fact that fantastic celebrities keep dying. So far we’ve lost David Bowie, Muhammad Ali, Doris Roberts, Prince, and so many other people that I’m uncertain how much more our hearts can bear.

Sadly, we’ve lost yet another celebrity: Anton Yelchin. Anton Yelchin is also known as the young Chekov in J.J. Abrams’ rebooted Star Trek movies.

Yelchin was fatally pinned by his car against his brick mailbox pillar and the gate of his home. No one had tampered with the vehicle; officials found the car in the neutral gear. What many believe occurred was that the car rolled down the steep drive way and fatally collided with the young actor. The trauma from the incident led to his demise. His body was found by his friends who were concerned as to why he hadn’t appeared for an 11 pm rehearsal.

Yelchin drove a 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee which had been recalled earlier this year due to rollbacks. Fiat Chrysler believes it was the car’s shifter behind the rollback which possibly caused 41 injuries. Fiat Chrysler claims it will aid in Yelchin's investigation.

Yelchin was twenty seven years old and originally from St. Petersburg, Russia. His parents were two iconic professional ice skaters who fled to America as political refugees. During their escape, Yelchin was still a child and raised in Los Angeles. After hitting his head as a kid, Yelchin didn’t want to become an ice skater. Instead he preferred reading, chess, and acting. His first professional role was Augie in A Man is Mostly Water. From there onward, he starred in other movies and series such as From Up on Poppy Hill, Only Lovers Left Alive, Huff, and The Practice. Yelchin just finished starring in the movies Thoroughbred and Star Trek: Beyond.

I’m not sure how many more wondrous people we’ll lose this year, especially one as young and as tragic as Anton Yelchin. Rest in peace, Yelchin – may you go boldly where no man as gone before.

Thank you for reading tonight’s entry. If you enjoyed it, feel free to comment, critique, share, and subscribe.

So tell me, what will you remember Anton Yelchin most for?

Ezekiel: A Victim of Anti-Vaxxing

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It is incredibly important for people to take care of themselves. This includes mental health days, eating properly, and getting vaccinated. With the world still wrapped in the topic of vaccines cause various problems, people are exploring other options. Some use herbal remedies, others use healing crystals, and others use maple syrup and water. While I was thankfully vaccinated, I can’t say the same for Ezekiel Stephan.

Ezekiel Stephan, a 19 month old boy in Alberta Canada, died of meningitis by his parents’ “naturopathic remedies”. Meningitis is a vaccine treatable disease, but his parents chose to give him various concoctions including water with maple syrup, olive leaf extract, and a mixture of apple cider vinegar, horse radish root, hot peppers, mashed onion, garlic and ginger root. The parents (David Stephan and Collet Stephan) fed Ezekiel these mixtures as his condition worsened because they refused to vaccinate him due to having a negative experience with the Canadian health system.

This specific experience involved Health Canada attempting to (and failing) stop the distribution of Empowerplus, a mineral and vitamin mixture crafted by David and Collet, the owners of a natural supplements distributor called Truehope. David claimed that Empowerplus could easily manage bi-polarity and used it on Ezekiel to eliminate the meningitis. Health Canada issued warnings regarding Empowerplus because it didn’t have a drug identification number or scientific backing.

The parents have pleaded not guilty in court for neglecting their son and failing to give him the proper medical treatment. They’ve even complained on social media sites about the case and critics preventing them from raising money for their son’s death and their defense through online fundraisers. They’ve also stated that their approach to health should be respected and that they are being unfairly persecuted.

The rumor about vaccines being linked to autism and other health illnesses has been one of the most damaging medical hoaxes in the past 100 years. It has been widely disproved that vaccines do not lead to any of these conditions, yet there are people like David and Collet, who believe otherwise. Frankly it’s a shame that the choices of the parent cause the child to suffer, especially in this case. Should the couple be convicted, they will possibly face five years in prison and the loss of their children. Here’s hoping those other children survive whatever illness comes their way, unlike Ezekiel.

Thank you for reading tonight’s entry. If you enjoyed it, feel free to comment, critique, subscribe, and share.

So tell me, what are your thoughts on vaccines and anti-vaxxers?

Farewell, Saruman

Good evening everyone and welcome to The Magical Mystery Blog.

Christopher Lee left behind a legacy of iconic film roles and music, having passed on June 7^th, 2015 at ninety three years old.  Lee died at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital in London after three weeks of treatment for respiratory problems and heart failures.

Born in Belgravia, London on May 27^th, 1922 to one of the oldest families in Europe, Lee was an only child. His parents separated when he was a child and his mother moved with him to Switzerland. He attended Miss Fisher’s Academy in Wegen, followed by Summer Field’s School in London. After this, he received a scholarship at Eton College and Wellington College where he studied Greek and Latin.

In 1939, Lee enlisted in the Royal Air Force during WW2. During this time, he also was assigned to tracking down Nazi war criminals and served as an Intelligence Officer with the Long Range Desert Group in Northern Africa in the Special Forces. He later retired with the rank of Flight Lieutenant. Sworn to secrecy, Lee never spoke of his war days.

Eight years later, Lee entered the film industry and obtained a seven year contract with the Rank Organization. He was enrolled in acting school that groomed young, contracted actors.  From his education, he obtained a role in “Corridor of Mirrors” – a gothic romance movie.  In the fifties and onward, Lee’s acting career blossomed from tackling classic roles such as Fu Manchu and notorious horror icons such as Dracula and The Mummy. The part of Dracula especially shaped him into a master of the macabre and led him to dabble in other horror flicks such as “Gremlin 2”, “The Creeping Flesh”, and “Circus of Fear”.

Lee went on to portray classic villain parts such as Saruman from “The Lord of the Rings”, Count Dooku from the “Star Wars” prequels, Scaramanga from “The Man With the Golden Gun”, and countless other roles. Lee even did an audio performance of Edgar Allen Poe’s works, DiZ from Kingdom Hearts 2, King Haggard from “The Last Unicorn”, and Burton’s iconic “Nightmare Before Christmas” poem . He even collaborated with Tim Burton and appeared in “Sleepy Hollow”, “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory”, “Dark Shadows”, and “Alice in Wonderland”.  Having loved to sing so much, Lee created symphonic metal albums for Christmas and tributes to Charlemagne.

Burton even had the pleasure of awarding Lee with the BAFTA Academy Fellowship award. Lee was graced with other awards throughout his life. He received the International Fantasy Film Award, Bram Stoker’s Lifetime Achievement Award, MTV Movie Award, and was even knighted by the Queen in 2009 for his services to drama and charity.

The world is a less thrilling place without someone as amazing and epic as Christopher Lee.  While we have his metal soundtracks and his countless roles, the world has once more lost a great person. We can only imagine him now up in the sky conversing with Vincent Price and jamming with other metalheads. His presence will no longer grace the Earth, but we will still have Lee in our hearts and minds.

Thank you for reading tonight’s entry. If you liked it, feel free to comment, share, and critique.

So tell me, what was your favorite role that Christopher Lee played?

An Entry for the Recently Deceased

Good evening everyone and welcome to The Magical Mystery Blog.

Spring is when life bursts from the deceased Winter world. From the dead leaves come flowers, from the snow comes fresh grass, and from the cold nights come breezy, warm evenings. The transition from Winter to Spring is a reflection of the circle of life: animals and people die and from their death comes new life.  In this way, death is given a positive view in which life emerges from the fallen.

However, death is always portrayed as inevitably dark, the final end of something wonderful. People grieve for those who leave this world so suddenly and it’s understandable; they are losing someone near and dear to them. People know that death will come unexpectedly and steal away someone we truly love. It’s portrayed as such in every form of media and appears in our lives.  We have many ideas of death: death of a loved one, a little death (how the French define an orgasm), casting off a part of ourselves and gaining something new, a grand adventure, honor, and many more. These ideas sprout from culture, language, media, and things we generally see or hear about almost every day.

Death is nearly everywhere in physical and mental sense.  It’s something that we have grown to hate and accept because of its unavoidable nature.

But maybe, we should stop viewing death as something so negative. Maybe we should view it as something positive. Not saying it is good to die nor that we should rush to the grave, but it is good that from something we lose, we gain something:  a new life, a new rebirth, a new view.

From the loss of a loved one comes acceptance that we will only see their face in memory, photograph, and/or video.  We can only talk of them and how we knew them and how they made us smile. These are things that we will always have of them that will never leave us.  It’s bittersweet, like tear inducing chocolate.

In a way it’s comforting to know that departed one is in a better place. A place where there’s no pain and they can do whatever they desire and meet some great people.  While they’re doing this, their body is returned to the Earth by means of burial, ash, or specifically designed caskets that are eco-friendly. It’s all a part of life’s grand design and the great circle that endlessly spins.

So yes, grieve those you’ve loved and lost. Don’t be shy to cry at their grave or whenever they pop into your mind. Don’t be worried to miss them, even if they passed on many years ago.  Just know that it’s all a part of life and that they’re somewhere safe, having a grand old time. It won’t be easy to accept at first, but just like death, it is something we must all embrace.

Thanks for reading tonight’s entry. If you like it, feel free to comment, share, and critique.

So tell me, what do you think the afterlife is like?