In memoriam
Over the weekend, word reached the World Wide Web regarding the passing of actor James Tolkan.
A quick glance at the talent's IMDB.com shows that the man enjoyed just over eighty different screen roles, and a good deal of them were the kind of things that genre fans gravitate toward. Granted, there are some conventional titles in there, as well; while those things are all well and good, I don't much cover them as part and parcel of the SciFiHistory.Net tradition. But -- wow -- this guy knew a thing or two about chewing scenery, didn't he? Such an incredible presence when called upon to serve in such a role ...
A brief rundown of his dalliances inside the realms of the Fantastic:
In 1973, Tolkan enjoyed a role aboard the somewhat subversive political satire The Werewolf Of Washington for Diplomat Pictures. I've seen this one, and -- yes -- it is a bit 'out there,' indeed. It's much more of a Horror/Comedy hybrid than it is satirical, but to each his own.
In 1979, Horror came a'knocking, and Tolkan enjoyed another small role, this time in the guise of a coroner for The Amityville Horror for American International Pictures, a popular but flawed adaptation of the best-selling book regarding one of the nation's most haunted houses (alleged).
In 1981, Horror showed that it wasn't yet finished with the man; and he signed up for a role in the award-winning but often overlooked werewolf film Wolfen for Orion Pictures.
1983 saw the actor making not one but two great genre entries: John Badham's WarGames remains one of the great SciFi/Thrillers of the decade while Nightmares is a somewhat forgettable anthology-style chiller that did well on home video but not much else.
In 1984, Tolkan joined the cast of Iceman for Universal Pictures. It's another one of those great 1980's flicks that hasn't quick been yet rediscovered, exploring the dangers of bringing a man from the distant past back to life in the modern era. It's touching and bittersweet. Hopefully it'll get a second look from audiences still willing to explore some of what's come before.
For my money, it was Tolkan's great little role as 'Principal Strickland' in 1985's groundbreaking Back To The Future that truly set the actor's career on fire. Again, I realize he didn't exactly get a vast amount of screen time in the flick, but I'd argue that Hollywood saw what he could do with smartly-written dialogue and a massive screen presence; and the guy never quite looked back.
Indeed, his career continued; and the actor continued to do what only he could do in such projects as Top Gun (1986), Masters Of The Universe (1987), Made In Heaven (1987), Second Sight (1989), Back To The Future Part 2 (1989), Back To The Future Part III (1990), Dick Tracy (1990), Tales From The Crypt, Nowhere Man, Early Edition, Robo Warriors (1996), and The Pretender.
Our warmest prayers are extended to the family, friends, and fans of James Tolkan.
May he rest in peace ...
-- EZ
A quick glance at the talent's IMDB.com shows that the man enjoyed just over eighty different screen roles, and a good deal of them were the kind of things that genre fans gravitate toward. Granted, there are some conventional titles in there, as well; while those things are all well and good, I don't much cover them as part and parcel of the SciFiHistory.Net tradition. But -- wow -- this guy knew a thing or two about chewing scenery, didn't he? Such an incredible presence when called upon to serve in such a role ...
A brief rundown of his dalliances inside the realms of the Fantastic:
In 1973, Tolkan enjoyed a role aboard the somewhat subversive political satire The Werewolf Of Washington for Diplomat Pictures. I've seen this one, and -- yes -- it is a bit 'out there,' indeed. It's much more of a Horror/Comedy hybrid than it is satirical, but to each his own.
In 1979, Horror came a'knocking, and Tolkan enjoyed another small role, this time in the guise of a coroner for The Amityville Horror for American International Pictures, a popular but flawed adaptation of the best-selling book regarding one of the nation's most haunted houses (alleged).
In 1981, Horror showed that it wasn't yet finished with the man; and he signed up for a role in the award-winning but often overlooked werewolf film Wolfen for Orion Pictures.
1983 saw the actor making not one but two great genre entries: John Badham's WarGames remains one of the great SciFi/Thrillers of the decade while Nightmares is a somewhat forgettable anthology-style chiller that did well on home video but not much else.
In 1984, Tolkan joined the cast of Iceman for Universal Pictures. It's another one of those great 1980's flicks that hasn't quick been yet rediscovered, exploring the dangers of bringing a man from the distant past back to life in the modern era. It's touching and bittersweet. Hopefully it'll get a second look from audiences still willing to explore some of what's come before.
For my money, it was Tolkan's great little role as 'Principal Strickland' in 1985's groundbreaking Back To The Future that truly set the actor's career on fire. Again, I realize he didn't exactly get a vast amount of screen time in the flick, but I'd argue that Hollywood saw what he could do with smartly-written dialogue and a massive screen presence; and the guy never quite looked back.
Indeed, his career continued; and the actor continued to do what only he could do in such projects as Top Gun (1986), Masters Of The Universe (1987), Made In Heaven (1987), Second Sight (1989), Back To The Future Part 2 (1989), Back To The Future Part III (1990), Dick Tracy (1990), Tales From The Crypt, Nowhere Man, Early Edition, Robo Warriors (1996), and The Pretender.
Our warmest prayers are extended to the family, friends, and fans of James Tolkan.
May he rest in peace ...
-- EZ
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