Sad news film fans. Michael Winner has passed away at the age of 77. He had been battling cancer for the last several years, and had not been behind a camera since 1998 (although he did find a new career, oddly enough, as a restaurant critic - seriously need to score me some of those reviews, fascinating). He's probably most famous for the first three Death Wish films and rightfully so, as those films are all kinds of gritty 70s absurdity. The third film is a definite highlight of my childhood, and any Star Trek Next Generation fan should be horrified by Marina Sirtis guest spot. But he also directed Charles Bronson in two other brilliant hard nosed flicks: Chato's Land and The Mechanic. Seek 'em out if you haven't already as they are delightfully brutal. And finally, you got to witness The Sentinel. It's a horror film obviously borrowing from The Exorcist & The Omen, but it also contains heavy doses of Dario Argento. The film sports one of the most effective jump scares I've experienced on the little screen - watching it late one night, 15 years ago, in my parents' basement. Freaky, wonderful. Don't believe me? Just listen to Edgar Wright below...
--Brad
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