Celebrity Deaths Thread 2021

[briareos_kerensky]

Koichi Sugiyama, composer for Dragon Quest and many other series, has passed away at 90.

[Nu-Eclipse]

Koichi Sugiyama, composer for Dragon Quest and many other series, has passed away at 90.

As much as his work as a composer was stellar (obviously including Dragon Quest), his imperialistic and homophobic beliefs were controversial and problematic.

[Anpanman]

Co-lin Powell;

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-58957273

[Neon Ignition]

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/entertainment/movies/rust-alec-baldwin-discharged-gun-that-killed-one-and-injured-another-on-movie-set/ar-AAPOB1V?ocid=spartan-ntp-feeds

Halyna Hutchins, director of photography on the new western film Rust, has been shot dead on set. The films director was also injured and is currently in emergency care at a nearby hospital. The twist is that both were injured via a misfiring prop gun fired during a scene filming that was fired by Alec Baldwin.

[Cassius_Smoke]

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/entertainm...rtan-ntp-feeds
Halyna Hutchins, director of photography on the new western film Rust, has been shot dead on set. The films director was also injured and is currently in emergency care at a nearby hospital. The twist is that both were injured via a misfiring prop gun fired during a scene filming that was fired by Alec Baldwin.

That would eat you up inside. Terrible.

On The Crow it was a blank cartridge cap that got caught in the barrel so when the next round fired it shot out the plastic at ballistic speed. It was probably something similar.

[QualityChimp]

I find it distasteful that both the BBC, Metro and other are reporting this as "Woman dies" rather the Cinematographer or her name, Halyna Hutchins.

[Dogg Thang]

The twist is that both were injured via a misfiring prop gun fired during a scene filming that was fired by Alec Baldwin.

This info isn't at the link, as in it being a misfiring and during the actual shooting of a scene. Is that coming from other sources?

[Neon Ignition]

The info seems to still be incoming

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/oct/22/alec-baldwin-fired-prop-gun-woman-death-movie-rust-sheriff

Local authorities have now confirmed the incident and that Baldwin voluntarily reported in after it. His spokesperson has cited it as 'an accident on set involving the misfire of a prop with blanks'. Does seem to be very similar to the Crow incident so far so despite the focus on Baldwin at the moment I imagine the shift in attention will quickly go to whoever was in charge of the prop.

“According to investigators, it appears that the scene being filmed involved the use of a prop firearm when it was discharged,” Rios told the Albuquerque Journal. “Detectives are investigating how and what type of projectile was discharged.”

[Dogg Thang]

Ah okay, yeah that does sound similar. The reason I was asking was that the initial descriptions I read were vague enough that it could have been another Cover Up type incident. I didn't remotely think it was because Alec Baldwin is obviously incredibly experienced but there was that slight feeling of dread... what if this was someone goofing around and an accident happened?

[Neon Ignition]

I'm almost surprised that most films aren't CG'ing gunfire at this point given how heavy handed its use is. Seems almost odd that this is still possible but I guess I'm underestimating an industry that primarily exists within a gun loving nation.

[Cassius_Smoke]

I'm almost surprised that most films aren't CG'ing gunfire at this point given how heavy handed its use is. Seems almost odd that this is still possible but I guess I'm underestimating an industry that primarily exists within a gun loving nation.

They tend to use blanks that have a little phosphorus in them to get a bigger mussel flash than a real bullet. With CGI you'd have to think about how the flash lights up the surrounding area and all that, too complex and expensive. Easier just to put blanks in a gun.

[Atticus]

I'm almost surprised that most films aren't CG'ing gunfire at this point given how heavy handed its use is.

First thing I thought too.

[monel]

I find it distasteful that both the BBC, Metro and other are reporting this as "Woman dies" rather the Cinematographer or her name, Halyna Hutchins.

On a tangent, some of the trash papers I see usually devote extensive coverage of any story if the person was young and attractive. Usually females, but they do it in a obvious and distasteful manner.

[QualityChimp]

This is a breaking story, so we're getting some information and some of it's tactless and clickbait-driven.

Reading between these, it seems that Baldwin is obviously upset, crying at the police interview (not sure where that's come from - again, it feels like tittle tattle, even if true) and the film was an Independent one, so CGI over blanks isn't a realistic option.

Either way, this is a tragedy and really shouldn't be happening in 2021.

[fallenangle]

One of the things I've noticed in the online/news-sources description of the weapon/cartridge being used is that they keep on referring to the propellant in blank cartridges as "gunpowder".

Gunpowder is rarely used in modern cartridges, particularly not handguns, its usually of a smokeless nitrocellulose type, a development which started with gun cotton and then cordite both now replaced with better (less corrosive) and, crucially in regard to this matter, more powerful substances.

A very close range blast from a blank round can kill and that has happened before on a film set. Info easily found online

But what went on here sounds more mysterious in that two people were hit one killed and the other injured. Difficult to speculate how could happen, so I won't.

Very sad consequences whatever the cause.

EDIT
Didn't realise it was a western they were filming in which case use of gunpowder would have been appropriate although they rarely do in films because of all the smoke it produces.