Hooray for the snubbing of space Smurfs.
I didn’t watch the Oscars. I didn’t care who won the Oscars, as long as James Cameron didn’t.
So it was something of a pleasant surprise to hear James Cameron and “Avatar” were mostly snubbed. And in favor of the former Mrs. Cameron, Kathryn Bigelow and her little “other” war movie, with actual people, “The Hurt Locker.”
Corey Haim
Now, on to more important stuff. Corey Haim died Wednesday at age 38.
I grew up with this guy and his movies. “The Lost Boys” is the best vampire movie of my generation. I’ll take Keifer Sutherland’s David over Edward or whatever other goofball prissy teens pass for nocturnal hunters these days. But I digress.
I watched “License to Drive” about 6,000 times. And “Blown Away” ... “Blown Away.” Where was I?
Right!
“License to Drive.” A classic coming-of-age movie. Maybe the peak of Heather Graham’s career. Mercedes Lane was the girl every adolescent dreamed about. Or she should have been.
Haim was funny and charming and engaging.
For years, meaning, up until Wednesday afternoon, I thought he was the main character in “Goonies.” Just because the other Corey was in it.
Strange life
What a weird life this guy must have had. Child actor, teen idol, Canadian, movie star, linked, whether he wanted it or not, to another dude named Corey (honestly, I thought Feldman would go first). Did I mention Canadian?
Was it identity crisis that drove him to drugs? Just fame and money and access that eventually ruined him, stripped away his innocence and left him with virtually nothing.
In 2007, A&E tried to bring the Coreys together. It was short-lived — it didn’t finish its second season — and awkward.
Haim’s legacy will be the fact his mother found him on the floor of his bedroom and had to call 911. According to The Associated Press, he filed for bankruptcy in 1997. His assets included a few thousand dollars in cash, clothing and royalty rights.
John Meo writes for the Norwich Bulletin.
