At Cinema Runner, film is our first love, but that doesn’t mean we don’t have an intense fondness for music as well. In an effort to share our love of the musical medium, we’re launching a weekly feature dedicated to songs written for and/or featured on the soundtracks of some of our favorite films. Well, and also sometimes not so great movies, but as long as the tune is worthwhile or at least has an interesting video, what does it matter? Besides, who run Boombox-town? We do! Your own personal Dr. Dealgoods. Welcome to Beyond Videodome, where two ears enter and then they bleed! Care to spin the wheel?
Today’s (Topical) Tune-age…
Barnes & Barnes’ “Fish Heads”
As you probably already know, we lost one of our best character actors less than a week ago. Bill Paxton passed away last weekend due to surgery-related complications. This past year and a half has been a particularly brutal one when it comes to the passing of much-liked (if not beloved) celebrities. The majority of them, however, have been in their elder years. That was not the case with Paxton, who was only 61 years old at the time of his death.
Even if you don’t know Bill Paxton’s name, I guarantee that you know his work. He is a performer who has appeared constantly in all kinds of productions since the early 1980s. He had starring roles on television (“Big Love“, “Training Day“) and numerous guest starring spots (“Tales from the Crypt“, “Agents of SHIELD“). He appeared in serious dramatic fare (Apollo 13, Titanic, Nightcrawler), popcorn entertainment (Tombstone, True Lies, Twister), offbeat comedies (Weird Science, The Dark Backward), and loads of great genre pictures (Aliens, Near Dark, Edge of Tomorrow). Bill Paxton turned in so many great roles in great films (and also many not-so-great ones) that it’s impossible for me to list them all here without turning this piece into nothing but filmography stats.
On top of all of his accomplishments as an actor, Paxton was also talented behind-the-scenes. Beginning his career in the art department and as a set decorator on films such as Big Bad Mama and Death Game, the man eventually directed a few things of his own. His horror film Frailty is one for the ages and his second feature, The Greatest Game Ever Played, is a good little sports movie, but today we’re skewing a bit weirder. You see, the first thing that Bill Paxton directed was a music video for the tune “Fish Heads” by Barnes & Barnes. It stars Paxton himself, as well as Bill Mumy (“Lost in Space“) and Doctor Demento. As for the video itself? Well, let’s just say it totally fits Paxton’s often weird personality…
Rest in peace, Bill. We miss you already.
