Are you tired of all the false rumors of celebrity deaths (today it was Rick Astley)? And are you tired of all the jokes that Michael Jackson is really still alive somewhere, hanging out with Tupac, JFK and Elvis? So are we, but we thought we’d take both the obnoxious death hoax trend and the idea that MJ faked it so he could live in peace and out of debt as inspiration for something more worthwhile: a discussion of favorite false deaths in movies.
The device is quite popular, especially in thrillers and horror flicks, and it can be employed as a plot starter or in a twist ending. James Bond has done it, as has Sherlock Holmes. Whether someone fakes his/her own death or is simply mistaken for dead, the actual deed or the ultimate reveal can end up terrific cinema. In fact, it was very difficult for us to narrow our favorites down to ten. It’s a shame we had to leave out memorable scenes from Heathers, Hero and many other movies. Certainly you’ll disagree with some of our exclusions, too, so feel free to name them in the comments section.
Just beware; there may be SPOILERS after the jump:
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***A Variety story published last night partially backs up the CHUD theory for why Fox pulled out of ComicCon–ie: they couldn’t/didn’t want to tone down their R-rated material after being reprimanded for showing racy Borat footage last year–but also suggests that the studio might have had to do a reality check on their presentation’s “wow” factor. “The pics Fox wanted to promote are all f/x-intensive, with many of the money shots not yet complete.”
***Why is it okay to consistently, pejoratively use words like “doughy” to describe Seth Rogan? Would a casting item about Renee Zellweger refer to her as “the bony, squinty-eyed thesp”? Whatever–the guy’s gonna write and star in The Green Hornet.
***Gavin Hood, who won a Best Foreign Film Oscar two years ago for Tsotsi, has been hired to direct the X-men spin-off Wolverine. Variety describes the pic as an action-loaded “origin story about how Logan emerged from a barbaric experiment as an indestructible mutant with retractable razor-sharp claws.”
