We don't need Jodie, we've got Hopkins!

November 11, 2010 10:07 AM

He's Now in the Great Screening Room in the Sky Dino de Laurentiis has passed on, aged 91. Over 150 films produced. He gave this young guy a second chance after this bomb. One of his movies had the best Haniball Lektor/Lector ever. He worked with Fellini, Pacinio, Redford, Schwarzenegger, Bridges, (Jeff), Raimi, and Fonda, (Jane). Goodnight, sweet prince of cinema.
posted by jettloe (53 comments total)

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posted by defenestration at 10:09 AM on November 11, 2010

Bruckheimer? Fuck that shit!

DINO! DE! LAURENTIIS!

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posted by shakespeherian at 10:15 AM on November 11, 2010 [12 favorites]

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posted by Joe Beese at 10:16 AM on November 11, 2010

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A legend indeed. Fortunately, I'm sure he knows the answer to the riddle of steel, and will feast at the side of Crom.
posted by ecurtz at 10:17 AM on November 11, 2010 [5 favorites]

Wow, somewhere, King Kong heaves a sigh of relief. And I bet you didn't know he was the money behind The Dead Zone. And it's uncredited, so don't bother looking.

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posted by dbiedny at 10:17 AM on November 11, 2010

apologies for misspellings in the post = tears are obscuring the keyboard.
posted by jettloe at 10:17 AM on November 11, 2010

One of his movies had the best Haniball Lektor/Lector ever

True. But another of his movies had the worst Clarice Starling, so it kinds of cancels out.

Still, not many men would have given David Lynch $40 million [about $100 million in today's money] to make Dune. That took big brass ones.
posted by Joe Beese at 10:19 AM on November 11, 2010 [2 favorites]

I've seen some of his good ones and some of his bad ones. Whatever the case, he was a "master showman, the last survivor of a bygone era of swashbuckling Hollywood producers" (to quote Patrick Goldstein). Goodbye and fare well, sir.
posted by blucevalo at 10:22 AM on November 11, 2010 [1 favorite]

Crom doesn't feast. Dino might want to pop over to Mitra's pad for that.

Anyway, he brought a lot of movie work to Southern Morocco via CLA Studios - really helped the area. The studios are worth a visit, too.
posted by HopperFan at 10:25 AM on November 11, 2010

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posted by Madamina at 10:28 AM on November 11, 2010

Executive producer, Army of Darkness.

Hail to the King, baby.
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 10:32 AM on November 11, 2010 [6 favorites]

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posted by brundlefly at 10:32 AM on November 11, 2010

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Thanks for the 1980 Flash Gordon, Dino.
posted by vibrotronica at 10:37 AM on November 11, 2010 [5 favorites]

I used to loathe de Laurentiis for "ruining" King Kong with that remake he did. But years later, I realized the original Kong is just fine, and I can look at it just about anytime I want to. And having learned my lesson, I didn't have to waste much time being upset at Peter Jackson.

As others have pointed out, he was behind a lot quality and fun movies. My life's movie-watching experience would have been lessened if not for Dino de Laurentiis.
posted by marxchivist at 10:39 AM on November 11, 2010

Well shucks.

He's a great cinematic love of mine. Even some of his stinkers are packed so full of over-the-top awesome that they're worth watching with a big bowl of popcorn.
posted by KirkJobSluder at 10:39 AM on November 11, 2010

Barbarella and Danger: Diabolik

Thanks for everything, Dino....


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posted by lumpenprole at 10:40 AM on November 11, 2010 [2 favorites]

"'Dino is one of the few film people who will give you an immediate yes or no,' [Sam] Cohn said. 'Most of the rest of them are committee men, procrastinators.' Now, Cohn began outlining one of his writer's original ideas. After a few minutes of discussion and certain inviolate conditions, De Laurentiis agreed to finance the project. He leaned back in the leather chair. 'Sam, I hope that while we were talking, the angel of mercy flew overhead and said "amen." ' De Laurentiis smiled and lit one of his small cigars. 'That's an Italian expression, Sam. I don't quite know how it's said in, uh, English.' " -- New York Magazine, 29 December 1975
posted by blucevalo at 10:44 AM on November 11, 2010 [1 favorite]

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posted by jquinby at 10:45 AM on November 11, 2010

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posted by clavdivs at 10:46 AM on November 11, 2010

Danger: Diabolik

A body no longer movin'...

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posted by Iridic at 10:49 AM on November 11, 2010

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posted by joedan at 10:54 AM on November 11, 2010

Flash Gordon is a great movie and I don't care what anyone says. My opinion may be influenced by the fact that my father took me to see it when I was seven. Brian Blessed's Prince Vultan may be another reason. Queen's score may be a third.

Thanks, Dino!

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posted by NationalKato at 11:00 AM on November 11, 2010 [1 favorite]

Max Von Sydow as Ming The Merciless, respect.
posted by stinkycheese at 11:02 AM on November 11, 2010

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posted by farishta at 11:02 AM on November 11, 2010

OMG that was Max von Sydow? I have to watch that again with a huge brick of pot. Also


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posted by Mister_A at 11:04 AM on November 11, 2010 [1 favorite]

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posted by Thorzdad at 11:05 AM on November 11, 2010

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posted by cazoo at 11:07 AM on November 11, 2010

To crush your Jerry Brukheimer, see him driven before you, and to hear the lamentation of Michael Bay.
posted by sourwookie at 11:27 AM on November 11, 2010 [7 favorites]

What a legendary film family.

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posted by cavalier at 11:31 AM on November 11, 2010

Wait.. What? Giada's granddad was famous?!
posted by OneMonkeysUncle at 11:46 AM on November 11, 2010 [1 favorite]

What sad news.

Flash Gordon is a great movie and I don't care what anyone says. My opinion may be influenced by the fact that my father took me to see it when I was seven. Brian Blessed's Prince Vultan may be another reason. Queen's score may be a third.

The Queen Flash album I have on tape is one of my daughter's favorite pieces of car music (alongside Iggy Pop's The Passenger). I look forward to introducing her to the thick slices of ham that are Brian Blessed and Max Von Sydow's performances.
posted by rodgerd at 11:51 AM on November 11, 2010

Flash Gordon is the great Boxing Day afternoon film. I'll be watching it again this year and raise a glass to Dino.
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 11:53 AM on November 11, 2010

What a legendary film family.

Dino is, of course, the maternal grandfather of large-headed television chef Giada de Laurentiis.
posted by Joe Beese at 11:54 AM on November 11, 2010

I want to thank him for Orca, King Kong and Blue Velvet.
posted by Brainy at 11:58 AM on November 11, 2010

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posted by Benjamin Nushmutt at 12:04 PM on November 11, 2010

Long live the fighters!
posted by Kafkaesque at 12:08 PM on November 11, 2010 [1 favorite]

Staring raptly at Ming's daughter Princess Aura set up a lifelong weakness for the mixture of raven hair, almond eyes, and a dark temper.

Flash and Dune alone are enough awesome high impact silliness for a lifetime. Thanks Dino.
posted by Babblesort at 12:30 PM on November 11, 2010 [1 favorite]

Manhunter, Danger: Diabolik and Dune are some of my all-time favorite and most-rewatched movies. Dune has been one of my top ten movies since it came out, and I was young enough to think 'Dino' must be a dinosaur-related nickname.

When I was in high school I probably watched Army of Darkness thirty or forty times too. Dead Zone, Mandingo, La Strada, Serpico, Flash Gordon, Cimino's Desperate Hours, Maximum Overdrive... this guy worked on so many really memorable films, it's crazy. I'd give my eyeteeth to have been on the set of quite a few of them. He must have had some awesome stories.

Thanks for everything, Dino.
posted by heatvision at 12:31 PM on November 11, 2010

"Ah, well... who wants to live forever? Hawkmen... DIIIIIIIIIIVVVVEEEE!"

. for the man who made one of my favorite films of all time. Sci-fi that was wacky and just didn't give a fuck. Hell yes sudden alien football! Put your hand in this giant bug-filled meatball! Who picked up the ring? Oh, mysteries...
posted by FatherDagon at 12:34 PM on November 11, 2010 [3 favorites]

aw hell

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posted by elizardbits at 12:34 PM on November 11, 2010

De Laurentiis may be dead but GORDON'S ALIVE (?)!!!!
posted by TheWhiteSkull at 12:40 PM on November 11, 2010 [1 favorite]

Tweet from Schwarzenegger: "Dino De Laurentiis always said to have a great life you need 3 things: brain, heart, balls. Let me tell you, he had them all."
posted by blucevalo at 12:46 PM on November 11, 2010 [2 favorites]

La Strada alone earns him all the high praise any producer could ever wish for. The rest of his films are just thick, rich icing on that cake.

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posted by The World Famous at 12:55 PM on November 11, 2010

De Laurentiis may be dead but GORDON'S ALIVE (?)!!!!

Flying blind on a ROCKET CYCLE(?)!!!!
posted by NationalKato at 12:59 PM on November 11, 2010 [1 favorite]

I recently discovered Three Days of the Condor with Robert Redford (1975) and it was very very good. Plot! Substance! Action! Who-da-thunk-it?
posted by mbatch at 1:18 PM on November 11, 2010

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I remember that when you saw his name at the start of a film, you were in for some serious entertainment. Even if the movie stunk.

No, especially if the movie stunk.
posted by Catblack at 1:41 PM on November 11, 2010 [4 favorites]

What do you mean Flash Gordon approaching??
posted by stinkycheese at 2:31 PM on November 11, 2010

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posted by Splunge at 2:37 PM on November 11, 2010

DISPATCH WAR ROCKET AJAX to bring back HIS BODY.
posted by jquinby at 2:40 PM on November 11, 2010 [4 favorites]

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posted by Smart Dalek at 2:53 PM on November 11, 2010

Melody Anderson (Dale Arden in DDL's "Flash Gordon") was a Carleton University Journalism classmate of mine. I call one degree of separation from the great man himself.
posted by Mike D at 5:31 PM on November 11, 2010

I'll always remember his name coalescing out of smoke at the beginning of Army of Darkness

Also, MAXIMUM OVERDRIVE
posted by Existential Dread at 7:00 PM on November 11, 2010

Crap. Crap, crap, crap.


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posted by New England Cultist at 11:47 PM on November 11, 2010