Your mission, should you choose to accept it
July 16, 2017 6:37 PM   Subscribe

Oscar winner and star of the original Mission:Impossible, Martin Landau has died, age 89. Wikipedia
posted by theora55 (71 comments total) 9 users marked this as a favorite
 
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posted by Cash4Lead at 6:41 PM on July 16, 2017


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posted by Miss Cellania at 6:43 PM on July 16, 2017


"Eddie, I'm so broke."

He broke all of our hearts with that performance. Rest in Peace, you wonderful man.
posted by AlonzoMosleyFBI at 6:43 PM on July 16, 2017 [12 favorites]


screw Mission: Impossible, he was in Space:1999!

Did he star in more TV shows having colons in their name than any other actor, I wonder?
posted by thelonius at 6:55 PM on July 16, 2017 [26 favorites]


He did an interview with Marc Maron early this year, worth listening to for his wisdom and humility.
posted by Creosote at 6:56 PM on July 16, 2017 [7 favorites]


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As a kid I knew him from Space: 1999 because that always seemed to be the only thing on Canadian television on Sundays in the '70's besides fucking church shows. It was only later that I realized how massive his acting career was.
posted by chococat at 6:57 PM on July 16, 2017 [7 favorites]


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posted by marimeko at 6:57 PM on July 16, 2017


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posted by Melismata at 6:58 PM on July 16, 2017


Brilliant in "Crimes and Misdemeanours".

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posted by davebush at 6:59 PM on July 16, 2017 [9 favorites]


... and different two characters on each of The Twilight Zone and Outer Limits.

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posted by oneswellfoop at 6:59 PM on July 16, 2017 [2 favorites]


RIP Commander Koenig. We'll always have Moonbase Alpha.
posted by humboldt32 at 7:03 PM on July 16, 2017 [17 favorites]


You'll probably roll your eyes as this isn't a hugely respected flick, but this is probably my favorite Martin Landau scene. The part about the mitzvah has stuck in my head for nearly 20 years now. RIP

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posted by Senor Cardgage at 7:10 PM on July 16, 2017 [3 favorites]


Great actor, and friend of Leonard Nimoy. (Landau was considered for the role of Spock, and Nimoy took a similar role to Landau's when the latter left Mission: Impossible.)

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posted by Halloween Jack at 7:19 PM on July 16, 2017 [4 favorites]


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posted by Silverstone at 7:19 PM on July 16, 2017


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posted by cazoo at 7:20 PM on July 16, 2017


I only saw him in Ed Wood and North by Northwest, but those were enough.

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posted by infinitewindow at 7:22 PM on July 16, 2017 [5 favorites]


I've loved him in so many things, but possibly my favorite is his performance as Bela Lugosi in Ed Wood, for which he won an Oscar. Just a brilliant actor, and seemingly a lovely, lovely man.

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posted by the return of the thin white sock at 7:22 PM on July 16, 2017 [13 favorites]


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posted by Jade Dragon at 7:26 PM on July 16, 2017


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posted by rhizome at 7:28 PM on July 16, 2017


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posted by Fizz at 7:33 PM on July 16, 2017


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posted by computech_apolloniajames at 7:33 PM on July 16, 2017


This is Landau when he was a cartoonist.
He had no choice but to become an actor.
posted by Flashman at 7:36 PM on July 16, 2017 [5 favorites]


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Since he played the guy who played the lead in White Zombie, we can call it a pretty bad day for zombies all around.
posted by dannyboybell at 7:37 PM on July 16, 2017 [1 favorite]


This is a great scene from "Crimes and Misdemeanors"
posted by computech_apolloniajames at 7:39 PM on July 16, 2017 [2 favorites]


"Crimes and Misdemeanors" was how I found out he was a great actor.
posted by xigxag at 7:41 PM on July 16, 2017


He did a Columbo episode too, playing twin brothers.
posted by Melismata at 7:43 PM on July 16, 2017 [3 favorites]


Long life and long career -- brilliant performances in Ed Wood and in Crimes and Misdemeanors.

{}.................
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(sad attempt at ASCII match lighting trail of powder for dots)
posted by tzikeh at 7:43 PM on July 16, 2017 [3 favorites]


Did he star in more TV shows having colons in their name than any other actor, I wonder?

The appropriate obituary dot to honour Mr. Landau:

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posted by New Frontier at 7:45 PM on July 16, 2017 [3 favorites]


My dad was in his high school graduating class. Always said Landau was a quiet, hard-working guy. R.I.P.
posted by AJaffe at 7:48 PM on July 16, 2017 [4 favorites]


(I imagine a few younger mefites might not realize Martin and ex-wife/occasional co-star Barbara Bain were the real-life parents of Juliet "Drusilla" Landau from that old vampire show your mom never stops talking about.)
posted by xigxag at 7:49 PM on July 16, 2017 [8 favorites]


Well, this fuckin' day can go hang.

One of my favorite Landau stories was when he was on the X Files and asked the cameraman whether he was using some lens or another, the cameraman or director confirmed it, and Landau said "So the bottom of the frame is about here?" and stuck his hand out, and he was dead on.

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posted by Etrigan at 7:57 PM on July 16, 2017 [17 favorites]


I *just* listened to his recent interview with Marc Maron on WTF.

Maron's really had a string of guests departing this mortal plane within a relatively short time in the past year or so - Lemmy, Garry Shandling, Bill Paxton, and now Martin Landau.

RIP, Mr Landau. A real actor's actor.
posted by kcds at 8:01 PM on July 16, 2017


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posted by Sphinx at 8:10 PM on July 16, 2017


🔥...................💣
posted by leotrotsky at 8:18 PM on July 16, 2017 [5 favorites]


So good in Ed Wood.

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posted by Chrysostom at 8:24 PM on July 16, 2017


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posted by jasper411 at 8:26 PM on July 16, 2017


He was one of the most under-recognized actors of our era. So brilliant! And he's in so many things, in so many different ways!

Thanks for all you gave us, Martin!

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posted by hippybear at 8:27 PM on July 16, 2017



Screw Space:1999, he was in Mission: Impossible!

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posted by Herodios at 8:29 PM on July 16, 2017


Don't you try to italic-shame me.
posted by thelonius at 9:05 PM on July 16, 2017 [2 favorites]


His Bela Lugosi was something to behold. That scene where he summons Ed Wood to his house, desperate, and his face drops as he tears up... gives me the chills thinking about it. Outer Limits and Twilight Zone, and Abe in "Tucker", such an lovely performance.

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posted by dbiedny at 9:37 PM on July 16, 2017 [1 favorite]


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posted by Stoatfarm at 9:45 PM on July 16, 2017


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I'm glad he had a good run, but still wish he'd stayed around a little longer. One of the greats, gone.
posted by but no cigar at 10:45 PM on July 16, 2017


My favourite line he ever said in a film; 'Now, no one gives two fucks for Bela!'
Also my favourite Tim Burton film, and my favourite performance by Johnny Depp, and Landau gives the finest performance in the entire Burton canon.
posted by Phlegmco(tm) at 11:49 PM on July 16, 2017 [3 favorites]


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posted by Faintdreams at 12:47 AM on July 17, 2017


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Thank you for all the excellent work, Mr Landau. Godspeed.
posted by On the Corner at 1:00 AM on July 17, 2017 [1 favorite]


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posted by bryon at 2:01 AM on July 17, 2017


Ouch.

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posted by Splunge at 2:23 AM on July 17, 2017


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posted by heatvision at 2:59 AM on July 17, 2017


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posted by mikelieman at 4:03 AM on July 17, 2017


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posted by Joey Michaels at 4:06 AM on July 17, 2017


We're all aliens, Maya. Until we get to know one another.

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posted by wittgenstein at 4:16 AM on July 17, 2017 [2 favorites]


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posted by filtergik at 4:24 AM on July 17, 2017


Recently caught Landau's performance opposite Christopher Plummer in 2015's Remember, and was struck by how, even in their mid-80s, both of those artists still exuded undimmed skill and talent, so capable of bringing to rich life that poignant story.
posted by darkstar at 4:26 AM on July 17, 2017 [1 favorite]


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posted by Philofacts at 4:42 AM on July 17, 2017


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posted by Gelatin at 5:02 AM on July 17, 2017


As usual, The Secretary has disavowed any knowledge of the loss of the IMF team member.
posted by briank at 5:10 AM on July 17, 2017 [8 favorites]


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posted by radwolf76 at 5:30 AM on July 17, 2017


I remember him mostly from M:I.
Fascinating man

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posted by james33 at 5:40 AM on July 17, 2017


I had a weird Mandela Effect moment upon learning this sad news, as I could've sworn Landau died two years ago. In any case, he was just a master at his craft. RIP.

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posted by DrAstroZoom at 7:02 AM on July 17, 2017


My strongest memory is of him in Mission:Impossible is the episode where he's a chess player, supposedly deaf (so he can communicate with the computer (!) using his 'hearing aid') who as an unknown beats a grandmaster.
posted by MtDewd at 7:11 AM on July 17, 2017


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posted by brujita at 7:37 AM on July 17, 2017


A reoccurring exclamation some friends of mine share, and it is hard to explain when and why it is appropriate, but it fits the mood perfectly, is -

FUCK KARLOFF

While this is about as accurate a movie quote as "play it again, Sam," it works perfectly when applied judiciously.

Thank you for the best FUCK YOUUUU!!!! in any movie, anywhere.

RIP.
posted by Muddler at 7:51 AM on July 17, 2017 [1 favorite]


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I remember him most fondly in Space 19999.
posted by Gadgetenvy at 8:06 AM on July 17, 2017 [1 favorite]


As much as I enjoyed Landau in Space 1999, Mission Impossible, and many films, I have to admit the first scene that always comes to mind when his name comes up is this one from Alone in the Dark.

It's "The hat. I want the hat." Not "that" as TCM would have it. And my friends and I used to quote it constantly.
posted by gusottertrout at 8:12 AM on July 17, 2017 [1 favorite]


I have to admit the first scene that always comes to mind when his name comes up is this one from Alone in the Dark.

I have never seen this, and watching that clip, I was trying to work out how they had wedged circa-2010 Ethan Suplee into a scene with thirty-five-years-ago Landau and Jack Palance. It seems to be Erland van Lidth. Ah. Carry on.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 10:16 AM on July 17, 2017


Always enjoyed him on M:I, probably my favorite character. And was similarly surprised/happy to see him in Crimes and Misdemeanors and, especially, in Ed Wood, where he was the beating heart and humanity of that movie in the face of Depp's highly mannered turn.

aav.

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posted by the sobsister at 10:27 AM on July 17, 2017


What a talent. He elevated every scene he was in.

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posted by lumpenprole at 11:03 AM on July 17, 2017


Alas, today is the day that I finally realised that all that time I thought everyone was making wry jokes, that I'd simply conflated Martin Landau and Walter Matthau in my head.

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posted by rum-soaked space hobo at 11:31 AM on July 17, 2017 [1 favorite]


From westerns to spy to space, always a class act.
posted by Twang at 3:53 PM on July 17, 2017


I was a Space:1999 fanatic as a kid.
Over the years I kept encountering Landau in other roles and works. North by Northwest. The Twilight Zone. Ed Wood. What an intense and rich performer.
posted by doctornemo at 7:35 PM on July 17, 2017


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posted by bjgeiger at 1:48 AM on July 18, 2017


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