R.I.P. Dick Miller
January 30, 2019 6:14 PM Subscribe
Dick Miller, veteran character actor, Roger Corman regular (and thus MST3k mainstay) and subject of his own documentary, has passed away at the age of 90.
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posted by Faint of Butt at 6:31 PM on January 30, 2019
posted by Faint of Butt at 6:31 PM on January 30, 2019
I am of an age where, in my youth, he seemed to be in every movie I saw. If you had told young me, teenage me, or young adult me that there was a law requiring Dick Miller’s presence in every movie, they would have believed you. Adult me just wishes there were such a law.
Bye, Dick. An era of cinema passes with you.
posted by ejs at 6:42 PM on January 30, 2019 [6 favorites]
Bye, Dick. An era of cinema passes with you.
posted by ejs at 6:42 PM on January 30, 2019 [6 favorites]
Look, I know that he was 90 and all, but I'm a genre movie nerd so I still have to say: TOO SOON, TOO SOON.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 6:58 PM on January 30, 2019 [9 favorites]
posted by DirtyOldTown at 6:58 PM on January 30, 2019 [9 favorites]
He was one of a cluster of character actors -- Robert Loggia, Charles Napier, James Gregory -- who often seemed to be relegated to roles of masculine authority figures, and always seemed to transcend the lightly sketched Senator/police lieutenant/chief surgeon/mob boss as written and bring a sense of humanity and intelligence and often sympathy to the role. He was the last of them, and I cannot think who can follow in their footsteps today.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 7:07 PM on January 30, 2019 [10 favorites]
posted by ricochet biscuit at 7:07 PM on January 30, 2019 [10 favorites]
Always worth a look when Dick Miller appeared on screen. A classic.
posted by Mothlight at 7:20 PM on January 30, 2019
posted by Mothlight at 7:20 PM on January 30, 2019
PLASMA RIFLE IN A 40 WATT RANGE?
"Just what ya see pal"
posted by Freedomboy at 7:43 PM on January 30, 2019 [7 favorites]
"Just what ya see pal"
posted by Freedomboy at 7:43 PM on January 30, 2019 [7 favorites]
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posted by Don.Kinsayder at 8:27 PM on January 30, 2019
posted by Don.Kinsayder at 8:27 PM on January 30, 2019
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posted by heatvision at 2:49 AM on January 31, 2019
posted by heatvision at 2:49 AM on January 31, 2019
He was one of a cluster of character actors -- Robert Loggia, Charles Napier, James Gregory -- who often seemed to be relegated to roles of masculine authority figures, and always seemed to transcend the lightly sketched Senator/police lieutenant/chief surgeon/mob boss as written and bring a sense of humanity and intelligence and often sympathy to the role.
A trend he parodied to the hilt in his role as the police chief in the Corman-produced Rock and Roll High School. Miller's ubiquity likely had much to do with the small army of talented young directors Corman mentored. His omnipresence was even name-checked in a low-budget homage to zombie films called The Dead Hate the Living (even though it doubtless couldn't have afforded to hire him even for a day).
Miller not only deserves a place in the Character Actor Hall of Fame, he also deserves for such a thing to exist just so he can be in it.
posted by Gelatin at 2:51 AM on January 31, 2019 [4 favorites]
A trend he parodied to the hilt in his role as the police chief in the Corman-produced Rock and Roll High School. Miller's ubiquity likely had much to do with the small army of talented young directors Corman mentored. His omnipresence was even name-checked in a low-budget homage to zombie films called The Dead Hate the Living (even though it doubtless couldn't have afforded to hire him even for a day).
Miller not only deserves a place in the Character Actor Hall of Fame, he also deserves for such a thing to exist just so he can be in it.
posted by Gelatin at 2:51 AM on January 31, 2019 [4 favorites]
"W W I I I"
It confused me so much as a kid.
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posted by coolxcool=rad at 5:34 AM on January 31, 2019 [2 favorites]
It confused me so much as a kid.
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posted by coolxcool=rad at 5:34 AM on January 31, 2019 [2 favorites]
I swear, he was in everything I watched on TV growing up. A quick check of IMDB confirms this.
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posted by tommasz at 6:16 AM on January 31, 2019 [1 favorite]
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posted by tommasz at 6:16 AM on January 31, 2019 [1 favorite]
*places a concrete Bat Gremlin atop the headstone*
posted by Strange Interlude at 8:08 AM on January 31, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by Strange Interlude at 8:08 AM on January 31, 2019 [1 favorite]
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posted by Nat "King" Cole Porter Wagoner at 9:07 AM on January 31, 2019
posted by Nat "King" Cole Porter Wagoner at 9:07 AM on January 31, 2019
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posted by destructive cactus at 4:17 PM on January 31, 2019
posted by destructive cactus at 4:17 PM on January 31, 2019
A brief moment with Dick Miller on the set of The 'Burbs.
posted by Chrysostom at 4:24 PM on January 31, 2019
posted by Chrysostom at 4:24 PM on January 31, 2019
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posted by The Ardship of Cambry at 5:31 PM on January 31, 2019
posted by The Ardship of Cambry at 5:31 PM on January 31, 2019
When Night of the Creeps included "Special Appearance by Dick Miller" in its opening credits I immediately bumped up my expectations for the film. He elevated every bit part he took, the perfect man for a particular sort of job.
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posted by Pope Guilty at 7:10 PM on January 31, 2019 [1 favorite]
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posted by Pope Guilty at 7:10 PM on January 31, 2019 [1 favorite]
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posted by Chrysostom at 6:17 PM on January 30, 2019