RIP David Bowie & Alan Rickman

In the last few days both British iconic singer (musician, painter as well as actor) David Bowie and revered actor Alan Rickman have passed away, both lost to cancer.

I have fond memories of David in one of my favorite movies when I was in my early teens, which is Labyrinth, where he plays and sings as well Jareth the Goblin King, the evil character that snaps Sarah from reality and traps her inside the labyrinth.

(I haven't seen this movie in over a decade, and didn't remember her name (thanks imdb) perhaps even more, so I wonder if my choice of character name for air force pilot Sarah Kepler in my books came from there perhaps.)

As for Alan Rickman, of course the first thing that comes to mind is Hans Gruber from Die Hard, but I loved many of his roles, be it in Harry Potter, Robin Hood Prince of Thieves where he is the ultimate bad guy. One of my favorite performance of his would have to be of Dr. Lazarus in Galaxy Quest, with that famous quote his character hated saying in the film: "By Grabthar's Hammer, you shall be avenged!" (I especially love and it cracks me up every time I re-watch that movie: is when he goes on stage determined not to say the quote, only to have his character from the TV Show projected in his back say it anyway. The look on Alan Rickman's face on that scene is simply brilliant).

Here is a nice Youtube video with some of the best moment of his character in the movie:

And a video of David Bowie's in the Labyrinth (the magic dance):

They both left a mark in our hearts and they will be sorely missed.

May you both rest in peace.

Christian