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Peter Jackson Eulogizes Uncle Forry...

first by tristeele	Dec 6th, 2008 11:19:42 PM
forry was the man
Right on Peter! by uberman	Dec 6th, 2008 11:23:40 PM
My sentiments exactly.
Nice rememberance by Aloy	Dec 6th, 2008 11:25:40 PM
Thanks for taking the time Peter.
Wow. by goonie	Dec 6th, 2008 11:26:25 PM
Well written Peter.
Awesome by TheMandrakeRoot	Dec 6th, 2008 11:32:54 PM
That was a fantastic tribute from one great man to another. Might have to watch both the original and Jackson's King Kong in the very near future.
Jackson is such a great geek! by BadMrWonka	Dec 6th, 2008 11:35:34 PM
"My parents took me to England for 3 months when I was 12 years old. It was the first time I ever flew, and I had to write out my "last will and testament" before leaving. I never told my parents, but I left everything to Forry. At that stage, my worldly goods amounted to several Tintin books and a pencil case - but Forry meant so much to me, it was all going to him if the Jumbo Jet had gone down." I mean come on...he's one of us...
That was simply mind-numbing and eye-welling... by lazygarfield	Dec 6th, 2008 11:39:52 PM
This is not the eulogy of a famous director paying tribute to this idol. This is the remembrance of a film geek to his God. And it is simply brilliant...
Amen Peter by Purgatori	Dec 6th, 2008 11:41:41 PM
I don't buy into some of his theories either. You know he's conversing with his old friends and watching us young uns following in his footsteps. I got to go through the Ackermansion many years ago, and was so thrilled with getting to see all of it in its glory. And the Bela ring of course. It was a great day. Thank you for sharing Peter.
Very sweet letter by NoodlesHahn	Dec 6th, 2008 11:58:20 PM
Nicely done, PJ.
Well said, Mr. Jackson. by Boromir	Dec 6th, 2008 11:59:02 PM
A warm and kind remembrance.
Hah ha ha, you had him sign ALL your FMs? by Frisco	Dec 7th, 2008 12:14:55 AM
This is a great tribute, Mr. Jackson. Thanks for sharing your thoughts about Forrest Ackerman. I'm a big ol' geek, but I missed FM's glory years. I am grateful to Ackerman though for inspiring so many people who have inspired and delighted me. By the way, I do hope you know that now you are in danger of having stacks of Fangorias and Cinemafantastiques handed to you by fans from now on...
Nice Thoughts by Peter Jackson. by Vic Twenty	Dec 7th, 2008 12:28:34 AM
Not to be confused with Deep Thoughts by Jack Handy. Nicely done, Peter, and many of us share your sentiments on ol' 4E. RIP you begoggled wellspring!!
Wow. by 24200124	Dec 7th, 2008 12:41:09 AM
That was the nicest thing I think I've ever read in my 32 years on this planet. While I wasn't familiar with the legend that was Forrest Ackerman, I can understand from Jackson's piece why he was so beloved, and that is what great writing does. All I can say is "Wow" and I'm sorry for not having known about this guy earlier.
nice by disfigurehead	Dec 7th, 2008 12:46:39 AM

Man, this has been a rough year. by digitalcos	Dec 7th, 2008 12:59:49 AM
Death has not been kind to us geeks in 2008.
very good read by Westonian	Dec 7th, 2008 01:04:12 AM
Beyond this being a very eloquent and well written eulogy it was interesting to hear Peter talk about himself being a nerd. Sometimes these great movie directors seem like unknowable gods but to hear Pete talk about the excitement with which he followed FM and to listen to the tale of him being completely unprepared while shooting at the zoo brings it all down to a regular human level. Its just cool to know the people you regard so highly are just like you.
Peter Jackson: The new JMS. by ArcadianDS	Dec 7th, 2008 01:59:42 AM
Those of us old enough to remember the days before the world wide web, where endless streams of pure text was all we had, and a flashy, talented geek-turned-director was our online digital messiah. Im glad to see that Peter Jackson has been cut from the same bolt of cloth.
by DarthChimay	Dec 7th, 2008 02:07:58 AM
I have to admit... I was born after the heyday of Ackerman, so I never was familiar with his stuff. This was a truly moving tribute never-the-less. It makes me reflect on my heroes growing up and how desperately I want to meet them, no matter how much I dislike the movies they've done lately (Spielberg, Lucas, Ford, I'm looking at you). And now I want to get into Famous Monsters.
Thanks Peter by Tacoloft	Dec 7th, 2008 02:09:21 AM

Yeah... by sonnyfern	Dec 7th, 2008 02:50:57 AM
That was a great good-bye Mr. Jackson.
Very very nice... by eustisclay	Dec 7th, 2008 03:18:46 AM
...although the "mainstream" media will probably have very little to say about Uncle Forry, it's nice to have a spot where they appreciate his contributions to sci-fi and horror. And thank you Mr. jackson. Not only for a wonderful tribute but for your own additions to fantasy. One only has to look at Your Kong and compare it to other remakes to see that yours was a work of love.
He lived RIGHT DOWN THE STREET from me by IndustryKiller!	Dec 7th, 2008 03:27:28 AM
In my first apartment in LA. And I had no idea who he was or the incredible effect his life had on my life and my passion for film. Had I known I would have knocked on his door, Ackermansion or not, and asked to talk to him. I'm really pissed he didn't come up earlier on this site.
The new JMS: You mean he ruined Spider Man by IndustryKiller!	Dec 7th, 2008 04:02:51 AM
Because taht's really how J. Micheal Strazinski is known nowadays, as teh guy who wrote some of teh worst SPider Man stories in the history of the character. Seriously he made Gwen Stacy be raped by Norman Osbourne and have super fast growing offspring. He also wrote the comic for like 10 years and didn't write a single memorable villain, which is pathetic, and then made Peter Parker make a deal with satan. It makes you long for the days of the clone saga.
I still have that issue of Famous Monsters! by Big Dumb Ape	Dec 7th, 2008 05:20:54 AM
Nice one from Jackson. Down to Earth, sentimental, and very sincere and honest. What I like about Jackson is that unlike certain other film people (who shall remain nameless), for all his success, fame or money, he's still a geek at heart who proudly talks about his geek roots. Which makes what he has to say about Forry all the more touching because you just know that he genuinely means everything coming out of his mouth. So, it's nice to see Forry getting this kind of heartfelt praise from people of Jackson's stature. Plus, I can't believe Jackson mentioned that particular issue of FAMOUS MONSTERS (#117) since that was one of my earliest memories of it as well. As a kid, I was a huge Harryhausen fan and the moment I saw that issue on the magazine rack of my local stationary store -- with such a cool painting of Sinbad fighting back the skeleton -- I just had to have it. In fact, I still have it packed away in the other room! Oh, and for those that are here who are younger than some of us old farts, who don't understand what all excitement was about, it simply comes down to this. Back when there was no Internet and jpegs and file trading... back when home video was in the dawn of its infancy... the only way we geeks could get information or have stills to look at and drool over was from a magazine like FAMOUS MONSTERS. What Forry did with FM truly inspired an generation and he gave a home to us geeks that we never had before. Here's a site with all the covers. Take a look and now imagine being a young geek and the excitement you felt when each new issue hit the stands... http://tinyurl.com /5bz25e
Wonderful piece, PJ... by DocPazuzu	Dec 7th, 2008 07:08:33 AM
...Truly heartwarming. There must be something special about that issue of FMOF because that issue, 117, is the ONLY issue I ever owned. It's not that I wasn't a geek or a monster fan, it was just that I was more of a comic kid at the time. I did own all the old Thomas G. Aylesworth monster books, though, and read them hundreds of times. I used to read all my friend's FMOFs and was always impressed with the awesome merchandise at the back of the magazines, as I was with Eerie, Creepy and all those other Warren magazines.
Respect to you Mr. Jackson by kendragon	Dec 7th, 2008 08:04:51 AM
Wow... its nice to see someone who has made himself a hugely successful career in films being so humble and open about himself and his geeky respect for someone who was obviously very influential to him. Right on Mr. Jackson, you've got a new fan right here now.
HARRY: How about something pemanent for Forry by Alfie Boy	Dec 7th, 2008 08:35:09 AM
on the sie? Maybe replacing the ID4 backdrop w/ a pic of Forry?
Bittersweet irony.... by RenoNevada2000	Dec 7th, 2008 08:47:51 AM
In a bit of bittersweet irony, Jackson's BRAINDEAD had a screening Friday night at the Philadelphia suburbs theater where the original THE BLOB was filmed. I'm sure Forry would have appreciated the fact that one of his cameo film appearances was showing there...
In the meantime, the old JMS ... by berserkrl	Dec 7th, 2008 10:16:41 AM
is not a fan of Ackerman: http://jmsnews.net/msg.aspx?ID =1-17745
(Take out the space by berserkrl	Dec 7th, 2008 10:17:34 AM
before the = sign.)
R.I.P Forry by Hanshot1st	Dec 7th, 2008 10:45:52 AM
Well written DRP, keep up the family tradition.Mr. Jackson, keep cranking out those beauties and hope 'The Lovely Bones' kicks ass.
Us geeks gotta stick together. by The Reluctant Austinite	Dec 7th, 2008 10:54:57 AM
When Peter wrote about "freezing" when first encountering Uncle Forry it made me think about my own similar story involving Peter Jackson. I had been a fan since I first saw "Bad Taste" while working in a videostore and saw "Dead Alive" at a local arthouse theater. FLESH GORDON and I were sitting in our seats at BNAT after just experiencing "Return of the King" for the first time when Harry introduced Peter Jackson to the crowd. He came running down the Alamo's deadly steps and fell, rolled over and crashed into the wall just a couple of feet from us. My first instincts were to run to his aid and help him up. I looked at Gordon and he looked at me. Our hero was lying on the ground right in front of us. We froze. Would security assault us if we approached him? Should we even move his broken body?!?!? We were frozen by hero worship and shock. Suddenly, Jackson sprung to his feet like Gene Wilder in "Willie Wonka" and continued running to the front of the theater like he meant to do that. We both breathed a collective sigh of relief. Maybe next time we meet Mr. Jackson we'll belatedly ask him if he's okay!
The idea of a museum makes sense by SoylentMean	Dec 7th, 2008 11:15:59 AM
as well as preaching the gospel of just how cool everything Horror and Sci-Fi are, from the present day back to their earliest roots. I didn't know too much about this Ackerman fellow, but he gets props for understanding the necessity of keeping this stuff around for posterity. While us genre fans might get looked at funny or just outright judged for our love of collectibles and nostalgia it serves a purpose to keep this stuff. As long as it's shared.
DRP by gotilk	Dec 7th, 2008 11:42:26 AM
Just made me tear up there, guy. So many of us are so crushed by this. Hearing your story somehow makes it less sad and more of a celebration. Thank you, from the bottom of my bloody heart.
Stuff that is coming out. by hallmitchell	Dec 7th, 2008 12:24:28 PM
I just went to the JMS post. I"m shocked Forry would do that. Yet JMS has the right to publish it. Also I read about the lawsuit which Forry had to go through. An absolute disgrace that happened to him in his last years.
JMS post by wash	Dec 7th, 2008 12:49:23 PM
How can anyone actually judge that story unless you know the full extent of Forry's relationship with RB? I have friends that that are way into sick humor, even in times of duress. I think it's in pretty poor taste to bring this up now.
Amazing story, Mr. Jackson! by Kirbymanly	Dec 7th, 2008 02:00:33 PM
Thank you so much for sharing!
"...several Tintin books..." by performingmonkey	Dec 7th, 2008 02:01:52 PM
That's interesting. I don't think I've actually seen Peter mention anything about Tintin before. He probably has but I've never read it. That's cool that he had Tintin books when he was 12. That's a great sign for his eventual Tintin flick.
ABC Network disses Forry. Geeks unite! by Alfie Boy	Dec 7th, 2008 03:08:39 PM
This Week w/ George Stephanopoulos (who hasn't been able to hold a candle to the wonderful David Brinkley) failed to include Forry in their IN MEMORIAM segment. Sure, they included gospel singer and civil rights activist Odetta as a cultural loss, but certainly, Forry's contributions, through his championing imagination and hope in a techno-modern world through Sci-Fi is just as important, if not more important, to the Entire human race. Write, call, or e-Mail ABC news to show your displeasure!
Forry Shall Not Die! by FlyingToupee	Dec 7th, 2008 03:45:17 PM
His influence will be felt forever. And I believe(sorry,Forry!) that his soul will live eternally. And may he experience great happiness in the presence of our benevolent Creator.
Weta could make a Statue of him by DRACULA_WANTS_THE_AMULET	Dec 7th, 2008 04:09:31 PM
Look what they sculpted up for Harry and Yoko for their wedding. Also what happens to the remains of the Ackermansion. Forry tried to donate it to a Museum at one point. Can't someone make an offer to buy what remains and build a Muesem in Forry's memory to contain it all? Lets not let what made this man happy die with him. The Ackermansion tour must live! It's time- "like he joked about in his farewell letter" to honor him. And a movie about him. PJ could do it. I was bummed out when night of the museum came out- That type of story would have been much cooler if it was Forrys Collection that came to life.
Thanks for the story, Peter by Rindain	Dec 7th, 2008 06:48:02 PM
It's greatly appreciated.
Sad Day Indeed.... by Arcangel2020	Dec 7th, 2008 08:33:17 PM
I was sadden to have learned that Mr. Forest J Ackerman finally passed away this weekend. Yet another light has gone out in the "Old School"/Old Hollywood Era. I too, just like Peter Jackson and probably everyone else who writes and posts in this Forum was greatly influenced as a kid growing up by Mr. Ackerman and his Famous Monsters Of Filmland Magazine. I too skrimped and saved my allowance and would go to the local Quick Stop or Drugstore or Magazine Stand to purchase a copy (along with my comic books and a candybar or two). I couldn't wait to read each and every issue! I loved the classic Hollywood Film Monsters...Frankenstien, Dracula, The Werewolf, The Mummy, The Creature From The Black Lagoon, The Mole People, The Thing, those classic, campy mutated Creatures from the governments Atomic Bomb tests in the Desert! (remember this was all pre Star Wars and way before CGI effects ever came into play) Mr Ackerman really knew how to tap into the minds and imagination of so many of his young and influential readers AND he really cared about the history of Horror and Sci Fi films too! I can honestly say that Mr Ackerman was one of those few people who caused me to get into and appreciate Horror Movies and Science Fiction films and had a hand in making me the Sci Fi Fan that I am today. He will be sorely and most assured missed by all his true fans Rest In Peace Mr Ackerman and Thank You sincerely
Wow... those two stories... by TheBigLebowsky	Dec 7th, 2008 09:59:28 PM
...made my eyes water... Being from a small town up here in Quebec, I never even thought I could ever meet him... He was on another planet as far as I was concerned... Everybody that ever met him is a bit richer than the rest of us, today...
Forry memorial by cineninja	Dec 8th, 2008 04:29:41 AM
It would be nice if we could have a Forry memorial here in LA...
The JMS story via Harlan Ellison by NoDiggity	Dec 8th, 2008 10:09:12 AM
What's important to note is that JMS got called by Harlan Ellison who read it to JMS over the phone. Apparently Ellison also told JMS that Forry's wife was in tears. I suspect it wasn't that big a deal, and Ellison was just making a big drama up for the usual reasons ... to make Ellison look good and make other people look bad to make Ellison look better. Ellison's an asshole. I expect the wife's being upset about Forry's request for an autograph was exaggerated by Ellison. Note how Ellison has apparently made a big deal about never speaking to Forry ever again. Sound like any other drama-queen stands Ellison has taken? He's constantly turning mountains into molehilss.And JMS hung out with Ellison and takes his nonsense at face value? That makes him an asshole too.
PJ looks like a hobbit, lol. by Warcraft	Dec 8th, 2008 10:29:13 AM
ok, to get back on topic...PJ looks like a hobbit!
Ackerman by Cobbio	Dec 8th, 2008 02:13:39 PM
I honestly didn't know much about Forrest Ackerman, but thank you Peter Jackson for informing me of his greatness. Yes, I'm pretty much a geek and fan of wacko monsters in film, but I was never a magazine collector. Thus I missed out. Damn. Thanks, Forrest. I'll have to enjoy your work post-mortem, but I'm already looking up sites. And thank you Peter for that eulogy.
Pete Is the Man by Evil Chicken	Dec 8th, 2008 10:31:54 PM
Wonderfully said.
Um, on the Bloch/Ackerman Thing... by lauriemann57	Dec 9th, 2008 07:52:42 PM
Wendayne Ackerman died in 1990. Robert Bloch died in 1994. Wendayne, Forry's wife, was dead years before Robert Bloch was dying. She couldn't have responded in any way to anything Forry could have done at the time Robert Bloch was ill. I met Forry a few times over the years, and he was always extremely kind to fans.
My mistake, I meant Bloch's Wife, not Forry's. by NoDiggity	Dec 9th, 2008 08:20:44 PM
Sorry.
Iwould like to add that I did not know Forrest J ackerman.. by emeraldboy	Dec 11th, 2008 09:18:51 AM
But as a kid growing up. There were two things that I loved, the muppets and all of hensons stuff and the output of smallfilms. Oliver Postgate died there a couple of days. Two men. a cowshed. and superb imagination. Ivor the engine, bagpuss and the clangers are three of the greatest ids tv programms of all time. I loved bagpuss. I would happily watch it again and again.
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Nobody gives a shit by Orcus	Dec 12th, 2008 10:51:31 AM
Asswipe
..about rick astley by Orcus	Dec 12th, 2008 12:27:32 PM
just for clarification.

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