#Harrison Lang

[tavoit]

Rex Harrison

And Edward Mulhare

Both portrayed the ghost of Captain Daniel Gregg, playing opposite Hope Lang

And Gene Tierney

Who did it better?

[ometochtli2rabbit]

13.0.12.5.16

wuk[7] KIB/AJMAQ[wisdom] - b'olonlajun[19] PAX

galactic tone: reflection/ mystic power

sun sign: WISDOM/ vulture or bee/yellow or blue/south

sit on a rock - MAYA

chicome[7] - COZCACUAUTLI [vulture]

Centeotl | Itzpapalotl

papalotl[butterfly] | tricking the Trickster

lord of the night: Mictlantecuhtli

trecena[7]: Xipe Totec

x: mahtlactli-onei[13] - etzcualiztli - NAHUA

"Untitled" from his Unknown Notebooks, Jean-Michel Basquiat, 1986

Personality and Destiny:

Studious and analytic, they are great strategists who are tenacious in all they do. Respectful of others, prudent, and intelligent. They can be brave and visionaries, open to confrontation but impenetrable in essence. Good event coordinators. They say what is on their mind, but not their heart, making them appear cold and unaffectionate. People of great memory, they have a keen interest in their past and ancestors. Respect for tradition. Good sense of humor. They fall in and out of love, but always have love in their lives. Lucky in business. Usually forgiven their sins so that they may continue to prosper. - www.mayan-calendar.com

Those born on these days say not what is in their heart, but on their minds. Here are some songs that mention MIND:

Dolly Parton: On My Mind Again

Billie Eilish: Wildflower

Willie Nelson: Always on My Mind

Geto Boys: Mind is Playing Tricks on Me

Foreigner: Head Games

Dua Lipa: Blow Your Mind (MWAH)

Alan Parsons Project: Eye in the Sky

Tame Impala: Mind Mischief

Sabrina Carpenter: Read Your Mind

HAIM: If I Could Change Your Mind

Barbra Streisand: What's on My Mind

Gordon Lightfoot: If You Could Read My Mind

Tate McRae: Teenage Mind

Steely Dan: Time Out of Mind

Ellie Goulding: On My Mind

Culture Club: Church of the Poison Mind

Selena Gomez: My Mind and Me

Lenny Kravitz: Can't Get You Off My Mind

Moody Blues: Legend of a Mind

K.D. Lang: Mind of Love

Glen Campbell: Gentle on My Mind

Mitski: I Don't Like My Mind

Bob Dylan: Got My Mind Made Up

Banks: Mind Games

Elvis Presley: Suspicious Minds

Joni Mitchell: Woman of Heart and Mind

James Taylor: Carolina in My Mind

The Head and the Heart: Lost in My Mind

Boston: Peace of Mind

Mariah Carey: All In Your Mind

Pixies: Where is My Mind?

Lauryn Hill: I Gotta Find Peace of Mind

Duran Duran: Out of My Mind

En Vogue: Free Your Mind

Information Society: What's On Your Mind (Pure Energy)

Fleetwood Mac: In The Back of My Mind

Stevie Nicks: Maybe Love Will Change You Mind

Nat King Cole: With You on My Mind

Bananarama: Last Thing on My Mind

Beck: Pay No Mind

Talking Heads: The Lady Don't Mind

Buzzcocks: I Don't Mind

The Doors: It Slipped My Mind

Ray Charles: Georgia on My Mind

Billy Joel: New York State of Mind

The Impressions: Check Out Your Mind

John Lennon: Mind Games

George Harrison: Got My Mind Set on You

Lana Del Rey: Coachella-Woodstock in My Mind

Waylon Jennings: I Don't Mind

David Bowie: Nothing to Be Desired & Friday on My Mind

Slipknot: Hive Mind

Prince: Dirty Mind

[ruleof3bobby]

THE LOST CITY (2022) Grade: D+

A JWT movie, Just watch the trailer. It was actually off to a decent start, one character leaves and the fun kinda comes to a halt. Good cast with limited chemistry. Skip it.

[antvnger]

*gasp!* Holy shit! Oooohhhh that’s a good question!

I think I would do a Harrison Ford character like Han Solo or Indiana Jones! That would be so awesome. Harrison Ford is the bomb.

Or it would be really funny to do a Chewbacca blog and just have all my replies be RAAAAWWR 😂😂😂

Or I could do one for Ant-Mun! ((No.)) Yes! ((Scott, no.)) Scott yes. ((Or you could do one for Paul Rudd.)) No, that’s too cheesy.

Or! I could go like a video game route! I think a Bowser blog would be so awesome! YESSS!

@stxrksarc

[booksinfact]

How could I have gone this far in life without knowing about The Ghost and Mrs. Muir?🤔

(Written a brief review here.)

[wornoutspines]

Thunderbolts is less Suicide Squad, more ‘group therapy with explosions.’ Florence Pugh & Lewis Pullman deliver. Dark, funny, and quite the standalone. Who else is obsessed? #Thunderbolts #Marvel #MCU #MovieReview #ActionMovies #FlorencePugh #SebastianStan

[bookishbrigitta]

Sure, but come on man, you're not in a Dorothea Lange photo! It's giving hobo.

harrison ford

[fordreviews]

📽️ The Lost City (2022)

I normally am not a big fan of Channing Tatum, but I really enjoyed this movie. It was actually really funny and very unexpected. There were some parts that totally caught me off guard just because the trailers didn’t prepare me for anything like those parts. I’m surprise at its low(ish) ratings because I really think it was great. I mean, every movie has its issues; but this one is just a feel-good, enjoyable romantic comedy. I’d definitely watch it again.

Sex/nudity: 3/10 (a butt, a few innuendoes, lots of cleavage)

Language: 2/10 (relatively mild, there is a lot of God’s name)

Violence: 5/10 (a lot of blood and fighting in general, a lot of it is played for laughs)

Overall rating: 8/10

[iwanttobeastranger]

"Memories...you're talking about memories."

[jurjenkvanderhoek]

EEN NOBODY DIE SOMEBODY WIL ZIJN, ONGEZIEN EN TOCH GEZIEN

Dacht dat ik een boek te lezen gekregen had over de kwade genius Ono, de heks die The Fab Four in 1969 had laten splijten zoals een houthakker een boomstam klieft. Hard en meedogenloos. De uitgave blijkt echter een verkapte biografie van de band rond Lennon en McCartney en behandelt zijdelings de vrouw waarop men veronderstelde dat de groep stuk liep. Want zij was natuurlijk niet de enige oorzaak en reden dat The Beatles het officieel in 1970 voor gezien hielden, dat zou te kort door de bocht zijn en te veel eer voor de vrouw die hunkerde naar erkenning en via de roem van anderen op de voorgrond meende te staan. Volgens dat boek echter stond ze naast The Beatles en is Yoko Ono altijd minder dan tweederangs gebleven. Ook in dit boek krijgt ze niet de volledige aandacht die ze dacht bij leven en welzijn te verdienen. Inmiddels is de dame 93 jaren oud en nog altijd in de weer om zich te bewijzen.

Op Wikipedia krijgt ze de pluim op de hoed die ze volgens auteur Eddy Daniels bij lange na niet verdient. Zijn boek is dan ook een tirade tegen het fenomeen Ono, waarbij John en Paul in haar kielzog ook van hun troon vallen. Vooral Paul McCartney blijkt niet de beminnelijke man waarvoor de fans hem aanzien. Volgens John maakte hij na The Beatles alleen nog maar 'omamuziek'. Maar op de internetencyclopedie dus, wordt Yoko de hemel in geprezen nog voordat ze het tijdelijke voor het eeuwige heeft ingewisseld. Ik citeer: "Yoko Lennon Ono is een in Japan geboren Amerikaans multimedia kunstenares en muzikante, songwriter en vredesactiviste. Haar werk breidt zich uit tot performancekunst en films maken. Ono was deel van de Fluxusbeweging en is een van de pioniers van de conceptuele kunst.” Hoewel de mij te lezen voorgelegde uitgave in de titel haar naam draagt – Het verschijnsel Yoko Ono – gaat de tekst voor een groot deel over de band en de meest voorname groepsleden.

Het fenomeen Yoko Ono wordt afgedaan als weinig terzake doend. Wel blijkt de vrouw te triomferen in en met de abnormaliteit. Het ongewoon zijn is haar handelsmerk en daarmee heeft zij menigeen in eerste instantie om de tuin geleid. Ook al gezien de lof die haar wordt toegedicht op Wikipedia. Maar wie het boek van Eddy Daniels leest, dat is uitgegeven bij Aspekt, komt van een koude kermis thuis.

Het doopceel van John Lennon en Paul McCartney wordt door Daniels uit den treure gelicht. George Harrison en Ringo Star worden amper belicht, enkel wanneer dat in het verhaal van Lennon zo uitkomt en toepasbaar is. En natuurlijk schrijft de auteur over de vrouwen in het leven, de managers die dat leven regelen, de vrienden waardoor het leven draaglijk is. En ja, de historie van Yoko Ono komt uiteraard aan bod, want het boek gaat tenslotte over haar. Maar zij is en blijft enkel de kapstok waaraan de dikke jas van het verhaal hangt. De auteur heeft door andere biografen te raadplegen en te citeren, memorabilia en getuigenissen door te nemen, het wel en wee van de groep en de leden kunnen samenstellen. En daaruit gepuurd wat anderen over de Japanse splijtzwam zeggen en hebben gezegd dan wel geschreven. En daar komt zij niet voordelig in uit.

Op zich geeft het Yoko Ono onnodig veel betekenis om het uit elkaar vallen van The Beatles in haar schoenen te schuiven. Al eerder ging het stroef tussen de leden in de band en was zij de bekende druppel. Want er was nogal wat abnormaal wel en wee achter de schermen van de succesvolle muziekgroep. Het is maar goed dat op het actuele moment dit allemaal niet onder de massa was, want het doet je met andere ogen kijken naar The Greatest Band of All Time. En de teksten van de songs klinken tevens anders in de oren nu ik de feitelijke achtergrond weet. En is een lovesong niet zomaar een liefdesliedje. Vooral het Hey Jude wordt in het boek ontrafelt als kritiek van Paul op John, hoewel men dacht dat John's zoon Julian ermee werd aangesproken. En zo zijn er meer mysteries die ontraadselt worden. Het boek is alleen daarom al interessant om te lezen en zeker niet alleen voor de diehard fans van The Eternal Four.

Naast de tumultueuze levensbeschrijving van het songduo wordt hun kwaliteit ook bekeken vanuit de tijd van leven. De roerige jaren 60 van de vorige eeuw zijn een smeltkroes aan veranderingen, waarin The Beatles het voortouw nemen wat de muziek betreft. Maken zij in eerste instantie melodieuze popmuziek die zelfs de oudere garde aanspreekt, later gaan ze experimenteren en improviseren, daardoor wordt hun muziek meer creatief en interessant. Alsof ik in de studio bij de muzikanten aanwezig ben of bij John dan wel Paul op de bank in de huiskamer zit, zo gedetailleerd en zonder verfraaiing wordt hun leven beschreven. Het is waarlijk een kijkje tussen de coulissen, achter de schermen van een roemrijk bestaan dat zo nu en dan roemloos in de kleedkamer ten onder dreigt te gaan. Wat dat betreft is de triomf van de abnormaliteit, zoals de ondertitel van het boek luidt, geen overwinning op het buitengewone. Yoko Ono wenst wel bijzonder te zijn en boekt succes over de ruggen van anderen, door op hun schouders te staan zonder zelf begaafd te zijn of talent te hebben. Haar gave is het uit de schaduw te treden, excentriek gedrag te vertonen en daarmee het spotlicht op zich gericht te krijgen. In de appendix tot het boek somt de auteur criteria voor de karakterisering van narcisme en psychopathie op. Een checklist waarin het fenomeen Ono vorm krijgt.

Eddy Daniels bespreekt in zijn boek de verkilde keerzijde van een broeierige populariteit. Het is in zijn schrijven meer dan duidelijk dat hij niets opheeft met de verschijning Yoko Ono. Alleszins probeert hij haar van het zichzelf aangemeten voetstuk te halen. Uit welk nest ze komt en hoe haar dit heeft getekend. Wel bewoog ze zich al voor de ontmoeting met John Lennon op het artistieke toneel, maar had weinig tot geen succes met haar bizarre en extravagante creaties. Ze sloot zich aan bij de Fluxusbeweging, dat sprak haar aan waarschijnlijk omdat in die kunststroming het idee meer belangrijk is dan het resultaat. En ideeën heeft ze genoeg, maar kundigheid veel minder. Daniels vindt voldoende aanwijzingen in gevorste levensbeschrijvingen en somt in zijn eigen biografie tal van voorbeelden op die Yoko Ono tot mislukt artiest maakt, hoewel ze het daar zelf en velen met haar absoluut niet mee eens zal zijn.

Behandelt de auteur bij de figuren Lennon en McCartney de muziek voor, tijdens en na The Beatles, aan de persoon Ono kleeft de beeldende kunst. Daniels maakt helder dat hij vraagtekens zet bij het moderne kunstgebeuren, want is de wat zichzelf benoemde artiest uitricht nog wel kunst. “Wie bakent eigenlijk de grenzen af tussen creatieve inspiratie en charlatanerie? (…) De eigenlijke kunst wordt dan de kunstenaar, iemand die het vermogen bezit om een persona te creëren die niet uit zijn rol valt als hij uit zijn nek kletst. Of helemaal niets zegt.” Deze anti-kunst noemt Yoko Ono ‘zelfdestructieve kunst’. Maar niet heeft Ono het eigen merk afgebroken, maar heeft zij de mensen en de wereld om zich heen verwoest. Wat blijft is een zielig lijkend hoopje mens dat op hoge leeftijd nog voortdurend teert op de vermoorde onschuld die Lennon probeerde te zijn. De abnormaliteit schijnt in haar te triomferen, het manifesteert zich tot ver in de nieuwe tijd. Het boek trekt dat in twijfel en waagt ogen te openen door een heldere blik op het gebeuren te geven. Een interessant verhaal derhalve over een nobody die somebody wil zijn, een onbekende grootheid die een voetafdruk in de geschiedenis wil nalaten.

Het verschijnsel Yoko Ono. De triomf van de abnormaliteit. Eddy A.M. Daniels. Uitgeverij Aspekt, 2025.

https://uitgeverijaspekt.nl/product/het-verschijnsel-yoko-ono/

[dreadbythedecade]

Dread by the Decade: The Ghost and Mrs. Muir

👻 You can support me on Ko-fi! ❤️

★★★½

Plot: When a widow moves into an old home by the sea, she finds it haunted by the ghost of a surly sea captain.

Review: Romantic and sincere with charming leads, this unique ghost story suffers slightly from rushing through a few of its more compelling ideas.

Source Material: The Ghost and Mrs. Muir by R. A. Dick Year: 1947 Genre: Ghosts, Romance Country: United States Language: English Runtime: 1 hour 44 minutes

Director: Joseph L. Mankiewicz Writer: Philip Dunne Cinematographer: Charles Lang Editor: Dorothy Spencer Composer: Bernard Herrmann Cast: Gene Tierney, Rex Harrison, George Sanders, Edna Best, Natalie Wood, Vanessa Brown, Anna Lee, Robert Coote

-----

Story: 3.5/5 - The chemistry and interpersonal drama between the characters are quite strong, though a few important parts feel under-explored. Notably, Mrs. Muir and the ghost have far less shared screen time than they deserve.

Performances: 4.5/5 - Tierney is fantastic as the confident, strong-willed Lucy, and Harrison is equally so as the grouchy Daniel.

Cinematography: 4/5 - Striking establishing shots and night scenes.

Editing: 4/5

Music: 3/5 - Soft and romantic for most of it, but rather invasive during a certain pivotal scene.

Sets: 3.5/5 - The house is cute, but its charm could have been further explored.

Costumes, Hair, & Make-Up: 4.5/5 - Lucy's costumes and hair styling are just lovely. The old age make-up is decent.

Trigger Warnings:

Misogyny (largely criticized by the film)

Discussion of suicide

[harrisonarchive]

Photos courtesy of roedel.at & andyleelang.at.

On August 20, 1999, at Gerhard Berger’s 40th birthday party, where George spontaneously performed (on guitar, piano and ukulele) with Andy Lee Lang & The Spirit. Some recollections from this event: George “asked the musicians where they were from and what type of music they would be playing. Gerhard Berger, however, destroyed the hopes of musical activities by George by saying that George always disappeared at Formula 1 parties once music began. At around 11 p.m., the performance began on the upper deck and after a while George stood among the audience. He seemed to enjoy the show (disappearing on a yacht, no matter how spacious it is, isn’t easy), since this was the kind of music he had played in his earliest days with The Beatles in Hamburg. […] After about half an hour, Andy Lee Lang said, something unusual happened behind him, where the bass player and guitarist normally stood, and a short glance revealed George standing there with a guitar, starting to play… unplanned and spontaneous, right in the middle of a song. According to Andy Lee Lang, an indescribable feeling. After a short while, George was in form. He sang ‘Matchbox,’ for example, and jammed with the band during rock and roll and blues numbers. […] Meeting and playing music with George Harrison was surely an extraordinary experience, especially because George was very uncomplicated and humble, even though he was one of the biggest music stars and legends of all time.” - Walter Roedel, roedel.at

[bikinibottomdayz]

JUNE 1O, 2024 RELEASE

All my videos can be found here, full release under the read more! If interested, please contact me at bikinibottomtrading@gmail.com!

This release includes: The Outsiders, Hell's Kitchen, Illinoise, The Who's Tommy, Mother Play

HELL’S KITCHEN May 16, 2024 | Broadway | 4K MP4 (10.72GB) | bikinibottomday’s master Cast: Maleah Joi Moon (Ali), Shoshana Bean (Jersey), Kecia Evans (Miss Liza Jane), Brandon Victor Dixon (Davis), Chris Lee (Knuck), Chad Carstarphen (Ray), Reid Clarke, Chloe Davis, Nico Dejesus, Timothy L. Edwards, Vanessa Ferguson (Tiny), David Guzman, Jakeim Hart (Q), Jackie Leon (Jessica), Rachelle Manalo, Sarah Parker, Niki Salades, Nyseli Vega (Millie), Lamont Walker II (‘Riq), Rema Webb (Crystal) Notes: Excellent 4K capture of this new musical! Increased moments of wandering and unfocusing. Spotlight washout somewhat frequently. First minute or so is blocked by people standing up. Very minor head obstruction on the sides. Includes curtain call, audio is fed from external source. https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjBqQ78 | ASKING $20 USD NOT FOR SHARING EXCEPT THROUGH ME UNTIL DECEMBER 2, 2024

ILLINOISE May 20, 2024 | Broadway | 4K MP4 (7.39GB) | bikinibottomday’s master Cast: Shara Nova (Barsine), Tasha Viets-VanLear (Nacna), Elijah Lyons (Arctiini), Ricky Ubeda (Henry), Ahmad Simmons (Douglas), Christine Flores (Knox), Byron Tittle (Cass), Kara Chan (Marion), Ben Cook (Carl), Gaby Diaz (Shelby), Rachel Lockhart (Morgan), Alejandro Vargas (Wayne), Jeanette Delgado (Jo Daviess), Brandt Martinez (Clark), Craig Salstein (Boone) Notes: Good 4K capture of this stunning show! Most of the show is wideshot due to the dance focus in the show. Increased moments of wandering and unfocusing. Unfortunately some sequences are entirely unfocused due to the lighting and aren’t fixed until a minute or two after. Minor head obstruction cuts off some action at the front of the stage. Includes curtain call, audio is fed from external source. https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjBrmez | ASKING $15 USD NOT FOR SHARING EXCEPT THROUGH ME UNTIL DECEMBER 2, 2024

MOTHER PLAY May 11, 2024 (E) | Broadway | 4K MP4 (8.48GB) | bikinibottomday’s master Cast: Celia Keenan-Bolger (Martha), Jim Parsons (Carl), Jessica Lange (Phyllis) Notes: Excellent 4K capture of this beautiful play! The last 30 seconds are audio only. Some moments of wandering and unfocusing. Occasional obstruction might be visible, especially from the lighting rig. Audio fed from external source. https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjBpUSE | ASKING $20 USD NOT FOR SHARING EXCEPT THROUGH ME UNTIL DECEMBER 2, 2024

THE OUTSIDERS June 7, 2024 | Broadway | 4K MP4 (9.96GB) | bikinibottomday’s master Cast: Brody Grant (Ponyboy Curtis), Sky Lakota-Lynch (Johnny Cade), Joshua Boone (Dallas Winston), Brent Comer (Darrel Curtis), Jason Schmidt (Sodapop Curtis), Emma Pittman (Cherry Valance), Daryl Tofa (Two-Bit Mathews), Kevin William Paul (Bob Sheldon/Cop), Dan Berry (Paul Holden), Barton Cowperthwaite, Tilly Evans-Krueger, RJ Higton, Sean Harrison Jones, Jordan Chin (s/w), SarahGrace Mariani (Marcia), Melody Rose Notes: Excellent 4K capture of this show! Very minor head obstruction on the far left, blocks a tiny bit of action. Some moments of wandering and unfocusing, especially during the first song. Includes curtain call, audio fed from external source. https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjBu8gM | ASKING $20 USD NOT FOR SHARING EXCEPT THROUGH ME UNTIL DECEMBER 2, 2024

THE WHO’S TOMMY May 28, 2024 | Broadway | 4K MP4 (8.26GB) | bikinibottomday’s master Cast: Ali Louis Bourzgui (Tommy), Olive Ross-Kline (Tommy, Age 4), Reese Levine (Tommy, Age 10), Alison Luff (Mrs. Walker), Adam Jacobs (Captain Walker), John Ambrosino (Uncle Ernie), Bobby Conte (Cousin Kevin), Christina Sajous (Acid Queen), Jeremiah Alsop (2nd Pinball Lad), Ronnie S. Bowman Jr., Mike Cannon (Minister),Tyler James Eisenreich (Commanding Officer/News Vendor/DJ) Alexandra Matteo (u/s Sally Simpson), Sheldon Henry (Judge/Specialist/Hawker), Aliah James (Nurse), Tassy Kirbas, Lily Kren (Psychiatrist), Nathan Lucrezio (Lover/Mr. Simpson), Dee Tomasetta (s/w Head Nurse), Mark Mitrano (1st Pinball Lad), Reagan Pender, Daniel Quadrino (Harmonica Player), Jenna Nicole Schoen (Nurse/Mrs. Simpson), Andrew Tufano Notes: Excellent 4K capture of this brilliant new revival! Minor head obstruction on the bottom which blocks off very little. Some moments of wandering and unfocusing. Some washout on the wider shots. Includes curtain call, audio fed from external source. https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjBsqNu | ASKING $20 USD NOT FOR SHARING EXCEPT THROUGH ME UNTIL DECEMBER 2, 2024

[onlydylanobrien]

World Premiere

Feature | United States | 99 MINUTES | English

In Max Original film “Caddo Lake,” when an 8-year-old girl mysteriously vanishes, a series of past deaths and disappearances start to link together, forever altering a broken family's history. Starring Dylan O’Brien, Eliza Scanlen, Dianna Hopper, Caroline Falk, Sam Hennings, with Eric Lange, and Lauren Ambrose. Written and directed by Celine Held & Logan George; produced by M. Night Shyamalan, Ashwin Rajan, Kara Durrett and Josh Godfrey; executive producers Kimberly Steward, Harrison Huffman, and Will Greenfield; co-producers Jeff Robinson and Catherine Wolf McGrath.

Saturday, October 5 - 6:00 PM Hudson Yards 24th Floor Screening Room I RSVP here

After the Screening: A conversation with filmmakers Celine Held and Logan George, M. Night Shyamalan and cast.

Cast & Credits Written and Directed by Celine Held & Logan George

Producers M. Night Shyamalan, Ashwin Rajan, Kara Durrett, Josh Godfrey

Executive Producers Kimberly Steward, Harrison Huffman, Will Greenfield

Co-Producers Jeff Robinson and Catherine Wolf McGrath

Starring Dylan O’Brien, Eliza Scanlen, Dianna Hopper, Caroline Falk, Sam Hennings, with Eric Lange, and Lauren Ambrose

[justforbooks]

Leslie Dilley

Art director who won Oscars for his work on Star Wars and Raiders of the Lost Ark, and nominations for Alien, The Empire Strikes Back and The Abyss

Leslie Dilley, who has died aged 84 after suffering from Alzheimer’s disease, won the first of two Oscars as an art director for his work on the original 1977 Star Wars film. His creation, the much-loved little robotic droid R2-D2, with a silver and blue dome head and rocket boosters that enabled him to fly through space, appeared on screen for more than 40 years (1977-2019), spanning the first three movies and both the prequel and sequel trilogies.

He recalled the “head-scratching” challenge in those pre-CGI days. “We started out with a cardboard drum, added cardboard arms and then tried to walk it,” he said. First he built different versions based on conceptual designs drawn by Ralph McQuarrie. Then Dilley, along with the director, George Lucas, and John Barry, the production designer on the first movie (which was later retitled Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope), decided to go with one that would allow a human – short in stature – to step inside, walk and operate it. “We brought in some actors who we thought would work, but many of them just weren’t strong enough,” Dilley told Star Wars Insider magazine. Eventually, Kenny Baker auditioned and fitted the role – and the prop.

Dilley was also responsible for the colour and detail of Luke Skywalker’s hovering landspeeder anti-gravity craft, conceived by McQuarrie and the modelmaker Colin Cantwell, and for R2-D2’s humanoid robot friend C-3PO, whom McQuarrie based on the female robot from Fritz Lang’s 1927 silent classic Metropolis.

After working on Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back (1980), Dilley won his second Oscar for the first Indiana Jones film, Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), directed by Steven Spielberg and starring Harrison Ford as the globetrotting archaeologist.

For the making of one of its best known scenes – Jones fleeing from a South American cave temple with a giant boulder tumbling at his heels – Dilley’s work on set even extended to physical exertion. “I was called upon to help with another bloke to get behind the rolling boulder, pushing it as it chases after Harrison Ford,” he said.

Dilley also worked as an art director on Alien (1979) with the director Ridley Scott. He built sets based on the paintings by the Swiss surrealist artist HR Giger that inspired the screenwriter Dan O’Bannon, who jointly wrote the sci-fi horror classic about an extraterrestrial creature stalking and killing the crew of the Nostromo spacecraft. On set for another scene that has gone down in cinema history, Dilley recalled: “When John Hurt’s chest breaks open and we see the baby alien for the first time and blood is spraying everywhere, the actors’ reactions were real – they were caught completely off guard, with blood on their clothing and mouths open in fright and surprise.”

Dilley went on to become a production designer on films that similarly featured fantasy elements. For The Abyss (1989), whose large amount of underwater filming provided special challenges, he and a construction team turned Ron Cobb’s conceptual blueprints for a huge oil-drilling platform into reality – built in a tank of water – as one of the sets in an abandoned nuclear power plant in South Carolina.

For The Exorcist III (1990), he created several illusions, including a large hospital set with all the rooms and areas joined together by hallways, one of them appearing to go on for ever, but actually with consecutively smaller arches and a progressively lower ceiling. “You can create the depth with smaller people at the back,” he said, with a laugh. He also built a “ceiling” on the floor for the filming of a possessed woman crawling along it in the supernatural horror film.

Dilley was born in Pontygwaith, Mid Glamorgan, during the second world war, and grew up in Wembley Park after his parents, Leslie, a chauffeur, and Doreen (nee Willis), returned to their home in Middlesex in 1946. From the age of 15, he studied architecture and building construction at Willesden technical college while on a plastering apprenticeship at the Associated British Picture Corporation.

He did plaster work on the 1963 James Bond film From Russia with Love and worked his way up to become assistant art director on Kelly’s Heroes (1970), The Devils, Macbeth, and The Boy Friend (all 1971) and Jesus Christ Superstar (1973), and an art department draughtsman on another 007 movie, The Man with the Golden Gun (1974). His initial films as art director were The Three Musketeers (1973) and its sequel, The Four Musketeers (1974), and he also took that role on The Last Remake of Beau Geste (1977), Superman (1978), An American Werewolf in London (1981), Eureka (1983), Never Say Never Again (1983) and Legend (1985).

Establishing himself as a production designer, Dilley moved to Los Angeles in 1985. On the Disney comedy sequel Honey, I Blew up the Kid (1992), he was responsible for building two replicas of the family home chosen for filming in California, one of them scaled down 43 per cent for scenes in which the toddler, Adam, appears to be 7ft tall. On that movie and several others, he was also the second unit director.

His last feature film as a production designer was Little Man (2006), although he returned to Britain to work on the BBC children’s television series Teacup Travels (2015-17), starring Gemma Jones as Great Aunt Lizzie telling her two grandchildren stories from ancient times.

He received further Oscar nominations, for his art direction on Alien, Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back and The Abyss, and Bafta Cymru’s 2020 outstanding contribution to film and television award.

Dilley is survived by his second wife, Leslie Lykes, whom he married in 1987, and their daughters, Sophia, Ivory and EmmaJane, and son, Leslie; by Georgia, the daughter of his first marriage, to Amanda Parish, which ended in divorce; and by four grandchildren.

🔔 Ivor Leslie Dilley, art director and production designer, born 11 January 1941; died 20 May 2025

Daily inspiration. Discover more photos at Just for Books…?

[deadpoets]

let your spotify predict your 2025! shuffle your on repeat playlist and the first twelve songs represent your 2025

tagged by sara @ohwarnette, thank you for tagging me <3

January: limerence by lucy dacus

February: dark sweet lady by george harrison

March: he may be your dog but he's wearing my collar by rosa henderson

April: miss chatelaine by k.d. lang

May: old devil moon by dodie

June: my manic and i by laura marling

July: crippled inside by john lennon

August: cloud nine by george harrison

September: bite back (demo) by dodie

October: this is how it went by beabadoobee

November: waltz (better than fine) by fiona apple

December: if i fell by the beatles

tagging: @teddypng, @duncantashi, @permanentreverie, @belleandsaintsebastian, @labyrinthgf, @sgtpeppers, @dallaswinstons, @danielsousa