Sadly one of the more popular article types I write are also the saddest ones to write and those are the news of a figure from the movie world passing onto ‘the other side’  (if there is another side that is)

So it is with sadness that I finished a days work, to get home and have Annette tell me that filmmaker Michael Winner had died.

Now recently,in fact over the past few years Michael Winner hasnt exactly lit up the film making scene. He has been busy with his food critic and of course those very annoying  ‘calm down dead’ adverts.

For me though I remember the ‘Directed  by Michael Winner’ credit and that makes me happy.

With a directing CV of 41 titles, there are so many to choose from. Some good and of course some not so good. But thats the way with all film makers and all actors.

For me the iconic ‘Directed by Michael Winner’ credits belonged in 1974,1982 and 1985 with the Death Wish films starring yet another person that I miss. Charles Bronson. Yes I know the Death Wish films reduced themselves in quality but they were still fun to watch and I really need to revisit Death Wish (1974) at some point soon.

One film I wont be revisiting though is the 1993 film Dirty Weekend which I remember seeing billed as ‘the female Death Wish’ it kinda was but really wasnt. It was a sad effort at trying to regain the acclaim that his 1974 film received

.

Dirty Weekend was actually banned in this country or at least withheld for quiet a while before being issued with cuts made totaling  1 min 22 secs to reduce blows from a hammer murder, a man being suffocated with a plastic bag, and suggested shots of oral sex and Bella vomiting during the car park rape scene  (dont ask what she vomited up, I actually saw the uncut edition on a preview screener VHS take back in the early 90s)

I shall indeed miss the Michael Winner credit. In the same way I miss the Directed by Ken Russell credi.

Death Wish. For me a classic film. Michael Winner, a large part of British filmmaking.

Rest in Peace Sir.