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    Robin Williams

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    Robin Williams was most known for his Acting and Stand Up comedy. He also lent his voice to the Video game Disney's Math Quest With Aladdin.

    Recollection: In Memoriam of Robin Williams

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    cornbredx

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    Edited By cornbredx

    I want to start with a warning. I may say some things about films that Robin Williams was in that you may consider spoilers if you haven't seen them. I recommend checking them out if you have any interest in doing that- he was in a ton of great movies and most are worth your time. Robin Williams Filmography on IMDB

    Robin Williams death has impacted me a lot. I felt similarly impacted by my Father, Ryan Davis, James Gandolfini and also Ray Bradbury passing away (in recent memory I mean). For Robin Williams, as with most people who I only know of because they're famous, it's not so much because I knew him as a person, but because he was so much a part of my entire childhood (and early adult life) that I can't help but feel something for the passing of such a great person.

    A lot of people tend to forget that Robin Williams didn't just play for comedy, and was passed over for an oscar he really deserved multiple times. He always seemed to take it in stride in interviews, and while his passion was always for comedy he was so much more than just a goofball comedian.

    The oldest stand up routine I can recall seeing him doing he was so different than any other comedian I had seen at the time (and it was recorded before my time). In it, he constantly begs the audience not to leave. He often seemed to believe he wasn't even funny- when a joke he would say "didn't hit" he would utter "Oh no, I'm losing you" and he would start walking into the audience and coming up with jokes on the spot just to get a laugh. I have to imagine he was like that in life- often just coming up with jokes just so someone would laugh.

    There was a controversy early in his career that he was stealing other peoples jokes. It did turn out to be true, and for a little while I was put off by that concept (he even ended up paying people for the jokes). I have come to believe that it wasn't really stealing so much as Robin Williams would not stick to a comedic script like most people and would often just say whatever came to his head. He was much the type of actor that liked to play around with a character or idea and just riff on it. Adlibing was both his talent and his curse.

    This spread through his acting career, as well. The Terry Gilliam films he was able to take part in, I have heard he begged for any part in (I'm referring mainly to Baron Muchhausen). I don't know if that's true, but I suspect he was a big fan (who isn't really?) and would be happy just to have been in one of his movies. For me the Terry Gilliam films were the first time I had ever seen Robin Williams- or at the least the first time I noticed him.

    Sure, he was in Mork and Mindy, but that was before my time so I only saw that on Nick at Night as a kid and really I didn't notice him as someone I want to see more of but rather he's a funny guy on this goofy show. I suppose that's partially because I was a kid, though.

    In The Adventures of Baron Muchausen (one of my favorites) Robin played the god of the moon. A man whose body was in constant war with his own (literal) head. Just saying that sounds as weird as it is. I really can't imagine any other actor pulling off such an odd character, and even though it's over the top it's still one of my favorites.

    Then there was The Fisher King. I remember this was the first time I saw Robin Williams as a more serious actor. He had done other more serious roles before this (Moscow on the Hudson comes to mind), but Robin Williams wasn't a thing in my mind at that time being that I was so youn gor not even born when he first started acting. Today The Fisher King stands out to me more so than his other films because it's one of a few films about PTSD that I have seen and can find something I actually can relate to. Robin's role as a homeless man haunted by his past is both charming and chilling all at the same time. He goes from being insane enough to get naked in a park, to real enough to be haunted by a dark knight who he believes is coming for him so he cannot bring himself to love someone again. This, of course, is explained more thoroughly throughout the film as something more real and tangible, but it's still one of the most touching characters he has ever portrayed for me and now that I am a military veteran with my own PTSD I feel it's one I appreciate even more.

    Robin Williams did a lot in his career. He wasn't always in good movies. Some people have even expressed wonder how he ever made it; considering his first ever film appearance was in Popeye. It's considered one of the worst movies ever made (check it out on Netflix).

    Everyone has their bad roles, though, and he would much later be cast as the genie in Aladdin- one of his more memorable roles at the time. Interestingly, Aladdin is my favorite Disney film, and in no small part is that because of Robin Williams. Even in that film he adlibed a lot and they used what they could of it (or so I have heard). It's truly unfortunate that he had a falling out with Disney as I think he would have been amazing in other voice over roles.

    I would argue this is probably what freed him up to start doing a lot more serious stuff. Around the mid, maybe late 90s (i'm not referencing this stuff, I'm just kind of recollecting here) he started doing stranger things. More serious things, for certain, but I found it odd that he went from being a likable actor to choosing darker roles.

    I think it was in the early 2000s he started with Death to Smoochy. In it he plays one of his most despicable roles. Danny Devito is certainly no stranger to dark comedy- it's his bread and butter- but the casting choice of Robin as a has been kids show host who hates the new famous guy so much he wants him dead is a real twist on the characters he generally played up until that time.

    That same year he went on to start playing serial killers. Insomnia was the first time he played such a tortured soul. It's a deep film, that's hard to watch because Christopher Nolan's style with it captures the feeling of being awake but needing to sleep so well it's almost like a dream. Robin isn't in a lot of the film that I recall, but it was the second time he chose to play a role the audience was intended to dislike.

    Again that year he played another serial killer role, but much darker than the last one. One hour photo is one of the most haunting films about a serial killer I have ever seen, and the character he portrays in it is probably the most disturbing Robin Williams had ever gone. Unfortunately, I could only find a trailer, but the climax of the movie is really intense. This trailer is decent for setting the films tone.

    Shortly after that Robin wasn't in much else. He still acted, but he was starting to swerve off my radar. RV was one of the comedies he did around this time, and it was Robin doing his thing but not much else about it made any sense. Robin had done stupid comedies before, but maybe it's just the times, or maybe people don't know how to write anymore, but I'm not into what that kind of comedy is selling (I do still own the film and have watched it one time).

    The final movie I can recall seeing Robin Williams in I randomly caught on Netflix. It was directed by Bobcat Goldthwait (of all people) and was genuinely a surprise to watch. Worlds Greatest Dad is one of those dark comedies that sticks with you. The acting is phenomenal, but it's also very well written. You'd be forgiven for not even recalling you saw Bobcat's name in the credits. It's a surprisingly well done film that I didn't know Bobcat had in him.

    I guess the years are coming up on us, and it's only a matter of time that our favorite actors from child hood start passing away. It's just an unfortunate thing it had to start what feels like so soon.

    The circumstances of his death are only rumors at this point, so I don't want to speculate on his personal life. I really just wanted to look back and remember Robin Williams' impact on me throughout my life. For a good 30 years (that's most of my life) he was doing something that I had some kind of interest in. Either impactful or funny (there's so many I haven't even mentioned), he almost always managed to be one of those actors I would see a movie for (even if not until the DVD came out) just because he was in it.

    As I close, I wonder about the stories I heard about Robin in the early 2000s. There were stories that he would randomly go to open mic bars in LA (I think it was) and do stand up just out of the blue. I have always wondered if that's true. I like to believe it is, because he was so full of energy and liked to make people laugh that even when he's a multi nominated academy award winner from countless films he still just wanted to know that he made people happy.

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    Rest in peace Robin Williams 1951-2014

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    Sbaitso

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    Great write up, however the lack of any mention of Flubber is really holding it back.

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    cornbredx

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    @sbaitso: haha. Sorry, Flubber is one of his films that didn't have much of an impact on me. I know a lot of people say it's bad (I actually recall enjoying the original film more) but I think I only saw the version he did like once- when it came out.

    I really wanted to comment on Hook and Toys, as I love those films (as opposed to Flubber which is one of his not so great films next to Popeye), but I figured comprises had to be made.

    Thanks so much for reading!

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    StormTPhoenix

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    I've always known him more as a brilliant stand-up comedian, though I've seen him in a small amount of movies. A Night at the Met and Live on Broadway are both, in particular, among the funniest comedy albums I've ever had the fortune of listening to, up there with George Carlin's Carlin on Campus and Ron White's Drunk in Public.

    Live on Broadway in particular really helped me through a tough section of my young life. I was dealing with loneliness and depression at the time, and when I watched the video version of that comedy special after stumbling across it by some grand stroke of luck, I laughed harder than I had ever laughed before. I changed for the better that day, became a lot friendlier and more relaxed, and I still listen to that album when it strikes my fancy; it's just that good. Hell, just yesterday, I was listening to A Night at the Met because it sounded like a fun thing to do.

    No matter how you know him, the brand of magic that Robin Williams was capable of in front of a camera and/or microphone will never be replicated. May he rest in peace. Thoughts and good vibes to his family. Let us celebrate this man's incredible legacy.

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    cornbredx

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    @stormtphoenix: So true. A night at the Met, if I recall, was what he did after he got out of rehab in a very difficult time in his life (having struggled with drugs and alcohol for a long time). I read somewhere that A night at the Met was his catharsis to all of that shit.

    I still listen to both those performances, on occasion, as well. A truly gifted performer in all ways.

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    pweidman

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    @cornbredx: Great blog and tribute. For some reason after hearing this Good Morning, Vietnam keeps running through my mind tonight.

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    cornbredx

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    @pweidman: Thanks!

    Oh man; Good morning, Vietnam! What a great call out.

    I remember as a kid we had the VHS for that movie so I watched it several times. I didn't appreciate the real life implications the film was touching on until much later in my life, but as a kid the radio stuff in that is phenomenal. When I go back to it now it's also a great Vietnam film up there with Platoon, Apocolypse Now, or even Jacob's Ladder.

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    Jeust

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    He was such a talented actor having impacted so many lifes, that he will be sorely missed. I'll miss you Robin Williams!

    Great blog.

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    GERALTITUDE

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    I read this last night and watched the videos, never having seen some of them, thanks CornBREDX. Great write up.

    My favourite Robin Williams movies are Mrs. Doubtfire, Aladdin and Patch Adams. Missed a lot though. Have many to look forward to I guess!

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    Jesus_Phish

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    My favourite thing about Robin Williams was he was an actor that people could grow up with from childhood to adult life. He made movies for everyone to enjoy and watch. Not always at the same time. When I was a little kid I loved him in Mrs. Doubtfire and Aladdin because he was a funny guy. When I got older he was in Good Will Hunting, One Hour Photo and I could go back and watch his work in Good Morning, Vietnam. He's one of the few actors I can think of that has made movies for anyone of any age to enjoy.

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    cornbredx

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    @geraltitude: Thanks for reading! Ya, Robin Williams has been in so many great movies.

    I'm kind of tempted to get the ones I still don't have now. I don't know, we'll see. I bet the price of some of them will spike up dramatically.

    It seems almost as insane as getting all of Nicholas Cage's movies, though. He was in a lot of movies. I guess the difference is I actually like most of Robin Williams films.

    @jesus_phish: Ya, I don't know of many actors with the range that Robin Williams had. He was truly one of the greats.

    @jeust: Thanks, I appreciate that =)

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    shivermetimbers

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    In One Hour Photo, he wasn't a serial killer, but a loner.

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    glots

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    #12  Edited By glots

    I really liked Insomnia, with the reason you mentioned definetly being an important factor to it. I don't think it was Robin's shining moment, but I still quite liked his perfomance, maybe because of the mentioned backwards type of role he had picked. That was also the last film I've seen from him and only recall seeing him in Louie after that.

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    cornbredx

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    #13  Edited By cornbredx

    @shivermetimbers: Interesting point. He was a stalker more than anything, I guess. It's been a while since I've seen it. I would edit it to be clearer on that, but the editor on here for blogs is weird and it might break something.

    Oh well.

    Thanks for the feedback. I appreciate it! =)

    @glottery: Ya, I liked his performance in it mainly because it was such an odd choice for him. I mean he'd done serious things before that time, but he never played "bad guys" before 2002 that I can recall. I don't know that he was in the film enough to get a real sense for his character (as I remember the movie being more about Al Pacino's character), but the few scenes he was in I feel he did something interesting with it. Also, it was just so out of character for him, I felt, at the time- ya.

    It's been a while since I've seen a lot of these movies. I might have a Robin Williams marathon or something.

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    mikey87144

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    @cornbredx: He did make up with Disney since he reprized his role as Genie in King of Thieves. The beef was over his pay for playing the Genie in the first movie. Apparently he took the flat rate of $50,000 for that role with the understanding that he was not the star and that the movie would not market him as one. Obviously after his performance things changed and he was billed more of as the star that the other voice actors. His character was even featured prominently on movie posters. He was understandably upset about that.

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    FreshFire

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    #15  Edited By FreshFire

    I met him once. He was sweet, and just as kind as anyone says. I was recording at a studio where he was looping some ADR. I've been watching his Carson appearances all day: http://pluto.tv/#!&channel=RobinWilliams :( :( :( I'll miss you so much.

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    jimipeppr

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    Dead Poets Society is a fantastic movie. I remember tearing up from his performance while I was watching it in a class in high school. Oh Captain! My captain!

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    Tennmuerti

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    I cried at the end of reading the Bicentennial Man by Asimov.

    Then I cried again when Robin Williams managed to bring to life one of the greatest robot stories ever.

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    cornbredx

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    #18  Edited By cornbredx

    @mikey87144: Interesting. I never knew the whole story there.

    @tennmuerti: Ya, I love Bicentennial Man. It's a fun sci fi movie, but it's also super weird. I think that's what I love best in a Robin Williams film- it just being super weird at some point. I would argue some of his best films often had this quality. Toys was like that, too, for example.

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    Jesus_Phish

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    @shivermetimbers: Yeah I'm not sure why people would think he's a serial killer? His character doesn't kill or even try to kill anyone in the movie. The only time he's seen with a weapon is near the end and he's only doing that because he wants to scare the husband and his mistress for cheating on the wife of the family he's imprinted himself into. He's just a loner who had a very trouble childhood.

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