Oh So Geeky

Eighties cinema churned out Hollywood icons left and right, and became synonymous as huge stars from that era. Bill Paxton was one of the few to break out of the mold from old Hollywood into new. Known for roles in movies like Terminator and Weird Science, he crafted an every day Burt Lancaster type of filmography: tough, rugged, but vulnerable and sensitive old-Americana guys. He could decipher money makers from " January jobs " so he could take smaller roles,  made space for other people in the industry, and kept wanting to make good work. With a Texas drawl and steely glance, he was a force of nature. Honestly, he was just a cool dude, laidback, charismatic and hardworking on-screen and off . As a fan of his, it was a sad day to hear of his passing. At the time, I didn't quite know what to say when the news first broke. I didn't know how to remember him until I could figure out which roles meant a lot to me, and to be honest, there were too many. So I thought...

Photo Credit: Twister / Warner Bros Tucked into the disaster genre under classics like The Poseidon Adventure (1972) or flash-in-the-pan epics like 2012 (2009), Twister remains popular twenty years after its original theatrical release. Instead of focusing on an end-of-the-world or survival against nature plot, this flick is all about facing one of nature's awe-inspiring sights in order to understand its mechanics. Jo (Helen Hunt) and Bill (Bill Paxton) are estranged storm chasers trailing several twisters across Oklahoma before their rival (Cary Elwes) beats them to the punch. Wrangled together by a contentious divorce, they lead a crew trying to release a data-gathering instrument to transmit tornadic behavior. The film is as much of a love story as it is an action movie. Jo's passion for how tornadoes work was brought on by a tragedy during her childhood. Her near-obsession, now as an adult, affects her marriage and drives her daredevil ambition. Awesomely playe...