Niki N. Phaser

Today, October the 14th, marks the 50th anniversary of Errol Flynn’s death. It was five decades ago that he suffered a fatal heart attack — the enemy‘s sword finally hit its target. And, without intentionally trying to be too melodramatic, it seemed that the whole swashbuckling genre died some that day. It had occasional resurrections, but no other actor emerged as the poster boy of the sword-adventure flick.

Errol Flynn is pretty much like all golden age superstars, you have to get him, let his errolesque charm inside your mind. The overall good mood, the bigger-than-life style of expressing his beliefs, the way he teases Una O’Connor or seduces Olivia de Havilland (”You love me, don’t you?”), the teeth grinding when he fights and, of course, the not-so-innocent grin.

And also, like many golden age superstars, Errol Flynn had plenty of secrets and scandals surrounding him, but, to be honest, rumours that he was a SS spy just make him even more fascinating. He had his wicked ways and his vices, but naming them all, would leave no room in the coffin for the man himself…

FLYNN, ERROL

You probably all know by now that Michael Jackson has died yesterday, June 25 2009. He would have been 51 this August. The cause of death, at least for now, is a cardiac arrest, but there has been speculation of prescription drug abuse, as a possible trigger of that heart failure. Hearing Wolf Blitzer saying “this just came in…” certainly took its toll on me, as some of my first life memories are related to the album cover of Dangerous. This might be insensitive, but we all have to admit that there is also a feeling of peace when you think about it. Michael’s last years were just a string of scandals and trials and everything that has nothing to do with his music. The 50 dates London O2 tour, that was to span from this July to next year’s March, was just another controversy in the making. It started with the first delay, apparently because of Michael’s need for live perfection, but it was clear even from then where this was going. All sorts of rumours about his health followed, but were denied instantly by his camp. Obviously, those were not just rumours. The truth is there was no comeback to follow, not a successful one anyway. The whole thing would have been a fiasco, one way or another. A legal and physical nightmare for Michael Jackson and a disappointment nightmare for all those fans. Now or at least after some time, when the speculations of death causes and suicide possibilities will fade, maybe people will once again focus on the man’s great music, more than on his troubled life. Finally R.I.P. Michael Jackson…