Director of CHRISTMAS STORY dies in car crash...

[BENZ-LGB]

Director of CHRISTMAS STORY and his son die in car crash on PCH.

From IMDB.com:

'A Christmas Story' Director Bob Clark Killed in Car Crash

Director Bob Clark, who helmed the modern holiday classic A Christmas Story and was the writer-director-producer of the Porky's films, died in a car crash with his son on the Pacific Coast Highway early Wednesday morning; he was 67. According to police reports, Clark's car was hit head-on around 2:30am by an SUV that swerved into Clark's southbound lane; Clark and his 22 year-old son, Ariel, were pronounced dead at the scene. The SUV driver, who was driving without a license, was arrested for suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol and is to be booked for gross vehicular manslaughter. The director of the 1974 cult horror film Black Christmas as well as the 1980 Jack Lemmon drama Tribute (which nabbed Lemmon a Best Actor Oscar nomination), Clark scored a major box office success in the early '80s with the teen sex comedy Porky's, a surprise hit that he wrote, directed and produced which became the highest-grossing film of 1982 and one of the highest-grossing films ever in Canada. Clark went on to helm the sequel, Porky's II: The Next Day, a year later, but it was another 1983 film that would become his most memorable. Based on humorist Jean Shepherd's short story collection In God We Trust, All Others Pay Cash, A Christmas Story was the nostalgic and humorous tale of a young boy named Ralphie (Peter Billingsley) growing up in the 1940s who yearned for the ultimate Christmas gift, a Red Ryder BB gun. Also starring Darren McGavin and Melinda Dillon, the comedy (which Clark directed, co-wrote and produced) was a modest success in its initial box office run but gained a strong and steady following through the next two decades, becoming a TV staple during the holiday season and a consistent seller on DVD. Clark's other films included the Dolly Parton-Sylvester Stallone comedy Rhinestone, Turk 182!, From the Hip, and the two Baby Geniuses movies. Recently, there had been talk of Howard Stern producing a remake of Porky's, and Clark had begun development on a remake of one of his first films, the horror movie Children Shouldn't Play With Dead Things. --Mark Englehart, IMDb staff

The driver of the other car (an SUV) was driving w/o a license and is suspected of speeding and driving under the influence. He crossed over the cneter median and crashed, head on, into Clark's car.

Another worthy life(s) cut short by a loser, a@@hole, worthless drunk driver. And to make it worse, the scum drunk driver did not die in the crash.

CHRISTMAS STORY is an awesome movie. I never get tired of watching it. It is upsetting (to put it mildly) that a man like Calrk, and his son, were killed by someone who will likely never amount to anything in life.

[DslBnz]

Originally Posted by BENZ-LGB

Another worthy life(s) cut short by a loser, a@@hole, worthless drunk driver. And to make it worse, the scum drunk driver did not die in the crash.

CHRISTMAS STORY is an awesome movie. I never get tired of watching it. It is upsetting (to put it mildly) that a man like Clark, and his son, were killed by someone who will likely never amount to anything in life.

I wouldn't care what a person amounted to in life, but the fact that another human took another person's life, in the scenario presented, calls for instant terminal shock therapy for the convicted, IMHO.

Always a driver of an SUV causing these horrific accidents. Perhaps it's the general demographic? Several people were injured/killed tonight as a late winter storm rages outside my bedroom window. Out of six reported accidents, all involved SUVs traveling at speeds too high for conditions to permit.

Its very sad.

[BENZ-LGB]

Originally Posted by DslBnz

I wouldn't care what a person amounted to in life, but the fact that another human took another person's life, in the scenario presented, calls for instant terminal shock therapy for the convicted, IMHO.

In a vacuum, and all things being equal, I agree with you.

But if a drunk driver had mowed down Charlie Manson, or Ted Bundy, I might be inclined to let the DUI driver slide...

[t walgamuth]

the bb gun one right?

one of our christmas traditions.

getting killed by a drunk is one of my favorite things to hate too.

there was a man here a fairly prominant business man who killed another person driving drunk and a smart lawyer kept him out of jail. the man never quit drinking afterwords either. i refused to do business with him.

tom w

[Ara T.]

oh fuuuuuuu...dge.

Dammit.

[Kuan]

I watch that movie at least three times during the holidays. I absolutely hate drunk driving.

[Carleton Hughes]

I read about that,Goddamn shame.
'course the ideal scenario would be for the drunk driver to get his eyes shot out with a Daisy Red Ryder BB gun................

[BENZ-LGB]

Originally Posted by Carleton Hughes

I read about that,Goddamn shame.
'course the ideal scenario would be for the drunk driver to get his eyes shot out with a Daisy Red Ryder BB gun................

If there was a just and loving God...THAT would be what happens.

Get his eyes shot out with a Red Ryder BB gn, while wearing pink bunny PJs and a bar of soap stuck in his mouth.

Alas, we will never see that happen.

[Kuan]

They can throw him in prison with a leg lamp as his guiding light.

[Hatterasguy]

Well that sucks.

The worthless POS will probably walk after a decade in jail or so. I would really prefer cops to shoot drunk drivers on sight it would solve a lot of problems.

[BENZ-LGB]

Originally Posted by Hatterasguy

Well that sucks.

The worthless POS will probably walk after a decade in jail or so. I would really prefer cops to shoot drunk drivers on sight it would solve a lot of problems.

He won't even serve that much time.

If he is young and this is his first time offense he may be sentenced to serve time in County Jail,not state prison.

[BENZ-LGB]

Originally Posted by Kuan

They can throw him in prison with a leg lamp as his guiding light.

It is NOT a leg lamp silly!

It is a MAJOR AWARD!!!!

So many great scenes, so many great lines....

I guess the whole thing has botehred me a lot because:

1. I love the movie;

2. My son and I drive together a lot, that could have been him and I getting hit by a DUI driver;

3. I drive a lot through PCH on that very same spot too. I was there on Monday. I first inspected my "new" 300CE at the Von's parking lot, on the corner of Sunset and PCH, not far from where the crash occurred;

4. It was so useless and meaningless and unnecessary--why are people still driving under the influence?

[Carleton Hughes]

In the "old days"my Gramps time, they had ways of dealing with this nonsense.

[BENZ-LGB]

Originally Posted by Carleton Hughes

In the "old days"my Gramps time, they had ways of dealing with this nonsense.

Makes me yearn for the "old days."

[Jorn]

Originally Posted by BENZ-LGB

He won't even serve that much time.

If he is young and this is his first time offense he may be sentenced to serve time in County Jail,not state prison.

County jail must be the worst place you can end here in Los Angeles...