RIP John Hughes

[Phil]

Pretty shocking and sad news today as director and writer John Hughes has died at the age of 59. It really marks the end of an era as Hughes was responsible for making movies that really defined a generation of teens back in the 80s (including myself). Rest in peace John

Hollywood film director and writer John Hughes, who made a series of adolescent comedies like "Home Alone" and "The Breakfast Club," died Thursday of a heart attack in New York City. He was 59.

Hughes' spokeswoman Michelle Bega said he died of a heart attack during a morning walk in Manhattan. He was in New York to visit family.

A native of Lansing, Michigan, Hughes later moved to suburban Chicago and set much of his work there. His films are free of violence and mainly about topics close to adolescent life, such as skipping classes, puppy love, and relations with parents.

His first directorial effort, "Sixteen Candles," made a hit when it was released in 1984, due in no small part to its more realistic depiction of middle-class high school life. It was also the first in a string of efforts set in or around high school, including "The Breakfast Club," "Pretty in Pink," "Weird Science" and "Ferris Bueller's Day Off."

Hughes's greatest commercial success came with "Home Alone," a film he wrote and produced about a child accidentally left behind when his family goes away for a Christmas vacation, who has to protect himself and his house from a pair of inept burglars.

"Home Alone" would be the top grossing film in the year of 1990, and remained his most successful live-action comedy of all time.

Many consider his films to be standard-bearers of the teen genre that explore American adolescent behavior with warmth and affection.

In 1994, Hughes withdrew from public life. His last directing film was "Curly Sue" in 1991.

Taken from China View

[Yama]

I was a snotty little brat when the classic Hughes movies were doing the rounds but saw the holy trilogy (Pretty In Pink, Sixteen Candles, Breakfast Club) loads of times cause my elder sisters were really into them. I enjoyed them so much and still love watching them. A real shame that he passed away. Let's hope hollywood doesn't do any ill judged homages to him.

[Phil]

Glad I'm not alone, 'Breakfast Club' is still one of my favourite films to this day and I'm the proud owner of the majority of his films on DVD.

I thought it was nice that people like Molly Ringwald, Matthew Broderick and Steve Martin all came out to pay tribute to Hughes:

Steve Martin, Macaulay Culkin and Matthew Broderick are leading the tributes to director John Hughes, who died on Thursday.

Hughes passed away after suffering a heart attack while out walking in Manhattan, New York.

The father of two stepped away from the limelight in the 1990s but stars from the big screen have offered their fond memories of the director, whose career spanned back to the 1980s.

Broderick, who was directed by Hughes in the 1986 comedy Ferris Bueller's Day Off, was devastated to hear of his death and has sent his condolences to the moviemaker's grief-stricken relatives.

He says, "I am truly shocked and saddened by the news about my old friend John Hughes. He was a wonderful, very talented guy and my heart goes out to his family."

Actress Molly Ringwald, who starred in three of Hughes' hit movies - Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club and Pretty in Pink - was equally shocked to hear of his sudden passing.

She adds, "I was stunned and incredibly sad to hear about the death of John Hughes. He was and will always be such an important part of my life. He will be missed - by me and by everyone that he has touched. My heart and all my thoughts are with his family now."

Veteran star Steve Martin, who worked with Hughes on 1987's Planes, Trains And Automobiles, remembers the director with affection: "John Hughes was a great director, but his gift was in screenwriting. He created deep and complex characters, rich in humanity and humour."

And former child star Macaulay Culkin, who worked with Hughes on Uncle Buck and the Home Alone movies in the early 1990s, is adamant that the late film-maker's work will live on for decades to come.

He says, "I was a fan of both his work and a fan of him as a person. The world has lost not only a quintessential filmmaker whose influence will be felt for generations, but a great and decent man."

[econdor]

Breakfast club rocked
RIP