Not Forgotten

Desmond Dekker just died. Bob Marley may have been the face of reggae, but Dekker was the first to popularize it. For millions outside Jamaica, Dekker's music was their initial experience with the off-kilter beat. (It's no coincidence his first name is used in The Beatles' reggae-ish "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da.") He will always be remembered for his 1969 international hit "The Israelites."

Val Guest is also gone. He may not have been a great filmmaker, but The Day The Earth Caught Fire (where nuclear bombs throw off the Earth's orbit and send it toward the Sun--now that's global warming) is memorable, and I've always had a soft spot for the beatnik Expresso Bongo.