Born on this day - Heath Ledger:

Heath Ledger

Actor

Music video director

Photographer

April 4, 1979 – January 22, 2008

Credits:

10 Things I Hate About You (1999); 10 Things I Hate About You: Outtakes (1999); 10th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards (2004); 12th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards (2006); 2000 Blockbuster Entertainment Awards (2000); 2000 MTV Movie Awards (2000); 2002 MTV Video Music Awards (2002); 2006 Independent Spirit Awards (2006); A Knight's Tale (2001); A.J. After Hours (2001); ABC TGIF (1999); Ben Harper: Morning Yearning (2006); Blackrock (1997); Brokeback Mountain (2005); Candy (2006); Candy: Behind the Scenes (2006); Candy: Deleted Scenes (2006); Candy: Interview Featurette with Director and Writer (2006); Candy: The Path to Wild Abandon (2006); Cartaz Cultural (2003); Casanova (2005); Charlie Rose (2005); Clowning Around (1992); Corazón de... (2005–2006); Enough Rope with Andrew Denton (2003); Entertainment Tonight (2007); Film '72 (2005); Film Independent's 2007 Spirit Awards (2007); Grace Woodroofe: Quicksand (2009); HBO First Look (2000–2001); Heath Ledger Profile (2001); Home and Away (1997); I'm Not There (2007); Jimmy Kimmel Live! (2004); Late Night with Conan O'Brien (2005); Late Show with David Letterman (2000–2001); Live with Kelly and Mark (2005); Logo Movie Special: 'Brokeback Mountain' (2005); Lords of Dogtown (2005); Los Angeles (2004); Magacine (2005); Modest Mouse: King Rat (2009); Monster's Ball (2001); Ned Kelly (2003); Ned Kelly in Popular Culture (2003); N'fa: Cause an Effect (2009); N'fa: Seduction Is Evil (She's Hot) (2005); Nick Drake: Black Eyed Dog (2007); On Being a Cowboy (2005); Paws (1997); Roar (1997); Roar: The Making of (1997); Rove Live (2001); Sexy Armor and a Rock Band on Tour (2001); Ship to Shore (1993–1994); Sweat (1996); Terryho dotocná (2004); The 2006 Australian Film Institute Awards (2006); The 60th Annual Golden Globe Awards (2003); The 63rd Annual Golden Globe Awards 2006 (2006); The 76th Annual Academy Awards (2004); The 78th Annual Academy Awards (2006); The Art of War (2000); The Brothers Grimm (2005); The Daily Show (2001); The Dark Knight (2008); The Ellen DeGeneres Show (2004–2006); The Four Feathers (2002); The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (2009); The Insider (2007); The Making of 'A Knight's Tale' (2001); The Making of 'Lords of Dogtown' (2005); The Marquee Event (2001); The Oprah Winfrey Show (2006); The Orange British Academy Film Awards (2006); The Order (2003); The Panel (1999–2001); The Patriot (2000); The Ray Martin Show (2001); The Reichen Show (2006); The Rock Music Scene in 1370 (2001); The Rules of Love (2001); The Teen Choice Awards 1999 (1999); The Tonight Show with Jay Leno (2000–2006); The View (2005); Today (2005); Two Hands (1999); Up Close with Carrie Keagan (2007); V Graham Norton (2002); Venecia 2005: Crónica de Carlos Boyero (2005).

On this day in movie history - Long Weekend (1978):

Long Weekend

directed by Colin Eggleston,

written by Everett De Roche,

was released in Australia on March 29, 1979.
Music by Michael Carlos.

Cast:

John Hargreaves, Briony Behets, Mike McEwen, Roy Day, Michael Aitkens, Sue Kiss von Soly, Colin Eggleston.

On this day in movie history - Phantasm (1979 movie & book):

Phantasm

directed and written by Don Coscarelli,

was released in the United States on March 28, 1979.
Music by Fred Myrow and Malcolm Seagrave.

Cast:

A. Michael Baldwin, Bill Thornbury, Reggie Bannister, Kathy Lester, Terrie Kalbus, Kenneth V. Jones, Susan Harper, Lynn Eastman-Rossi, David Arntzen, Ralph Richmond, Bill Cone, Laura Mann, Mary Ellen Shaw, Myrtle Scotton, Angus Scrimm, Dac Coscarelli, Kate Coscarelli.

Recommended reading:

Phantasm - The Novel

By Kate Coscarelli.

Based on the Original Screenplay by Don Coscarelli.

ASIN: B000NGVKQ4

Published by Pulp Xmachina.

Published 2002.

Description:

Young Mike Peterson has a problem.

His brother Jody is about to hit the road, two years after the tragic death of his parents. Terrified of being left alone by the one person he holds most dear, Mike becomes obsessed with shadowing his brother, peeping in on bar-hopping and midnight make-out sessions.

Until one gloomy morning, his snooping turns up more than he could have imagined: the horrifying, ancient secret of THE TALL MAN. And as the terrors mount, each unfolding like the twisted threads of some bizarre fever dream, the line between fantasy and reality blurs, setting Mike and Jody off on a desperate spiral of adventure and madness... until the final horror must be confronted within the darkest depths of a nightmare that never ends.

PHANTASM, is it a fantasy? An illusion? Whatever it is... if this novel doesn't scare you, you're already dead!

On this day in movie history – The Warriors (1979 movie & novel):

The Warriors

directed by Walter Hill,

written by David Shaber and Walter Hill,

based on the novel by Sol Yurick,

was released in the United States on February 9, 1979.
Music by Barry De Vorzon.

Cast:

Michael Beck, James Remar, Deborah Van Valkenburgh, Marcelino Sánchez, David Harris, Tom McKitterick, Brian Tyler, Dorsey Wright, Terry Michos, David Patrick Kelly, Roger Hill, Edward Sewer, Lynne Thigpen, Thomas G. Waites, Paul Greco, Jery Hewitt, Kate Klugman, Konrad Sheehan, Craig R. Baxley, A.J. Bakunas, Steve James, Bill Anagnos, Dennis Gregory, Mercedes Ruehl, Irwin Keyes, Sonny Landham, Ginny Ortiz, John Snyder.

Recommended reading:

The Warriors

By Sol Yurick.

Published by Grove Press.

First published 1965.

Paperback.

ISBN-10: 0802139922

ISBN-13: 978-0802139924

Description:

Every gang in the city meets on a sweltering July 4 night in a Bronx park for a peace rally. The crowd of miscreants turns violent after a prominent gang leader is killed, and chaos prevails over attempts at order.

The Warriors follows the Dominators as they make their nocturnal journey to their home territory without being killed. The police are prowling the city in search of anyone involved in the mayhem. An exhilarating novel that examines New York City teenagers left behind by society, who form identity and personal strength through their affiliation with their "family," The Warriors weaves together social commentary with ancient legends for a classic coming-of-age tale.

This edition includes a new introduction by the author.