Dave Grohl made an appearance at the 88th annual Academy Awards, playing The Beatles’ “Blackbird” alone in a somber in memoriam segment. This past year saw us lose Leonard Nimoy, Alan Rickman, Maureen O’Hara and many more beloved figures that will never be replaced. Unfortunately, the usually solemn and inoffensive segment memorializing all those we lost will not be without controversy — surprisingly, it was missing Abe Vigoda, who is front and center on the Oscars In Memoriam website. Most everyone else of note was mentioned, however, in a video package that honored 136 artists.
But still, no Vigoda, a fixture of films, sitcoms, and late-night shows for decades. It’s an unfortunate oversight. Still, it was good to see Phantasm’s Angus Scrimm get his due alongside Abe Vigoda’s Godfather co-star, Alex Rocco. Also surprisingly absent from the memorial: French New Wave director Jacques Rivette, Texas Chain Saw Massacre star Gunnar Hansen, and wrestler-turned-actor Roddy Piper, a man who definitely made his mark in Hollywood. Say what you will about They Live, but that film is a cultural touchstone that should’ve been recognized by the Academy.
Still, it was a lovely segment, one that ended on a heartbreaking clip of Nimoy, in character as Spock that left the audience visibly moved.
