R.I.P. Bill Paxton

And I was just watching Tombstone for the 9,123rd time last night.

Sigh.

Bill Paxton played some of the best loudmouth assholes of the eighties in supporting roles. Chet (pictured above) from Weird Science. Private Hudson in Aliens. Severen in Near Dark. But he was versatile and funny as a leading man as well. I always enjoyed Twister for some reason—probably Paxton's charm—and would watch it whenever it came on TBS on Saturday afternoons (it was a good warm-up before heading out to the bars). He went on to more important roles in Apollo 13 and a real breakout in HBO's Big Love, but when I think of Bill Paxton now after his sad and untimely passing, I still think of Chet. Weird Science was one of the weaker John Hughes vehicles (with a plot that gets weaker each time I think about it), but it was saved by two things: Oingo Boingo's fantastic theme song and Paxton's over-the-top commando antics as the jerk older brother who couldn't wait to give his struggling sibling a hard time. 

I laugh just thinking about Chet in my head. Looking at that photo now I'm smiling in remembrance.

R.I.P. Bill.

-David Driscoll