A Farewell to Robert Altman

Maverick filmmaker Robert Altman, 81, died at a Los Angeles hospital Monday night. Critical of the Hollywood establishment, or any establishment for that matter, the film, television and stage director dealt out wry, irreverent social satires that assault the system, whether that system be the movie industry ("The Player"), the aristocracy ("Gosford Park") or the U.S. government ("M*A*S*H"), and revisions of genre that disillusion archetypes at wholesale ("McCabe & Mrs. Miller," "The Long Goodbye"). His characteristic freeform style, in conjunction with an always eclectic ensemble, was more stimulative of conversation and behavior than plot mechanics. Farewell, Mr. Altman. You did brilliantly.

Robert Altman's notable filmography:
"M*A*S*H" (1970), "McCabe & Mrs. Miller" (1971), "The Long Goodbye" (1973), "California Split" (1974), "Thieves Like Us" (1974), "Nashville" (1975), "3 Women" (1977), "Popeye" (1980), "The Player" (1992), "Short Cuts" (1993), "Ready to Wear" (1994), "Kansas City" (1996), "The Gingerbread Man" (1998), "Cookie's Fortune" (1999), "Dr. T and the Women" (2000), "Gosford Park" (2001), "The Company" (2003) and "A Prairie Home Companion" (2006).

Reminder: A new edition of The Scout (pdf) is available at www.app.com/ entertainment in the WebExtras queue and in the Friday, Nov. 24, Jersey Alive. In it (below), the "Know Your Bond" match game, the dichotomy of director Brian De Palma, a first look at the teaser for "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix," Tom Cruise's next film and so much more.