Dr. Morbius (Bill Weber) RIP

I know I antagonized him like anybody on this board did, but there was one point I posted here at a very low point where I'd woken up in a hospital after a night of drinking, really upset and freaked out about my loss of control, and he posted calming, kind words of encouragement with anecdotes from his own life. was incredibly sweet and helped at a time where I needed any encouragement. and considering my attitude towards him, not something he had to do/say.

rest well,Bill.

bill was the first ilxor i ever met in real life, at a mets game in 2009. he was sweet and funny in person. he was easy to talk to, especially if the conversation shifted to baseball or movies. life didn't deal him a very good hand over the past several years but i know how many people here loved him and i hope at the end he felt it was a life well lived.

Gutted.

Had been hoping that getting out to CT with his family and recent discharge meant a turn for the better.

This place will never be quite the same.

Ah, fuuuck. Rest in fury, you lovable asshole. So glad that he decided, and then was well enough to, get out of the city and end surrounded by love and family.

xp I thought he had implied that when I asked him about it a few months ago. awful news

I loved this guy too even though we ripped into each other so many times here. I’m really sad. God, fuck this year.

Fuck

Fuck

Fuck

Fuck

Sad he’ll never get to see Georgie Minifer get his comeuppance. RIP loved reading his movie commentary.

i didn't cry like this when my dad died

such an asshole on the board and such a sweetheart irl

lol xpost

this is hard news. i only lived in brooklyn for a couple years, but Bill was a reliable friend. he would reach out to me, and ask if I wanted to see a movie (we watched several together, including a full viewing of Andrei Rublev) or catch a Mets game with him at Citi Field (especially when the Cardinals were in town). he was a good friend, very warm, very attentive, and always very witty. i think he would surprise a lot of you who never got to meet him, with his gentleness. i really valued his friendship. and he was really, really generous in listening to me go on at length about all sorts of naive thoughts on art and film and music, and taking me seriously. i hate to emphasize our age difference, but i always thought he was fatherly, in a way. like the way i would want someone to listen and care for me. crying a bit now, sorry.

RIP Bill.

Mookie I was seriously thinking about messaging you here to ask how he was just a couple hours ago !!!

I’m just really glad I got to tell him how I felt in an email before he passed. I think I’d be even more of a mess right now if I didn’t. I wish we had some old FAP pictures from back in the day to share. I’m going to miss him.

crying a bit now

me too

Reading this post is tough b/c for reasons I can't explain I got a premonition early this morning.

I met Bill seven or eight times, often in the company of KJB. In 2017 he came down to Miami for a baseball conference, and we enjoyed drinks and dinner and spent several fabulous hours together.

He's my movie sparring buddy and I'll miss him terribly.

i didn't cry like this when my dad died

yeah, i don't expect to either

xps yeah i was about to email him because he'd been unusually silent on the subject of the world series

ffs

i think he would surprise a lot of you who never got to meet him, with his gentleness.

this cannot be emphasized enough

OK the tears are coming now

I always had a soft spot for this dude no matter what.
Just gutted right now

Bill Weber was an example of Catholic dialectical grace: fight tooth and nail, offer words of comfort you wouldn't think are possible.

really sad news, sorry to all who knew him irl

bill was one of the first ILXors i met IRL, we met up for drinks at beauty bar (he carried an anthology calendar so i'd know it was him). my last weekend before i left NYC for LA we went to see 'uncle boonmee' at NYFF together. i'm pretty sure the last time i saw him he, kevin, get bent and i went to a jack smith show in soho, then we all got drinks in a mostly empty irish pub afterwards and it was such a fun afternoon - it made me miss living in new york. i loved his sense of humor and his strong opinions about politics and i always wanted to know what he thought about new and repertory films that were out (we agreed more often than not). i'm heartbroken and i'm really gonna miss him. RIP buddy.

Very sad. I didn’t know him at all outside ILX, but I loved talking Jerry with him. And his politics were spot-on. I’ll miss him.

RIP you loveable crank.

RIP :-(

damnit

fuck fuck fuck. privileged to have met him in person and slightly guilty that I'm behind on czech new wave films he nagged me about.

we never met irl but we bonded over arguing whether Maddie in True Grit was a cunt or not (morbs for the affirmative, me for the negative), standup comedy & our shared love for Krassner’s JFK assassination hitpiece (who doesnt love the image of LBK skullfucking JFK’s eyesocket) ... i was so very fond of that kindly old cynic & will be over here crying for a while

xp elvis,

haha yeah, looking through my emails with him, i was laughing at

Feb 20 at the Walter Reade... I'm not crazy about the two Zukawski films I've seen, but all the Cool Kids like him.

https://www.filmlinc.org/films/on-the-silver-globe/

he was one of the first people I took notice of on ilx. he had a memorable screen name and was willing to engage earnestly with my naive film opinions

A truly unique individual I’m glad to have met and kept in touch with outside the board. Even when he was being insufferable here, I could never really be mad at the guy. He was who he was... I’m honestly surprised by this news, I would have thought him too stubborn to die.
RIP

RIP Bill – I will miss him a lot. I've typed and deleted a lot more, but -- I will miss him a lot.

Ah, fuck. I was just thinking about him the other day since he'd been noticeably absent from some threads he usually popped in on. RIP Bill.

arguing whether Maddie in True Grit was a cunt or not (morbs for the affirmative, me for the negative)

I'm with the good doctor on this one

that’s so sad, rip dr. morbius and condolences to everyone who loves him and will miss him

Oh shit. I was hoping he would live to see the donor restrictions on The Day the Clown Cried expire. I'm going to miss him on the film threads.

I just saw the news and I’m so bummed out

This is really fucking me up

a great, maddening, valuable and deeply, unseriously human presence. will be badly missed.

ah geez, Morbz was one of my fave people to hate Ronald Reagan with ... not that I'm in any way religious or believe in heaven or anything, or whether one has the ability to punch other dead people in the face, or communicate your belief that they are fucking pieces of shit ... but Bill, if you can read this, feel free to punch Ronald Reagan in the face and/or tell him that he is a fucking piece of shit.

Bill Weber was an example of Catholic dialectical grace: fight tooth and nail, offer words of comfort you wouldn't think are possible.

― Patriotic Goiter (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, October 21, 2020 8:57 PM (fifteen minutes ago) bookmarkflaglink

i love this alfred

xpost cosign sarahell

Your posts, especially on film, were always a highlight ever since I started lurking here. Rest easy.

Hope there's some justice wherever you are, buddy.

only knew him from here on ILX, but will miss him very much all the same... sincere condolences to his friends and family, RIP.

deems said it better than I could have said it. RIP.

Killing time in Dante Park until I’m ready for my closeup.

Thinking about when the Iridium used to be across the street. Ah Morbius, ah humanity!

Not to mention the City Opera.

I wish I were there.

i’m making a pancake breakfast plan for tomorrow morning <3

same here! blueberry buttermilk pancakes w/ maple syrup.

I miss you people

This was really good.

i had to leave the service early to catch the last amtrak upstate for a close friend’s wedding. sorry i wasn’t able to hang out with some of you guys after

i also regret not being able to thank Cathy after for putting this together and sharing the story of Bill’s life, it was wonderful to hear

i felt a lot of sadness honestly but i was very happy to be at lincoln center amid the film fest, it felt like the proper atmosphere to send Bill off. love ya pal

I saw your name in the register but didn't know what you looked like so didn't introduce myself.

I'm sorry I didn't get to know him. He's obviously missed.

A beautiful event last night. His sister Cathy organized a fitting tribute to an ultimately cuddly curmudgeon. Lots of reminiscing. Bill's niece sang three songs during which I had the most difficult time keeping it together. I finally got to meet James Redd and the Blacks and Ian! Not sure if this will work. But here's the cover of the program.
https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.30808-6/391746033_10120694681728800_728178855284367773_n.jpg?stp=cp6_dst-jpg

This?
https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.30808-6/391746033_10120694681728800_728178855284367773_n.jpg?stp=cp6_dst-jpg&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=5f2048&_nc_ohc=xLp6sc5SjgUAX-IGG3d&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCxjtni7ydMCrvzhf1NfB0qx7lzp920A4de0y4W5SeE6Q&oe=652F4522

Ugh ok. I'll try when I'm back home. :(

Second time worked

I got a bit teary whilst Cathy was speaking but tried to keep it closer to the Ozu level.

Watching Transit now and started to think of him, partly because I know he liked Petzold and this film in particular, but mostly because the scene of Franz Rogowski fixing the kid’s radio reminded me of Cathy’s story about him taking apart the turntable with the screwdriver.

Thanks to everyone who was able to go. I only met Bill in person once and don’t live anywhere nearby, but it’s good to hear things went well

very sad to have missed this too. i love the choice of venue.

Yes. Cathy said Bill “used his library card a lot.”

And I namedropped you in my speech.

Very nice to hear how things went well.

https://imgur.com/Al8Ab4C

I'm sorry I couldn't be there.

Was anyone here besides Morbs anticipating the donor restrictions on The Day the Clown expiring in 2024? I recently spoke to a Library of Congress employee about their plans for making this material available for viewing.

Guess tomorrow is the day

Pancake Rollcall!

<No syrup here tho>

I’m in!

just had some myself!

pcakes happening in the Veg household ✔️

Bruno Walter mention in MAESTRO made me think of the memorial.