I was sorry to hear of the passing of Nikki Finke, the founder of Deadline.com (originally Deadline Hollywood).
I was a fan as far back as her original “Deadline Hollywood” page in LA Weekly. It was positively electric with insight, snark and speaking truth to power.
FSM had an office in Culver City at the time, and I would typically lunch by myself at the old Sagebrush Cantina. Thursday was the day for the new LA Weekly and her column was the first page I read.
There’s a dark side to her “reign,” which I’ve been aware of and wasn’t particularly hidden as she was forced out of her own company—here’s a piece at Puck (subscription required) that gives a good overview of her influence and dark side.
She reminds me of Fred Clarke at Cinefantastique in that way—innovative and influential, telling it like it is, but with a dark side that, in the end, is just sad.