Ethan Holzman

Ethan Holzman, born February 4, 1966, was one of those behind-the-scenes wizards you probably never noticed but absolutely should’ve. Editing isn’t exactly the sexiest job in Hollywood, but this guy made it look cool. He had his fingerprints all over some of the biggest sci-fi blockbusters of the '90s. Think about it: “Lost in Space” (1998), that wild reimagining of the classic TV show that threw a family into all sorts of cosmic shenanigans; “Independence Day” (1996), which basically defined alien invasion movies for a whole generation with its epic explosions and cheesy presidential speeches; and, of course, “Star Trek: Insurrection” (1998), where he helped keep the Federation looking sharp and the action tighter than a Vulcan’s poker face. He was married to Rebecca—can’t say much about their personal life (because, let’s be real, Hollywood folks keep that stuff under wraps), but you gotta imagine their conversations at the dinner table were way more interesting than most. Ethan passed away on June 20, 2018, in Los Angeles, California. LA, the city where dreams are made and, sadly, sometimes where they end. The guy’s work still lives on every time someone revisits those movies and gets swept up in the chaos, the adventure, or the nostalgia. Editing is one of those jobs nobody talks about until it’s done badly, but when it’s done right? You barely notice it—just pure movie magic. That was Ethan.