I remember him from Deep Space 9 https://variety.com/2019/film/obitu...ler-dead-dies-gremlins-terminator-1203124265/ RIP
One of the last great character actors. There was a documentary made about him a few years ago called That Guy Dick Miller that is worth a watch. He was in a ton of cult classics, but I'll always think of his role in the two Gremlins movies.
He was there a lot in those films I loved in the 80s, the "Gremlins" films in particular but I think my favourite was in "Explorers" when he watches the kids fly off in the "Thunder Road" and wishes them luck (Explorers and Gremlins 2 also starring Robert Picardo of course). He leaves a legacy and will not be forgotten.
He was one of Roger Corman's original repertory actors, appearing in everything Corman studios put out for I don't know how long. I will always remember him originating the role of the flower-eating customer of Mushnik's Flower Shop in the original Little Shop of Horrors, that had Jack Nicholson as the masochistic dental patient, Wilbur Force.
My brain immediately goes to BUCKET OF BLOOD, where he plays the would-be beatnick artist, and THE HOWLING, where he plays the world-weary owner of an occult bookstore who happens to stock silver bullets as well.
It's kinda of the spiritual brother of LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS, with basically the same plot. Nebbishy guy finds success but murder is required . . . . In this case, Miller plays a guy desperate to impress his artsy beatnik friends, but the only way he can "sculpt" is by killing people and coating their bodies with clay. It's a low-budget black comedy along the lines of LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS. Looked it up: BUCKET actually came first in 1959, then Corman recycled the plot for LITTLE SHOP a year later.
As I understand Corman's methodology at the time, LITTLE SHOP was a 'B' production with much of the same cast and crew as another, larger 'A' production being made at the same time. I don't know enough about the time period to do the proper research, or I'd be able to tell you which one. I do remember that LITTLE SHOP's production schedule was just a couple of days.
He also had a small part in a little movie I've always had a soft spot for called Corvette Summer. He played a guy who came to Vegas with $2.00, turned it into $18,000, and gave Mark Hamil his original $2.00. He was credited as "Mr. Lucky". Wasn't he also one of the first people The Terminator killed?
Oh yeah....The gun dealer! I've seen this guy around in so many TV shows and movies, but I never knew his name or who he was. Hollywood lost a good character actor. RIP, Mr. Miller.