There is at least one good thing that comes out of the death of Marlon Brando. Namely, it puts me in the mind of Chris Elliott's demented imitation of him on David Letterman's old NBC show, in which Elliott would dance around a bunch of bananas in a circle to the tune of Al Hirt's "Alley Cat," pausing at the end of each bar to shrug and say "bananas?"

As Salon magazine once said, "His Marlon Brando may be the most unsettling celebrity impersonation ever." That's quite a tribute, and part of the reason Chris Elliott is the most underestimated comic genius of his time.

Makes me want to go out and buy the Rhino DVDs of Elliott's short-lived, twisted, and brilliant early 1990's sitcom "Get a Life." It would be worth the price just to again see the episode where Chris becomes a model and renames himself "Sparkles" ("Dad, I'm pacing and that's my model walk and for the last time my name is not Chris, I'm Sparkles. Chris is dead and he's never coming back.").

So I have Marlon Brando to at least thank for all of that.