'Baby Driver' director Edgar Wright thanks the late screenwriter' so many truly inspiring cult movies' in his tribute post, while 'Gremlins' filmmaker Joe Dante calls him 'a true original'.
- Mar 25, 2019
AceShowbiz - Screenwriter and filmmaker Larry Cohen has died.
Representatives for the 77-year-old announced his passing in a post on his official Facebook page on Sunday, March 24, revealing he died in Los Angeles on Saturday night (March 23).
Cohen began his career writing for 1960s TV shows like "The Defenders", "The Invaders", and "Espionage", before taking over the director's chair for cult horror film "It's Alive", which he also wrote.
The 1974 release spawned two sequels, and he continued to focus on low-budget horrors, collaborating with actor Michael Moriarty on movies like "Q and The Stuff" in the 1980s, and with Bette Davis on her final film, 1989's "Wicked Stepmother".
He went on to pen 2002 box office hit "Phone Booth", starring Colin Farrell, and also wrote 2004 crime thriller "Cellular", featuring Chris Evans, Jason Statham, Kim Basinger, and William H. Macy.
"Baby Driver" director Edgar Wright was among those to mourn Cohen's passing on social media, tweeting, "Many people say they've made 'independent' films (many financed by majors) but Larry Cohen truly was an independent freewheeling movie legend."
Many people say they’ve made ‘independent’ films (many financed by majors) but Larry Cohen truly was an independent freewheeling movie legend. For so many fun high concept genre romps with ideas bigger than the budgets, for so many truly inspiring cult movies, I thank you Larry. pic.twitter.com/HVWfuuCFSS
— edgarwright (@edgarwright) March 24, 2019
"For so many fun high concept genre romps with ideas bigger than the budgets, for so many truly inspiring cult movies, I thank you Larry."
RIP Larry Cohen, a true original. pic.twitter.com/oUEjkgdPWe
— Joe Dante (@joe_dante) March 24, 2019
"Gremlins" moviemaker Joe Dante also paid tribute online, posting an old picture of Cohen, and captioning it, "RIP Larry Cohen, a true original."
