Many awoke this morning to the sad news that writer/director Dan O’Bannon had passed away. Now I wouldn’t normally indulge in such a post as this, but being both a huge 80s aficionado and the fact that O’Bannon’s work is such a huge part of my film history I thought I would pay my respects.
O’Bannon was responsible for some of the 80s best movies, writing the screenplays for classics such as Alien, Dead & Buried, Blue Thunder, and Total Recall. Yes, without Dan O’Bannon there may have never been an Alien franchise. Just think about that…
He was also the driving force behind one of the greatest zombie movies in cinema history – Return of the Living Dead. Filling both writing and directing duties, O’Bannon not only crafted a brilliant zombie movie, but also a perfect satire on the zombie ouvre of the legendary George Romero. He also teamed up with director Tobe Hooper for two sci-fi flicks – Lifeforce and the remake of Invaders From Mars – that, whilst overlooked by the mainstream, have a fond place in the hearts of horror and sci-fi fans across the globe.
Dan O’Bannon also directed what many, well at least those that have seen it, consider to be the best adaptation of HP Lovecraft ever – The Resurrected. The film remains a hidden gem of the horror genre, with poor distribution almost sinking the film. But fans of O’Bannon and HP Lovecraft should track the film down, I guarantee you won’t be disappointed.
But whilst O’Bannon’s output slowed after the heady days of the 1980’s, he is still considered one of that decades greats and he will be missed… I plan on watching at least one of his movies this weekend and I urge you to join me…
