WRITER / DIRECTOR
DAN O'BANNON
DIES
1946-2009
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - December 17, 2009. Screenwriter / Director Dan O'Bannon has died after a short illness.
Details are few, as the news is still breaking. More information will be added as it is made public.
O'Bannon, was born on September 30, 1946 in St. Louis Missouri. As a boy he discovered the Horror and Science-Fiction genres with a fervor, devouring the early EC Horror comics such as TALES FROM THE CRYPT and THE VAULT OF HORROR. Attending every film screening possible at his local theaters, his mind became a vast cinematic sponge soaking up every detail possible, with many of those details later resurfacing in his film work.
As a film student he attended USC film school in Southern California, making close friends with class mate John Carpenter. From the bond of their friendship a short student film emerged, which would later be expanded into a theatrical feature. Written by O'Bannon, it would also become John Carpenter's first full length directorial film, the cult Science-Fiction film DARK STAR (1974). Dan O'Bannon would also appear in this film as an actor, in the character of Sgt. Pinback.
From his DARK STAR notoriety he spent the next few years developing the Frank Herbert novel DUNE for film maker Alajandro Jodorowsky is Europe. Though this version of the film would ultimately go unmade.
During this time he would also keep his initial interests in Comic books alive by writing stories for the Science-Fiction /
Fantasy comic magazine HEAVY METAL.
Before long he began to develop his next feature-length screenplay, a Horror / Science-Fiction story called STAR BEAST. With its genesis in his love for the 1950's and 60's Science-Fiction films he grew up watching (most notably IT! THE TERROR FROM BEYOND SPACE (1958) and PLANET OF THE VAMPIRES (1965) ), STAR BEAST would soon (and with a name change) morph into the now classic Ridley Scott film ALIEN (1979). ALIEN would be the film whose success would really put Dan O'Bannon on the map.
Director John Carpenter, now flush with his own success after HALLOWEEN (1978) hadn't forgotten his debt to O'Bannon, naming a character in his Horror follow-up THE FOG (1980) after his old friend.
O'Bannon's follow-up to ALIEN would be to re-team with writing partner Ronald Shusett for the Horror film DEAD AND BURIED (1981). 1981 would also see the realization of two of the stories he had written for HEAVY METAL magazine making the jump to the big screen in HEAVY METAL: THE MOVIE. Next to the big screen would be Dan O'Bannon's script for BLUE THUNDER (1983) which would also be spun off later into a television series.
Despite his notoriety, O'Bannon (who was always at odds with the Hollywood studio movie machine) was also content to work uncredited as a highly paid "script doctor" ferreting out story problems and rewriting the screenplays of several Horror and Science-Fiction film projects.
That is, until teaming with director Tobe Hooper (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre) on developing a new Horror film. When Hooper left the project, O'Bannon agreed to stay on only if he could direct. That film would become his directorial debut, THE RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD (1985). The success of the film would make it O'Bannon's third wildly popular franchise in only seven years.
Also that same year he would re-team with Tobe Hooper for another Science-Fiction / Horror tale, this time featuring Space Vampires, with O'Bannon's screenplay for LIFEFORCE (1985). However, Tobe Hooper was way out of his league as a director on this film. The film, marred by Hooper's then Sophomoric directing abilities, suffered for it at the box-office.
An uninspired O'Bannon scripted remake of INVADERS FROM MARS would follow in 1986, as would the Arnold Swartzenegger vehicle TOTAL RECALL (1990). Bogged down by big studio "Sci-Fi" junk, which he reportedly hated doing, he again retreated to almost exclusively doing uncredited script doctor work, the exceptions being 1992's THE RESSURECTED (O'Bannon only directed, based on a H.P. Lovecraft short story) 1995's SCREAMERS (based on the Phillip K. Dick short story "Second Variety") and BLEEDERS (1997).
He has also at times found his calling as a teacher, conducting a Master Screenwriting course at Chapman University.
Recently 20th Century Fox has been wanting to revitalize the ALIEN franchise. Fox only wanted to move forward however if original ALIEN director Ridley Scott were to return. Talks were underway of O'Bannon coming back as well and re teaming with Ridley Scott to do an ALIEN prequel. It is unknown if the death of Dan O'Bannon will effect the future of the franchise.
Recently 20th Century Fox has been wanting to revitalize the ALIEN franchise. Fox only wanted to move forward however if original ALIEN director Ridley Scott were to return. Talks were underway of O'Bannon coming back as well and re teaming with Ridley Scott to do an ALIEN prequel. It is unknown if the death of Dan O'Bannon will effect the future of the franchise.
Also in development at motion-picture studios the time of Dan O'Bannon's death are his vampire story THEY
BITE, and the Science-Fiction epic SILVATICUS 3015.
His respect for the Horror and Science-Fiction genres and motion-pictures in general was always obvious, equaled only by his
distrust and disdain for the inner workings and many of those pulling the strings within the industry that created them.
He is survived by his wife Diane and son Adam. They have our best wishes and deepest condolences.
R.I.P. DAN O'BANNON
YOU WILL BE MISSED
---Sid Terror
for TheHorrorDrunx.com Online Magazine
Los Angeles, 2009
