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Dark Star (1974) More at IMDbPro »
2009 | 2008
19 articles from 2009
Remembering Dan O'Bannon, Father of Alien
21 December 2009 8:06 AM, PST | Vanity Fair | See recent Vanity Fair news »
Dan O’Bannon as Pinback, here in the feeding the alien sequence from Dark Star. Photo via. Since he worked as a designer, writer, and only occasional director in an era that prized the single-minded auteur, Dan O’Bannon remained fairly obscure until his death, last Thursday, at the age of 63. But genre fans know that he was one of the great unsung heroes of one of the most critical stories of American popular culture: the ascent of the fantasy genre from children’s guilty pleasure to the red-hot center of Hollywood. He died from a three-decade battle with Crohn’s disease only hours before the opening of James Cameron’s Avatar, a $400 million blockbuster whose ambition, expense, and seriousness of purpose are, in a way, a direct tribute to the success of his passionate lifetime commitment to the fantastic. The top of his long list of accomplishment is creating, »
Dan O'Bannon, co-screenwriter of Alien, passes away
18 December 2009 11:04 PM, PST | Corona's Coming Attractions | See recent Corona's Coming Attractions news »
For a kid that grew up in the 1970s and 80s on monster movies, the name Dan O'Bannon was one I was familiar with. His first screen credit was being a co-writer on John Carpenter's Dark Star, an ambitious student science fiction film whose influence had a big impact on the genre. Maybe it didn't have the biggest budget but the movie was big on ideas.
But O'Bannon became a master to me when, as a nine-year-old, my Dad took me to see Alien in 1979. Together with co-writer Ronald Shussett, and certainly with the brilliant film director by Ridley Scott, creature design by H.R. Giger and so many others, Alien became the towering masterpiece of O'Bannon's career, a creation of dark perfection that will likely still be praised a hundred years from now by film buffs.
Yesterday Dan O'Bannon passed away at the age of 63, still in what should have been his middle age. »
- Patrick Sauriol
Excellent Genre Writer Dan O'Bannon, Dead at 63
18 December 2009 1:32 PM, PST | Cinematical | See recent Cinematical news »
If you're of my approximate generation and you enjoy pretty much the same flicks I do, then I'm sorry to say you've lost a hero this week. Dan O'Bannon, a multi-talented filmmaker with a strong affection for science fiction and horror films, passed away yesterday at the age of 63. The man will always hold a special place in my heart for one simple reason: He wrote A L I E N, which (as you probably know) is my favorite movie of all time. Mr. O'Bannon also penned a very fine Philip K. Dick adaptation of Total Recall; a kooky remake of Invaders from Mars; the high-tech helicopter thriller Blue Thunder; the adorably insane Lifeforce; John Carpenter's debut film Dark Star; the quietly creepy Dead & Buried; and the zombie classic The Return of the Living Dead (which was also his directorial debut.)
Any movie geek who grew up in the '80s knew O'Bannon's work, »
- Scott Weinberg
Dan O'Bannon Memories, A 'Fire' Actor, And Idw's Holiday Party In Today's Twitter Report
18 December 2009 12:14 PM, PST | MTV Splash Page | See recent MTV Splash Page news »
"Alien" screenwriter Dan O'Bannon's death was the trending topic of the Twitter Report feed this morning. The writer, who also penned "The Return of the Living Dead," made his way into memorial tweets from Simon Pegg, Edgar Wright, Dave McKean and many others who took O'Bannon's contributions to sci-fi, horror and film to heart.
Elsewhere in the overlap between comics and film, Brian Michael Bendis tweeted some optimism about the film adaptation of his graphic novel "Fire," which now has a mystery actor attached. Warren Ellis accused him quickly thereafter of having had his Twitter account hacked by Mark Millar.
It's all there, along with Chris Ryall's thoughts on the Idw holiday party, Jock's gift from DC and some wisdom from Popeye the Sailor Man in the Twitter Report for December 18, 2009.
@simonpegg Dan O'Bannon the Brains behind making zombies funny but keeping them cool (also lest we forget Alien, »
- Brian Warmoth
Rip: Dan O'Bannon
18 December 2009 12:03 PM, PST | JoBlo.com | See recent JoBlo news »
A genre great has left us. Dan O'Bannon has died at the age of 63. O'Bannon might not be a household name like Cameron or Spielberg, but he's one of the minds behind material that any self-respecting fanboy or fangirl should know intimately. While his early career was marked by writing and appearing in John Carpenter's Dark Star (that's him chasing the alien balloon around the ship) and working on Star Wars special effects, O'Bannon then essentially launched the Alien franchise (with a »
- Dave Davis
R.I.P. Writer/Director Dan O'Bannon
18 December 2009 10:24 AM, PST | HugAZombie | See recent HugAZombie news »
Aint It Cool reports that Dan O'Bannon passed away yesterday due to complications with Crohn's disease at the age of 63. Producer David Fein wrote in to the website to detail the news.
Hi Harry...
Thanks for the prompt post, the outpouring of love and respect is getting back to the family. I know I only had a few minutes last night, so here's a little more information.
Dan died at 6 Pm last night of complications from his 33 year fight with Crohn’s Disease (Giger's Agent and friend of the O'Bannon family, Les Barany speculated that his stomach disease might have been an inspiration for the chestburster).
Dan put up a great fight all of these years and is finally at peace.
His wife Diane has stated that she has plans to publish much of his unpublished work, and soon we'll all get a chance to appreciate more of his creativity in his absence. »
Remembering the late, great Dan O'Bannon
18 December 2009 8:28 AM, PST | The Guardian - Film News | See recent The Guardian - Film News news »
This unassuming, multitalented film-maker, who has died aged 63, was best known as the brain behind Alien. But he was so much more
Yesterday, following a short battle with an undisclosed illness, Dan O'Bannon sadly passed away aged 63. While his name should be vaguely familiar to cinemagoers as the writer and creator of Alien, to fans of genre films it should be tattooed somewhere on their person. O'Bannon was part of the fabric of genre films, a fixture. Though his star never rose above a certain elevation, in his own unassuming fashion he was a game-changer in more ways than Avatar will ever manage.
I've always had as much an interest in the nuts-and-bolts technical and artistic side of the movie-making process as in the finished films themselves. In the 1980s I wasn't alone: there were plenty of magazines, such as Cinefantastique, Fantastic Films and Starburst that were full of interviews with behind-the-camera workers. »
- Phelim O'Neill
Dan O’Bannon 1946-2009
18 December 2009 7:35 AM, PST | FilmJunk | See recent FilmJunk news »
Some sad news today folks, particularly if you're a fan of the Alien franchise or just horror and sci-fi in general. Dan O'Bannon, the original screenwriter of Alien, has passed away after spending the last week or so in a Los Angeles hospital. He was 63 years old. O'Bannon started his career with John Carpenter's Dark Star, for which he co-wrote the screenplay, did the special effects, and also starred. He also wrote and directed The Return of the Living Dead, a cult classic if ever there was one, and he wrote Total Recall, Lifeforce, and Screamers, among others. He created one of the biggest genre franchises in history with Alien, and it's somehow even more sad to see him go on the weekend that James Cameron's Avatar is released. We salute you, sir. What will you most remember Dan O'Bannon for?
For More Daily Movie Goodness, Visit Filmjunk.Com! »
- Sean
Dan O’Bannon 1946 – 2009
18 December 2009 6:35 AM, PST | FilmShaft.com | See recent FilmShaft.com news »
American screenwriter and sometime director Dan O’Bannon has passed away in Los Angeles. He was 63. O’Bannon’s contribution to cinema is mainly within the science fiction genre and his screenplay ‘Star Beast’ provided the basis for the landmark classic Alien (1979).
He also provided screenplays for Total Recall and Screamers; based on original works by writer Philip K. Dick. In his early career he worked alongside John Carpenter on Dark Star, even starring as Sgt. Pinback. O’Bannon worked on Star Wars as a special-effects man.
In the 1980s, he directed the fun zombie horror flick Return of the Living Dead. His second (and last) attempt in the director’s chair resulted in The Resurrected, based on H.P. Lovecraft’s The Case of Charles Dexter Ward. His other screenwriting work includes Blue Thunder, Lifeforce, Invaders From Mars and Heavy Metal.
However, he entered into film history with Alien. Written with Ronald Shusset, »
- Martyn Conterio
R.I.P. Dan O'Bannon
18 December 2009 | shocktillyoudrop.com | See recent shocktillyoudrop news »
We're saddened today to learn of the passing of Dan O'Bannon. No stranger to sci-fi or horror fans, he'd penned the screenplays for the original Alien , John Carpenter's debut feature Dark Star , Gary Sherman's Dead & Buried , Tobe Hooper's Lifeforce and Invaders From Mars and one of our personal favorite zombie movies Return Of The Living Dead , which he also directed. We recommend you head over to his imdb credits right here , familiarize yourself with his work and celebrate it by revisiting those movies and incredible contributions to our beloved genre by a fellow fan. He will be missed. »
Alien Writer O'Bannon Dies
18 December 2009 4:21 AM, PST | WENN | See recent WENN news »
Sci-fi screenwriter Dan O'Bannon, who wrote Alien and Total Recall, has died.
O'Bannon passed away at the age of 63 in Los Angeles following a short illness.
He got his big break in the movie business with 1974's Dark Star, which he edited, starred in and co-wrote with director John Carpenter, who he met as a student at the University of Southern California's film school.
O'Bannon then went on to join the visual effects team for George Lucas' Star Wars, before writing the initial script for sci-fi classic Alien, originally titled Star Beast, with Ronald Shusett.
The duo later re-teamed to work on 1990's Total Recall, an adaptation of a short story by Philip K. Dick.
He also ventured into directing, making his debut in 1985 with Return of the Living Dead, a follow-up to George Romero's 1968 movie Night of the Living Dead.
His writing credits also include Blue Thunder, Screamers and Bleeders.
O'Bannon is survived by his wife Diane Louise Lindley and their son Adam. »
Rip: Dan O’Bannon
18 December 2009 2:34 AM, PST | Atomic Popcorn | See recent Atomic Popcorn news »
According to Harry Knowles at Ain’t It Cool News, screenwriter Dan O’Bannon has passed away. If you’re on this site, you’re surely familiar with his work. The man created Alien, worked on John Carpenter’s Dark Star, and was on the visual effects crew for a little film called Star Wars.
In addition to these, O’Bannon wrote an excellent little film called Dead & Buried, as well as Return of the Living Dead (which he also directed), Tobe Hooper’s space vampire epic, Lifeforce, and the 1986 remake of Invaders from Mars (also Hooper). He also gave us Total Recall.
We’ve lost one of the greats today, people.
Mirror/Mirror – “The Company” Says SoAlien…The Remake? »
- Andrew Ford
'Alien' writer O'Bannon dies, aged 63
18 December 2009 1:34 AM, PST | digitalspy | See recent digitalspy news »
Dan O'Bannon, the screenwriter behind Alien and Total Recall, has died at the age of 63. He passed away in Los Angeles following a short illness, reports website Ain't It Cool News. O'Bannon attended USC film school in the early '70s where he met director John Carpenter. The pair worked together on Carpenter's debut feature Dark Star, which O'Bannon co-wrote, edited, served as special effects supervisor and acted in the role of Sgt Pinback. He worked on the visual (more) »
- By Simon Reynolds
Dan O'Bannon 1946-2009
17 December 2009 11:24 PM, PST | EmpireOnline | See recent EmpireOnline news »
Dan O'Bannon, the sci-fi and horror screenwriter behind some of the genres' most recognisable titles, has died in Los Angeles following a short illness. He was 63.A USC graduate in the same year as John Carpenter, O'Bannon was instrumental in Carpenter's cracking (and crackpot) first feature Dark Star, serving as co-writer, FX supervisor, production designer and editor, and playing Sgt Pinback (who turns out not to be Sgt Pinback at all). O'Bannon is the one who chases the beachball alien all over the spaceship; an idea that would sort of resurface later...O'Bannon did some FX work on Star Wars in 1977, but is best known for kickstarting a different franchise. While authorship of Alien as we know it today is down to a number of people, there's no question that O'Bannon's Star Beast screenplay set the ball rolling, and he brought many of his colleagues from Alejandro Jodorowsky's aborted Dune to the project. »
Screenwriter Dan O’Bannon Dead at 63
17 December 2009 10:45 PM, PST | Collider.com | See recent Collider.com news »
A legendary screenwriter of science fiction and horror, Dan O’Bannon, best known for writing Alien, passed away today at the age of 63. Bannon broke out back in 1974 with the lo-budget sci-fi flick Dark Star, which was director John Carpenter’s first major film. O’Bannon not only wrote the script for Dark Star, he also edited, art designed, acted in, and handled the special effects on the film.
Then he wrote Alien, which would be his biggest film both critically and commercially. But oddly enough, O’Bannon’s most ardent fans, while they unabashedly love Alien, seem to support the guy more for his smaller cult movies like Dark Star, Dead & Buried, Blue Thunder, his segment “B-17″ in Heavy Metal, and for The Return of the Living Dead, a film he also directed.
Thanks to Harry at Ain’t It Cool for breaking the bad news and writing a nice little obit. »
- Matt Goldberg
Dan O'Bannon Dies.
17 December 2009 10:25 PM, PST | iconsoffright.com | See recent Icons of Fright news »
A sad day for science fiction and horror fans. Dan O'Bannon has died. According to Ain't It Cool News, the writer of Alien, Total Recall and Lifeforce, who directed Return Of The Living Dead, passed today after a week long hospital stay.
The talented O'Bannon started off working with John Carpenter on Dark Star, a silly space effort that would foreshadow his later, more successful works in outer space. Though never a big name in Hollywood, he crafted intelligent scripts that are among the better screenplays in horror and science fiction. He had a real feel for the genres, and was not averse to crossing them over, often to great effect.
O'Bannon's influence on genre films is still felt today. His script for Alien spawned three sequels, two spinoff with the Predator, and a whole slew of rip offs that featured similar desolate locations in outer space and hunter aliens. »
Dan O.Bannon, 63, Passes Away
17 December 2009 9:55 PM, PST | CinemaSpy | See recent CinemaSpy news »
Dan O’Bannon, science fiction screenwriter and director, passed away on December 17, 2009 in Los Angeles. He was best known for his work in the science-fiction and horror genres, with hits that included Alien, Total Recall, and The Return of the Living Dead.
O’Bannon made his first splash in 1974 with Dark Star, which expanded a low-budget, 45-minute short co-written with fellow USC student John Carpenter. Although the film had sci-fi trappings, such as a space ship and cryogenic freezing technology, Dark Star was essentially a quirky, black-hearted comedy about the ship’s misfit crew members. The movie became a cult hit; and not only did O’Bannon work on the screenplay, but he had an acting role as a character named Sgt. Pinback.
A few years later, after working on special computer animation and graphic displays for a little feature called Star Wars, O’Bannon wrote the script for Alien, »
Starman (Blu-Ray Review)
11 September 2009 5:40 AM, PDT | Atomic Popcorn | See recent Atomic Popcorn news »
Starman on Blu-Ray
Main Feature (1H 54M 58S)
I am a huge fan of John Carpenter and Jeff Bridges and while I was pretty sure I had seen this movie many years ago I was also confident I had forgotten almost everything about it. Carpenter fails to hit the highs he achieved with other films; the same can be said of Bridges and Karen Allen. At the end of the day, in spite of these small disappointments, you’re left with something quite pleasant.
Starman appears to adopt many elements from previous movies in the sci-fi genre. At various points in the movie we are treated to short bursts of music which bear more than a little resemblance to the wonderful score from Vangelis in Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner. Near the beginning of the movie Allen is shown walking around in a top and panties which reminded me of »
- Tigervamp
AMC Launches Bmc Online
9 April 2009 12:45 AM, PDT | DreadCentral.com | See recent Dread Central news »
B-movie fans rejoice. AMC, which some of you may remember at one time stood for "American Movie Classics" until the "classic" portions of the name became rather dubious, has just launched Bmc (B-Movie Classics), a subsidiary of AMC's website streaming classic and not-so-classic B-movies from the Golden Age of Hollywood.
Mac McKean, Vice-President of Digital Media for AMC, tells TV Week: “B-movies may have been low-budget and less publicized motion pictures, but they had a huge fan base that transcended generations and still exists today. Bmc is a new platform that caters to an on-demand audience, giving film lovers direct access to B-movies from the 1950s and ’60s.”
The Bmc website greeting goes a little something like this:
"Bikinis! Monsters! Motorcycles! Welcome to Bmc, your new go-to site for B-movies by the likes of John Carpenter (Dark Star) and Roger Corman (Saga of the Viking Women). Now online and in full screen, »
- Foywonder
2009 | 2008
19 articles from 2009
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles. News articles are published for the entertainment of our users only. The news items do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the site responsible for the article in question to report any concerns you may have.
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