Ken Wiederhorn(born 1945) is an American former news and documentary editor atCBS[1]andfilmandtelevision director,[2]known mainly for the horror filmsShock Waves[3]andReturn of the Living Dead Part II.[4]Other features includeEyes of a Stranger,Meatballs II,andA House in the Hills.[2]He also directed multiple episodes of21 Jump Street,Dark Justice,andFreddy's Nightmares.Documentaries include, "Mission In Mississippi", "Breaking Vegas", "US Marshals; The Real Story", "Hunt for Amazing Treasure" and "Fugitive Task Force".
Ken Wiederhorn | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1945 (age 78–79) |
| Alma mater | Columbia University |
| Occupation(s) | Film director,screenwriter |
He and fellow Columbia School of the Arts student, Reuben Trane, won the first Student Academy Award in the Drama category for their thesis film, "Manhattan Melody."[5]
Career
editAccording to a 2013 interview, Ken Wiederhorn was working as a film editor atCBS,the news and documentary unit. His career ambition was to become a documentary producer. When there happened to be a break in his work schedule, he took an offer from his fellow Columbia School of the Arts student Reuben Trane to direct a feature film down in Florida. Trane had secured financing. The only requirement the investors had, was that they deliver a horror film, because they had heard horror films have a better chance of making their money back. After Wiederhorn had finished makingShock Waves,he went back to work at CBS. When his colleagues at CBS found out that he had directed a horror film, he noticed that they "had a tough time processing that". Wiederhorn said: "If you wanted to be a producer of CBS documentaries in those days, it was almost absolutely necessary to have a degree in journalism, which I didn’t have. I was just working my way up. If they saw me as a horror director, I knew that would not go well for my career."[1]
Wiederhorn quit working at CBS and accepted an offer to directKing Frat,which he called "a terrible Animal House knock off".[1]His next feature was the thrillerEyes of a Stranger,which led to an offer byBrian De Palmato write and directBody Double,based on De Palma's treatment. Ultimately, De Palma decided to write and direct the film himself. Wiederhorn then accepted an offer to direct a comedy calledCall Me Meathead,which featured an alien creature which befriends some children on a summer camp. When the film was finished, the producers sold the film toTriStar,which retitled the movieMeatballs Part II.According to Wiederhorn, the audience "had no idea they were being bamboozled".[1]
His next film wasReturn of the Living Dead Part II,which, much likeMeatballs Part II,started out as an original horror comedy script that Wiederhorn had written about "a kid who has a run-in with a bunch of zombies". He was offered to make the film on the condition they call itReturn of the Living Dead Part II.Wiederhorn addedThom MathewsandJames Karento the cast, who also starred in the firstReturn of the Living Dead,to create "a connection that would otherwise not be there".[1]
Wiederhorn claims he did not directDark Tower:"I wrote some of that film, but never even set foot on the set."[1]
Wiederhorn's favorite of his films isA House in the Hills:"In my opinion it’s the only really good movie I’ve made."[1]
Filmography
editFilms
edit| Year | Title | Director | Writer | Producer | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1973 | Manhattan Melody | Yes | Yes | No | Short film |
| 1977 | Shock Waves | Yes | Yes | No | Directorial Debut |
| 1979 | King Frat | Yes | No | No | Role: Ambulance Attendant |
| 1981 | Eyes of a Stranger | Yes | No | No | |
| 1984 | Meatballs Part II | Yes | No | No | |
| 1988 | Return of the Living Dead Part II | Yes | Yes | No | |
| 1989 | Dark Tower | Yes | Yes | Executive | |
| 1993 | A House in the Hills | Yes | Yes | Yes | Role: Anchor |
Television
edit| Year | Title | Director | Writer | Producer | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | A Single Light | No | No | Yes | Television film |
| 1988-1990 | Freddy's Nightmares | Yes | Story | No | 7 episodes (story for episode "The Art of Death" ) |
| 1989-1990 | 21 Jump Street | Yes | No | No | 2 episodes |
| 1991-1992 | Dark Justice | Yes | No | No | 6 episodes |
| 1998 | US Marshals; The Real Story | Yes | Yes | Yes | Episode "Inside the L.A. Office"; documentary series |
| 2004-2005 | Breaking Vegas | No | No | Yes | Documentary series; 12 episodes + Special |
References
edit- ^abcdefg"Ken Wiederhorn interview".THE FLASHBACK FILES.Retrieved2021-03-16.
- ^ab"Ken Wiederhorn".Movies & TV Dept.The New York Times.2013. Archived fromthe originalon October 7, 2013.
- ^Eleanor Mannikka (2008)."Shock Waves".Movies & TV Dept.The New York Times.Archived fromthe originalon 2008-03-31.
- ^Goodman, Walter (1988-01-15)."Return of the Living Dead Part II".The New York Times.
- ^"Student Film Award Winners"(PDF).Beverly Hills, California: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. 2011. p. 33. Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 2012-02-29.Retrieved2011-11-14.
A comedy that tells of an unsuccessful New York bicycle thief and a high school baton twirlerwho has run away from home.