Larry Cohen

For other people named Larry Cohen, seeLarry Cohen (disambiguation).

Larry Cohen
Cohen in October 2010
Born	Lawrence George Cohen (1936-07-15)July 15, 1936 New York City, U.S.
Died	March 23, 2019(2019-03-23)(aged 82) Beverly Hills, California,U.S.
Alma mater	City College of New York
Occupations	Screenwriter film director producer
Spouses	Janelle Webb ​ (div.1980)​ Cynthia Costas ​ (m.1994)​
Children	2
Relatives	Ronni Chasen(sister)

Lawrence George Cohen(July 15, 1936– March 23, 2019) was an American filmmaker. He originally emerged as the writer ofblaxploitationfilms such asBlack CaesarandHell Up in Harlem(both 1973), before becoming known as an author of horror andscience fiction films— often containingpolice proceduralandsatiricalelements — during the 1970s and 1980s. His directorial works includeIt's Alive(1974) and its sequels,God Told Me To(1976),The Stuff(1985) andA Return to Salem's Lot(1987).

Early in his career, Cohen was a prolific television writer, creating series such asBranded,Blue Light,Coronet Blue,andThe Invaders.Later on he concentrated mainly on screenwriting, includingManiac Copand its two sequels,Phone Booth(2002),Cellular(2004) andCaptivity(2007). In 2006, he returned to the directing chair forMick Garris's anthology seriesMasters of Horror,directing the episode "Pick Me Up".

In 2017, Cohen was the recipient of a Lifetime Achievement Award from theFantasia International Film Festival.

Early life

Lawrence George Cohen was born inManhattan,New York City, on July 15, 1936.His family was ofJewishancestry.His sister,Ronni Chasen,was a publicist who worked with him beginning early in his film career. He moved to theRiverdalesection ofthe Bronxin New York City at an early age.

Cohen exhibited a voracious appetite for films as a child, visiting the movie theaters at least twice a week, and most of them beingdouble features,the young Cohen managed to consume at least four movies a week. He was a fan of thehard-boiledandfilm noirmovies that featured actors such asHumphrey BogartandJames Cagney;films that were penned by the likes ofRaymond ChandlerandDashiell Hammett.Cohen was especially a fan of directorMichael Curtiz,whose films includeThe Adventures of Robin Hood,Casablanca,andDodge City.

He majored infilm studiesat theCity College of New York.

Career

Early work

During the 1950s Cohen worked for theNBCtelevision network, where he learned how to produceteleplays,and shortly afterward began writing his own television scripts. He created the TV seriesThe Invadersand also scripted episodes ofThe DefendersandThe Fugitive.

Cohen began his career as a writer for well-known television series, concentrating his efforts on the crime and detective genres. He penned several episodes ofThe Defenders(1964) — which starredE.G. Marshall— one episode ofEspionage(1964), and episodes ofThe Fugitive(1964–65). Other writing credits during the 1950s and 1960s included the fantasy-suspenseanthologiesKraft Television Theatre(1958) andKraft Suspense Theatre(1965), the espionage TV seriesBlue Light(1966) starringRobert GouletandCoronet Blue(1967) starringFrank Converse,and the science-fiction TV series,The Invaders(1967–1968).

In 1966, he wrote the screenplay to theWesternfilmReturn of the Seven(also known asReturn of the Magnificent Seven), a sequel to the 1960 filmThe Magnificent Seven,which had the return ofYul BrynnerasgunslingerChris Adams.

Four episodes he wrote forBlue Lightwere edited together to create the theatrical filmI Deal in Danger,released in December 1966. He also created theWesternTV seriesBranded(1965–1966) and was the co-creator withWalter GraumanofBlue Light.

1970s

Although Cohen continued to write TV and film scripts during the 1970s – such asColumbo– he further turned his hand to directing. His directorial debut was the 1972 comedy filmBone(akaBeverly Hills Nightmare)starringYaphet Kotto.Cohen directedDial Rat for Terror(1973) andHousewife (1973)before creating theIt's Aliveseries in 1974. He wrote, produced and directed the horror filmIt's Alive,about a mutant monster baby that embarks on a killing spree. The film – an initial commercial failure – was re-released with a new and sharper advertisement campaign; it went on to become a moderate success, earning over $7 million forWarner Bros.and spawning two sequels,It Lives Again(1978) andIt's Alive III: Island of the Alive(1987).

Cohen followed-upIt's Alivewith the science-fictionserial killerfilmGod Told Me To(1976), in which a New York detective investigates a spate of killings by apparently random people who say that God told them to commit the crimes. He concentrated his work predominantly within the horror genre throughout the 1970s and 1980s, often incorporating elements of crime,police procedural,and science fiction with scathing social commentary.

Cohen'sIt's Alivetells of a couple, Frank and Lenore Davis, who give birth to a mutated baby. The doctors and nurses at the hospital attempt to end the life of the deformed child, but it instead kills them and escapes. A police manhunt ensues as the fleeing mutation leaves dead bodies in its wake. Frank sees the child just asDr. Frankensteinsaw his monster and assists the police.

The emphasis inIt's Aliveis on the potential effects of chemicals to the ecosystem, and experimental prescription drugs that can be harmful to unborn babies. The score forIt's Alivewas composed byBernard Herrmann,known for his contributions to manyAlfred Hitchcockfilms, includingPsycho,North by Northwest,andVertigo.The welling strings, horn arrangements and harp glissandos throughout the film prefigure the soundtrack to Herrmann's final film score two years later forTaxi Driver.The cast includesJohn P. Ryan,Sharon Farrell,James Dixon, andAndrew Duggan.

It Lives Again(1978) picks up where the first one ended. More mutated babies are appearing around the country. Frank has now joined a renegade mob who are attempting to stop the government from killing these strange mutations. The emphasis inIt Lives Againis on accepting one's child, even if it is born with deformities or disabilities. The score is again provided byBernard Herrmann.The cast includesJohn P. Ryan,James Dixon,Andrew Duggan,andFrederic Forrest.

1980s

During the 1980s, Cohen directed, produced, and scripted a number of low-budget horror films, many of which featured actorMichael Moriarty.The first wasQ– a.k.a.Q: The Winged Serpent(1982) — about anAztecgod known asQuetzalcoatl(the Winged Serpent) resurrected and nesting atop theChrysler Building.The film is set in New York City, as was typical for Cohen, and sees two police detectives investigating a spate of killings in the city. The cast is headed by Moriarty and co-starsDavid Carradine,Candy Clark,Richard Roundtree,and James Dixon (another Cohen regular). The Chrysler Building scenes were actually shot on location in and around the building, including the inside and outside of the cone atop the edifice.

Cohen's next project with Moriarty wasThe Stuff(1985), in which analiensubstance of sorts is found bubbling out of the ground. The Stuff is marketed at the general public, which rapidly becomes addicted to it. David "Mo" Rutheford, an industrial saboteur, played by Moriarty, is hired to investigate the origins of the Stuff and decides to destroy the product. The film co-starsDanny Aiello,Brian Bloom,Scott Bloom,Andrea Marcovicci,Patrick O'Neal,andPaul Sorvino.Saturday Night LiveregularGarrett Morrisplays Charlie W. Hobbs a.k.a. Chocolate Chip Charlie, ajunk foodmogulwho assists Mo with his investigation. Cohen cast Moriarty inIt's Alive 3: Island of the Alive(1987)—the third part of theAlive Trilogy—and again inA Return to Salem's Lot(1987), the unofficial sequel ofStephen King's novel and TVminiseriesSalem's Lot.Cohen finished the 1980s withWicked Stepmother(1989), in which the lateBette Davismade her last appearance.

1990s

Cohen began the 1990s with his filmThe Ambulance(1990) starringEric Roberts.The film is set in New York City and is focused on Josh Baker (Roberts), an aspiring comic book artist, who investigates a string of disappearances: people who are picked up by a mysterious ambulance that never reaches the city hospital.The AmbulancefeaturescameosbyStan Lee,Larry HamaandJim SalicrupofMarvel Comics.He would direct only two other films during the 1990s, one being theBlaxploitationfilmOriginal Gangstas(1996), featuringJim Brown,Pam Grier,andFred Williamson.For most of the decade, Cohen concentrated on writing. He penned the remainder of theWilliam LustigManiac CopTrilogy – he had previously scriptedManiac Copin 1988 – that featuresRobert Z'Daras undead Maniac Cop, Matt Cordell, andB-Moviehorror actorBruce Campbell.He then provided the story of the third adaptation ofJack Finney's 1955 science-fiction novelThe Body Snatchers,a tale ofalieninvasion andparanoia:Body Snatcherswas directed byAbel Ferraraand starredForest Whitaker.Throughout the decade Cohen was further involved in various TV projects includingNYPD Blueand theEd McBain-inspired87th Precinct: Heatwave.

2000s

Cohen's output after the 1990s was less prolific and concentrated solely on scriptwriting, except for a brief return to directing with theMasters of Horrorepisode "Pick Me Up"(2006). His first project,Phone Booth(2002), became involved in a Hollywood bidding war, the script eventually ending up in the hands ofJoel Schumacher.Phone Boothwas a commercial success with an estimated budget of $13 million and a worldwide gross of $98 million. The film starredColin Farrell,Katie Holmes,Kiefer Sutherland,andForest Whitaker;it was produced byDavid Zucker.

His next film, another action-crimethrillertitledCellular(2004), also featured phones and, likePhone Booth,it was a modest commercial success with an estimated budget of $25 million and a gross worldwide return of $50 million.CellularstarredKim Basinger,Chris Evans,William H. Macy,andJason Statham.Cellularwas later re-made asConnected(2008), Cohen being credited with the story. He then scripted the horror-thriller filmsCaptivity(2007) andMessages Deleted(2009); however, both films fared poorly on a critical and commercial level. Cohen nevertheless received acclaim for the above-mentionedPick Me Up,which he directed for theMick GarrisTV seriesMasters of Horror(2006). The episode was written bysplatterpunk-horrorauthorDavid Schow,and starred Cohen regularMichael Moriarty.

See also:Cast of Characters vs. The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen lawsuit

In 2003, Cohen, together with production partnerMartin Poll,was at the center of a lawsuit against20th Century Fox,claiming the company had intentionallyplagiarizedascriptof theirs titledCast of Charactersin order to create theSean Connery-starringLeague of Extraordinary Gentlemenin 2003. According to theBBC,the lawsuit alleged 'that Mr. Cohen and Mr. Poll pitched the idea to Fox several times between 1993 and 1996, under the nameCast of Characters.'The League of Extraordinary Gentlemenwas an adaptation of the 1999 published comic book series byAlan Mooreand artistKevin O'Neill.

In 2006, Cohen was included in theMasters of HorrorTV anthology, which also included – but was not limited to – writers and directors as diverse asDario Argento,Clive Barker,John Carpenter,Richard Chizmar,Don Coscarelli,Wes Craven,David Cronenberg,Joe Dante,Guillermo del Toro,Ernest Dickerson,Stuart Gordon,James Gunn,Sam Hamm,Tom Holland,Tobe Hooper,Lloyd Kaufman,Mary Lambert,John Landis,Joe R. Lansdale,Bentley Little,H.P. Lovecraft,Joe Lynch,William Lustig,Peter Medak,Lucky McKee,Kat O' Shea,Robert Rodriguez,Eli Roth,David Schow,andTim Sullivan.It was created byMick Garrisfor theShowtimecable network. Cohen's contribution was the segmentPick Me Up,based on a short story byDavid Schow,who also wrote theteleplay.It starsFairuza Balkand Cohen regularsLaurene LandonandMichael Moriarty.Pick Me Upis the story of woman traveling on a bus that has broken down along a stretch of lonely two-laneblacktop.Enter twoserial killers:Wheeler (Moriarty), a driver who picks uphitchhikerswith the sole intent of killing them – and – Walker (Warren Kole), ahitchhikerwho accepts lifts in order to findhisvictims. The two killers pair up and inventively murder all the passengers on the bus, save for Stacia (Balk), who has since gone her own way. Stacia eventually winds up in the middle of a serial killerturf war,a war over which killer will get her first.Pick Me Upsignaled a brief return to the director's chair for Cohen.

Josef Rusnak remade Cohen'sIt's Alivein 2009. Still awaiting a score onRotten Tomatoes,the existing reviews are also very poor.Even Cohen admitted that the remake was dreadfuland states: 'It's a terrible picture. It's just beyond awful'.Cohen offered his 1974 script but remarks that it was completely ignored: "I would advise anybody who likes my film to cross the street and avoid seeing the new enchilada."

Personal life

Cohen was married twice: to Janelle Webb, until their divorce in 1980; and then to Cynthia Costas, from 1994 until his death. He had two daughters.His sisterRonni Chasenwas murdered on November 16, 2010 in a drive-by shooting in Beverly Hills.

Death

On March 23, 2019, Cohen died from cancer at his home inBeverly Hills, California,at age 82.

Critical response

Critical response to Cohen's work has been extremely varied, with reviews ranging from good to poor.

The Stuff

Cohen'sscience fictionhorror film andsatiricalsocial commentaryThe Stuff(1985) garnered mixed reviews, often being compared toJack Finney'sThe Body Snatchersnovel and the 1958 filmThe Blob.It has a moderatefreshrating of 73% onRotten Tomatoes.TheApollo Movie Guideremarks thatThe Stuffworks on a purely visceral level, and that it further achieves a tongue-in-cheek social parody of a society that cannot help buying into the latest craze. AlthoughApollopraised the juxtaposition of Cohen's clever screenplay andMichael Moriarty's performance, it states that the film is not a classic. It does, however, award the film a modest Apollo Rating of 77/100.TheChicago Sun-Times,on the other hand, seesThe Stuffas a widely ambitious movie that fails mainly due to distracting glitches and a lack of plausibility, specifically, "What we have here are a lot of nice touches in search of a movie."Chicago Sun-Timesrating: 1 1/2 stars out of 5.Bloody Disgustingnevertheless awardedThe Stuff3 stars out of 5, pointing out both the good and the bad, "[I]t's smart, it's relevant and it has some bad acting. [It should be] enjoyed for all the wrong and some of the right reasons that it is not just a horror movie, but a very honest and important movie as well."

Q: The Winged Serpent

HisfantasyhorrorQa.k.a.Q: The Winged Serpent(1982) has aRotten Tomatoesrating of 61%.TV Guidepraise Cohen for his intelligence, creativity and originality and further comment that '[Cohen] successfully combines afilm noircrime story with a good old-fashionedgiant monstermovie' and that 'Michael Moriartyturns in a brilliant performance as Jimmy Quinn [...]'.Horror author and movie critic,Kim Newman,praises Cohen's plot originality and canny use of characters inEmpire,pointing out the director's use of an oddball as lead – Jimmy Quinn – who would ordinarily be a secondary character or warrant solely a cameo appearance; Newman also explains how Cohen has relegated all the usual plot devices – in movies such asKing Kong– to the background.Alternatively, theChicago Reader,although viewing Cohen's monster movie as 'cheesy' and 'fun', ultimately condemns the movie as being 'curiously disengaged and sloppy'.The New York Times,following the film's opening day at theRivoli Theater,had just 'a few words – only a very few – aboutQ,offering a brief neutral synopsis and a couple of quotes.Varietyare more favourable, focusing on Cohen's 'wild' and 'bizarre' – albeit realistic – efforts:Qhas great fun mi xing realistic settings with political satire and a wild yarn'. They go on to say that the film belongs to both Moriarty and the Monster.

It's Alive

It's Alive,the first part of Cohen's horror trilogy featuring a mutated baby that kills its prey when trapped or frightened, holds a rating of 67% onRotten Tomatoes,one of the highest ratings for his films. Focusing on the social context of the film at the time,The Film Journalpoints out thatIt's Alive"carries a potent mix of both suspense and social critique [...] [i]nvoking such taboo subjects as abortion as early as 1974." As well as being apt at providing 'suspense,'The Film Journalacknowledges Cohen's ability "to impart an intelligent nature to his otherwise pulpy horror films."Black Holemagazine opines that despite a lack ofA-Listactors and special effects,It's Alivestill manages to maintain the viewer's interest due to Cohen's "unique horror concept and a script rich in ideas."Black Holenevertheless points out that "[w]hile the drama is consistent, it's less successful as a seventies monster movie, and especially lacking now." WhereasJaws(1975) revealed the shark slowly, Cohen's film "barely ever shows us the goods." The magazine does agree, however, thatIt's Alivewas "a sufficiently powerful monster movie and [that] audiences wanted more."Filmcriticdraws attention to the humour element, especially the scenes where the Baby-Monster is rustling in the bushes, unseen, comparing it to the scene inBasket Case(1982) when that film's Baby-Monster is stuffed into a garbage sack after being cut away from its human twin.Basket Caseis indeed a part of another – later – Baby-Monster horror trilogy. In short,Filmcriticsays that Cohen's film should not be confused with art; and yet, it is "pretty scary stuff" that "manages a few neat tricks."

God Told Me To

God Told Me Toa.k.a.Demon(1976), Cohen'sscience fictionthriller,has a rating of 75% onRotten Tomatoes,making it Cohen's most successful directorial effort, critically. The film, in which a number of New York citizens embark on a killing spree becauseGod Told Them To,is called "one of his most ambitious movies" that is "cemented in an interesting idea" byQNetwork Entertainment,who find Cohen's ideology of the existence of God interesting: "cynical at best" and "sacrilegious at worst." The magazine continues, however, to comment on Cohen's lack of patience and drive when completing his movies, regarding the end products as being "hastily thrown-together" and "a mosaic of scenes, rather than a satisfying whole." In conclusionQNetworkgive the film an even 2 1/2 stars for being the "clumsiest and most entertaining schlock of the last 20 years."CinePassiononline magazine simply states: "[a] work of genius, in other words, possibly the Cohen joint that brims with the most all-pervasive invention and danger, as radical a Seventies 'incoherent text' asTaxi Driverand a clear linchpin ofThe X-Files."TheChicago Sun-Timessees Cohen's incoherent text in a different light, likening the film to a cinematic version of the card game52 Pickup:"the movie does achieve greatness in another way: this is the most confused feature-length film [...] ever seen."ButTime Outapplauded Cohen for offering "the perfect existential anti-hero" in New York cop, Lo Bianco, in a film that "overflows with such perverse and subversive notions that no amount of shoddy editing and substandard camerawork can conceal [its] unusual qualities" and that by "[d]igging deep into the psyche of American manhood, it lays bare the guilt-ridden oppressions of a soulless society."

Filmography

Film

Year	Title	Director	Writer	Producer	Notes
1972	Bone	Yes	Yes	Yes
1973	Black Caesar	Yes	Yes	Yes
	Hell Up in Harlem	Yes	Yes	Yes
1974	It's Alive	Yes	Yes	Yes	Avoriaz Special Jury Award
1976	God Told Me To	Yes	Yes	Yes	Avoriaz Special Jury Award
1977	The Private Files of J. Edgar Hoover	Yes	Yes	Yes
1978	It Lives Again	Yes	Yes	Yes
1981	Full Moon High	Yes	Yes	Yes
1982	Q	Yes	Yes	Yes
1984	Perfect Strangers	Yes	Yes	No
	Special Effects	Yes	Yes	No
1985	The Stuff	Yes	Yes	Yes
1987	It's Alive III: Island of the Alive	Yes	Yes	Executive
	A Return to Salem's Lot	Yes	Yes	Executive
	Deadly Illusion	Yes	Yes	No
1988	Maniac Cop	No	Yes	Yes
1989	Wicked Stepmother	Yes	Yes	Executive
1990	The Ambulance	Yes	Yes	Yes
	Maniac Cop 2	No	Yes	Yes	Nominated-Fangoria Chainsaw Award for Best Screenplay
1993	Maniac Cop III: Badge of Silence	No	Yes	Co-producer
1996	Original Gangstas	Yes	No	No

Writer only

Year	Title	Director	Notes
1966	Return of the Seven	Burt Kennedy
	I Deal in Danger	Walter Grauman	Feature-length re-edit of fourBlue Lightepisodes
1969	Scream, Baby, Scream	Joseph Adler
	Daddy's Gone A-Hunting	Mark Robson	Co-writer withLorenzo Semple Jr.
	El Condor	John Guillermin	Co-writer withSteven W. Carabatsos
1980	The American Success Company	William Richert
1981	I, the Jury	Richard T. Heffron
1984	Scandalous	Rob Cohen	Co-wrote story withRob CohenandJohn Byrum
1987	Best Seller	John Flynn	Nominated-Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best Motion Picture
1993	Body Snatchers	Abel Ferrara	Co-wrote story with Raymond Cistheri
	Guilty as Sin	Sidney Lumet
1996	Uncle Sam	William Lustig
1997	The Ex	Mark L. Lester
	Misbegotten
2002	Phone Booth	Joel Schumacher
2004	Cellular	David R. Ellis
2007	Captivity	Roland Joffé	Co-writer with Joseph Tura
2008	Connected	Benny Chan	Remake of 2004'sCellular
2009	It's Alive	Josef Rusnak	Remake of 1974 film
2010	Messages Deleted	Rob Cowan

Acting roles

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1984	Perfect Strangers	Man on Street
1984	Special Effects	Journalist
1985	Spies Like Us	Ace Tomato Agent
1987	A Return to Salem's Lot	Female Zombie
2002	BaadAsssss Cinema	Himself	Television documentary film
2005	Make Your Own Damn Movie!		Documentary film
2009	Nightmares in Red, White and Blue
2019	In Search of Darkness
2020	In Search of Darkness: Part II

Television

TV movies

Year	Title	Director	Writer	Producer
1969	In Broad Daylight	No	Yes	No
1974	Shootout in a One-Dog Town	No	Story	No
1981	See China and Die	Yes	Yes	Yes
1983	Women of San Quentin	No	Story	No
1988	Desperado: Avalanche at Devil's Ridge	No	Yes	No
1995	As Good as Dead	Yes	Yes	Yes
2009	The Gambler, the Girl and the Gunslinger	No	Yes	No

TV series

Year	Title	Director	Writer	Creator	Producer	Notes
1958–1965	Kraft Television Theatre	No	Yes	No	No	Episodes: "The Eighty Seventh Precinct", "Night Cry" & "Kill No More"
1960	Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theater	No	Yes	No	No	Episode: "Killer Instinct"
1961	Way Out	No	Yes	No	No	Episode: "False Face"
	The United States Steel Hour	No	Yes	No	No	Episode: "The Golden Thirty"
	Checkmate	No	Yes	No	No	Episode: "Nice Guys Finish Last"
1963	Sam Benedict	No	Yes	No	No	Episode: "Accomplice"
	Arrest and Trial	No	Yes	No	No	Episode: "My Name is Martin Burham"
1963–1965	The Defenders	No	Yes	No	No	9 episodes
1964	Espionage	No	Yes	No	No	Episode: "Medal for a Turned Coat"
1964–1965	The Fugitive	No	Yes	No	No	2 episodes: "Escape into Black" and "Scapegoat"
1965–1966	Branded	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	48 episodes
	Never Too Young	No	No	No	Executive	5 episodes
1966	Blue Light	No	Yes	Yes	No	17 episodes
	The Rat Patrol	No	Yes	No	No	Episode: "The Blind Man's Bluff Raid"
	Coronet Blue	No	Yes	Yes	No	11 episodes
1967–1968	The Invaders	No	Yes	Yes	No	43 episodes
1972	Cool Million	No	Yes	Yes	No	Episode: "Mask of Marcella"
1973–1974	Griff	No	Yes	Yes	No	13 episodes
1973–1974	Columbo	No	Yes	No	No	Episodes: "Any Old Port in a Storm", "Candidate for Crime" and "An Exercise in Fatality"
1995	NYPD Blue	No	Yes	No	No	Episode: "Dirty Socks"
2006	Masters of Horror	Yes	No	No	No	Episode: "Pick Me Up"

Bibliography

• Fischer, Michael (1991).Horror Film Directors, 1931-1990.Vol. 1. McFarland.ISBN978-0-899-50609-8.
• Singer, Michael (1989).Film Directors.Vol. 7. Lone Eagle Pub.ISBN978-0-943-72827-8.

External links

• Official website
• Larry CohenatIMDb
• Larry Cohen biography on (re)Search my Trash
• Senses of Cinema Great Directors profile (profile by Tony Williams)