Larry Cohen

Lawrence George Cohen (July 15, 1936 – March 23, 2019) was an American filmmaker. He originally emerged as the writer of Blaxploitation films such as Black Caesar and Hell Up in Harlem (both 1973), before becoming known as an author of horror and science fiction films – often containing police procedural and satirical elements – during the 1970s and 1980s. His directorial works include It's Alive (1974) and its sequels, God Told Me To (1976), The Stuff (1985) and A Return to Salem's Lot (1987). Early in his career, Cohen was a prolific television writer, creating series such as Branded, Blue Light, Coronet Blue, and The Invaders. Later on he concentrated mainly on screenwriting, including Maniac Cop and its two sequels; Phone Booth (2002); Cellular; (2004) and Captivity (2007). In 2006, he returned to the directing chair for Mick Garris's anthology series Masters of Horror, directing the episode "Pick Me Up". In 2017, Cohen was the recipient of a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Fantasia International Film Festival.