Larry Cohen  

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 +"Both ''[[The Phantom of Liberty]]'' (Luis Buñuel, 1974) and ''[[God Told Me To]]'' (Larry Cohen, 1976) feature a scene in which a [[sniper]] shoots innocent strangers from a [[High-rise building|highrise]]. Both scenes are probably inspired by [[Charles Whitman]]'s [[spree killer|spree killing]] in Texas in 1966." --Sholem Stein
 +|}
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-'''Larry Cohen''' (born '''Lawrence G. Cohen''' on [[July 15]], [[1938]], [[New York, New York]], [[United States|USA]]) is an [[United States|American]] [[film producer]], [[Film director|director]], and [[screenwriter]]. Although he writes and produces for others, he is best known for directing his own low-budget but inventive [[horror films]] and [[thrillers]]. Cohen moved to the Riverdale section of the Bronx at an early age, eventually majoring in film at the [[City College of New York]].+'''Lawrence G. Cohen''' (July 15, 1941 – March 23, 2019) was an [[American film]] producer, director, and screenwriter, best known as a [[B-movie]] [[auteur]] of [[Horror fiction|horror]] and [[science fiction film|science-fiction]] films such as ''[[It's Alive (1974 film)|It's Alive]]'' (1974), ''[[God Told Me To]]'' (1976), ''[[Q (film)|Q]]'' (1982), ''[[Special Effects (film)|Special Effects]]'' (1984) and ''[[The Stuff]]'' (1985), which were full of [[satirical]] social commentary.
-Cohen started his career in [[television]]; writing on many shows and creating the cult classics ''[[Branded]]'' and ''[[The Invaders]]''. He wrote, produced, and directed his first [[feature film]], ''Dial Rat for Terror'' in 1972. He came to prominence with ''[[It's Alive (movie)|It's Alive]]'' (1974), a horror film about an [[epidemic]] of fanged predatory babies. Though cheap, it is notable for its satirical [[black humor]] (the hero's son slaughters the medical staff at birth) and for its exploration of the parents’ dilemma: the hero, who has fathered one of the creatures, at first disowns it but later tries to protect it despite its obvious [[anti-social]] tendencies. ''It's Alive'' is also noted for being scored by [[Bernard Herrmann]]. Cohen made two [[sequels]], ''It Lives Again'' (1978) and ''It's Alive III: Island of the Alive'' (1987).+Later in his career, he concentrated mainly on screenwriting, including ''[[Phone Booth (film)|Phone Booth]]'' (2002), ''[[Cellular (film)|Cellular]]'' (2004) and ''[[Captivity (film)|Captivity]]'' (2007).
-Cohen's films are full of quotable dialogue. In ''Full-Moon High'' (1981), a teenage [[werewolf]] puts off his girlfriend's advances with the excuse that it's “his time of the month.” ''The Stuff'' (1985) concerns a parasitic goo from beneath the Earth's crust that manages to get itself marketed as a dessert. The film's hero announces proudly at the beginning, "''Nobody'' could be as dumb as ''I'' appear," and later delivers the maxim, "Everybody has to eat shaving cream now and then." +==Early life==
 +Cohen was born on July 15, 1941 in [[Washington Heights, Manhattan]]<!-- or Kingston, New York according to IMDB or Washington Heights, Orange County, New York according to the infobox -->. His sister [[Ronni Chasen]] was a publicist who worked with him beginning early in his film career. He moved to the [[Riverdale, Bronx|Riverdale]] section of [[the Bronx]] in New York City at an early age, and he later majored in [[film studies]] at the [[City College of New York]].
-In ''[[Q (film)|Q]]'' (aka ''The Winged Serpent'', 1982), the [[Aztec]] [[god]] [[Quetzalcoatl]] is resurrected and flies about [[New York City]] snatching [[human sacrifices]] off the skyscrapers. Cohen was able to employ the talents of [[Michael Moriarty]], [[David Carradine]], and [[Candy Clark]], and the film is one of his most sophisticated, but it still manages to include such lines as “Maybe his head got loose and fell off.” and "I want a Nixon type pardon!" +He exhibited a voracious appetite for films as a child, visiting the movie theaters at least twice a week, and most of them being [[double feature]]s, the young Cohen managed to consume at least four movies a week. He was a fan of the [[hardboiled|hard-boiled]] and [[film noir]] movies that featured actors such as [[Humphrey Bogart]] and [[James Cagney]]; films that were penned by the likes of [[Raymond Chandler]] and [[Dashiell Hammett]]. Cohen was especially a fan of director [[Michael Curtiz]], whose films include ''[[The Adventures of Robin Hood (film)|The Adventures of Robin Hood]]'', ''[[Casablanca (film)|Casablanca]]'', and ''[[Dodge City (1939 film)|Dodge City]]''.
-Perhaps Cohen’s most complex film, as well as his darkest, is ''[[God Told Me To]]'' (aka ''Demon'', 1976), in which a troubled [[Catholic]] detective is faced with an epidemic of murders carried out by apparently normal people who claim, with quiet satisfaction, that God told them to do it. The film mixes [[science fiction]] and horror with religious satire.+His own career in film began during the 1950s when he worked for the [[NBC]] television network: it was while working at [[NBC]] that he learned how to produce [[teleplays]] and, shortly after, began writing his own television scripts. He created the TV series ''[[The Invaders]]'' and also scripted episodes of ''[[The Defenders (1961 TV series)|The Defenders]]'' and ''[[The Fugitive (TV series)|The Fugitive]]''.
-In 1987, Cohen made an unofficial sequel to [[Stephen King]]'s ''[[Salem's Lot]]''. With typical chutzpah, Cohen threw out all of King’s characters and kept only the basic premise of a small American town inhabited by [[vampires]]. ''[[A Return to Salem's Lot]]'' starred [[Michael Moriarty]] (a Cohen regular) and [[Samuel Fuller]], and satirises small-town snobbery and hypocrisy: a little old woman vampire refers coyly to her drinking problem while the evil king-vampire is shown to be, at bottom, little more than a rather nasty [[Conservatism|conservative]] politician. +==Career==
 +===Early work; television===
 +Cohen began his career as a writer for well-known television series, concentrating his efforts on&nbsp;– but not limiting them to&nbsp;– the crime and detective [[genres]]. He penned several episodes of ''[[The Defenders (1961 TV series)|The Defenders]]'' (1964)&nbsp;– which starred [[E.G. Marshall]]&nbsp;– one episode of ''[[Espionage (TV series)|Espionage]]'' (1964), and episodes of ''[[The Fugitive (TV series)|The Fugitive]]'' (1964–65). Other writing credits during the 1950s and 1960s included the [[fantasy]]-suspense [[anthologies]] ''[[Kraft Television Theatre]]'' (1958) and ''[[Kraft Suspense Theatre]]'' (1965), the espionage TV series ''[[Blue Light (TV series)|Blue Light]]'' (1966) starring [[Robert Goulet]] and ''[[Coronet Blue]]'' (1967) starring [[Frank Converse]], and the science fiction TV series, ''[[The Invaders]]'' (1967–1968). In 1966, he wrote the screenplay to the [[Western (genre)|western]] film ''[[Return of the Seven]]'' (also known as ''Return of the Magnificent Seven''), a sequel to the 1960 film ''[[The Magnificent Seven]]'' which saw the return of [[Yul Brynner]] as [[gunslinger]] Chris Adams. Four episodes he wrote for ''Blue Light'' were edited together to create the theatrical film ''[[I Deal in Danger]]'', released in December 1966. He also created the [[western (genre)|western]] TV series ''[[Branded (TV series)|Branded]]'' (1965–1966) and was the co-creator with [[Walter Grauman]] of ''Blue Light''.
-Besides monster movies, Cohen has also made thrillers such as ''The Private Files of [[J. Edgar Hoover]]'' (1977), which portrays the [[FBI]] chief as a sexually repressed, paranoid megalomaniac; ''Special Effects'' (1984), the twisted tale of a policeman, a murderous film director, and the woman who gets turned into the double of his leading lady; and ''[[The Ambulance]]'' (1990), a [[Alfred Hitchcock|Hitchcock]]-style entertainment in which [[Eric Roberts]] investigates the sudden disappearance of a young woman.+===1970s===
 +Although Cohen continued to write TV and film scripts during the 1970s&nbsp;– such as ''[[Columbo (TV series)|Columbo]]''&nbsp;– he further turned his hand to directing. His directorial debut was the comedy film ''[[Bone (1972 film)|Bone]]'' starring [[Yaphet Kotto]], a.k.a. ''Beverly Hills Nightmare'', ''Dial Rat for Terror'' and ''Housewife''. In 1974, he directed the [[horror film]] ''[[It's Alive (1974 film)|It's Alive]]'', about a mutant monster baby that embarks on a killing spree. The film&nbsp;– an initial commercial failure&nbsp;– was re-released with a new and sharper advertisement campaign; it went on to earn over $7 million for [[Warner Bros.]] and spawn two sequels.
-Because of their frequently hurried production and their bargain-basement budgets, Cohen's films are sometimes murkily shot or messily edited, but Cohen’s freewheeling approach (and independence from studio interference) enables him to attack a number of satirical targets that often get off lightly in the mainstream: Christianity in ''God Told Me To'', nice little towns in ''A Return to 'Salem's Lot'', family values in the ''Alive'' trilogy, consumerism and greedy, ruthless food companies in ''The Stuff''. In the third film of the ''Alive'' trilogy, Cohen even manages to work in some telling swipes against American demonisation of [[Cuba]].+Cohen followed-up ''It's Alive'' with the science fiction-[[serial killer]] film ''[[God 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 would concentrate his work predominantly within the [[Horror film|horror]] genre throughout the 1970s and 1980s, often incorporating elements of crime, [[police procedural]], and science fiction with scathing social commentary.
-Cohen was influenced by director [[Sam Fuller]] and now lives in a house formerly owned by Mr. Fuller. In recent years, Cohen has curtailed his directing and producing activities, and has focused mainly on writing. His work was primarily for low budget films and television until 1998, when Cohen's spec script ''[[Phone Booth (film)|Phone Booth]]'' triggered active interest and aggressive bidding from major Hollywood players. [[Joel Schumacher]] directed the resulting 2002 film, starring [[Colin Farrell]]. Cohen was also credited with the story for the 2004 release ''[[Cellular (film)|Cellular]]'', another thriller with a telecommunications theme. +Cohen created the ''It's Alive'' series in 1974 when he made the film ''[[It's Alive (1974 film)|It's Alive]]''. The film was eventually a moderate success&nbsp;– after a re-vamped advertising campaign &nbsp;– and went on to spawn two sequels, ''It's Alive II: It Lives Again'' (1978) and ''It's Alive III: Island of the Alive'' (1987).
-In 2003, Cohen was at the center of a contentious lawsuit against 20th Century Fox. Cohen and his producing partner Martin Poll claimed that 20th Century Fox had intentionally plagiarized Cohen's work and that the film ''[[The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen]]'' was inspired by Cohen's pitch entitled ''Cast of Characters''. Comic book writer [[Alan Moore]], the author of the graphic novel upon which ''League'' was based, was forced to testify. Moore forcefully denied allegations from Cohen's camp suggesting that he had been involved in a scheme to steal Cohen's story. +''It's Alive'' (1974) tells of a young 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 as [[Dr. Frankenstein]] saw his monster and assists the police.
-==Partial filmography==+The emphasis in ''It's Alive'' is on chemicals in the ecosystem and experimental prescription drugs that can be harmful to unborn babies. The score for ''It's Alive'' was composed by [[Bernard Herrmann]], famous for his contributions to many [[Alfred Hitchcock]] films, including ''[[Psycho (1960 film)|Psycho]]'', ''[[North by Northwest]]'', and ''[[Vertigo (film)|Vertigo]]''. In fact, the welling strings, horn arrangements and harp glissandos throughout the film prefigure the soundtrack to Herrmann's final film score two years later for "Taxi Driver". The cast includes [[John P. Ryan]], [[Sharon Farrell]], [[James Dixon]], and [[Andrew Duggan]].
-* ''[[Pick Me Up|Masters of Horror - "Pick Me Up"]]'' ([[2005]])+''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 in ''It Lives Again'' is on accepting one's child, even if it is born with deformities or disabilities. The score is again provided by [[Bernard Herrmann]]. The cast includes [[John P. Ryan]], [[James Dixon]], [[Andrew Duggan]], and [[Frederic Forrest]].
-* ''[[Air Force One: The Final Mission]]'': A documentary ([[2004]]) + 
-* ''[[Original Gangstas]]'' (AKA Hot City) ([[1996]]) +===1980s===
-* ''[[As Good As Dead (TV movie)|As Good As Dead]]'' (TV Movie) ([[1995]])+During the 1980s, Cohen directed, produced, and scripted a number of low-budget horror films, many of which featured actor [[Michael Moriarty]]. The first was ''[[Q (film)|Q]]''&nbsp;– a.k.a. ''Q: The Winged Serpent'' (1982)&nbsp;— about an [[Aztec]] god known as [[Quetzalcoatl]] (the Winged Serpent) resurrected and nesting atop the [[Chrysler 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-stars [[David Carradine]], [[Candy Clark]], [[Richard Roundtree]], and James Dixon (another Cohen regular).
-* ''[[The Ambulance]]'' ([[1990]]) + 
-* ''[[Wicked Stepmother]]'' ([[1989]]) +Cohen's next project with Moriarty was ''[[The Stuff]]'' (1985) in which an [[Extraterrestrial life|alien]] substance 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 [[Michael Moriarty]], is hired to investigate the origins of the Stuff and to then destroy the product. The film co-stars [[Danny Aiello]], [[Brian Bloom]], [[Scott Bloom]], [[Andrea Marcovicci]], [[Patrick O'Neal (actor)|Patrick O'Neal]], and [[Paul Sorvino]]. ''[[Saturday Night Live]]'' regular [[Garrett Morris]] plays Charlie W. Hobbs a.k.a. Chocolate Chip Charlie, a [[junk food]] [[Magnate|mogul]] who assists Mo with his investigation. Cohen cast Moriarty in ''It's Alive 3: Island of the Alive'' (1987)—the third part of the ''Alive Trilogy''—and again in ''[[A Return to Salem's Lot]]'' (1987), the unofficial sequel of [[Stephen King]]'s novel and TV [[miniseries]] ''[[Salem's Lot (1979 TV miniseries)|Salem's Lot]]''. Cohen finished the 1980s with ''[[Wicked Stepmother]]'' (1989), in which the late [[Bette Davis]] made her last appearance.
-* ''[[Deadly Illusion]]'' ([[1987]]) + 
-* ''[[It's Alive III: Island of the Alive]]'' ([[1987]]) +===1990s===
-* ''[[A Return to Salem's Lot]]'' ([[1987]]) +Cohen began the 1990s with his film ''[[The Ambulance]]'' (1990) starring [[Eric 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 Ambulance]]'' features [[cameo appearance|cameos]] by [[Stan Lee]], [[Larry Hama]] and [[Jim Salicrup]] of [[Marvel Comics]]. He would direct only two other films during the 1990s, one being the [[Blaxploitation]] film ''[[Original Gangstas]]'' (1996), featuring [[Ron O'Neal]], [[Pam Grier]], and [[Fred Williamson]]. For most of the decade, Cohen concentrated on writing. He penned the remainder of the [[William Lustig]] ''Maniac Cop'' Trilogy&nbsp;– he had previously scripted ''[[Maniac Cop]]'' in 1988&nbsp;– that features [[Robert Z'Dar]] as undead Maniac Cop, Matt Cordell, and [[B-Movie]] horror actor [[Bruce Campbell]]. He then provided the story of the third adaptation of [[Jack Finney]]'s 1955 science-fiction novel ''[[The Body Snatchers]]'', a tale of [[Extraterrestrial life|alien]] invasion and [[paranoia]]: ''[[Body Snatchers (1993 film)|Body Snatchers]]'' was directed by [[Abel Ferrara]] and starred [[Forest Whitaker]]. Throughout the decade Cohen was further involved in various TV projects including ''[[NYPD Blue]]'' and the [[Ed McBain]]-inspired ''87th Precinct: Heatwave''. He also served as producer on the [[John Candy]] comedy ''[[Delirious (1991 film)|Delirious]]'' (1991).
-* ''[[The Stuff]]'' ([[1985]]) + 
-* ''[[Special Effects (movie)|Special Effects]]'' ([[1984]]) +===2000s–2019===
-* ''[[Perfect Strangers (1984 film)|Perfect Strangers]]'' (AKA Blind Alley) ([[1984]]) +Cohen's output after the 1990s was less prolific and concentrated solely on scriptwriting, except for a brief return to directing with the ''[[Masters of Horror]]'' episode "[[Pick Me Up (Masters of Horror)|Pick Me Up]]" (2006). His first project, ''[[Phone Booth (film)|Phone Booth]]'' (2002), became involved in a Hollywood bidding war, the script eventually ending up in the hands of [[Joel Schumacher]]. ''Phone Booth'' was a commercial success with an estimated budget of $13 million and a worldwide gross of $98 million. The film starred [[Colin Farrell]], [[Katie Holmes]], [[Kiefer Sutherland]], and [[Forest Whitaker]]; it was produced by [[David Zucker (filmmaker)|David Zucker]].
-* ''[[Q (1982 film)|Q]]'' (aka ''The Winged Serpent'') ([[1982]]) + 
-* ''[[See China and Die]]'' (AKA ''Momma the Detective'') (TV movie) ([[1981]])+His next film, another [[Action film|action]]-crime [[Thriller (genre)|thriller]] titled ''[[Cellular (film)|Cellular]]'' (2004), also featured phones and, like ''Phone Booth'', it was a modest commercial success with an estimated budget of $25 million and a gross worldwide return of $50 million. ''Cellular'' starred [[Kim Basinger]], [[Chris Evans (actor)|Chris Evans]], [[William H. Macy]], and [[Jason Statham]]. ''Cellular'' was later re-made as ''[[Connected (film)|Connected]]'' (2008), Cohen being credited with the story. He then scripted the [[Horror film|horror]]-thriller films ''[[Captivity (film)|Captivity]]'' (2007) and ''[[Messages Deleted]]'' (2009); however, both films fared poorly on a critical and commercial level. Cohen nevertheless received acclaim for the above-mentioned ''[[Pick Me Up (Masters of Horror)|Pick Me Up]]'', which he directed for the [[Mick Garris]] TV series ''[[Masters of Horror]]'' (2006). The episode was written by [[splatterpunk]]-[[Horror fiction|horror]] author [[David Schow]], and starred Cohen regular [[Michael Moriarty]].
-* ''[[Full Moon High]]'' ([[1981]]) + 
-* ''[[It Lives Again]]'' ([[1978]]) +In 2003, Cohen, together with production partner [[Martin Poll]] was at the center of a lawsuit against [[20th Century Fox]], claiming the company had intentionally [[plagiarism|plagiarized]] a [[screenplay|script]] of theirs titled ''Cast of Characters'' in order to create the [[Sean Connery]]-starring ''[[The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (film)|League of Extraordinary Gentlemen]]'' in 2003. According to the [[BBC]], the lawsuit alleged 'that Mr. Cohen and Mr. Poll pitched the idea to Fox several times between 1993 and 1996, under the name ''Cast of Characters''.' ''The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen'' was an adaptation of the 1999 published comic book series by [[Alan Moore]] and artist [[Kevin O'Neill (comics)|Kevin O'Neill]].
-* ''[[The Private Files of J. Edgar Hoover]]'' ([[1977]]) + 
-* ''[[God Told Me To]]'' (AKA ''Demon'', AKA ''God Told Me to Kill'') ([[1976]]) +In 2006, Cohen was included in the ''[[Masters of Horror]]'' TV anthology, which also included&nbsp;– but was not limited to&nbsp;– writers and directors as diverse as [[Dario Argento]], [[Clive Barker]], [[John Carpenter]], [[Richard Chizmar]], [[Don Coscarelli]], [[Wes Craven]], [[David Cronenberg]], [[Joe Dante]], [[Guillermo Del Toro]], [[Ernest Dickerson]], [[Stuart Gordon]], [[James Gunn (filmmaker)|James Gunn]], [[Sam Hamm]], [[Tom Holland (director)|Tom Holland]], [[Tobe Hooper]], [[Lloyd Kaufman]], [[Mary Lambert (director)|Mary Lambert]], [[John Landis]], [[Joe R. Lansdale]], [[Bentley Little]], [[H.P. Lovecraft]], [[Joe Lynch (director)|Joe Lynch]], [[William Lustig]], [[Peter Medak]], [[Lucky McKee]], Kat O' Shea, [[Robert Rodriguez]], [[Eli Roth]], [[David Schow]], and [[Tim Sullivan (director)|Tim Sullivan]]. It was created by [[Mick Garris]] for the [[Showtime (TV network)|Showtime]] cable network. Cohen's contribution was the segment ''[[Pick Me Up (Masters of Horror)|Pick Me Up]]'', based on a short story by [[David Schow]], who also wrote the [[teleplay]]. It stars [[Fairuza Balk]] and Cohen regulars [[Laurene Landon]] and [[Michael Moriarty]]. ''Pick Me Up'' is the story of woman traveling on a bus that has broken down along a stretch of lonely two-lane [[blacktop]]. Enter two [[serial killers]]: Wheeler (Moriarty), a driver who picks up [[hitchhiker]]s with the sole intent of killing them&nbsp;– and&nbsp;– Walker (Warren Kole), a [[hitchhiker]] who accepts lifts in order to find ''his'' victims. 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 killer [[wikt:turf war|turf war]], a war over which killer will get her first. ''Pick Me Up'' signaled a brief return to the director's chair for Cohen.
-* ''[[It's Alive (movie)|It's Alive]]'' ([[1974]]) +
-* ''[[Hell Up in Harlem]]'' (sequel to ''[[Black Caesar (film)|Black Caesar]]'') ([[1973]]) +Josef Rusnak remade Cohen's ''[[It's Alive (2009 film)|It's Alive]]'' in 2009. Still awaiting a score on [[Rotten Tomatoes]], the existing reviews are also very poor. Even Cohen admitted that the remake was dreadful and 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."
-* ''[[Black Caesar (film)|Black Caesar]]'' (AKA ''The Godfather of Harlem'') ([[1973]]) + 
-* ''[[Bone (1972 film)|Bone]]'' (AKA ''Dial Rat for Terror'', AKA ''Beverly Hills Nightmare'', AKA ''Housewife'') (Starring [[Yaphet Kotto]]) ([[1972]])+==Death==
 +Cohen died on March 23, 2019 in [[Los Angeles]], [[California]], at the age of 77.
 + 
 +==Critical response==
 +Critical response to Cohen's work has been extremely varied, reviews ranging from good to poor.
 + 
 +Cohen's [[science fiction film|science fiction]] [[Horror film|horror]] film and [[satirical]] social commentary ''[[The Stuff]]'' (1985) garnered mixed reviews, often being compared to [[Jack Finney]]'s ''[[The Body Snatchers]]'' novel and the 1958 film ''[[The Blob]]''. It has a moderate ''fresh'' rating of 63% on [[Rotten Tomatoes]]. The ''Apollo Movie Guide'' remark that ''The Stuff'' works 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. Although ''Apollo'' praise the juxtaposition of Cohen's clever screenplay and [[Michael Moriarty]]'s performance, it states that the film is no classic. It does, however, award the film a modest Apollo Rating of 77/100. The ''[[Chicago Sun-Times]]'', on the other hand, sees ''The Stuff'' as a widely ambitious movie that fails mainly due to distracting glitches and a lack of plausibility: "What we have here are a lot of nice touches in search of a movie." ''Chicago Sun-Times'' rating: 1 1/2 stars out of 5. ''Bloody Disgusting'' nevertheless awarded ''The Stuff'' 3 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."
 + 
 +His [[fantasy film|fantasy]] [[Horror film|horror]] ''[[Q (film)|Q]]'' a.k.a. ''Q: The Winged Serpent''' (1982) has a [[Rotten Tomatoes]] rating of 61%. ''[[TV Guide]]'' praise Cohen for his intelligence, creativity and originality and further comment that '[Cohen] successfully combines a ''film noir'' crime story with a good old-fashioned ''giant monster'' movie' and that '[[Michael Moriarty]] turns in a brilliant performance as Jimmy Quinn [...]'. Horror author and movie critic, [[Kim Newman]], praises Cohen's plot originality and canny use of characters in ''[[Empire (magazine)|Empire]]'', pointing out the director's use of an oddball as lead&nbsp;– Jimmy Quinn&nbsp;– 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&nbsp;– in movies such as ''King Kong''&nbsp;– to the background. Alternatively, the ''[[Chicago 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 the [[Rivoli Theater (Indianapolis, Indiana)|Rivoli Theater]], had just 'a few words&nbsp;– only a very few&nbsp;– about ''Q'', offering a brief neutral synopsis and a couple of quotes. ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' are more favourable, focusing on Cohen's 'wild' and 'bizarre'&nbsp;– albeit realistic&nbsp;– efforts: ''Q'' has great fun mixing 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 (1974 film)|It's Alive]]'', the first part of Cohen's [[Horror film|horror]] trilogy featuring a mutated baby that kills its prey when trapped or frightened, holds a rating of 67% on [[Rotten Tomatoes]], one of the highest rated Cohen films from the latter. Focusing on the social context of the film at the time, ''The Film Journal'' points out that ''It'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 Journal'' acknowledge Cohen's ability 'to impart an intelligent nature to his otherwise pulpy horror films'. ''Black Hole'' magazine say that despite a lack of [[A-List]] actors and special effects, ''It's Alive'' still manages to maintain the viewers interest due to Cohen's 'unique horror concept and a script rich in ideas'. ''Black Hole'' nevertheless points out that '[w]hile the drama is consistent, it's less successful as a seventies monster movie, and especially lacking now': whereas ''[[Jaws (film)|Jaws]]'' (1975) revealed the shark slowly, Cohen's film 'barely ever shows us the goods'. The magazine does agree, however, that ''It's Alive'' was 'a sufficiently powerful monster movie and [that] audiences wanted more'. ''Filmcritic'' draws attention to the humour element, especially the scenes where the Baby-Monster is rustling in the bushes, unseen, comparing them to the scene in ''[[Basket Case (film)|Basket Case]]'' (1982) when the Baby-Monster is stuffed into a garbage sack after being cut away from its human twin. ''Basket Case'' is indeed a part of another&nbsp;– later&nbsp;– Baby-Monster [[Horror film|horror]] trilogy. In short, ''Filmcritic'' says 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]]'' a.k.a. ''Demon'' (1976), Cohen's [[science fiction film|science fiction]] [[Thriller (genre)|thriller]], has a rating of 75% on [[Rotten 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 because ''God Told Them To'', is called 'one of his most ambitious movies' that is 'cemented in an interesting idea' by ''QNetwork 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 conclusion ''QNetwork'' give the film an even 2 1/2 stars for being the 'clumsiest and most entertaining schlock of the last 20 years'. ''CinePassion'' online magazine simply state: '[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' as ''[[Taxi Driver]]'' and a clear linchpin of ''[[The X-Files]]'''. The ''[[Chicago Sun-Times]]'' sees Cohen's incoherent text in a different light, likening the film to a cinematic version of the card game [[52 Pickup]]: 'the movie does achieve greatness in another way: this is the most confused feature-length film [...] ever seen'. But ''[[Time Out (magazine)|Time Out]]'' applauded 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==
 + 
 +===Director===
 +* [[Pick Me Up (Masters of Horror)|''Masters of Horror''—"Pick Me Up"]] (2006)
 +* ''[[Original Gangstas]]'' (1996)
 +* ''[[As Good as Dead (1995 film)|As Good as Dead]]'' (1995)
 +* ''[[The Ambulance]]'' (1990)
 +* ''[[Wicked Stepmother]]'' (1989)
 +* ''[[Deadly Illusion]]'' (1987)
 +* ''[[A Return to Salem's Lot]]'' (1987)
 +* ''[[It's Alive III: Island of the Alive]]'' (1987)
 +* ''[[The Stuff]]'' (1985)
 +* ''[[Perfect Strangers (1984 film)|Perfect Strangers]]'' (1984)
 +* ''[[Special Effects (film)|Special Effects]]'' (1984)
 +* ''[[Q (film)|Q]]'' (1982)
 +* ''[[See China and Die]]'' (1981)
 +* ''[[Full Moon High]]'' (1981)
 +* ''[[It Lives Again]]'' (1978)
 +* ''[[The Private Files of J. Edgar Hoover]]'' (1977)
 +* ''[[God Told Me To]]'' (1976)
 +* ''[[It's Alive (1974 film)|It's Alive]]'' (1974)
 +* ''[[Hell Up in Harlem]]'' (1973)
 +* ''[[Black Caesar (film)|Black Caesar]]'' (1973) a.k.a. ''The Godfather of Harlem''
 +* ''[[Bone (1972 film)|Bone]]'' (1972) a.k.a. ''Dial Rat for Terror''
 + 
 +===Screenwriter===
 +* ''The Gambler, the Girl and the Gunslinger'' (2009)
 +* ''[[Messages Deleted]]'' (2009)
 +* ''[[It's Alive (2009 film)|It's Alive]]'' (2009)
 +* ''Maniac Cop'' [short] [characters] (2008)
 +* ''[[Connected (film)|Connected]]'' [original story] (2008)
 +* ''[[Captivity (film)|Captivity]]'' (2007)
 +* ''[[Cellular (film)|Cellular]]'' [story] (2004)
 +* ''[[Phone Booth (film)|Phone Booth]]'' (2002) (Writer)
 +* ''[[Misbegotten (film)|Misbegotten]]'' (1998)
 +* ''The Defenders: Choice of Evils'' [Story] [Teleplay] (1998)
 +* ''[[The Ex (1997 film)|The Ex]]'' (1997)
 +* ''[[Uncle Sam (film)|Uncle Sam]]'' (1996)
 +* ''[[Ed McBain]]'s 87th Precinct: Heatwave'' [Teleplay] (1996)
 +* ''The Invaders'' [TV Movie] (1995)
 +* ''[[The Expert (1995 film)|The Expert]]'' [uncredited] (1995)
 +* ''As Good as Dead'' [TV Movie] (1995)
 +* ''[[NYPD Blue]]'' [Season 2; Episode 17, "Dirty Socks"] (1995)
 +* ''[[Guilty as Sin]]'' (1993)
 +* [[Jack Finney]]'s ''[[Body Snatchers (1993 film)|Body Snatchers]]'' [Screen Story] (1993)
 +* ''[[Maniac Cop III: Badge of Silence]]'' (1993)
 +* ''[[Maniac Cop 2]]'' (1990)
 +* ''[[The Ambulance]]'' (1990)
 +* ''[[Wicked Stepmother]]'' (1989)
 +* ''Desperado: Avalanche at Devil's Ridge'' [TV Movie] (1988)
 +* ''[[Maniac Cop]]'' (1988)
 +* ''[[Deadly Illusion]]'' (1987)
 +* ''[[Best Seller]]'' (1987)
 +* ''[[A Return to Salem's Lot]]'' (1987)
 +* ''[[It's Alive III: Island of the Alive]]'' (1987)
 +* ''[[The Stuff]]'' (1985)
 +* ''[[Perfect Strangers (1984 film)|Perfect Strangers]]'' (1984)
 +* ''[[Special Effects (film)|Special Effects]]'' (1984)
 +* ''Scandalous'' [Story] (1984)
 +* ''Women of San Quentin'' [TV Movie] [Story] (1983)
 +* ''[[Q (film)|Q]]'' (1982)
 +* ''[[I, the Jury (1982 film)|I, the Jury]]'' (1982)
 +* ''[[Full Moon High]]'' (1981)
 +* ''[[The American Success Company]]'' (1980)
 +* ''[[It Lives Again]]'' (1978)
 +* ''Sparrow'' [TV Movie] [Creator] (1978)
 +* ''[[The Private Files of J. Edgar Hoover]]'' (1977)
 +* ''[[God Told Me To]]'' (1976)
 +* ''[[Griff (TV series)|Griff]]'' [Episode "Man on the Outside"] (1975)
 +* ''[[It's Alive (1974 film)|It's Alive]]'' (1974)
 +* ''[[Columbo (TV series)|Columbo]]'' [Story] [Episode "An Exercise in Fatality"] (1974)
 +* ''[[Columbo (TV series)|Columbo]]'' [Story] [Episode "Candidate for Crime"] (1973)
 +* ''[[Columbo (TV series)|Columbo]]'' [Story] [Episode "Any Old Port in a Storm"] (1973)
 +* ''Shootout in a One-Dog Town'' [TV Movie] [Story] (1974)
 +* ''[[Hell Up in Harlem]]'' (1973)
 +* ''[[Black Caesar (film)|Black Caesar]]'' (1973) a.k.a. ''The Godfather of Harlem''
 +* ''[[Cool Million]]'' [TV Series] Television pilot (1972)
 +* ''[[Bone (1972 film)|Bone]]'' (1972) a.k.a. ''Dial Rat''
 +* ''Call Home'' [TV Movie] [Developer] (1972)
 +* ''[[In Broad Daylight (film)|In Broad Daylight]]'' [TV Movie] (1971)
 +* ''[[El Condor (1970 film)|El Condor]]'' (1970)
 +* ''[[Daddy's Gone A-Hunting (1969 film)|Daddy's Gone A-Hunting]]'' (1969)
 +* ''[[Scream, Baby, Scream]]'' (1969)
 +* ''[[The Invaders]]'' [TV Series] [43 Episodes] [Creator] (1967–68)
 +* ''[[Custer (TV series)|Custer]]'' a.k.a. ''The Legend of Custer'' [suggested by] (1967)
 +* ''[[Coronet Blue]]'' [TV Series] [11 Episodes] [Creator] (1967)
 +* ''[[I Deal in Danger]]'' (1966)
 +* ''[[The Rat Patrol]]'' [TV Series] [Episode "The Blind Man's Bluff Raid"] (1966)
 +* ''[[Return of the Seven]]'' a.k.a. ''Return of the Magnificent Seven'' (1966)
 +* ''[[Blue Light (TV series)|Blue Light]]'', TV Series [17 Episodes] [also co-creator] (1966)
 +* ''Blade River, Revenge of the Indian Nations'' (1966)
 +* ''[[Branded (TV series)|Branded]]'' [TV Series] [48 Episodes] [Creator] (1965–66)
 +* ''[[Kraft Suspense Theatre]]'' [TV Series] [Episode "Kill No More"] (1965)
 +* ''[[The Fugitive (TV series)|The Fugitive]]'' [Episode "Scapegoat"] [Story] (1965)
 +* ''[[The Fugitive (TV series)|The Fugitive]]'' [Episode "Escape into Black"] [Teleplay] (1964)
 +* ''[[Espionage (TV series)|Espionage]]'' [Episode "Medal for a Turned Coat"] (1964)
 +* ''[[The Defenders (1961 TV series)|The Defenders]]'' [Writer] [9 Episodes] (1963–65)
 +* ''The Nurses'' [TV Series] [3 Episodes] (1963)
 +* ''[[Arrest and Trial]]'' [TV Series] [Episode "My Name is Martin Burham"] (1963)
 +* ''[[Sam Benedict]]'' [TV Series] [Episode "Accomplice"] (1963)
 +* ''[[Checkmate (TV series)|Checkmate]]'' [TV Series] [Episode "Nice Guys Finish Last"] (1961)
 +* ''[[The United States Steel Hour]]'' [TV Series] [Episode "The Golden Thirty"] (1961)
 +* ''[[Way Out (TV series)|Way Out]]'' [TV Series] [Episode "False Face"] (1961)
 +* ''[[Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theater]]'' [TV Series] [Episode "Killer Instinct"] (1960)
 +* ''[[Kraft Television Theatre]]'' [TV Series] [Episode "Night Cry"] (1958)
 +* ''[[Kraft Television Theatre]]'' [TV Series] [Episode "The Eighty Seventh Precinct"] [adaptation] (1958)
 + 
 +===Producer===
 +* ''The Torture of Delva Mills'' [Executive Prd.] (2010)
 +* ''As Good as Dead'' (1995)
 +* ''[[Maniac Cop III: Badge of Silence]]'' [Co-Prd.] (1993)
 +* ''[[Maniac Cop 2]]'' (1990)
 +* ''[[Wicked Stepmother]]'' [Executive Prd.] (1989)
 +* ''[[Maniac Cop]]'' (1988)
 +* ''[[A Return to Salem's Lot]]'' [Executive Prd.] (1987)
 +* ''It's Alive 3: Island of the Alive'' [Executive Prd.] (1987)
 +* ''[[The Stuff]]'' [Executive Prd.] (1985)
 +* ''[[Q (film)|Q]]'' (1982)
 +* ''[[Full Moon High]]'' (1981)
 +* ''It's Alive 2: It Lives Again'' (1978)
 +* ''[[The Private Files of J. Edgar Hoover]]'' (1977)
 +* ''[[God Told Me To]]'' (1976)
 +* ''[[It's Alive (1974 film)|It's Alive]]'' (1974)
 +* ''[[Hell Up in Harlem]]'' (1973)
 +* ''[[Black Caesar (film)|Black Caesar]]'' (1973) a.k.a. ''The Godfather of Harlem''
 +* ''[[Bone (1972 film)|Bone]]'' (1972) a.k.a. ''Dial Rat''
 +* ''[[Never Too Young]]'' [TV Series] [Executive Prd.] (1965)
 +* ''[[Branded (TV series)|Branded]]'' [TV Series] (1965)
 + 
 +===Actor===
 +* ''[[Spies Like Us]]'' (1985) – Ace Tomato Agent
 + 
 +===Miscellaneous crew===
 +* ''[[Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore]]'' as Production Executive (1974)
 +* ''Blue Light'' [TV series] [17 episodes] as Executive Script Consultant (1966)
 +==See also==
 +*[[American satire]]
 +*[[Social commentary]]
{{GFDL}} {{GFDL}}

Current revision

"Both The Phantom of Liberty (Luis Buñuel, 1974) and God Told Me To (Larry Cohen, 1976) feature a scene in which a sniper shoots innocent strangers from a highrise. Both scenes are probably inspired by Charles Whitman's spree killing in Texas in 1966." --Sholem Stein

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Lawrence G. Cohen (July 15, 1941 – March 23, 2019) was an American film producer, director, and screenwriter, best known as a B-movie auteur of horror and science-fiction films such as It's Alive (1974), God Told Me To (1976), Q (1982), Special Effects (1984) and The Stuff (1985), which were full of satirical social commentary.

Later in his career, he concentrated mainly on screenwriting, including Phone Booth (2002), Cellular (2004) and Captivity (2007).

Contents

Early life

Cohen was born on July 15, 1941 in Washington Heights, Manhattan. His sister Ronni Chasen was a publicist who worked with him beginning early in his film career. He moved to the Riverdale section of the Bronx in New York City at an early age, and he later majored in film studies at the City College of New York.

He exhibited a voracious appetite for films as a child, visiting the movie theaters at least twice a week, and most of them being double features, the young Cohen managed to consume at least four movies a week. He was a fan of the hard-boiled and film noir movies that featured actors such as Humphrey Bogart and James Cagney; films that were penned by the likes of Raymond Chandler and Dashiell Hammett. Cohen was especially a fan of director Michael Curtiz, whose films include The Adventures of Robin Hood, Casablanca, and Dodge City.

His own career in film began during the 1950s when he worked for the NBC television network: it was while working at NBC that he learned how to produce teleplays and, shortly after, began writing his own television scripts. He created the TV series The Invaders and also scripted episodes of The Defenders and The Fugitive.

Career

Early work; television

Cohen began his career as a writer for well-known television series, concentrating his efforts on – but not limiting them to – the crime and detective genres. He penned several episodes of The Defenders (1964) – which starred E.G. Marshall – one episode of Espionage (1964), and episodes of The Fugitive (1964–65). Other writing credits during the 1950s and 1960s included the fantasy-suspense anthologies Kraft Television Theatre (1958) and Kraft Suspense Theatre (1965), the espionage TV series Blue Light (1966) starring Robert Goulet and Coronet Blue (1967) starring Frank Converse, and the science fiction TV series, The Invaders (1967–1968). In 1966, he wrote the screenplay to the western film Return of the Seven (also known as Return of the Magnificent Seven), a sequel to the 1960 film The Magnificent Seven which saw the return of Yul Brynner as gunslinger Chris Adams. Four episodes he wrote for Blue Light were edited together to create the theatrical film I Deal in Danger, released in December 1966. He also created the western TV series Branded (1965–1966) and was the co-creator with Walter Grauman of Blue Light.

1970s

Although Cohen continued to write TV and film scripts during the 1970s – such as Columbo – he further turned his hand to directing. His directorial debut was the comedy film Bone starring Yaphet Kotto, a.k.a. Beverly Hills Nightmare, Dial Rat for Terror and Housewife. In 1974, he directed the horror film It'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 earn over $7 million for Warner Bros. and spawn two sequels.

Cohen followed-up It's Alive with the science fiction-serial killer film God 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 would concentrate 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 created the It's Alive series in 1974 when he made the film It's Alive. The film was eventually a moderate success – after a re-vamped advertising campaign  – and went on to spawn two sequels, It's Alive II: It Lives Again (1978) and It's Alive III: Island of the Alive (1987).

It's Alive (1974) tells of a young 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 as Dr. Frankenstein saw his monster and assists the police.

The emphasis in It's Alive is on chemicals in the ecosystem and experimental prescription drugs that can be harmful to unborn babies. The score for It's Alive was composed by Bernard Herrmann, famous for his contributions to many Alfred Hitchcock films, including Psycho, North by Northwest, and Vertigo. In fact, the welling strings, horn arrangements and harp glissandos throughout the film prefigure the soundtrack to Herrmann's final film score two years later for "Taxi Driver". The cast includes John P. Ryan, Sharon Farrell, James Dixon, and Andrew 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 in It Lives Again is on accepting one's child, even if it is born with deformities or disabilities. The score is again provided by Bernard Herrmann. The cast includes John P. Ryan, James Dixon, Andrew Duggan, and Frederic Forrest.

1980s

During the 1980s, Cohen directed, produced, and scripted a number of low-budget horror films, many of which featured actor Michael Moriarty. The first was Q – a.k.a. Q: The Winged Serpent (1982) — about an Aztec god known as Quetzalcoatl (the Winged Serpent) resurrected and nesting atop the Chrysler 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-stars David Carradine, Candy Clark, Richard Roundtree, and James Dixon (another Cohen regular).

Cohen's next project with Moriarty was The Stuff (1985) in which an alien substance 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 Michael Moriarty, is hired to investigate the origins of the Stuff and to then destroy the product. The film co-stars Danny Aiello, Brian Bloom, Scott Bloom, Andrea Marcovicci, Patrick O'Neal, and Paul Sorvino. Saturday Night Live regular Garrett Morris plays Charlie W. Hobbs a.k.a. Chocolate Chip Charlie, a junk food mogul who assists Mo with his investigation. Cohen cast Moriarty in It's Alive 3: Island of the Alive (1987)—the third part of the Alive Trilogy—and again in A Return to Salem's Lot (1987), the unofficial sequel of Stephen King's novel and TV miniseries Salem's Lot. Cohen finished the 1980s with Wicked Stepmother (1989), in which the late Bette Davis made her last appearance.

1990s

Cohen began the 1990s with his film The Ambulance (1990) starring Eric 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 Ambulance features cameos by Stan Lee, Larry Hama and Jim Salicrup of Marvel Comics. He would direct only two other films during the 1990s, one being the Blaxploitation film Original Gangstas (1996), featuring Ron O'Neal, Pam Grier, and Fred Williamson. For most of the decade, Cohen concentrated on writing. He penned the remainder of the William Lustig Maniac Cop Trilogy – he had previously scripted Maniac Cop in 1988 – that features Robert Z'Dar as undead Maniac Cop, Matt Cordell, and B-Movie horror actor Bruce Campbell. He then provided the story of the third adaptation of Jack Finney's 1955 science-fiction novel The Body Snatchers, a tale of alien invasion and paranoia: Body Snatchers was directed by Abel Ferrara and starred Forest Whitaker. Throughout the decade Cohen was further involved in various TV projects including NYPD Blue and the Ed McBain-inspired 87th Precinct: Heatwave. He also served as producer on the John Candy comedy Delirious (1991).

2000s–2019

Cohen's output after the 1990s was less prolific and concentrated solely on scriptwriting, except for a brief return to directing with the Masters of Horror episode "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 of Joel Schumacher. Phone Booth was a commercial success with an estimated budget of $13 million and a worldwide gross of $98 million. The film starred Colin Farrell, Katie Holmes, Kiefer Sutherland, and Forest Whitaker; it was produced by David Zucker.

His next film, another action-crime thriller titled Cellular (2004), also featured phones and, like Phone Booth, it was a modest commercial success with an estimated budget of $25 million and a gross worldwide return of $50 million. Cellular starred Kim Basinger, Chris Evans, William H. Macy, and Jason Statham. Cellular was later re-made as Connected (2008), Cohen being credited with the story. He then scripted the horror-thriller films Captivity (2007) and Messages Deleted (2009); however, both films fared poorly on a critical and commercial level. Cohen nevertheless received acclaim for the above-mentioned Pick Me Up, which he directed for the Mick Garris TV series Masters of Horror (2006). The episode was written by splatterpunk-horror author David Schow, and starred Cohen regular Michael Moriarty.

In 2003, Cohen, together with production partner Martin Poll was at the center of a lawsuit against 20th Century Fox, claiming the company had intentionally plagiarized a script of theirs titled Cast of Characters in order to create the Sean Connery-starring League of Extraordinary Gentlemen in 2003. According to the BBC, the lawsuit alleged 'that Mr. Cohen and Mr. Poll pitched the idea to Fox several times between 1993 and 1996, under the name Cast of Characters.' The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen was an adaptation of the 1999 published comic book series by Alan Moore and artist Kevin O'Neill.

In 2006, Cohen was included in the Masters of Horror TV anthology, which also included – but was not limited to – writers and directors as diverse as Dario 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, and Tim Sullivan. It was created by Mick Garris for the Showtime cable network. Cohen's contribution was the segment Pick Me Up, based on a short story by David Schow, who also wrote the teleplay. It stars Fairuza Balk and Cohen regulars Laurene Landon and Michael Moriarty. Pick Me Up is the story of woman traveling on a bus that has broken down along a stretch of lonely two-lane blacktop. Enter two serial killers: Wheeler (Moriarty), a driver who picks up hitchhikers with the sole intent of killing them – and – Walker (Warren Kole), a hitchhiker who accepts lifts in order to find his victims. 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 killer turf war, a war over which killer will get her first. Pick Me Up signaled a brief return to the director's chair for Cohen.

Josef Rusnak remade Cohen's It's Alive in 2009. Still awaiting a score on Rotten Tomatoes, the existing reviews are also very poor. Even Cohen admitted that the remake was dreadful and 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."

Death

Cohen died on March 23, 2019 in Los Angeles, California, at the age of 77.

Critical response

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

Cohen's science fiction horror film and satirical social commentary The Stuff (1985) garnered mixed reviews, often being compared to Jack Finney's The Body Snatchers novel and the 1958 film The Blob. It has a moderate fresh rating of 63% on Rotten Tomatoes. The Apollo Movie Guide remark that The Stuff works 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. Although Apollo praise the juxtaposition of Cohen's clever screenplay and Michael Moriarty's performance, it states that the film is no classic. It does, however, award the film a modest Apollo Rating of 77/100. The Chicago Sun-Times, on the other hand, sees The Stuff as a widely ambitious movie that fails mainly due to distracting glitches and a lack of plausibility: "What we have here are a lot of nice touches in search of a movie." Chicago Sun-Times rating: 1 1/2 stars out of 5. Bloody Disgusting nevertheless awarded The Stuff 3 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."

His fantasy horror Q a.k.a. Q: The Winged Serpent' (1982) has a Rotten Tomatoes rating of 61%. TV Guide praise Cohen for his intelligence, creativity and originality and further comment that '[Cohen] successfully combines a film noir crime story with a good old-fashioned giant monster movie' and that 'Michael Moriarty turns in a brilliant performance as Jimmy Quinn [...]'. Horror author and movie critic, Kim Newman, praises Cohen's plot originality and canny use of characters in Empire, 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 as King Kong – to the background. Alternatively, the Chicago 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 the Rivoli Theater, had just 'a few words – only a very few – about Q, offering a brief neutral synopsis and a couple of quotes. Variety are more favourable, focusing on Cohen's 'wild' and 'bizarre' – albeit realistic – efforts: Q has great fun mixing 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, 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% on Rotten Tomatoes, one of the highest rated Cohen films from the latter. Focusing on the social context of the film at the time, The Film Journal points out that It'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 Journal acknowledge Cohen's ability 'to impart an intelligent nature to his otherwise pulpy horror films'. Black Hole magazine say that despite a lack of A-List actors and special effects, It's Alive still manages to maintain the viewers interest due to Cohen's 'unique horror concept and a script rich in ideas'. Black Hole nevertheless points out that '[w]hile the drama is consistent, it's less successful as a seventies monster movie, and especially lacking now': whereas Jaws (1975) revealed the shark slowly, Cohen's film 'barely ever shows us the goods'. The magazine does agree, however, that It's Alive was 'a sufficiently powerful monster movie and [that] audiences wanted more'. Filmcritic draws attention to the humour element, especially the scenes where the Baby-Monster is rustling in the bushes, unseen, comparing them to the scene in Basket Case (1982) when the Baby-Monster is stuffed into a garbage sack after being cut away from its human twin. Basket Case is indeed a part of another – later – Baby-Monster horror trilogy. In short, Filmcritic says 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 a.k.a. Demon (1976), Cohen's science fiction thriller, has a rating of 75% on Rotten 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 because God Told Them To, is called 'one of his most ambitious movies' that is 'cemented in an interesting idea' by QNetwork 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 conclusion QNetwork give the film an even 2 1/2 stars for being the 'clumsiest and most entertaining schlock of the last 20 years'. CinePassion online magazine simply state: '[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' as Taxi Driver and a clear linchpin of The X-Files'. The Chicago Sun-Times sees Cohen's incoherent text in a different light, likening the film to a cinematic version of the card game 52 Pickup: 'the movie does achieve greatness in another way: this is the most confused feature-length film [...] ever seen'. But Time Out applauded 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

Director

Screenwriter

Producer

Actor

Miscellaneous crew

See also




Unless indicated otherwise, the text in this article is either based on Wikipedia article "Larry Cohen" or another language Wikipedia page thereof used under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License; or on research by Jahsonic and friends. See Art and Popular Culture's copyright notice.

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