Friday, December 18, 2009

Dan O'Bannon, R. I. P.

Dan O'Bannon 1946-2009: "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..."

Hat tip to Todd Mason.

1 comment:

Stephen B. said...

That's a real blow

-- once saw an interview he had ideas from the story that became part of ALIEN and it was later used as a segment in HEAVY METAL (the thing creeping through the plane in that case).