Don Coscarelli
Encyclopedia
Don Coscarelli is an American
film director
, producer
and screenwriter
best known for horror film
s. His credits include the Phantasm
series, The Beastmaster
, and Bubba Ho-Tep
.
population. He speaks Arabic
and American English
aside from his native Italian
. Although his family was not connected with the motion picture business, he was fascinated with cameras and filmmaking at an early age. Long before he was old enough to attend film school, his short films, made with the help of neighborhood friends in his home town of Long Beach, California
, were winning prizes on television.
At the age of nineteen, Coscarelli became the youngest director to have a feature film distributed by a major studio when he sold his independently produced and critically acclaimed drama, Jim the World's Greatest
, to Universal Pictures. The film was the first collaboration for Coscarelli with the accomplished actor Lawrence Rory Guy, who went on to achieve legendary horror icon status under the screen name Angus Scrimm
. Jim the World's Greatest
was an official selection of the USA Film Festival.
Coscarelli is best known for the Phantasm
films. Phantasm
and its three successful sequels spawned a huge cult of fans around the world and have become staples in the home video and DVD market. The original Phantasm
was a worldwide critical and box-office success and won the Special Jury Prize at the Festival du Cinema Fantastique at Avoriaz
, France
.
Mr. Coscarelli also co-wrote (with Paul Pepperman) and directed The Beastmaster, which was described recently in Entertainment Weekly as "one of the most popular films of all time on cable television." The Beastmaster has spawned two sequels and a television series.
Mr. Coscarelli was the recipient of the Bram Stoker Award
for Best Screenplay for his film Bubba Ho-Tep
, which he also directed. Based on a short story by Joe R. Lansdale
, Bubba Ho-Tep
stars Bruce Campbell, Ossie Davis
and frequent Coscarelli collaborator Reggie Bannister
. In addition to being a critical hit, [Bubba Ho-Tep was also a festival favorite, playing in such prestigious international film festivals as the Toronto International Film Festival
, SXSW, Florida Film Festival
, Brussels International Festival of Fantasy Films, and the Hong Kong International Film festival
. At HBO's US Comedy Arts Festival, Coscarelli was the recipient of the Best Screenplay Award. At Montreal's FantAsia Festival Bubba Ho-Tep was the recipient of the Best International Film award.
Coscarelli also directed the premiere episode of the American TV series Masters of Horror
entitled "Incident On and Off a Mountain Road" and co-wrote the teleplay with Stephen Romano.
Coscarelli is currently planning Bubba Nosferatu, as a sequel to his film Bubba Ho-Tep
.
In 2008 Coscarelli purchased film rights to the horror novel and internet series John Dies at the End
by David Wong
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
film director
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
, producer
Film producer
A film producer oversees and delivers a film project to all relevant parties while preserving the integrity, voice and vision of the film. They will also often take on some financial risk by using their own money, especially during the pre-production period, before a film is fully financed.The...
and screenwriter
Screenwriter
Screenwriters or scriptwriters or scenario writers are people who write/create the short or feature-length screenplays from which mass media such as films, television programs, Comics or video games are based.-Profession:...
best known for horror film
Horror film
Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...
s. His credits include the Phantasm
Phantasm (film)
Phantasm is a low-budget "cult classic" horror film produced in 1977 and released in 1979. The film was directed, written, photographed, co-produced and edited by Don Coscarelli...
series, The Beastmaster
The Beastmaster (film)
The Beastmaster is 1982 fantasy film directed by Don Coscarelli that starred Marc Singer, Tanya Roberts, John Amos and Rip Torn. The film was marketed with the tagline "Born with the courage of an eagle, the strength of a black tiger, and the power of a god."-Summary:The Beastmaster tells the story...
, and Bubba Ho-Tep
Bubba Ho-tep
Bubba Ho-tep is a 2002 American comedy horror drama film starring Bruce Campbell as Elvis Presley — now a resident in a nursing home. The film also stars Ossie Davis as Jack, a black man who claims to be John F. Kennedy, explaining that he was patched up after the assassination, dyed black,...
.
Biography
Coscarelli was born in Libya and raised in Southern California. His family is among the Italian LibyanItalian Libyan
Italian Libyan or Libyan Italian may be:*Of or relating to Italian Libya**History of Libya as Italian Colony**People with a restricted form of Italian citizenship granted to natives of Italian Libya...
population. He speaks Arabic
Arabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
and American English
American English
American English is a set of dialects of the English language used mostly in the United States. Approximately two-thirds of the world's native speakers of English live in the United States....
aside from his native Italian
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
. Although his family was not connected with the motion picture business, he was fascinated with cameras and filmmaking at an early age. Long before he was old enough to attend film school, his short films, made with the help of neighborhood friends in his home town of Long Beach, California
Long Beach, California
Long Beach is a city situated in Los Angeles County in Southern California, on the Pacific coast of the United States. The city is the 36th-largest city in the nation and the seventh-largest in California. As of 2010, its population was 462,257...
, were winning prizes on television.
At the age of nineteen, Coscarelli became the youngest director to have a feature film distributed by a major studio when he sold his independently produced and critically acclaimed drama, Jim the World's Greatest
Jim the World's Greatest
Jim the World's Greatest is a 1976 drama film written and directed by Don Coscarelli and Craig Mitchell. The movie was produced when Coscarelli and Mitchell were 17 year-old teenagers, while being financed by their parents at a stated cost of $250,000....
, to Universal Pictures. The film was the first collaboration for Coscarelli with the accomplished actor Lawrence Rory Guy, who went on to achieve legendary horror icon status under the screen name Angus Scrimm
Angus Scrimm
Angus Scrimm is an American actor, best known for playing the Tall Man in the 1979 horror movie Phantasm and its sequels.-Life and career:...
. Jim the World's Greatest
Jim the World's Greatest
Jim the World's Greatest is a 1976 drama film written and directed by Don Coscarelli and Craig Mitchell. The movie was produced when Coscarelli and Mitchell were 17 year-old teenagers, while being financed by their parents at a stated cost of $250,000....
was an official selection of the USA Film Festival.
Coscarelli is best known for the Phantasm
Phantasm (film)
Phantasm is a low-budget "cult classic" horror film produced in 1977 and released in 1979. The film was directed, written, photographed, co-produced and edited by Don Coscarelli...
films. Phantasm
Phantasm (film)
Phantasm is a low-budget "cult classic" horror film produced in 1977 and released in 1979. The film was directed, written, photographed, co-produced and edited by Don Coscarelli...
and its three successful sequels spawned a huge cult of fans around the world and have become staples in the home video and DVD market. The original Phantasm
Phantasm (film)
Phantasm is a low-budget "cult classic" horror film produced in 1977 and released in 1979. The film was directed, written, photographed, co-produced and edited by Don Coscarelli...
was a worldwide critical and box-office success and won the Special Jury Prize at the Festival du Cinema Fantastique at Avoriaz
Avoriaz
Avoriaz is a French mountain resort in the heart of the Portes du Soleil. It is located in the territory of the commune of Morzine. It is easily accessible from either Thonon at Lake Geneva or Cluses-junction on the A40 motorway between Geneva and Chamonix...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
Mr. Coscarelli also co-wrote (with Paul Pepperman) and directed The Beastmaster, which was described recently in Entertainment Weekly as "one of the most popular films of all time on cable television." The Beastmaster has spawned two sequels and a television series.
Mr. Coscarelli was the recipient of the Bram Stoker Award
Bram Stoker Award
The Bram Stoker Award is a recognition presented by the Horror Writers Association for "superior achievement" in horror writing. The awards have been presented annually since 1987, and the winners are selected by ballot of the Active members of the HWA...
for Best Screenplay for his film Bubba Ho-Tep
Bubba Ho-tep
Bubba Ho-tep is a 2002 American comedy horror drama film starring Bruce Campbell as Elvis Presley — now a resident in a nursing home. The film also stars Ossie Davis as Jack, a black man who claims to be John F. Kennedy, explaining that he was patched up after the assassination, dyed black,...
, which he also directed. Based on a short story by Joe R. Lansdale
Joe R. Lansdale
Joe R. Lansdale is an American author and martial-arts expert. He has written novels and stories in many genres, including Western, horror, science fiction, mystery, and suspense...
, Bubba Ho-Tep
Bubba Ho-tep
Bubba Ho-tep is a 2002 American comedy horror drama film starring Bruce Campbell as Elvis Presley — now a resident in a nursing home. The film also stars Ossie Davis as Jack, a black man who claims to be John F. Kennedy, explaining that he was patched up after the assassination, dyed black,...
stars Bruce Campbell, Ossie Davis
Ossie Davis
Ossie Davis was an American film actor, director, poet, playwright, writer, and social activist.-Early years:...
and frequent Coscarelli collaborator Reggie Bannister
Reggie Bannister
Reginald Horace "Reggie" Bannister is an American musician, actor, producer, writer, and activist. He is often referred to as "The Hardest Working Man in Horror".-Biography:...
. In addition to being a critical hit, [Bubba Ho-Tep was also a festival favorite, playing in such prestigious international film festivals as the Toronto International Film Festival
Toronto International Film Festival
The Toronto International Film Festival is a publicly-attended film festival held each September in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. In 2010, 339 films from 59 countries were screened at 32 screens in downtown Toronto venues...
, SXSW, Florida Film Festival
Florida Film Festival
The Florida Film Festival, produced by Enzian Theater in Maitland, Florida, is an annual international film festival. Showcasing the best American independent and foreign films, the festival has become one of the most respected regional film events in the United States.-Overview:The Festival...
, Brussels International Festival of Fantasy Films, and the Hong Kong International Film festival
Hong Kong International Film Festival
The Hong Kong International Film Festival is a platform for filmmakers, film professionals and filmgoers from all over the world to launch and experience new film work. There are seminars, conferences, exhibitions, and parties celebrating the festival community...
. At HBO's US Comedy Arts Festival, Coscarelli was the recipient of the Best Screenplay Award. At Montreal's FantAsia Festival Bubba Ho-Tep was the recipient of the Best International Film award.
Coscarelli also directed the premiere episode of the American TV series Masters of Horror
Masters of Horror
Masters of Horror is an informal social group of international film writers and directors specializing in horror movies and an American television series created by director Mick Garris for the Showtime cable network.- Origin :...
entitled "Incident On and Off a Mountain Road" and co-wrote the teleplay with Stephen Romano.
Coscarelli is currently planning Bubba Nosferatu, as a sequel to his film Bubba Ho-Tep
Bubba Ho-tep
Bubba Ho-tep is a 2002 American comedy horror drama film starring Bruce Campbell as Elvis Presley — now a resident in a nursing home. The film also stars Ossie Davis as Jack, a black man who claims to be John F. Kennedy, explaining that he was patched up after the assassination, dyed black,...
.
In 2008 Coscarelli purchased film rights to the horror novel and internet series John Dies at the End
John Dies at the End
John Dies at the End is a comedic horror novel written by Jason Pargin that was first published online as a webserial beginning in 2001, then as an edited manuscript in 2004 and printed paperback in 2007 via Permuted Press. An estimated 70,000 people read the free online versions before they were...
by David Wong
David Wong
David Wong may refer to:* David Wong Louie, American writer of novels and short stories * Dave Wong , Chinese singer* David Wong , philosophy professor at Duke University...
.
Filmography
- Jim the World's GreatestJim the World's GreatestJim the World's Greatest is a 1976 drama film written and directed by Don Coscarelli and Craig Mitchell. The movie was produced when Coscarelli and Mitchell were 17 year-old teenagers, while being financed by their parents at a stated cost of $250,000....
(1975) - Kenny & CompanyKenny & CompanyKenny & Company is a 1976 family film directed by Don Coscarelli who also made the Phantasm series. It stars A. Michael Baldwin and Reggie Bannister, who would later star in Phantasm.-Plot summary:...
(1976) - PhantasmPhantasm (film)Phantasm is a low-budget "cult classic" horror film produced in 1977 and released in 1979. The film was directed, written, photographed, co-produced and edited by Don Coscarelli...
(1979) - The BeastmasterThe Beastmaster (film)The Beastmaster is 1982 fantasy film directed by Don Coscarelli that starred Marc Singer, Tanya Roberts, John Amos and Rip Torn. The film was marketed with the tagline "Born with the courage of an eagle, the strength of a black tiger, and the power of a god."-Summary:The Beastmaster tells the story...
(1982) - Phantasm IIPhantasm IIPhantasm II, also known as Phantasm II: The Ball is Back! is the 1988 sequel to Phantasm. It was written and directed by Don Coscarelli, starring Angus Scrimm, James LeGros and Reggie Bannister...
(1988) - Survival QuestSurvival QuestSurvival Quest is a 1989 film starring Lance Henriksen, Catherine Keener, and Dermot Mulroney. It was written and directed by Don Coscarelli one year after Phantasm II.- Summary :There are two sets of campers on California's Sierra Madre Mountain...
(1989) - Phantasm III: Lord of the DeadPhantasm III: Lord of the DeadPhantasm III: Lord of the Dead is a 1994 horror film sequel to Phantasm II written and directed by Don Coscarelli. The film starred Angus Scrimm as the Tall Man, Reggie Bannister and A. Michael Baldwin. Filming wrapped up in mid-1993 but the film sat unreleased for over a year before being released...
(1994) - Phantasm IV: OblivionPhantasm IV: OblIVionPhantasm IV Oblivion is a 1998 horror film, a sequel to the Phantasm film series written and directed by Don Coscarelli, starring A. Michael Baldwin, Reggie Bannister and Angus Scrimm....
(1998) - Bubba Ho-TepBubba Ho-tepBubba Ho-tep is a 2002 American comedy horror drama film starring Bruce Campbell as Elvis Presley — now a resident in a nursing home. The film also stars Ossie Davis as Jack, a black man who claims to be John F. Kennedy, explaining that he was patched up after the assassination, dyed black,...
(2002) - Incident On and Off a Mountain RoadIncident On and Off a Mountain RoadIncident On and Off a Mountain Road is the premiere episode of the first season of Masters of Horror directed by Don Coscarelli. It originally aired in North America on October 28, 2005. The screenplay is based on an original short story by American author Joe R...
(2005) - John Dies at the EndJohn Dies at the End (film)John Dies at the End is an upcoming dark comedy horror film directed by Don Coscarelli, with a screenplay written by Coscarelli based upon the David Wong novel of the same name. Principal filming began in October 2010, and by January 2011, the project had entered post-production for a planned 2012...
(2011), based on the novel of the same nameJohn Dies at the EndJohn Dies at the End is a comedic horror novel written by Jason Pargin that was first published online as a webserial beginning in 2001, then as an edited manuscript in 2004 and printed paperback in 2007 via Permuted Press. An estimated 70,000 people read the free online versions before they were...