Norman J. Warren
Encyclopedia
Norman John Warren, born 25 June 1942 in London, is a British film director best known for such 1970s horror films as Satan’s Slave (1976), Prey (1978) and Terror (1979). Warren is also known for sex comedies such as Spaced Out (also known as Outer Spaced).
Along with Peter Walker
, Warren’s films are sometimes dubbed “New Wave” British horror, on account that they upped the ante in terms of explicitness, were set in modern day 1970s Britain and centered around 20 to 30 year old protagonists, which differed them from the period piece horrors of Hammer Films that had gone before.
and as an assistant director (The Dock Brief, 1962) before directing the short film Fragment in 1965. Calcutta-born Bachoo Sen (1934–2002), owner of the Astral cinema in Brewer Street who had an interest in film production, saw Fragment and subsequently hired Warren to direct two feature length sex films, Her Private Hell and Loving Feeling. Both were huge successes, but Warren saw little of the profits.
Not wanting to be typecast as a sex film director, Warren turned down a third directing offer from Sen (which would have been 1969’s Love Is a Splendid Illusion) and had to wait several years before being able to raise the capital to make Satan’s Slave, the first of a series of horror films that Warren would direct. Warren’s final two films, Bloody New Year and Gunpowder (both 1987), were hampered by severe low budgets imposed by producer Maxine Julius.
Although Warren has not directed a feature film since, he continues to work directing music videos and educational shorts including Person to Person, a BBC
film designed for English language students, and his horror films have developed a cult following resulting in Evil Heritage, a documentary about Warren made in 1999 and a DVD box set of his films being released in 2004.
In 2007 Warren worked on the supplementary features for the Region 1 DVD releases of First Man into Space
, Corridors of Blood
and The Haunted Strangler
. A regular guest at Manchester's Festival of Fantastic Films
, Warren suffered from polio as a child and as a result only has one functioning arm.
Two of Warren’s actresses would later become the subjects of high profile separation/divorce cases. Glory Annen Clibbery
, who appeared in Warren’s Prey (1978) and Outer Touch (1979) was involved in the landmark Family Law case “Allan v. Clibbery”, while Tricia Walsh (aka Tricia Walsh-Smith) who appeared in Terror (1979), recently became an internet star on account of her Youtube
videos attacking her estranged husband. A framed still of her bloody demise in Terror can be seen hanging on her office wall in one of her Youtube videos.
Along with Peter Walker
Pete Walker (director)
Pete Walker is an English film director, writer and producer, specialising in horror and sexploitation films, frequently combining the two....
, Warren’s films are sometimes dubbed “New Wave” British horror, on account that they upped the ante in terms of explicitness, were set in modern day 1970s Britain and centered around 20 to 30 year old protagonists, which differed them from the period piece horrors of Hammer Films that had gone before.
Career
An avid film fan from childhood, Warren entered the film industry as a runner on The MillionairessThe Millionairess
The Millionairess is a 1960 British romantic comedy film set in London, directed by Anthony Asquith and starring Sophia Loren and Peter Sellers...
and as an assistant director (The Dock Brief, 1962) before directing the short film Fragment in 1965. Calcutta-born Bachoo Sen (1934–2002), owner of the Astral cinema in Brewer Street who had an interest in film production, saw Fragment and subsequently hired Warren to direct two feature length sex films, Her Private Hell and Loving Feeling. Both were huge successes, but Warren saw little of the profits.
Not wanting to be typecast as a sex film director, Warren turned down a third directing offer from Sen (which would have been 1969’s Love Is a Splendid Illusion) and had to wait several years before being able to raise the capital to make Satan’s Slave, the first of a series of horror films that Warren would direct. Warren’s final two films, Bloody New Year and Gunpowder (both 1987), were hampered by severe low budgets imposed by producer Maxine Julius.
Although Warren has not directed a feature film since, he continues to work directing music videos and educational shorts including Person to Person, a BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
film designed for English language students, and his horror films have developed a cult following resulting in Evil Heritage, a documentary about Warren made in 1999 and a DVD box set of his films being released in 2004.
In 2007 Warren worked on the supplementary features for the Region 1 DVD releases of First Man into Space
First Man into Space
First Man into Space is a 1959 science fiction horror film directed by Robert Day and distributed by Amalgamated films.- Plot :...
, Corridors of Blood
Corridors of Blood
Corridors of Blood is a 1958 horror film directed by Robert Day. The original music score was composed by Buxton Orr. The film was marketed with the tagline "Tops in terror!" in the US where MGM released it as a double feature with Werewolf in a Girls' Dormitory.-Plot:An 1840s British surgeon, Dr...
and The Haunted Strangler
The Haunted Strangler
The Haunted Strangler is a 1958 British horror film directed by Robert Day. It was adapted from "Stranglehold", a story which screenwriter Jan Read had written specially for Boris Karloff, and was shot back to back with producer Richard Gordon's Fiend Without a Face, with both later being...
. A regular guest at Manchester's Festival of Fantastic Films
Festival of Fantastic Films (UK)
The Festival of Fantastic Films is an annual non-profit celebration of cinema fantastique, held annually in central Manchester, England. It was created by Tony Edwards and the late Harry Nadler , together with their fellow enthusiast Gil Lane-Young.Past...
, Warren suffered from polio as a child and as a result only has one functioning arm.
Two of Warren’s actresses would later become the subjects of high profile separation/divorce cases. Glory Annen Clibbery
Glory Annen Clibbery
Glory Annen Clibbery is a Canadian actress, who is well known for her involvement in a landmark Family Law case in London, Allan v. Clibbery.-Career:Clibbery was born in Kenora, Ontario, Canada...
, who appeared in Warren’s Prey (1978) and Outer Touch (1979) was involved in the landmark Family Law case “Allan v. Clibbery”, while Tricia Walsh (aka Tricia Walsh-Smith) who appeared in Terror (1979), recently became an internet star on account of her Youtube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
videos attacking her estranged husband. A framed still of her bloody demise in Terror can be seen hanging on her office wall in one of her Youtube videos.
Filmography
- Incident (1959, completed 2007) (director / editor)
- The MillionairessThe MillionairessThe Millionairess is a 1960 British romantic comedy film set in London, directed by Anthony Asquith and starring Sophia Loren and Peter Sellers...
(1960) (runner) - The Dock Brief (1962) (third assistant director)
- Shellarama (1965) (assistant editor)
- Fragment (1965) (director / editor)
- Night of the Generals (1966) (third assistant director)
- Sailor from Gibraltar (1967) (third assistant director)
- Her Private Hell (1967) (director / editor)
- Loving Feeling (1968) (director / editor)
- Rod the Mod (1970) (assistant editor)
- Oink! (1970) (editor)
- Satan’s Slave (1976) (director / editor)
- Prey (1978)
- Outer Touch (1979)
- Terror (1979) (director / sound editor)
- InseminoidInseminoidInseminoid is a British film of science fiction and horror released in 1981. Norman J. Warren's eighth motion picture, the plot of Inseminoid concerns a group of future scientists excavating the ruins of an ancient civilisation on a distant planet...
(1981) - Warbirds Air Display (1984) (director / editor)
- Person to Person (1985)
- Gunpowder (1987)
- Bloody New Year (1987)
- Meath School' (1992) (producer / director)
- Buzz' (1993) (director / editor)
- Doing Rude Things (1995) (interviewee)
- Evil Heritage (1999) (interviewee/subject)
- Christopher Lee: A Life in Films (2003) (post-production supervisor)
- Corridor Gossip (2007)
- Haunted Memories (2007)
- Making Space (2007)
- Horror Icon (2007) (interviewee)
- Into the Dark: Exploring the Horror Film (2008) (interviewee)
- Norman J. Warren Presents: Horrorshow' (2008) (host)
- Grave Tales (2009) (promo director)
- Slice and Dice: The Slasher Film Forever (2010) (interviewee)
- Daddy Cross (2011) (voice over)
External links
- Norman J. Warren interview
- Norman J. Warren podcast (MP3)
- Norman J. Warren interview at cinemanocturna.com
- Article about Inseminoid
- Article about Gunpowder
- Norman J. Warren interview at Eatmybrains.com
- Fangoria interview part 1
- Fangoria interview part 2
- Satan’s Slave Trailer
- Prey Trailer
- Terror Trailer
- Inseminoid Trailer
- Bloody New Year Trailer