Celebrity

Horror Filmmaker of ‘It’s Alive’, Larry Cohen, Dies at 77

Horror filmmaker Larry Cohen — who made films like It’s Alive and A Return to Salem’s Lot — […]

Horror filmmaker Larry Cohen — who made films like It’s Alive and A Return to Salem’s Lothas passed away at the age of 77.

According to Bloody Disgusting, Cohen died over the past weekend, though the outlet did not cite a reported cause of death.

Videos by PopCulture.com

In addition to his work on the aforementioned films that he wrote and directed, Cohen also wrote and helmed the movies It Lives Again, Special Effects, The Stuff.

He also wrote the horror classic Maniac Cop, as well as more modern films such as Phone Booth and Cellular.

The horror movie streaming service Shudder currently is hosting a documentary about Cohen’s life and work, titled King Cohen: The Wild World of Filmmaker Larry Cohen.

Following his passing, many of Cohen’s fans and peers have come out to mourn his passing on social media by sharing posts lamenting his loss.

“Larry Cohen. RIP. A true iconoclast and independent. I will always marvel at It’s Alive!, Q, Perfect Strangers (what a brilliant premise!) and God Told Me To– Andy Kaufman being in it just adds more special sauce,” writer/director Guillermo del Toro tweeted.

“Reading that writer-director Larry Cohen has passed away. His films had a giant impact on me (Q, It’s Alive, The Stuff, God Told Me To). Talk about a filmmaker who was using horror as a platform to say something…,” Blumhouse Feature Film Development VP Ryan Turek wrote.

“The death of Larry Cohen hits hard. He was one of the smartest genre filmmakers, with high-concept films and unexpectedly rich characters, and plots that never quite go where you’d expect. Q THE WINGED SERPENT and THE STUFF will always be favorites,” film critic William Bibbiani said of Cohen’s death.

Per Variety, Cohen’s publicist Shade Rupe confirmed the director’s death, and added that he was surrounded by loved ones when he passed.