Don Coscarelli | |
|---|---|
 Coscarelli at Nocturna Fest Madrid in 2017 | |
| Born | (1954-02-17)February 17, 1954 (age 71) |
| Occupation(s) | Film director Producer Screenwriter |
| Spouse | Shelley Kay |
| Children | Chloe |
Don Coscarelli Jr. (born February 17, 1954) is an Americanfilm director,producer, andscreenwriter.[1] He is best known for his work inhorror films. His directing credits include the first four films in thePhantasm franchise,[2] as well asThe Beastmaster (1982) andBubba Ho-Tep (2002).[3]
Coscarelli was born toItalian settlers in Libya and raised inSouthern California. 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 hometown ofLos Alamitos, California, were winning prizes on television.[citation needed]
At the age of 19, Coscarelli became the youngest director to have a feature film distributed by a major studio when he sold his independently produced dramaJim the World's Greatest, to Universal Pictures. The film was the first collaboration for Coscarelli with actor Lawrence Rory Guy, who went on to achieve horror icon status under the screen nameAngus Scrimm.[4]Jim the World's Greatest was an official selection of the USA Film Festival.[citation needed]
Coscarelli is best known forPhantasm, and its sequels. The original film was a worldwide critical and box-office success and won the Special Jury Prize at the Festival du Cinema Fantastique atAvoriaz,France.[citation needed]
Coscarelli also co-wrote (with Paul Pepperman) and directedThe Beastmaster,[5] which was described byEntertainment Weekly as "a surefire audience favorite."[6]The Beastmaster has spawned two sequels[7][8] and atelevision series.[9]
Coscarelli was the recipient of theBram Stoker Award for Best Screenplay for his filmBubba Ho-Tep, which he also directed. Based on a short story byJoe R. Lansdale, it starsBruce Campbell,Ossie Davis, and frequent Coscarelli collaboratorReggie Bannister. In addition to being a critical hit,Bubba Ho-Tep was also a festival favorite, playing prestigious international film festivals like theToronto International Film Festival,SXSW,Florida Film Festival,Brussels International Festival of Fantasy Films, and theHong Kong International Film festival. AtHBO'sUS Comedy Arts Festival, Coscarelli was the recipient of the Best Screenplay Award. AtMontreal's FantAsia Festival,Bubba Ho-Tep received the Best International Film award.[citation needed]
Coscarelli also directed the premiere episode of the American TV seriesMasters of Horror, titled "Incident On and Off a Mountain Road"[10] and co-wrote the teleplay with Stephen Romano. In 2008, Coscarelli purchased film rights to the horror novel and internet seriesJohn Dies at the End byDavid Wong. The film was completed in 2011, and released in 2013.[11]
In 2018, he published his memoir,True Indie: Life and Death in Filmmaking.[citation needed]
Coscarelli frequently collaborates with his wife,costume designer Shelley Kay.[12] His daughter is award-winningvegan chefChloe Coscarelli.[13]
| Awards | |
|---|---|
| Phantasm (1979) | Special Prize at the Avoriaz Fantastic Film Festival |
| The Beastmaster (1982) | Antenne II Award at the Avoriaz Fantastic Film Festival |
| Phantasm III: Lord of the Dead (1994) | Chainsaw Award for Best Limited-Release/Direct-to-Video Film |
| Bubba Ho-Tep (2002) | Bram Stoker Awards for Best Screenplay, Nominated - Best Film at the Fantasporto |
| Don Coscarelli (2004) | Fangoria Horror Hall of Fame |
| John Dies at the End (2012) | Philadelphia Film Festival, Audience Award - Honorable Mention |
