Dan O’Bannon was born on 30 September 1946. He died at the age of 63.
O’Bannon was a great screenwriter who wrote many iconic psychotronic films. These include Dark Star, Alien, Lifeforce, Invaders from Mars, and Total Recall. He also directed a couple of excellent horror films: The Return of the Living Dead and The Resurrected.
It’s shocking he created so much great stuff when he died so young.
In general, O’Bannon shares screenwriting credit for his work. For example, three of his films were co-written with Don Jakoby. O’Bannon was the visionary or genius. Jakoby was the craftsman. Or at least that’s what film journalists will tell you. I think such generalizations are mostly nonsense. Both men loved the kind of horror and science fiction they wrote. Jakoby, for example, co-wrote Arachnophobia without O’Bannon.
Dan O’Bannon also collaborated with Ronald Shusett on two big hits: Alien and Total Recall. People say exactly the same thing about this relationship.
There is one wrinkle. The two men supposedly wrote Dead & Buried together. But according to O’Bannon, he only put his name on the screenplay to get it made. He hated the final film. That’s too bad. It’s actually quite good. This was after they wrote Alien together but before Total Recall. I smell a rat. Temperamental artists with journalists recording every silly thought they have.
It is hard to pick a film to celebrate Dan O’Bannon’s birthday. But I really think we have to go with The Return of the Living Dead. It’s one of his few directorial efforts. And he wrote the screenplay (but not the story). And it works very well to this day.
Other 30 September Anniversaries
Filmmakers
- Lewis Milestone (1895-1980): Director known for All Quiet on the Western Front, The Strange Love of Martha Ivers, Mutiny on the Bounty, and more.
- Bill Walsh (1913-1975): Screenwriter known mostly for his Disney films like The Absent Minded Professor, Mary Poppins, The Love Bug, and much more.
- Deborah Kerr (1921-2007): Actor known for The Innocents and Eye of the Devil.
- Robert Fuest (1927-2012): Director of The Abominable Dr Phibes, Dr Phibes Rises Again, and The Devil’s Rain.
- Angie Dickinson (1931-): Actor known for Big Bad Mama, Dressed to Kill, and more.
- Ian Ogilvy (1943-): Actor known for Witchfinder General, And Now the Screaming Starts! and more.
- Victoria Tennant (1950-): Actor known for Flowers in the Attic and Whispers.
- Barry Williams (1954-): Greg Brady.
- Eric Stoltz (1961-): Actor known for The Fly II and Pulp Fiction.
- Monica Bellucci (1964-): Actor known for Brotherhood of the Wolf and The Matrix Reloaded.
- Mark Polonia (1968-): Iconic microbudget filmmaker of over 100 films including Splatter Farm and Land Shark.
- Jenna Elfman (1971-): Actor known for Krippendorf’s Tribe and more recently Fear of the Living Dead.
Films
- The Ape (1940): A mad scientist tries to cure polio and it goes the way you’d think.
- Donovan’s Brain (1953): Scientists remove man’s brain but it turns telepathic and takes over.
- Brainstorm (1983): Scientists learn to hop into others’ brains.
- Cellar Dweller (1988): Comic book artist accidentally summons a demon.
- Elvira: Mistress of the Dark (1988): Elvira inherits a house.
- Unleashed Evil (2003): A mummy is released.
- Zombie Hunters (2007): A mad scientist is trying to create human-zombie hybrids and the zombie hunters are on the case.
- Rest Stop: Don’t Look Back (2008): A murdered driver at a rest stop becomes a vengeful ghost.
- Tucker and Dale vs Evil (2010): Two rednecks get mistaken murderers by a bunch of college students. This is one of the greatest horror comedies ever made.
- Smile (2022): A psychiatrist is harassed by some force that manifests in an incredibly creepy way.
- Vesper (2022): Kid survives in a post-apocalyptic fantasy world.
Dan O’Bannon by JaSunni under CC BY-SA 3.0.