2023: A Look Back in Bedlam

• The State of the Film Industry
• Disney, Marvel and the Marvels
• The State of the Publishing Industry
• Some Recently Deceased Dot Coms
• Good News
• Favorite Discoveries Literary and Cinematic
• Remembering Those Who’ve Passed On
• 2023: Bedlam in Print
• 2023: The Year in Bedlam

Welcome to the latest edition of my Look Back in Bedlam overview of the previous year’s Bedlam Files-worthy happenings, and a listing of noteworthy deaths.  In terms of horror/cult media 2023 was a year that fits the “Interesting” category, and here I aim to point out why, starting with…

I really hate to say I told you so, but I told you so.  2023, it seems, was the year when all the bad things I and many others have long been warning about came to pass.  To repeat the naysaying: Hollywood’s overreliance on sequels, reboots and comic book movies will result in audience apathy…box office receipts will become unable to keep pace with the insanely inflated budgets…all the gratuitous political messaging will cause a backlash…and any streaming service that isn’t called Netflix is in for a rough ride.

And the bad news doesn’t end there, as 2024, which arrives in the wake of two crippling strikes, doesn’t appear to have much to offer in the way of filmic saviors.  What it does promise, if the forecasts I’ve been hearing are correct, is a possible teamsters strike—because apparently Hollywood hasn’t had enough strikes already.

Disney just wouldn’t be Disney, it seems, if its overseers made rational decisions.  This is the company, let’s not forget, that charged upwards of $6,000 per person to stay in the now-shuttered Galactic Starcruiser Hotel at Disneyworld, in which patrons interacted with characters from the recent STAR WARS sequels, but none from the original trilogy.  Disney also nixed the idea of a reunion between Indian Jones and the Key Huy Kwan played Short Round (from INDIANA JONES AND THE TEMPLE OF DOOM), despite Kwan’s newfound popularity, in favor of a patronizing and annoying goddaughter character who clutters up the disastrous INDIANA JONES AND THE DIAL OF DESTINY.

The most inexplicable of Disney’s recent decisions was made by its subsidiary Marvel, in the form of THE MARVELS.  I haven’t seen this disaster, but then I honestly don’t think Disney/Marvel wanted me to see it.  They certainly couldn’t have made a less appealing movie.

It’s a sequel, allegedly, to 2019’s CAPTAIN MARVEL, a movie in which its Brie Larson played title character was made a supporting player.  Here she’s downgraded even further, being one of a trio of heroines rounded out by Kamala Khan (Iman Vellani) of the notoriously low-rated (and since cancelled) Disney Plus series MS. MARVEL, and Monica Rameau (Teyonah Parris), a supporting player from WANDAVISION (another cancelled Disney Plus show)—a teaming-up I don’t remember anyone calling for.  Add to that a publicity campaign targeted, it seemed, exclusively at eight-year-old girls (an apparent attempt at latching onto BARBIE’s viewership) and the film’s uber-failure really shouldn’t surprise anyone.

We also shouldn’t be surprised by all the white knighting by online denizens.  Typical was Stephen King, who called out the “adolescent fanboy hate” he felt was behind the attacks on the film, after admitting that “I don’t go to MCU movies, don’t care for them.”  The man can offer social media support for THE MARVELS but can’t bring himself to buy a ticket and sit through it, which pretty much says it all.

I don’t follow the publishing industry’s doings as closely as I do those of Hollywood (whose peccadilloes are far more dramatic), but from what I’ve been able to glean the news in the book sphere isn’t much more encouraging than it is in movieland.  Book sales, it seems, have plateaued since the turn of the century, with industry revenues reaching 25.3 billion in 2000 and not climbing much higher in the following two decades, while in 2022 that number actually declined by 6.4 percent.  I don’t have 2023’s sales numbers just yet, but they don’t sound too encouraging (with one of the big-ticket items, Elliot Page’s memoir PAGEBOY, selling less than 68,000 copies).

Author Alex Perez pins the blame on the industry’s drift toward illiberalism—or, if you prefer, wokeness.  I’m in no position to confirm or deny Perez’s views, but the evidence would seem to support them.

Here’s a summary of a 2023 horror novel provided by a major publisher: “This Lovecraftian horror story is a testament to the perils of power and the human desire to reshape the world according to one’s own vision, all while centering on queer female protagonists.”  Here’s another: “A tense account of first contact and a searing indictment of capitalism, told through the eyes of a deeply damaged, darkly humorous, and endlessly compelling heroine.”  And another: “A queer epic fantasy with bandits of devastating ruthlessness, unseemly femininity, dangerous philosophies, and ungovernable gender who are ready to make history—or tear it apart.”

I’m not averse to anti-capitalist or “queer” subject matter, but I am put off by the foregrounding of establishment-friendly politics in easily digestible, buzzword packed synopses (and also, how can the bandits described above display unseemly femininity and ungovernable gender?).  If these synopses sound interesting to you then by all means dig in, but I’ll be turning my attention elsewhere.

Unexpectedly, we said goodbye to some long-standing cult movie websites in 2023.

There was Vomitbagvideo.com, a very old school greymarket video outfit that may still be in operation.  Its website, however, isn’t, and that’s a shame, as the colorful descriptions and sheer volume of rare films on display made for a memorable destination.

Another vital resource for rare cult films was the file sharing site Uloz.to, which on December 1st radically changed its orientation, and in so doing knocked the indispensable streaming service Rarefilmm.com (which stored its files on Uloz) out of commission.  The latter site has regrouped, and is in the process of reuploading its films on a different server, but the Uloz.to that we knew is, it appears, gone forever.

More rarities could be found at New German Cinema.  Hosted on the Russian social media platform VK.com, New German Cinema offered thousands of difficult-to-find German language films like JANE REMAINS JANE (1977) and JESUS—DER FILM (1986), but for some unknown reason took down nearly all of them around the same time Uloz.to gave up the ghost.

Finally, SoiledSinema.com, a long-running cult movie review blog, shut its doors in 2023.  I was never too enthused by the writing on the site, which tried for a GORE GAZETTE-like irreverence and missed the mark, but appreciated its thoroughness and erudition.  Soiled Sinema’s proprietors tried a lot harder than most cult movie mavens, and displayed an impressive knowledge of the medium.  It was Soiled Sinema that introduced me to little known gems like Eckhart Schmidt’s THE GOLD OF LOVE (1983) and the porno rarity DRIVE (1974), for which they deserve props.

Yes, there was some good news to be found in 2023, and that news emerged from a most unexpected source: the DVD/Blu-ray sphere.  I’d long since written off this format as dead, killed by widespread consumer disinterest and the fact that just about every worthwhile film, it seemed, had already been digitized.  I’m happy to report that the past year changed my viewpoint dramatically.

Indeed, there were so many must-own digital releases in 2023 that I, who tend to keep a close eye on the digital domain, was unable to keep up.  Standouts included Criterion’s new edition of THE SERVENT and a FREAKS box set (featuring that classic and two more films by its genius director), Diabolik DVD’s digitization of the heretofore impossible-to-find HAUNTED SAMURAI, Terror Vision’s releases of LINNEA QUIGLEY’S HORROR WORKOUT, ATTACK OF THE KILLER REFRIGERATOR and COPPERHEAD, as well as the newly minted outfit Radiance, and its digitizations of A WOMAN KILLS and THE DEAD MOTHER…and that’s only a partial list.

THE AMAZING STORY BEHIND THE LEGEND OF BILLY JACK By GEORGE CASUSO
A puff piece to be sure, but worthwhile as, if nothing else, the only book dedicated to the late actor-filmmaker-madman Tom Laughlin.

A DAY IN THE CITY
A should-be-better-known example of surreal documentary filmmaking from Sweden, consisting of a big city travelogue that grows increasingly anarchic and subversive.

THE LAST CHILDREN by GUNDRUN PAUSEWANG
One of the most harrowing after-the-bomb narratives I’ve ever read, a fact made all the more surprising by the fact that it’s a children’s book.

ORIGINAL SINS
Perverse and outrageous SOV horror from the nineties that held my attention from beginning to end, which is more than can be said for 90-plus percent of its fellows.

PORTABLE GRINDHOUSE
Full color reproductions of VHS covers from the golden age of the medium.  No, there’s nothing too deep or penetrating here, but for those who remember the VHS era PORTABLE GRINDHOUSE is an absolute must.

SORGOI PRAKOV
I’m not sure how I (and much of the rest of the world) missed out on this 2013 film, but I’m glad I’ve finally caught up with it.  An undoubted highlight of the found footage cycle, it’s a wrenching account of alienation and insanity.

WHOREDAUGHTER by CHARLIE AVERY HARRIS
Unadulterated sleaze from the blaxploitation era, written by a disciple of the late Donald Goines, who far outdid his master in grit and ugliness.

• SHUJI ABE (1949-2023) Producer/Production Supervisor: PARASITE EVE, PARASYTE, GODZILLA MINUS ONE
• JOSS ACKLAND (1928-2023) Actor: RASPUTIN: THE MAD MONK, THE HOUSE THAT DRIPPED BLOOD, WATERSHIP DOWN, THE APPLE, A ZED AND TWO NOUGHTS, TALES OF THE UNEXPECTED (TV), BILL & TED’S BOGUS JOURNEY, GIORGINO, ASYLUM (2005)
• 
  JOSS ACKLAND
• MARTIN AMIS (1949-2023) Novelist: INVASION OF THE SPACE INVADERS, DEAD BABIES, TIME’S ARROW
• KENNETH ANGER (1927-2023) Director/Author: FIREWORKS, RABBIT’S MOON, HOLLYWOOD BABYLON, INAUGURATION OF THE PLEASURE DOME, SCORPIO RISING, INVOCATION OF MY DEMON BROTHER, LUCIFER RISING
• FRANK AGRAMA (1930-2023) Writer/Producer/Director: QUEEN KONG, DAWN OF THE MUMMY
• YURI ARABOV (1954-2023) Screenwriter: MOURNFUL UNCONCER, DAYS OF ECLIPSE, STONE, MOTHER AND SON, MOLOCH, FAUST (2011)
• ALAN ARKIN (1934-2023) Actor: WAIT UNTIL DARK, FULL MOON HIGH, THE LAST UNICORN, FAERIE TALE THEATRE (TV), EDWARD SCISSORHANDS, THE ROCKETEER, SO I MARRIED AN AXE MURDERER, NORTH, MOTHER NIGHT, GROSSE POINT BLANK, GATTACA
• JOHN BAILEY (1942-2023) Cinematography: PREMONITION, CAT PEOPLE (1982), MISHIMA: A LIFE IN FOUR CHAPTERS, INCIDENT AT LOCH NESS
• RUSSELL BANKS (1940-2023) Novelist: AFFLICTION, THE SWEET HEREAFTER
• JULIAN BARRY (1930-2023) Screenwriter: EYES OF LAURA MARS, RHINOCEROS
• RICHARD BELZER (1944-2023) Actor: CAFÉ FLESH, SCARFACE (1983), FREEWAY (1988), THE X-FILES (TV), THE PUPPET MASTERS
  

  Richard Belzer

• HELMUT BERGER (1944-2023) Actor: THE WITCHES, THE DAMNED, DORIAN GRAY, THE BLOODSTAIND BUTTERFLY, SALON KITTY, BEAST WITH A GUN, FANTOMAS (TV), FACELESS
• JEAN BERTHO (1928-2023) Actor: LA MARIE DU PORT, THE TESTAMENT OF DOCTOR CORDELIER
• JANE BIRKIN (1946-2023) Actor: BLOW UP, WONDERWALL, SEVEN DEATHS IN A CAT’S EYE, DARK PLACES
• MICHAEL BISHOP (1945-2023) Novelist: TRANSFIGURATIONS, NO ENEMY BUT TIME, WHO MADE STEVIE CRYE?, ANCIENT OF DAYS, THE SECRET ASCENTION, COUNT GEIGER’S BLUES
• ROBERT BLAKE (1933-2023) Actor: THE HORN BLOWS AT MIDNIGHT, IN COLD BLOOD, LOST HIGHWAY
• RICHARD BOWES (1944-2023) Novelist: WARCHILD, FERAL CELL, GOBLIN MARKET
• ANDRE BRAUGHER (1962-2023) Actor: PRIMAL FEAR, CITY OF ANGELS, SALEM’S LOT (2004), THE MIST, THE ANDROMEDA STRAIN (2008)
• JIM BROWN (1936-2023) Actor: FINGERS, THE RUNNING MAN, MARS ATTACKS!, SMALL SOLDIERS
• RICOU BROWNING (1930-2023) Actor/Stuntman: THE CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON, 20,000 LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA, REVENGE OF THE CREATURE, THE CREATURE WALKS AMONG US
• JAMES D. BRUBAKER (1937-2023) Production Manager/Line Producer: COBRA, PATTY HEARST, DRAGONFLY
• JEFF BURR (1963-2023) Director: FROM A WHISPER TO A SCREAM, THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE III, NIGHT OF THE SCARECROW
• BILL BUTLER (1921-2023) Cinematographer: SOMETHING EVIL, THE RETURN OF COUNT YORGA, THE CONVERSATION, JAWS, DEMON SEED, CAPRICORN ONE, DAMIEN: OMEN II, CAN’T STOP THE MUSIC, CHILD’S PLAY (1988), ANACONDA, FRAILTY
• ROBERT BUTLER (1927-2023) Director: THE TWILIGHT ZONE (TV), STAR TREK (TV), DEATH TAKES A HOLIDAY, STRANGE NEW WORLD, NIGHT OF THE JUGGLER, TURBULENCE
• A.S. BYATT (1936-2023) Novelist/Short Story Writer: THE DJINN IN THE NIGHTINGALE’S EYE
• MARGIT CARSTENSEN (1940-2023) Actor: THE TENDERNESS OF WOLVES, WORLD ON A WIRE, SATAN’S BREW, POSSESSION, 100 YEARS OF ADOLF HITLER, IT IS FINE! EVERYTHING IS FINE
• JOSEPHINE CHAPLIN (1949-2023) Actor: CANTERBURY TALES (1972), SHADOWMAN, JACK THE RIPPER (1976), HISTOIRES EXTRAORDINAIRES (TV)
• SUZY McKEE CHARNAS (1939-2023) Novelist: THE VAMPIRE TAPESTRY, DOROTHEA DREAMS
• MARINA CIGOGNA (1934-2023) Producer: BELLE DE JOUR, INVESTIGATION OF A CITIZEN ABOVE SUSPICION
• MARLENE CLARK (1937-2023) Actor: NIGHT OF THE COBRA WOMAN, BEWARE! THE BLOB, GANJA & HESS, THE BEAST MUST DIE, SWITCHBLADE SISTERS
• DAVID GUY COMPTON (1930-2023) Novelist: SYNTHAJOY, THE STEEL CROCODILE, THE UNSLEEPING EYE, ASCENDANCIES
• MAURIZIO COSTANZO (1938-2023) Screenwriter: THE HOUSE WITH LAUGHING WINDOWS, ZEDER: VOICES FORM BEYOND
• MANNY COTO (1961-2023) Director: PLAYROOM, MONSTERS (TV), TALES FROM THE CRYPT (TV), DR. GIGGLES, AMERICAN HORROR STORIES (TV)
• LIONEL DAHMER (1936-2023) Author: A FATHER’S STORY
• MARGIA DEAN (1922-2023) Actor: SUPERMAN AND THE MOLE-MEN, MESA OF LOST WOMEN, THE QUATERMASS XPERIMENT
• OSVALDO DESIDERI (1939-2023) Art Director/Production Designer: THE NIGHT PORTER, SALO, OR THE 120 DAYS OF SODOM, FANTOZZI, BEYOND GOOD AND EVIL
• MICHEL DEVILLE (1941-2023) Director: DOSSIER 51, EAUX PROFONDES
• MELINDA DILLON (1939-2023) Actor: CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND, THE NEW TWILIGHT ZONE (TV), HARRY AND THE HENDERSONS, SPONTANEOUS COMBUSTION
  

  Melinda Dillon

• DAVID DRAKE (1945-2023) Novelist: HAMMER’S SLAMMERS, BIRDS OF PREY, KILLER (1985), EXPLORERS IN HELL, NORTHWORLD
• RAINER ERLER (1933-2023) Director: PLUTONIUM, FLEISCH, NEWS REPORT ON A JOURNEY TO A BRIGHT FUTURE
• SHARON FARRELL (1940-2023) Actor: IT’S ALIVE, THE PREMONITION, OUT OF THE BLUE, NIGHT OF THE COMET
• SHIRLEY ANNE FIELD (1936-2023) Actor: HORRORS OF THE BLACK MUSEUM, PEEPING TOM, BEAT GIRL, THE DAMNED, HOUSE OF THE LIVING DEAD
• FREDERIC FORREST (1936-2023) Actor: THE CONVERSATION, IT LIVES AGAIN, APOCALYPSE NOW, GOTHAM, FALLING DOWN, AGAINST THE WALL (1994), THE BRAVE
• CHRISTOPHER FOWLER (1953-2023) Novelist: CITY JITTERS, MORE CITY JITTERS, ROOFWORLD, RUNE, RED BRIDE, SPANKY, PSYCHOVILLE, DISTURBIA, HELL TRAIN, FILM FREAK
• GERALD FRIED (1928-2023) Composer: THE KILLING, THE VAMPIRE (1957), I BURY THE LIVING, THE RETURN OF DRACULA, THE CRY BABY KILLER, THE CABINET OF CALIGARI, STAR TREK (TV), LOST IN SPACE (TV), WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO AUNT ALICE?, THE BABY, SURVIVE!, VIGILANTE FORCE, THE SPELL, THE HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS ON GILLIGAN’S ISLAND
• WILLIAM FRIEDKIN (1935-2023) Director: THE BIRTHDAY PARTY, THE EXORCIST, SORCERER, THE GUARDIAN, BUG, KILLER JOE
• MICHAEL GAMBON (1940-2023) Actor: NOTHING BUT THE NIGHT, THE BEAST MUST DIE, THE SINGING DETECTIVE (TV), THE COOK, THE THIEF, HIS WIFE & HER LOVER, TOYS
• IAN GIBSON (1946-2023) Comic Book Artist: ROBO-HUNTER, JUDGE DREDD, THE BALLAD OF HALO JONES, STEED AND MRS. PEEL
• DANIEL GOLDBERG (1949-2023) Producer/Screenwriter: CANNIBAL GIRLS, HEAVY METAL, SPACEHUNTER: ADVENTURES IN THE FORBIDDEN ZONE, SPACE JAME (1996), EVOLUTION
• BO GOLDMAN (1932-2023) Screenwriter: SHOOT THE MOON, DICK TRACY, GOYA’S GHOSTS
• BERT I. GORDON (1922-2023) Director/Producer: THE AMAZING COLOSSAL MAN, EARTH VS. THE SPIDER, WAR OF THE COLOSSAL BEAST, ATTACK OF THE PUPPET PEOPLE, THE WITCHING, THE MAD BOMBER, THE FOOD OF THE GODS, EMPIRE OF THE ANTS
• DAN GREENBURG (1936-2023) Novelist/Screenwriter: PHILLY, LOVE KILLS, THE NANNY, THE GUARDIAN
• RUSSELL H. GREENAN (1925-2023) Novelist: IT HAPPENED IN BOSTON?, NIGHTMARE, THE QUEEN OF AMERICA
• FRANCOIS HADJI-LAZARO (1956-2023) Actor: BEATRICE, CEMETERY MAN, THE CITY OF LOST CHILDREN, BROTHERHOOD OF THE WOLF, DANTE 01
  

  FRANCOIS HADJI-LAZARO

• PIERS HAGGARD (1939-2023) Director: BLOOD ON SATAN’S CLAW, THE QUATERMASS CONCLUSION, VENOM
• JACQUES HAITKIN (1950-2023) Cinematographer: THE PRIVATE EYES, GALAXY OF TERROR, THE HOUSE WHERE EVIL DWELLS, A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET (1984), A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET 2: FREDDY’S REVENGE, THE HIDDEN, CHERRY 2000, TO DIE FOR, SHOCKER, THE AMBULANCE, BURIED ALIVE (1990)
• EDWARD HUME (1936-2023) Screenwriter: THE DAY AFTER
• GLENDA JACKSON (1936-2023) Actor: MARAT/SADE, NEGATIVES, THE MUSIC LOVERS
• AL JAFFEE (1921-2023) Comic Artist: MAD Magazine
• JURAJ JAKUBISKO (1938-2023) Director: THE FEATHER FAIRY, FRANKENSTEIN’S AUNT (TV), AN AMBIGUOUS REPORT ABOUT THE END OF THE WORLD, BATHORY (2008)
• ROGER KASTEL (1931-2023) Poster Artist: JAWS, THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK
• KEN KELSCH (1947-2023) Cinematographer: THE DRILLER KILLER, SPOOKIES, BAD LIEUTENANT, THE ADDICTION, KILLER: A JOURNAL OF MURDER, THE BLACKOUT, NEW ROSE HOTEL, REAR WONDOW (1998), 100 FEET, 4:44–LAST DAY ON EARTH
• VICTOR J. KEMPER (1927-2023) Cinematographer: THE MAGIC GARDEN OF STANLEY SWEETHEART, WHO IS HARRY KELLERMAN AND WHY IS HE SAYING THOSE TERRIBLE THINGS ABOUT ME?, THE REINCARNATION OF PETER PROUD, AUDREY ROSE, EYES OF LAURA MARS, MAGIC, NIGHT OF THE JUGGLER, THE FINAL COUNTDOWN, CLUE, F/X 2
• GARY KENT (1933-2023) Actor: THE THRILL KILLERS, PSYCH-OUT, TARGETS, THE MIGHTY GORGA, BODY FEVER, THE INCREDIBLE TWO-HEADED TRANSPLANT, THE RETURN OF COUNT YORGA, DRACULA VS. FRANKENSTEIN, COLOR OF NIGHT, BUBBA HO-TEP
• ROBERT KLANE (1941-2023) Novelist/Screenwriter: WHERE’S POPPA?, WEEKEND AT BERNIE’S
• LAIRD KOENIG (1927-2023) Screenwriter/Novelist: THE LITTLE GIRL WHO LIVES DOWN THE LANE, ISLANDS, THE DISCIPLE
• RAJKUMAR KOHLI (1930-2023) Director: NAGIN, JAANI DUSHMAN, BEES SAAL BAAD
• MASARU KONUMA (1937-2023) Director: FLOWER AND SNAKE, ROPE AND BREASTS, FEMALE PRISONER: CAGED!, XX: BEAUTIFUL HUNTER
• MARTY KROFT (1929-2023) Producer/Puppeteer: H.R. PUFNSTUF (TV), LAND OF THE LOST (TV), SIGMUND AND THE SEA MONSTERS (TV), THE LOST SAUCER (TV), ELECTRA WOMAN AND DYNA GIRL (TV)
• MILAN KUNDERA (1929-2023) Novelist: THE JOKE
• ALDO LADO (1934-2023) Director: SHORT NIGHT OF GLASS DOLLS, WHO SAW HER DIE?, LAST STOP ON THE NIGHT TRAIN, THE HUMANOID
• INGA LANDGRE (1927-2023) Actor: THE SEVENTH SEAL, BRINK OF LIFE, THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO
• PIPER LAURIE (1932-2023) Actor: CARRIE, RUBY, RETURN TO OZ, THE TWILIGHT ZONE (TV), TRAUMA, STORYVILLE
  

  Piper Laurie

• NORMAN LEAR (1922-2023) Producer: THE WAVE (1981)
• DAVID LELAND (1941-2023) Actor/Screenwriter/Director: TIME BANDITS, THE HITCHHIKER’S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY (TV), MADE IN BRITAIN
• MICHAEL LERNER (1941-2023) Actor: ALEX IN WONDERLAND, NIGHT GALLERY (TV), NATIONAL LAMPOON’S CLASS REUNION, STRANGE INVADERS, ANGUISH, BARTON FINK, NO ESCAPE, GODZILLA (1998), X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST, LIFE DURING WARTIME
• JOHAN LEYSEN (1950-2023) Actor: MACBETH (1987), THE ABYSS, BROTHERHOOD OF THE WOLF, GRIMM
• ROBERT LIEBERMAN (1947-2023) Director: FIRE IN THE SKY, NETFORCE, THE X-FILES (TV), THE DEAD ZONE (TV), FINAL DAYS OF PLANET EARTH (TV), THE TORTURED
• PETER LILIENTHAL (1927-2023) Director: PICKNIK IM FELDE, HORROR (1969)
• GINA LOLLOBRIGIDA (1927-2023) Actor: THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME (1956), WOMAN OF STRAW, DEATH LAID AN EGG
• LISA LORING (1958-2023) Actor: THE ADDAMS FAMILY (TV), BLOOD FRENZY, SAVAGE HARBOR, ICED
• TOM LUDDY (1943-2023) Producer: WERNER HERZOG EATS HIS SHOE, MISHIMA: A LIFE IN FOUR CHAPTERS, POWAQQATSI
• JIRI MACHANE (1940-2023) Cinematographer: BEAUTY AND THE BEAST (1978), THE NINTH HEART, THE VISITORS (TV), T.M.A.
• PETER MAK (1957-2023) Actor/Director: TIGER CAGE, THE WICKED CITY (1992)
• GIORGIO MARIUZZO (1939-2023) Screenwriter: CONTRABAND, THE HOUSE BY THE CEMETERY, THE BEYOND, AENIGMA
• EUGENIO MARTIN (1925-2023) Director: HORROR EXPRESS, A CANDLE FOR THE DEVIL, SUPERNATURAL
• MARIO MASINI (1939-2023) Cinematographer: OUR LADY OF THE TURKS, DON GIOVANNI (1970), SALOME (1972), ONE HAMLET LESS, THE PERFUME OF THE LADY IN BLACK, ALLEGRO NON TROPO, ORG
• JULIETTE MAYNIEL (1936-2023) Actor: LES COUSINS, EYES WITHOUT A FACE, THE ODYSSEY (TV), THE BLOODSTAINED SHADOW
• DAVID MCCALLUM (1933-2023) Actor: THE OUTER LIMITS (TV), THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E. (TV), THE KARATE KILLERS, SHE WAITS, NIGHT OF THE LEPUS, THE WATCHER IN THE WOODS, THE HAUNTING OF MORELLA, BATMAN: GOTHAM KNIGHT
• ANNETTE MCCARTHY (1958-2023) Actor: THE NEW TWILIGHT ZONE (TV), TWIN PEAKS (TV)
• CORMAC MCCARTHY (1933-2023) Novelist/Screenwriter: OUTER DARK, CHILD OF GOD, BLOOD MERIDIAN, NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN, THE ROAD, THE COUNSELOR
• MURRAY MELVIN (1932-2023) Actor: THE DEVILS, THE BOY FRIEND, GHOST STORY (1974), LISZTOMANIA, THE KRAYS, THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA (2004)
• GEORGE T. MILLER (1943-2023) Director: THE NEVERENDING STORY II: THE NEXT CHAPTER, A MOM FOR CHRISTMAS, IN THE NICK OF TIME, PREY (2009)
• RICHARD MOLL (1943-2023) Actor: THE NIGHTMARE NEVER ENDS, EVILSPEAK, THE SWORD AND THE SORCERER, METALSTORM: THE DESTRUCTION OF JARED SYN, NIGHT TRAIN TO TERROR, HOUSE, EVOLUTION, SCARY MOVIE 2
  

  Richard Moll

• CINDY MORGAN (1954-2023) Actor: TRON, THE MIDNIGHT HOUR, AMAZING STORIES (TV), GALAXIS
• JOHN NICHOLS (1940-2023) Novelist: THE MILAGRO BEANFIELD WAR
• RYAN O’NEAL (1941-2023) Actor: THE BIG BOUNCE, THE DRIVER
• GUFI PAINTAL (1944-2023) Actor: MAHABHARAT (TV), SSSHHHH…KOI HAI (TV)
• ANNE PERRY (1938-2023) Novelist: TATHEA, COME ARMAGEDDON, HEROES
• LUIGI PICATTO (1954-2023) Comic Artist: DYLAN DOG, NATHAN NEVER
• SAL PIRO (1950-2023) Author/Fan Club President: CREATURES OF THE NIGHT, CREATURES OF THE NIGHT II
• RACHEL POLLACK (1945-2023) Novelist/Comic Book Scripter: SALVADOR DALI’S TAROT DECK, UNQUENCHABLE FIRE, DOOM PATROL (1993-95)
• EDWARD R. PRESSMAN (1943-2023) Producer: PHANTOM OF THE PARADISE, THE HAND, CHERRY 2000, BLUE STEEL, BAD LIEUTENANT, THE CROW, THE ISLAND OF DR. MOREAU (1996), NEW ROSE HOTEL, AMERICAN PSYCHO, SISTERS (2006)
• GIOVANNI LOMBARDO RADICE (1954-2023) Actor: CANNIBAL APOCALYPSE, CITY OF THE LIVING DEAD, THE HOUSE ON THE EDGE OF THE PARK, CANNIBAL FEROX, STAGE FRIGHT, PHANTOM OF DEATH, THE CHURCH, THE SECT, BODY PUZZLE, THE OMEN (2006)
• HERMAN RAUCHER (1928-2023) Novelist/Screenwriter: CAN HEIRONYMUS MERKIN EVER FORGET MERCY HUMPPE AND FIND TRUE HAPPINESS?, WATERMELON MAN, MAYNARD’S HOUSE
• PAUL REUBENS (1952-2023) Actor: FLIGHT OF THE NAVIGATOR, PEE-WEE’S BIG ADVENTURE, BATMAN RETURNS, BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER, THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS, THE TRIPPER, LIFE DURING WARTIME
• NORMAN REYNOLDS (1934-2023) Production Designer/Art Director: THE LITTLE PRINCE, STAR WARS, SUPERMAN: THE MOVIE, THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK, SUPERMAN II, RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK, RETURN OF THE JEDI, RETURN TO OZ, YOUNG SHERLOCK HOLMES, ALIEN 3, ALIVE, SPHERE
• ADAM RICH (1968-2023) Actor: THE SIX MILLION DOLLAR MAN (TV), THE DEVIL AND MAX DEVLIN, SMALL WONDER (TV)
• OWEN ROIZMAN (1936-2023) Cinematographer: THE EXORCIST, THE STEPFORD WIVES (1975), I LOVE YOU TO DEATH, THE ADDAMS FAMILY (1991)
• RICHARD ROUNDTREE (1942-2023) Actor: EARTHQUAKE, Q, MANIAC COP, BODY OF INFLUENCE, SE7EN
• JERROLD LAURENCE SAMUELS/NAPOLEON XIV (1938-2023) Singer/Songwriter: “They’re Coming to Take Me Away, Ha-Haaa!”
• JULIAN SANDS (1958-2023) Actor: AFTER DARKNESS, THE DOCTOR AND THE DEVILS, GOTHIC, SIESTA, WARLOCK, ARACHNOPHOBIA, NAKED LUNCH, BOXING HELENA, WITCH HUNT, THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA (1998), HOTEL, ROSE RED (TV), THE PAINTED BIRD
• CARLOS SAURA (1932-2023) Director: THE HUNT, DEPRISA DEPRISA, EL DORADO (1988), EL AMOR BRUJO
• ARTHUR ROBERT SCHMIDT (1937=2023) Editor: JAWS 2, BACK TO THE FUTURE. WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT, THE ROCKETEER, DEATH BECOMES HER, ADDAMS FAMILY VALUES, CONTACT, WHAT LIES BENEATH
• DONALD SHEBIB (1938-2023) Director/Screenwriter: BETWEEN FRIENDS, THE NEW ADDAMS FAMILY (TV), NIGHTALK
• STU SILVER (1947-2023) Screenwriter: THROW MOMMA FROM THE TRAIN
• TOM SIZEMORE (1961-2023) Actor: BLUE STEEL, TRUE ROMANCE, NATURAL BORN KILLERS, STRANGE DAYS, THE RELIC, BRINGING OUT THE DEAD, RED PLANET, DREAMCATCHER
  

  Tom Sizemore

• TOM SMOTHERS (1937-2023) Actor: ALICE THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS (1966), FANTASY ISLAND (TV), TALES OF THE UNEXPECTED (TV)
• MICHAEL SNOW (1928-2023) Director: WAVELENGTH (1967), TORONTO 25^th ANNIVERSARY PRELUDES
• SUZANNE SOMERS (1946-2023) Actor: DADDY’S GONE A-HUNTING, ANTS, SERIAL MOM
• JERRY SPRINGER (1944-2023) Actor/TV Host: THE JERRY SPRINGER SHOW (TV), MARRIED…WITH CHILDREN (TV), THE X-FILES (TV)
• FRANCES STERNHAGEN (1930-2023) Actor: FEDORA, OUTLAND, COMMUNION, MISERY, RAISING CAIN, TALES FROM THE CRYPT (TV), THE MIST
• STELLA STEVENS (1938-2023) Actor: THE MAD ROOM, THE POSEIDON ADVENTURE, THE MANITOU, CHAINED HEAT, MONSTER IN THE CLOSET, THE GRANNY
• LEE SUN-KYUN (1975-2023) Actor: PARASITE (2019), SLEEP (2023)
• PEARRY REGINALD TEO (1978-2023) Producer/Director: THE GENE GENERATION, WITCHVILLE, DRACULA: THE DARK PRINCE, THE CURSE OF SLEEPING BEAUTY
• TONY TARANTINO (1940-2023) Actor/Director: HARVEST MOON, BLOOD MONEY
• D.M. THOMAS (1935-2023) Novelist: THE WHITE HOTEL, ARARAT, PICTURES AT AN EXHIBITION
• CHAIM TOPOL (1935-2023) Actor: FLASH GORDON, TALES OF THE UNEXPECTED (TV)
• DOROTHY TRISTAN (1934-2023) Actor/Screenwriter: END OF THE ROAD, KLUTE, MAN ON A SWING, ROLLERCOASTER, WEEDS (1987), SUSPENDED ANIMATION
• LAWRENCE TURMAN (1926-2023) Producer: PRETTY POISON, THE THING (1982), SHORT CIRCUIT, THE RIVER WILD, THE THING (2011)
• TINA TURNER (1939-2023) Singer/Actor: TOMMY, MAD MAX BEYOND THUNDERDOME, LAST ACTION HERO
  

  Tina Turner

• AUGUSTI VILLARONGA (1953-2023) Screenwriter/Director: IN A GLASS CAGE, MOONCHILD (1989), 99.9, EL MAR, ARO TOLBUKHIN: IN THE MIND OF A KILLER
• RAQUEL WELCH (1940-2023) Actor: FANTASTIC VOYAGE, ONE MILLION YEARS B.C., BEDAZZLED, MYRA BRECKINRIDGE, BLUEBEARD
• FAY WELDON (1931-2023) Novelist: THE LIFE AND LOVES OF A SHE-DEVIL, PUFFBALL, THE CLONING OF JOANNA MAY
• TOM WILKINSON (1948-2023) Actor: THE GHOST AND THE DARKNESS, IN THE BEDROOM, ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND, RIPLEY UNDER GROUND, BATMAN BEGINS, THE EXORCISM OF EMILY ROSE, THE GHOST WRITER, BURKE & HARE, THE GREEN HORNET
• CINDY WILLIAMS (1947-2023) Actor: GAS-S-S-S, THE FIRST NUDIE MUSICAL, THE CONVERSATION, THE CREATURE WASN’T NICE, UFORIA
• TREAT WILLIAMS (1951-2023) Actor: MARATHON MAN, SMOOTH TALK, NIGHT OF THE SHARKS, FAERIE TALE THEATRE (TV), TALES FROM THE CRYPT (TV), THE WATER ENGINE, THE PHANTOM, DEEP RISING, 127 HOURS
• OLIVER WOOD (1942-2023) Cinematographer: THE HONEYMOON KILLERS, DON’T GO IN THE HOUSE, Q–THE WINGED SERPENT, NEON MANIACS, BILL & TED’S BOGUS JOURNEY, FACE/OFF
• TAICHI YAMADA (1934-2023) Novelist: STRANGERS, IN SEARCH OF A DISTANT VOICE
• BURT YOUNG (1940-2023) Actor: CARNIVAL OF BLOOD, ACROSS 110^TH STREET, CHINATOWN, BLOOD BEACH, AMITYVILLE II: THE POSSESSION, LAST EXIT TO BROOKLYN, TALES FROM THE CRYPT (TV)