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If you’re of my approximate generation and you enjoy pretty much the same flicks I do, then I’m sorry to say you’ve lost a hero this week. Dan O’Bannon, a multi-talented filmmaker with a strong affection for science fiction and horror films, passed away yesterday at the age of 63. The man will always hold a special place in my heart for one simple reason: He wrote A L I E N, which (as you probably know) is my favorite movie of all time. Mr. O’Bannon also penned a very fine Philip K. Dick adaptation of Total Recall](Total Recall (1990) - IMDb); a kooky remake of Invaders from Mars](Invaders from Mars (1986) - IMDb); the high-tech helicopter thriller Blue Thunder](Blue Thunder (1983) - IMDb); the adorably insane Lifeforce](Lifeforce (1985) - IMDb); John Carpenter’s debut film Dark Star](Dark Star (1974) - IMDb); the quietly creepy Dead & Buried](Dead & Buried (1981) - IMDb); and the zombie classic The Return of the Living Dead](The Return of the Living Dead (1985) - IMDb) (which was also his directorial debut.)
Any movie geek who grew up in the '80s knew O’Bannon’s work, and I think it’s safe to say that we’re very sad about the news of his sudden demise. Our best to Dan’s friends and family, and of course we send a virtual bouquet of eternal gratitude for all the fun flicks. Dan O’Bannon will be missed, especially nowadays with sci-fi coming back as “cool” again.