Today is a dark day for fans of horror cinema. Bob Clark, the supremely talented director of genre classics like Black Christmas, Dead of Night (aka Deathdream), and Children Shouldn't Play With Dead Things, died today.
Indeed, it's a terrible day for fans of cinema in general. Outside of the horror genre, Clark penned and directed the seminal Porky's, and directed the adaptation of A Christmas Story during his prolific film and TV career.
Clark and his son, Ariel, were killed in a collision in Pacific Palisades, California, in the early hours of this morning. Both were pronounced dead at the scene after their car was hit by another vehicle, driven by Hector Velazquez-Nava of Los Angeles. Nava was later found to be driving under the influence of alcohol. Both he and his passenger were treated for minor injuries.
Without Porky's there's a good chance films like American Pie, and other teen comedies would never have happened. Black Christmas has inspired horror filmmakers since its creation, but is often overshadowed by such genre behemoths as John Carpenter's Halloween. The film inspired its own lacklustre sequel in 2006, a creation of which Bob wasn't terribly fond.
At the time of his death, Clark was known to be planning a remake of his 1972 film Children Shouldn't Play With Dead Things. Dead of Night - Clark's take on The Monkey's Paw - is currently being remade as Zero Dark Thirty, by director John Stalberg.
Words cannot express what a terrible waste this is. Ariel Clark was 22 years old. Bob was still inspiring filmmakers, and still had a few good films left in him I'm sure; he had big plans for his Children remake.
My thoughts go out to Bob's family and friends on this terrible day.
Article comments
1 - Tony Woolstencroft
I was deeply upset by this news. I've been a long time fan of Bob Clark's work ever since I was first blown away by Dead Of Night in the early '70s. His classic Black Christmas doesn't get the widespread credit it deserves having been eclipsed by the inferior Halloween which appeared a few years later. The fact that he could produce films like these, the oft-derided but still hysterically funny Porky's films and one of the best of the Sherlock Holmes movies (Murder By Decree) is a tribute to his skill and versatility.
To lose a talent like this is always tragic, but for Bob and his son to be snatched away in such a random senseless fashion is truly terrible. I can't begin to imagine the anguish and shock their family and friends are feeling right now, but my heart goes out to them.