American film producer Larry Cohen has died at 77, according to the actor’s publicist Shade Rupe, who made the announcement on his Facebook page. Popular for his work in the horror genre, he also explored films on the exploitation of black people and is known for Hollywood films like It’s Alive, Black Caesar and Hell Up in Heaven among others.
The Facebook post shared for all fans read, "The entire King Cohen team mourns the loss of its star, hero and King, Larry Cohen. His unparalleled talents were surpassed only by his giant heart”. It also went on to add that the impact Cohen made on television and cinema will be felt forever, as the deepest condolences go out to family, friends, and fans. The director had a career which started in the 1960s spanning over 50 years on television, and writing scripts for episodes of TV series like The Defenders, Espionage and The Invaders, among others.
However, he shot to fame with his 1974 horror film It’s Alive, and did not look back after that as he went on to work with American actor Michael Moriarty in 1982 film Q followed by The Stuff in 1985, and also worked with Bette Davis in her last film Wicked Stepmother in 1989. Larry soon moved to be screenwriter before being included in the Showtime TV anthology Masters Of Horror in 2006. The series saw him work with the likes of filmmakers like Wes Craven, Dario Argento, John Carpenter, and David Cronenberg.
The 77-year-old writer-director also received many tributes on Twitter from Baby Driver director Edgar Wright, who called him a “true original” while also saying that he was also an “independent freewheeling movie legend”.