Eric Red

Eric Red
Born Eric Joseph Durdaller
February 16, 1961
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Occupation Screenwriter, film director

Eric Red (born Eric Joseph Durdaller; February 16, 1961) is an American screenwriter and director, best known for writing the horror films The Hitcher and Near Dark.[1]

Biography

Early life

Red was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the son of Nancy (née Pickhardt) and Cornelius Gerard Durdaller.[2] He attended the AFI Conservatory and graduated in 1983.

Writing career

The first film written by Red was Gunmen's Blues, a short he produced and directed while a student at the AFI Conservatory.[3] He went broke trying to get national distribution for the film and had to drive a cab in New York for a year to recoup.[4]

His AFI thesis script, The Hitcher, was produced in 1986. A major studio remake of The Hitcher was released in 2007 with Red as a consultant.[5] He wrote the original script to Lost Boys: The Tribe[6] and narrated the film at the 2010 Screamfest Horror Film Festival in Los Angeles.[7]

Eric Red published his first novel, Don't Stand So Close, in 2011.

Fatal car crash

Red was found to be at fault in a car accident that caused two deaths on May 31, 2000. After the accident, Red apparently picked up a piece of broken glass and slit his own throat.[8][9]

Filmography

References

  1. "Eric Red". The New York Times. Retrieved May 26, 2012.
  2. "Eric Red Biography". filmreference.com. Retrieved May 26, 2012.
  3. staff (March 30, 2001). "Interview with Eric Red". Buried.com. Retrieved August 21, 2011.
  4. "Eric Red Biography". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved August 21, 2011.
  5. EyeForFilm.co.uk -Interview with Eric Red about 100 Feet and Nightlife
  6. "Check out Eric Red's Original Lost Boys Prequel Script".
  7. "Screamfest Hosts a Screening of The Hitcher in LA this Wednesday with Writer and Director".
  8. Roadside Markers Permanent (advert free) memorial site with mapping and details of road accidents
  9. LA Weekly story – Death Race

External links