News
[R.I.P.] ‘Faces of Death’ Director John Alan Schwartz Has Passed Away
The original Faces of Death, released in 1978, is one of the most infamous films of all time, purporting to showcase real footage of real death. In actuality, much of the footage seen in Faces of Death is staged, with gory special effects often being paired up with real footage to create the illusion of gruesome reality. The writer and director of the movie, along with the many sequels it spawned, was credited under the name Conan le Cilaire, whose real name was John Alan Schwartz. Sadly, we’ve learned this week that Schwartz has passed away.
Joan Alperin-Schwartz paid tribute to her late husband through his Facebook page.
“This morning John passed away. He is now with the angels. But I have a feeling he will be back. He died peacefully. He was one of the funniest, most unique, original, creative and magical person I’ve ever known. Living with him was an adventure. He cried at sad movies, laughed hard and made others laugh hard. He’d wake up everyday with a new idea for a tv show or a movie. He brought the writer out in me and brought me coffee and a bagels in bed every day for twenty two years. He shared the same passion for travel as I did and we went on some really extraordinary adventures and threw some amazing parties. John was a great cook and loved having dinner parties…Although he never ate at them. He was always too full from tasting the food he was creating. He was as passionate about animals as I was. He loved talking to people and he’d ask them the most intimate questions and because people knew was being sincere they would reveal to him there deepest secrets. He was definitely one of a kind. I think John and I knew each other in another life. The second I saw him I knew in every cell of my body that we were going to be together forever and on some level we will be. Goodbye Johnny. You will be missed.”
In the wake of Faces of Death, Schwartz directed Faces of Death II, Faces of Death III, The Worst of Faces of Death, Faces of Death IV, Faces of Death V, Faces of Death VI and Faces of Death: Fact or Fiction? between 1981 and 1999. More recently, he penned the book My Faces of Death: A Deadly Memoir in 2004, sharing his memories of the controversial franchise.
For many horror fans, the Faces of Death films were a rite of passage, passed around like urban legends on videotape. And they will surely continue to be for many years to come.
Exclusives
‘In Flames’ – Exclusive Clip from Pakistani Psychological Thriller Finds Terror in the Classroom
Described as a ghostly parable about Pakistan’s insidious patriarchal order, Game Theory Films brings In Flames to stream at home on VOD, and we’ve got an exclusive clip for you today.
Written and Directed by Pakistani-Canadian filmmaker Zarrar Kahn, In Flames was the first Pakistani film to play in Cannes Director’s Fortnight in nearly half a century.
The cast for Zarrar Kahn’s In Flames includes Ramesha Nawal, Omar Javaid, Bakhtawar Mazhar, Adnan Shah Tipu, Mohammad Ali Hashmi and Jibran Khan.
In the thriller, “Mariam lives with her younger brother and their mother, Fariha, in a tiny apartment in Karachi. When Mariam’s maternal grandfather passes, his brother tries to manipulate them into signing over their apartment to him, a common occurrence in Pakistan, where women’s property rights are fragile.
“Mariam’s mother, grieving and isolated, is easy to influence. Mariam, distraught by her mother’s foolishness, finds solace in a secret romance with a fellow student, Asad. When their relationship takes an unexpected turn, Mariam becomes consumed by nightmares.
“Meanwhile, her mother, caught between her coercive Uncle and a murky legal system, is oblivious to her daughter’s deteriorating mental state. Mariam’s nightmares begin to bleed into reality. Mother and daughter must come together if they hope to overcome the real and phantasmal forces that threaten to engulf them.”
Watch an exclusive clip for a sneak peek and find the film’s official trailer below. The film is now available on VOD. Watch tonight!
Zarrar Kahn is an award-winning Pakistani-Canadian filmmaker whose film In Flames premiered at the 76th Cannes Film Festival as part of the Director’s Fortnight.
His works have been screened and awarded in over 100+ film festivals, including TIFF, Locarno, and BFI London. In Flames, his feature directorial debut, has garnered critical acclaim and prizes worldwide – including the Golden Yusr for Best Picture at Red Sea FF and the Grand Prize – International Newcomer Award at Mannheim-Heidelberg FF.
Born in Karachi, and currently based out of Toronto, Kahn is committed to telling stories that amplify historically marginalized communities.
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