la Repubblica reports that Eastman passed away after a brief stay at the Gemelli Curae clinic in Rome following deteriorating health.

Eastman, born in Genoa on August 16, 1942, as  Luigi Montefiori, was a former rugby player turned actor and screenwriter who, looking to break into film, chose an American stage name after the originator of photographic film and founder of the Kodak Company.

His hulking 6’9″ frame and menacing exterior made him a regular in spaghetti westerns as the Heavy and a formidable villain in horror. Eastman’s career spanned everything from westerns, horror, thrillers, post-apocalyptic science fiction, erotica, and television. 

While Eastman notably terrorized as one of the villains in Mario Bava‘s sadistic road thriller Rabid Dogs, it was the actor’s close friendship with Italian horror filmmaker Joe D’Amato that is most notable for horror fans. His frequent collaborations with D’Amato yielded both acting and screenwriting credits: Absurd (1981), Red Blood (1981), and sexploitation films like Erotic Nights of the Living Dead (1980) and Porno Holocaust (1981).

That creative partnership would lead Eastman to helm his own feature to date, 1990’s sci-fi horror movie Metamorphosis, under the pseudonym G. L. Eastman. 

George Eastman’s storied career spans all genres and paired the filmmaker with Italy’s most prominent filmmakers, from Mario Bava to Sergio Martino to Enzo G. Castellari and Lamberto Bava.

We send our condolences to the family, friends, and fans of George Eastman.

The post Italian Horror Actor and Screenwriter George Eastman Has Passed Away appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Synopsis:

A group of unprepared tourists arrive on a desolate Mediterranean island – only to find themselves stalked by a silent cannibalistic Neanderthal! Featuring gory special effects, that convinced some British moral guardians that Anthropophagous was a legitimate ‘snuff movie’, there is little doubting that this timeless terror totem still holds up today. Also boasting a cast of genre legends, such as Tisa Farrow (Zombie Flesh Eaters), Zora Kerova (Cannibal Ferox) and George Eastman (Rabid Dogs), 88 Films is proud to present Anthropophagous, fully uncut and uncensored, and re-mastered for its worldwide HD debut!

Also includes the feature length documentary 42nd Street Memories: The Rise and Fall of America’s Most Notorious Block!

What better accompaniment to a certified grindhouse classic like Anthropophagous than this long-awaited expose of New York’s notorious den of sex, sin and cinema? Many a movie made its mark in one of Manhattan’s long-demolished exploitation establishments – and 42nd Street Memories tells the story of the good old days of big city slime, sweat and sleaze. Directed by Calum Waddell and featuring an esteemed list of interviewees, including Joe Dante (Gremlins), Frank Henenlotter (Basket Case), Larry Cohen (Q, The Winged Serpent), William Lustig (Maniac), adult performer Veronica Hart, author John Skipp and many more – this is the last word on the golden era of the world’s most celebrated sprawl of film theatres.

Special Features:

•Available to watch in either English Language or Italian Language with English Subtitles
•42nd Street Memories – Feature Length Documentary
•Trailer
•Reversible Sleeve with original UK Video Nasty Art

Technical Specs:

• Region Code: B
• Picture Format: HD 1080p 1.66:1
• Audio Format: LPCM Mono (English and Italian with English Subtitles)
• Language: English
• Certification: 18
• Running Time: 90 Mins Approx.

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