By MICHAEL GINGOLD
One of the 1990s’ most prolific horror filmmakers has passed away.
RUE MORGUE has learned that director Jeff Burr was found dead from a stroke at his home in Georgia this morning, aged just 60. Burr first broke into the horror scene when he, co-writer/producer Darin Scott, co-writer C. Courtney Joyner and producer William Burr teamed up on the Georgia-lensed anthology horror feature FROM A WHISPER TO A SCREAM. Released theatrically in 1987 as THE OFFSPRING and more recently on Blu-ray under its original title, it boasted a cast of veteran actors including Vincent Price, Clu Gulager, Terry Kiser, Cameron Mitchell, Rosalind Cash, Susan Tyrrell and Martine Beswick.
Burr then made the jump to Hollywood and helmed a series of sequels: STEPFATHER II (1989), the much-troubled LEATHERFACE: THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE III (1990), PUMPKINHEAD II: BLOOD WINGS (1993) and Full Moon’s PUPPET MASTER 4 and 5 (1993/94), along with NIGHT OF THE SCARECROW (1995) and the drama EDDIE PRESLEY (1992). He later directed films including STRAIGHT INTO DARKNESS (2004), DEVIL’S DEN (2006), GUN OF THE BLACK SUN (2011) and TORNADO WARNING (2012). Although many of his films were assignment gigs and there were only a handful that he believed fully reflected his intentions, he always approached his movies with an enthusiasm born of his lifelong love of cinema. RIP, Jeff.
