The Hollywood veteran’s long career encompassed a few frightful cult classics.
Variety reports that producer Edward S. Feldman did October 2 in Los Angeles at age 91. He began his film career in the publicity realm, with an early highlight being his imaginative and provocative promotions for Stanley Kubrick’s controversial LOLITA. He moved into producing with 1971’s WHAT’S THE MATTER WITH HELEN?, a psychodrama starring Debbie Reynolds and Shelley Winters that was part of the “Grande Dame Guignol” trend launched by WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO BABY JANE? In 1962. Subsequently, he alternated between features and TV movies, with the former including TWO-MINUTE WARNING, HOT DOG…THE MOVIE, THE GOLDEN CHILD, WIRED, THE TRUMAN SHOW and WITNESS, the latter of which landed him an Oscar nomination.
In the genre realm, Feldman’s credits range from Roger Christian’s paranormal horror film THE SENDER (1982) to Joe Dante’s space-travel fantasy EXPLORERS (1985). In 1986, he executive-produced Robert Harmon’s THE HITCHER (1986), scripted by Eric Red and featuring Rutger Hauer’s indelibly terrifying portrayal of the titular villain; Feldman then served the same position on Kathryn Bigelow’s NEAR DARK (1987), written by Bigelow and Red. Though neither of these two films were box-office hits, they went on to become revered and influential fan favorites. Feldman and Charles R. Meeker’s F/M Entertainment was also behind Jeff Obrow’s 1987 creature feature THE KINDRED. RUE MORGUE laments the loss of this filmmaking stalwart, who chronicled his life and times in the highly entertaining 2007 autobiography TELL ME HOW YOU LOVE THE PICTURE: A HOLLYWOOD PRODUCER’S HILARIOUS TAKE ON LIFE AMONG THE STARS.
