The Ohio Sci-Fi and Horror Marathons

VARIETY is reporting that Hammer/Amicus stalwart Freddie Francis passed away on Saturday at age 89. While often unfavorably compared to Terence Fisher, Francis established an oeuvre that was impressive and influential, and he could whip up a mean omnibus flick when needed.

His genre directing resume included:

TALES FROM THE CRYPT
DR. TERROR'S HOUSE OF HORRORS
TALES THAT WITNESS MADNESS
TORTURE GARDEN
THE EVIL OF FRANKENSTEIN
DRACULA HAS RISEN FROM THE GRAVE
THE CREEPING FLESH

He also lensed genre staple THE INNOCENTS, Scorsese's remake of CAPE FEAR and a trio of David Lynch films (ELEPHANT MAN, DUNE and STRAIGHT STORY.)

AND he was a camera operator on Powell and Pressburger's TALES OF HOFFMAN, one of George Romero's favorite films.

He will be missed.

While Francis' work as a Director might have been a just miss, his Camera work makes him an utter legend in the business. Winning Oscars for GLORY and SONS AND LOVERS was just the start, as his masterful work on THE ELEPHANT MAN, CAPE FEAR (Scorsese), FRENCH LIEUTENANT'S WOMAN and THE INNOCENTS will attest to. Brilliant stuff.

As a Director, he had some highs such as TALES FROM THE CRYPT, TORTURE GARDEN, THE EVIL OF FRANKENSTEIN and DR. TERROR'S HOUSE OF HORRORS as well as lows like TROG. And, if you can find it, check out NIGHTMARE and marvel at his use of the camera to "direct" some suspenseful moments. Much genre work to interest Marathoners.

A very important man of the cinema is gone.

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Long Live the Orson Welles Cinemas