RIP Dino De Laurentiis

Updated on November 11, 2010 By Ken Begg 11 Comments

La Strada * Ulysses * War & Peace * Nights of Cabiria * Goliath and the Vampires * Barabbas * The Witches * Danger: Diabolik * Barbarella * Serpico * Death Wish * Mandingo * Three Days of the Condor * King Kong * Orca * The White Buffalo * Ragtime * Conan The Barbarian * The Dead Zone * The Bounty (neat movie) * Dune * Maximum Overdrive * Manhunter * King Kong Lives * Army of Darkness * Body of Evidence *

And about a 150 more.

There’s a lot of crap–and some of it is glorious crap (three of the above films have been reviewed by yours truly)–in that man’s credits, but he was a giant from an era past. The filmmaking world will not see his like again. Thank you, sir, for the entertainment (and the frustration) you helped provide me over the years.

Mr. De Laurentiis was 91.

Update: Yeesh, I just figured out that Giada the Cleavage Lady on The Food Network is De Laurentiis’ granddaughter.

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  • Rock Baker

    Few producers provided so much for movie nuts. Massive epics and little turkeys. Some were great, some were awful. I can’t think of many men who produced so much in both extremes.

    He cartainly left his mark. Every wrong element in the 2005 King Kong was an element carried over from Dino’s disasterous Kong movies. Certainly no monster movie fan will ever forget (or forgive in many cases) what he did…

  • Mr. Rational

    Some of his films were classics. More of them were craptastic. But you’re right, Ken — he remains a giant.

    When Dino die, everybody cry.

  • The Rev.

    Despite the large amounts of crap he was partially or wholly responsible for, he helped bring about one of my favorite movies, Evil Dead II, and that alone forgives a lot of sins.

    A lotta history has been lost this day. A big blow to our community, really.

    Rest well, sir, and thank you so much for the entertainment you provided us.

  • GalaxyJane

    I think most everyone will forgive him anything just for giving the world “Flash (Ahh Ahh!) Gordon”.

    He’ll save every one of us, ya know.

  • David Fullam

    Farewell Dino. Cinema became a far more interesting place thanks to you. We won’t see a mogul/producer like this ever again.

  • BeckoningChasm

    Jane – that movie also probably gave more exposure to Brian Blessed than anything else, so there’s that to be thankful for. (Seriously, watching Brian Blessed is like feeling the heat from the oven.)

  • Thank you Mr. Laurentiis.

    Once dinosaurs ruled the Earth.

  • Lawyer Ku

    The Joe Paterno of film dies. Dino was to films what Neil Young is to popular music – a vast body of work, some of it gold and some of it garbage. One of those odd people who defied the bell curve of quality – he was all over the map.

  • The Rev.

    GJ: I adore FG, but in a completely different way than EDII. The latter is awesome, the former awesomely retarded. Except for the Queen soundtrack, which is great, and Brian Blessed, who brings warmth to the coldest heart and joy to all the children of the world.

    Plus, if it wasn’t for FG, one of my biggest laughs at a T-Fest would’ve never happened, and that would be a damn shame.

    Man, I wanna watch it again now. I need to find a copy ’cause my old tape died.

  • Guy Hoyle

    A sad day for world cinema.

    Reminds me of this classic SNL sketch, with John Belushi as Dino:

    http://snltranscripts.jt.org/76/76ltomorrow.phtml

    Guy

  • St Peter at the pearly gates saw Dino from a distance and said “Is that stud coming?”

    Sorry. Couldn’t resist.