Bob Clark

Bob Clark (full name: Benjamin Clark) is the director of the 1982 hit film Porky's and its sequel. He is also known for directing and writing the script with Jean Shepherd to the 1983 classic A Christmas Story. Though best known for his involvement with these familiar titles, Clark's career actually began squarely in the horror genre, in the early 1970s. His first film of this ilk, "Children Shouldn't Play with Dead Things" (1972), confirms imaginative gifts but delivers spottily with its odd blend of comedy and graphic horror. Clark and his collaborator for this film, screenwriter and makeup artist Alan Ormsby, would revisit the zombie subgenre in 1972's "Deathdream" (known also by its alternate title, "Dead of Night"), a Vietnam War allegory that takes its cue from the classic short story The Monkey's Paw but reveals a dark and original vision of its own. This film arguably stands alongside Clark's highly influential slasher film Black Christmas (1974) as his artistic peak. The latter predates John Carpenter's far more famous Halloween (film) by four years, and in many ways trumps that justifiably established horror classic in its distinctive presentation of a faceless, demented killing machine.

Related Topics:
Director - Porky's - Jean Shepherd - A Christmas Story - Horror - 1970s - Vietnam War - The Monkey's Paw - Slasher film - Black Christmas - John Carpenter - Halloween (film)

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Some of his other films, however, are widely infamous for being awful in the opinion of most. Baby Geniuses and , for example, were universally excoriated by critics (especially the latter) and are considered by many to be two of the worst movies ever made.

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