Bill Warren
Encyclopedia
William Bond Warren better known as Bill Warren, is an American
film historian and critic generally regarded as one of the leading authorities on science fiction, horror and fantasy films.
Warren was born in North Bend, Oregon
, and grew up in Gardiner
, on the Umpqua River
. He became interested in science fiction films during their boom years in the mid-1950s. Discovering Famous Monsters of Filmland
with its first issues, he received regular acknowledgments and thanks as a contributor throughout the early years of the magazine, along with Don Glut, Eric Hoffman and Mark Thomas McGee. After attending Reedsport High School
, he graduated from the University of Oregon
, in Eugene, Oregon
.
in 1966, where for many years, they were active in LASFS. As an assistant to Forrest J Ackerman
, Warren came into contact with many major filmmakers-in-waiting who were also inspired by Ackerman, and he developed independent friendships with several of them.
His 1968 short story
"Death Is a Lonely Place" appeared in the first issue of Worlds of Fantasy, and he also scripted for the Warren comic book publications, Creepy
, Eerie
and Vampirella
.
, a book series of movie capsule reviews that began in 1969 and was updated annually beginning in 1978.
The first volume of Warren's authoritative and exhaustive Keep Watching the Skies! American Science Fiction Movies of the Fifties was published by McFarland in 1982, and he followed with the second volume in 1986. This massive survey of science fiction films released from 1950 to 1962 was reprinted in 1997. A completely revised edition was released in 2009.
during the 1980s. In 1989, he created the ShowBiz Roundtable for the online service GEnie
to generate discussions about films and other aspects of show business. Following the traditions of newspapers, he only posted his GEnie film reviews online the day a film opened. After these reviews were posted, they were archived in a GEnie Library. With weekly postings during the early 1990s, this became the first large film review database available online. Warren also conducted live online interviews with film personalities on GEnie. He eventually left the ShowBiz Roundtable, which continues today at Delphi's online service.
At the request of film director Sam Raimi
, Warren wrote The Evil Dead Companion in 1994, but six years passed before the book was published in the UK by Titan Books (2000), followed by an American edition from St. Martin's in 2001. Warren found his friendship with Raimi a life-altering experience:
to produce segments surveying American television for the French TV series Destination séries.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
film historian and critic generally regarded as one of the leading authorities on science fiction, horror and fantasy films.
Warren was born in North Bend, Oregon
North Bend, Oregon
North Bend is a city in Coos County, Oregon, in the United States with a population of 9,695 as of the 2010 census. North Bend is surrounded on three sides by Coos Bay, an S-shaped water inlet and estuary where the Coos River enters Coos Bay on the Pacific Ocean, and borders the city of Coos Bay,...
, and grew up in Gardiner
Gardiner, Oregon
Gardiner is an unincorporated community in Douglas County, Oregon, United States, across the Umpqua River from Reedsport. It is located on U.S. Route 101....
, on the Umpqua River
Umpqua River
The Umpqua River on the Pacific coast of Oregon in the United States is approximately long. One of the principal rivers of the Oregon Coast and known for bass and shad, the river drains an expansive network of valleys in the mountains west of the Cascade Range and south of the Willamette Valley,...
. He became interested in science fiction films during their boom years in the mid-1950s. Discovering Famous Monsters of Filmland
Famous Monsters of Filmland
Famous Monsters of Filmland is a genre-specific film magazine started in 1958 by publisher James Warren and editor Forrest J Ackerman.-Magazine history :...
with its first issues, he received regular acknowledgments and thanks as a contributor throughout the early years of the magazine, along with Don Glut, Eric Hoffman and Mark Thomas McGee. After attending Reedsport High School
Reedsport Junior/Senior High School
Reedsport Community Charter School is a public school in Reedsport, Oregon, United States that serves middle- and high school-aged students.-History:...
, he graduated from the University of Oregon
University of Oregon
-Colleges and schools:The University of Oregon is organized into eight schools and colleges—six professional schools and colleges, an Arts and Sciences College and an Honors College.- School of Architecture and Allied Arts :...
, in Eugene, Oregon
Eugene, Oregon
Eugene is the second largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon and the seat of Lane County. It is located at the south end of the Willamette Valley, at the confluence of the McKenzie and Willamette rivers, about east of the Oregon Coast.As of the 2010 U.S...
.
Off to LA
Warren and his wife Beverly moved to Los AngelesLos Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
in 1966, where for many years, they were active in LASFS. As an assistant to Forrest J Ackerman
Forrest J Ackerman
Forrest J Ackerman was an American collector of science fiction books and movie memorabilia and a science fiction fan...
, Warren came into contact with many major filmmakers-in-waiting who were also inspired by Ackerman, and he developed independent friendships with several of them.
His 1968 short story
Short story
A short story is a work of fiction that is usually written in prose, often in narrative format. This format tends to be more pointed than longer works of fiction, such as novellas and novels. Short story definitions based on length differ somewhat, even among professional writers, in part because...
"Death Is a Lonely Place" appeared in the first issue of Worlds of Fantasy, and he also scripted for the Warren comic book publications, Creepy
Creepy
Creepy was an American horror-comics magazine launched by Warren Publishing in 1964. Like Mad, it was a black-and-white newsstand publication in a magazine format and thus did not require the approval or seal of the Comics Code Authority. The anthology magazine was initially published quarterly but...
, Eerie
Eerie
Eerie was an American magazine of horror comics introduced in 1966 by Warren Publishing. Like Mad, it was a black-and-white newsstand publication in a magazine format and thus did not require the approval or seal of the Comics Code Authority. Each issue's stories were introduced by the host...
and Vampirella
Vampirella
Vampirella is a fictional character, a comic book vampire heroine created by Forrest J Ackerman and costume designer Trina Robbins in Warren Publishing's black-and-white horror comics magazine Vampirella #1 . Writer-editor Archie Goodwin later developed the character from horror-story hostess, in...
.
Books
In the late 1960s and early 1970s, Warren made contributions to Walt Lee's Reference Guide to Fantastic Films (Chelsea-Lee Books, 1972). He did the final research, helped plan the project and typed it. He is a regular contributor to Leonard Maltin's Movie GuideLeonard Maltin's Movie Guide
Leonard Maltin's Movie Guide is a book-format collection of movie capsule reviews that began in 1969 and has been updated yearly since 1978. It was originally called TV Movies, which became Leonard Maltin's TV Movies and Video Guide, which then became Leonard Maltin's Movie and Video Guide...
, a book series of movie capsule reviews that began in 1969 and was updated annually beginning in 1978.
The first volume of Warren's authoritative and exhaustive Keep Watching the Skies! American Science Fiction Movies of the Fifties was published by McFarland in 1982, and he followed with the second volume in 1986. This massive survey of science fiction films released from 1950 to 1962 was reprinted in 1997. A completely revised edition was released in 2009.
Film critic
Warren was the film critic for a newspaper in Simi Valley, CaliforniaSimi Valley, California
-2010:The 2010 United States Census reported that Simi Valley had a population of 124,237. The population density was 2,940.8 people per square mile...
during the 1980s. In 1989, he created the ShowBiz Roundtable for the online service GEnie
GEnie
GEnie was an online service created by a General Electric business - GEIS that ran from 1985 through the end of 1999. In 1994, GEnie claimed around 350,000 users. Peak simultaneous usage was around 10,000 users...
to generate discussions about films and other aspects of show business. Following the traditions of newspapers, he only posted his GEnie film reviews online the day a film opened. After these reviews were posted, they were archived in a GEnie Library. With weekly postings during the early 1990s, this became the first large film review database available online. Warren also conducted live online interviews with film personalities on GEnie. He eventually left the ShowBiz Roundtable, which continues today at Delphi's online service.
At the request of film director Sam Raimi
Sam Raimi
Samuel Marshall "Sam" Raimi is an American film director, producer, actor and writer. He is best known for directing cult horror films like the Evil Dead series, Darkman and Drag Me to Hell, as well as the blockbuster Spider-Man films and the producer of the successful TV series Hercules: The...
, Warren wrote The Evil Dead Companion in 1994, but six years passed before the book was published in the UK by Titan Books (2000), followed by an American edition from St. Martin's in 2001. Warren found his friendship with Raimi a life-altering experience:
- I started with Sam on Darkman. He did something that actually changed my life. At the time, he was living not far from where I do, in Silver Lake; this was before he was married, and he lived in a little cabin. I went over to interview him and Scott Spiegel, and they were blown away when I said that I used to know Fritz Lang. They said, "OK, who else did you know?" I said Boris Karloff, and they just went out of their minds. At that time, I had been feeling very sorry for myself, and Sam said, "Gee, you must've met everybody you've ever wanted to meet." When I went home I started thinking about it. And I realized I indeed had met everybody I ever really wanted to meet, with the exception of three people; one of those, Vincent Price, I met later that year, and the other two, one of whom was Peter Cushing, never had a chance to meet. But I suddenly realized my life wasn't as bad as I thought it was, and it was because of Sam's remarks. He changed my way of thinking at that point, and it's never changed back, and I have Sam to thank for that. I was going to put that in the book, but someone said it's too personal, so it's not in the book. Sam has read the book and he likes it.
Television
Warren occasionally contributes to supplemental material for DVDs. During the 1990s, he teamed with film director William RotslerWilliam Rotsler
William "Bill" Rotsler was an American cartoonist and graphic artist; author of several science fiction novels and short stories, and television and film novelizations, and non-fiction works on a variety of topics, ranging from Star Trek to pornography; a prominent member of science fiction...
to produce segments surveying American television for the French TV series Destination séries.