BlumHouse on five directors you didn't know were masters of horror

[froodle]

3. Bob Balaban

For many film fans, Bob Balaban is best recognized as a talented and hilarious character actor who has worked with the best of the best — Steven Spielberg, Ken Russell, John Schlesinger, Wes Anderson, Frank Darabont, and many, many more. But what few know is that Bob Balaban has had a storied relationship with the horror genre that doesn’t nearly get the credit that it deserves.

In terms of his career at large, Balaban made his directorial debut behind the camera on the pilot of a little horror series called TALES FROM THE DARKSIDE, and would later go on to helm small-screen scare fare such as EERIE, INDIANA, AMAZING STORIES, the 2002 revival of THE TWILIGHT ZONE, and DEAD LAST. But where Balaban really made his mark on the genre was on the big screen, with two twisted horror comedies he directed back-to-back: PARENTS and MY BOYFRIEND’S BACK.

While the latter has certainly built a small cult audience over the years — especially considering the film’s early showcasing of Matthew Fox and Philip Seymour Hoffman — PARENTS became a video and cable staple for horror fans throughout the ‘90s, and recently received the Blu-ray treatment earlier this year courtesy of Vestron Video. On top of that, Balaban himself looks fondly upon PARENTS and its legacy; in a recent chat this writer had with Balaban for the final issue of Gorezone, Balaban claimed PARENTS was his most fun directorial effort, and was inspired to tackle the film by David Lynch’s BLUE VELVET, as well as his own childhood experiences.