Draft:Larry Block (screenwriter)
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- File:Symbol opinion vote.svg Comment: I wasn't able to locate the Mount Vernon Democrat piece, but none of the other sources contain significant coverage of Block. So at best we have one source that might contribute to notability. IMDb is also not a reliable source and should be removed. MCE89 (talk) 14:53, 9 December 2025 (UTC)
Larry Block | |
|---|---|
| Born | United States |
| Other names | Lawrence J. Block |
| Occupations | Screenwriter, producer, director, actor |
| Years active | 1970s–present |
| Organization | Writers Guild of America |
| Notable work | The Funhouse (1981); The Me Gunther Horror Show (2021) |
Larry Block (also credited as Lawrence J. Block) is an American screenwriter, producer, director, and actor, best known for writing the 1981 Universal Pictures horror film The Funhouse, directed by Tobe Hooper. Block has worked primarily within the horror, science fiction, and fantasy genres, and is a lifetime member of the Writers Guild of America.
Career
[edit | edit source]Block wrote the screenplay for The Funhouse (1981). The film has since attained cult status and has remained a subject of ongoing critical analysis. In Cinema Speculation (2022), filmmaker Quentin Tarantino devoted a chapter to the film, writing:
- "The big surprise was Larry Block’s screenplay. On first viewing, it appears simple and obvious. But on the second go-round, it reveals depth and even sophistication that forced me to reconsider the entire film."[1]
A full-length newspaper profile published during the film’s original release discussed Block’s writing background and approach to The Funhouse.[2]
During the late 1970s and 1980s, Block collaborated professionally with Stan Lee on early live-action **screenplays** developed for Marvel Entertainment, including Doctor Strange, Fantastic Four, and Captain America. Block and Lee later co-wrote an original science-fiction horror screenplay titled ZOM, which remains unproduced.
A 2025 feature profile and interview in the British horror magazine The Dark Side examined Block’s development of The Funhouse and the film's continuing cultural legacy. [3] Block has since regained the rights to The Funhouse. [3]
In 2021, Block wrote, produced, directed, and starred in The Me Gunther Horror Show, a satirical horror-commentary series featuring a reinterpretation of the Gunther character from The Funhouse.[4]
Recognition
[edit | edit source]- Subject of a 2025 feature profile in The Dark Side magazine. [3]
- Featured guest speaker at Secret Movie Club's retrospective screening of The Funhouse.[5]
- Praised by Quentin Tarantino in Cinema Speculation. [1]
Selected filmography
[edit | edit source]- The Funhouse (1981) – Screenwriter
- Doctor Strange – Screenplay (unproduced)
- Fantastic Four – Screenplay (unproduced)
- Captain America (1990) – Story/Adaptation
- The Me Gunther Horror Show (2021) – Writer, Director, Producer, Actor
References
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