Founder of «Cinemagic» died

 

Independent science fiction and horror film producer/director Don Dohler died on December 2, 2006 at age 60. He was a veteran of low-budget filmmaking and directed a series of cheap scifi/horror flicks asThe Alien Factor, Fiend and Nightbeast in the 1970s and 1980s. His films were filmed mainly in Perry Hall and other Baltimore County locations.

In 1972, Don Dohler founded the movie magazine Cinemagic, a how-to for amateur filmmakers, devoted to Super8 and 16mm filmmaking. Later special effects artists and Oscar-winners like Rick Baker or Ben Burtt were contributors to Cinemagic. In 1979, the Starlog Group purchased the magazine. Dohler also created and edited the magazines Amazing Cinema and Movie Club and published five books about movies and moviemaking, e.g. Film Magic: The Fantastic Guide to Special Effects Filmmaking.

«He was a driven filmmaker who never gave up no matter how little the budget. He's now sitting next to Ed Wood in heaven», said film director John Waters.

[Photo © Leanna Chamish]

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