Fred Olen Ray

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Fred Olen Ray, 1996

Fred Olen Ray (born September 10, 1954 in Wellston , Ohio ) is an American film producer, director and screenwriter. He is considered a frequent filmmaker and has directed over 145 films to date.

Life

Ray began directing various films at a young age, but occasionally also works as an actor, effects specialist, etc.

In addition to his work as a director, he also tried wrestling, but under the name "Fabulous" Freddie Valentine and ran a freak show for a while .

Ray specializes in extremely cheap direct-to-video productions, mostly in the horror field. Ray is known to fans precisely because of his trash films. Actors he has worked with several times include Brinke Stevens and Michael Berryman ( Hill of Bloody Eyes ) and Michael Dudikoff . In addition to horror and action films, his filmography also includes numerous erotic films. He usually uses the pseudonym Nicholas Medina for the area of ​​erotic films. He has staged more than 140 productions since the late 1970s.

In 1986 he founded American Independent Productions to produce and distribute his own films.

In November 1991 he published a book called The New Poverty Row: Independent Filmmakers as Distributors , in which he describes the problems of independent filmmakers in the United States and discusses six independent production companies.

He has been married to Kimberly A. Ray since 1997. She works primarily as a producer of his films. His son Christopher Ray , born in 1977, is also active in the film business, including as an actor and director.

He owns the distribution company Retromedia Entertainment, which releases both his own films and old cult classics on DVD.

Filmography (selection)

Books

  • Fred Olen Ray: The New Poverty Row: Independent Filmmakers as Distributors . Mcfarland & Co Inc Pub, 1991, ISBN 978-0-89950-628-9 , pp. 240 .

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b Interview with Fred Olen Ray. September 2, 2010, accessed July 10, 2012 .
  2. ^ David Andrews: Soft in the Middle: The Contemporary Softcore Feature in Its Contexts . Ohio State University Press, 2006, ISBN 978-0-8142-1022-2 , pp. 334 .

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Ray, Fred Olen
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American film producer, director, and screenwriter
DATE OF BIRTH September 10, 1954
PLACE OF BIRTH Wellston , Ohio, United States