Michael J.Hein R.I.P.
It's with a very sad feeling that I must inform you horror film fans in the NYC area of the recent passing of Michael J.Hein,independent horror filmmaker and founder/creator of the Newtork City Horror Film Festival.According to the Fangoria website that first reported the incident, Hein died of natural causes possibly of heart failure while in his sleep on Saturday morning,July 16,2010 at age 41
Hein who was a lifelong horror film fan worked initially as a second unit director in various Troma Films produced and made here in the NYC area during the 1990's. Then he then ventured into the independent horror film genre by writing and directing various short and long films in the horror genre including last year's DEVIL'S GROVE (2010) which was featured in last year's NYC Horror Film Festival and is now on DVD. But Hein's baby and pet project was the New York City Horror Film Festival that he founded in 2001 and would prepare every year since in either the months of October near Halloween or November before Thanksgiving by screening independent horror films either in feature film form or short film form as well as giving Lifetime Achievement Awards in Horror every year since 2001 to the following horror film legends George A. Romero,Tobe Hooper, Roger Corman,Mick Garris, Tom Savini, Herschell Gordon Lewis,Frank Henenlotter,William Lustig and Robert Englund. At the time of his death,Hein was in complete preparation in staging this year's NYC Horror Film Festival which by the way is celebrating it's tenth anniversary for which Hein had great plans for that upcoming event in November 2011 at the Tribeca Film Centre at downtown Manhattan, NYC where the yearly festival always had their event.
Although I have no doubts that this year's 10th Anniversary NYC Horror Film Festival will go on as scheduled this November,especially in the honor and rememberance of it's founder and director Michael J.Hein. But with Michael no longer with us, this year's festival won't be same without his presence, especially when Michael shouting at the top of his lungs at the start of every screening at the festival:"LET THE BODIES HIT THE FLOOR!" I will sorely miss Michael and I sincerely hope that the rest of the staff of the NYC Horror Film Festival will continue with Michael's work and legacy by continuing with the yearly NYC Horror Film Festival in the future for the benefit of us dedicated NYC horror film fans and to honor Michael's memory.
Hein who was a lifelong horror film fan worked initially as a second unit director in various Troma Films produced and made here in the NYC area during the 1990's. Then he then ventured into the independent horror film genre by writing and directing various short and long films in the horror genre including last year's DEVIL'S GROVE (2010) which was featured in last year's NYC Horror Film Festival and is now on DVD. But Hein's baby and pet project was the New York City Horror Film Festival that he founded in 2001 and would prepare every year since in either the months of October near Halloween or November before Thanksgiving by screening independent horror films either in feature film form or short film form as well as giving Lifetime Achievement Awards in Horror every year since 2001 to the following horror film legends George A. Romero,Tobe Hooper, Roger Corman,Mick Garris, Tom Savini, Herschell Gordon Lewis,Frank Henenlotter,William Lustig and Robert Englund. At the time of his death,Hein was in complete preparation in staging this year's NYC Horror Film Festival which by the way is celebrating it's tenth anniversary for which Hein had great plans for that upcoming event in November 2011 at the Tribeca Film Centre at downtown Manhattan, NYC where the yearly festival always had their event.
Although I have no doubts that this year's 10th Anniversary NYC Horror Film Festival will go on as scheduled this November,especially in the honor and rememberance of it's founder and director Michael J.Hein. But with Michael no longer with us, this year's festival won't be same without his presence, especially when Michael shouting at the top of his lungs at the start of every screening at the festival:"LET THE BODIES HIT THE FLOOR!" I will sorely miss Michael and I sincerely hope that the rest of the staff of the NYC Horror Film Festival will continue with Michael's work and legacy by continuing with the yearly NYC Horror Film Festival in the future for the benefit of us dedicated NYC horror film fans and to honor Michael's memory.
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