Badmovies.org Forum

That offshoot in the thread below inspired me to start this one.  Anybody know of instances of authors (or just plain writers) appearing in movies.

I'd say that Stephen King must surely be their king.  (ahem)  He appears in most of his movies.  Usually it's just some walk on appearance, but other times he carries whole scenes.  (Not to mention the first CREEPSHOW.)  I usually enjoy his appearances because, one, he's pretty goofy looking, and two, so is his acting.

The only other instance I can think of off the top of my head is from the terrible miniseries WILD PALMS.  If you'll remember, WILD PALMS was the Oliver Stone produced "cyberpunk" thriller starring a boatload of smaller actors.  The only reason I call it cyberpunk is that it takes place in the future, and they unceremoniously trot out William Gibson, as if to prove their credentials.  He's only in it for a second, and he only says one line, but why?  Such a bad, bad show.

Don't forget Fritz Lieber's appearance in Dennis Muren's film school project, EQUINOX. One of the most unintentionally hilarious things to find on the TV at 1 am.

Author James Dickie plays the Sheriff in the movie adaptation of his novel, Deliverance. William Burroughs plays a raddled old junkie (I wonder where he got the inspiration?) in Drugstore Cowboy. Clive Barker has small roles in two godawful movies -  Sleepwalkers and the truly terrible tv adaptation of The Shining.

I beg to differ on Wild Palms.  And to prove my point, I just happen to have William Gibson right over here....

No, just kidding.  That's a reference to another author cameo: Marshall McLuhan in Annie Hall (1977).

See also: Neil Simon in an episode of The Odd Couple series.

regards,

Apostic

Damn you!  Now I'm going to have to go watch that one again just to see Fritz Leiber's cameo.

Big Jim Thompson (author of The Killer Inside Me, The Getaway, The Grifters, Pop. 1280 and many other great roman noir) appeared in Robert Mitchum's Philip Marlowe movie Farewell My Lovely.

On TV:  Gore Vidal has a recurring bit as a cicuit judge in Law & Order.  Earl Stanley Gardner popped up in random episodes of Perry Mason as, ta-dah!, a judge.
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It's hard to miss Lieber in Equinox:  He's drooling over some girl as a demon-possessed cop or park ranger.  When I saw this in the theatres when it first came out -- 71 or 72, I think -- I remember his hideous twisted expression as he drools into the lens the only thing scary in the film.
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The guy who wrote "Sex in the City" -- name escapes me -- can be seen typing through a window in the final episode of the first season.
Allen Ginsberg in that Bob Dylan documentary by Pennebaker -- can't remember title.

Really? I had thought Lieber was the old professor the kids were going to see, who's on screen just long enough to jump out of a bush, steal their book, trip over a rock, and die. Oh yeah, and I still crack up thinking about Park Ranger Asmodeous (snicker).

Arthur C. Clarke made a cameo in 2010, James Ellroy appears in a party scene in Wonder Boys,and  Gore Vidal also has important supporting roles in Gattaca and With Honors.

not the writer but still interesting... The Thing had John Carpenter in the Norwegian video footage in the movie.

Vermin Boy wrote:
>
> Really? I had thought Lieber was the old professor the
> kids were going to see, who's on screen just long enough to
> jump out of a bush, steal their book, trip over a rock, and
> die. Oh yeah, and I still crack up thinking about Park Ranger
> Asmodeous (snicker).

You are correct, sir.  Copied from the IMDB credits listing:

Jack Woods (II)....Asmodeus
Fritz Leiber....Dr. Waterman

Ooops -- well, damn, how the memory doth fade.  Hated that damn film, anyway --