Fred Olen Ray (born September 10, 1954) is an American film producer, director and screenwriter of more than 200 low quality feature films in many genres, including horror, science fiction, action/adventure, erotic thrillers, crime dramas, and holiday films.
Ray is the head of Retromedia, which releases DVDs of both his own productions and archival films. He has also worked for other well-known independent studios and on a few occasions for major Hollywood studios. He has been cited as an inspiration for many independent filmmakers. He loaned a 16mm camera to Quentin Tarantino so he could make My Best Friend's Birthday.
Aside from his work in the film industry, Ray was also a professional wrestler. His wrestling name was Fabulous Freddie Valentine.
Early life Ray was born September 10, 1954, in Wellston, Ohio, to a family originally from West Virginia. As a teenager, he regularly read Famous Monsters of Filmland magazine. Being a fan of horror and science fiction films such as Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein and the AIP movies of the 1950s and 1960s, Ray started making his own movies at the age of fourteen. At age seventeen, he self-published three issues of the amateur fantasy-film fanzine Dagon in 1972.
Career
Early work and The Brain Leeches (1970s) After serving in the United States Navy, Ray began working at a local television station in Orlando, Florida. He first appeared in a small role in the 1975 film Shock Waves, which starred Peter Cushing and John Carradine. Ray then began directing independent films during his free time using station equipment, starting with The Brain Leeches (1978), produced on a budget of $298. Ray also co-wrote the screenplay with political essayist Brad Linaweaver, and the two later collaborated on additional films.
1980s Ray's next film was shot on a budget of $15,000. Lessons learned from The Brain Leeches allowed Ray to keep production cost to a minimum, while using the bulk of the budget to attract a recognized Hollywood name to the project. Alien Dead was shot featuring an elderly Buster Crabbe, cinema action hero of the 1930s and 1940s, and star of three Flash Gordon serials from 1936 to 1940. With the success of that film, Ray decided to move to Hollywood to be close to the film industry. He was interested in working in make-up and special effects, "probably from all of those years of reading Famous Monsters magazine", he later said. He found out "it soon became apparent that you would always be between jobs and I was looking for something that would actually earn me a living. I think I became a director because that was the fastest way to get a film made on the independent side of things."
Ray succeeded in raising money for a low-budget horror film, Scalps (1983), which featured cameos from Carroll Borland and Forrest J. Ackerman. The Tomb (1986) stars Cameron Mitchell and John Carradine. Ray switched to action films with Armed Response (1986), which stars David Carradine and Lee Van Cleef. Ray had affection for this movie because "it had a great cast and was one of the first times I had more than two nickels to rub together." He then turned to science fiction: Deep Space (1987) and Cyclone (1987). Beverly Hills Vamp (1988) was a horror comedy with Eddie Deezen.
1990s After Alienator (1989) he was reunited with Deezen for Mob Boss (1990), another comedy. He entered sword and sorcery movies with Wizards of the Demon Sword (1991) and made the more popular Bad Girls from Mars (1991). During this time he published his book, The New Poverty Row: Independent Filmmakers as Distributors (1991).2007 Audio Interview at Your Video Store Shelf
Ray co-directed Scream Queen Hot Tub Party (1991) with Jim Wynorski, starring Kelli Maroney, shot in one day. Ray moved into erotic thrillers with Inner Sanctum (1991) starring Tanya Roberts. It was a hit and Ray would make others in that genre, including Inner Sanctum 2, Mind Twister (1994) and Possessed by the Night (1994).
Evil Toons (1992) is a comedy-horror, which was followed by another effort co-directed with Wynorski, Dinosaur Island (1994). Witch Academy (1994) was the last of his "scream queen" movies. After Attack of the 60 Foot Centerfold (1995), he made Fugitive Rage (1996), Friend of the Family II (1996), Inferno (1997), Hybrid (1997), and The Shooter, which has been referred to as Ray's best film. Dear Santa (1998) is a family film and Billy Frankenstein (1998) is a comedy.
2000s to present In 2001, he made the film Critical Mass. He later said he was a "Critical Mass kind of guy. I like to shoot things and blow stuff up. I also like comedies. Don't like erotic thrillers."
He established a DVD company called Retromedia. Ray made a film called Bikini Airways "on a lark and it did really well", said Ray. This led to a series of Bikini films.
In 2007, he reflected on his career:
Budgetary constraints notwithstanding, Ray has, on occasion, been able to attract A-list actors to appear in his films. Two-time Academy Award nominee Peter Fonda played Marshal Kane in the 2010 Ray film American Bandits: Frank and Jesse James, while Golden Globe Award winner Christian Slater appeared in Ray's 2012 film Hatfields and McCoys: Bad Blood. One reviewer described American Bandits as perhaps "the most boring Jesse James film ever made".
In 2017, he received a "Living Legend Award" at the Buffalo Dreams Fantastic Film Festival.
In 2019, he produced and released Boggy Creek: The Series, with director Henrique Couto at the helm.
Books Grind Show - Weirdness as Entertainment (1993) The New Poverty Row: Independent Filmmakers as Distributors (2011), Hell-Bent for Hollywood: A Director's Journey (2024),
Filmography
Film Year Title Director Writer Producer Notes1978The Brain Leechesas Fred RayBrian Wolfe1980Alien Deadas Fred Ray1983Scalps1985Biohazard1986Demented Death Farm MassacreReshootsArmed ResponseThe TombPrison Ship (a.k.a. Star Slammer)1987Commando SquadCycloneEvil Spawn1988The Phantom EmpireHollywood Chainsaw Hookersas Dr. S. CarverDeep SpaceWarlords1989Terminal ForceBeverly Hills Vamp1990AlienatorHaunting FearMob BossSpiritsBad Girls from Marsas Sherman Scott1991Scream Queen Hot Tub Partyas Bill CarsonWizards of the Demon SwordInner Sanctum1992Evil Toons1994Mind TwisterDinosaur IslandPossessed by the NightInner Sanctum 21995SorceressBikini Drive-Inas Randy RocketAttack of the 60 Foot CenterfoldWitch AcademyDroid Gunner (a.k.a. Cyberzone)1996Star Hunteras Sam NewfieldInvisible MomMasseuseas Peter DanielsOver the Wireas Nicholas MedinaNight ShadeFriend of the Family IIFugitive Rage1997Illicit Dreams 2as Roger CollinsInferno (a.k.a. Operation Cobra)Maximum Securityas Bill CarsonThe Shooteras Ed RaymondRapid Assaultas Sherman ScotMasseuse 2as Peter DanielsHybridBikini Hoe-Downas Roger CollinsNicholas Medina1998The Prophet (a.k.a. The Capitol Conspiracy)as Ed Raymond Sherman ScottInvisible DadCounter MeasuresLittle Miss MagicMom, Can I Keep Her?Mom's Outta SightBilly FrankensteinDear Santaas Peter Stewart1999Fugitive MindThe Kid with X-ray EyesActive StealthInvisible Mom IIScandal: On the Other Sideas Nick Medina2000SideshowSubmerged2001Mach 2KeptUncredited Air RageCritical Massas Ed RaymondVenomousACW Wrestling's Wildest Matches!as Sherman ScottFreddie Valentine2002StrandedSouthern Discomfort: Wrestling on the Indie Circuitas Freddy ValentineThirteen Erotic Ghostsas Roger CollinsNicholas MedinaPeter Stewart2003Final Examinationas Ed RaymondBikini Airwaysas Nicholas Medina2004Genie in a String BikiniTomb of the WerewolfBikini a Go-Goas Nicholas MedinaBikini Cavegirl (a.k.a. Teenage Cavegirl)Bikini Round-Up (a.k.a. The Good, the Bad, and the Beautiful)2005Bikini Chain GangGlass Trapas Ed Raymond2006The Bikini Escort Companyas Nicholas MedinaGhost in a Teeny BikiniBikini Girls from the Lost PlanetBikini Pirates (a.k.a. Ghost of the Pirate Queen, Harlots of the Caribbean)The Legend of William Tell2007The Girl from B.I.K.I.N.I.2008Solar FlareBikini Royale2009Silent VenomDire Wolf2010Twilight VampsBikini Frankensteinas Nicholas MedinaBikini Royale 2Housewives from Another WorldAmerican Bandits: Frank and Jesse James2011Super SharkLittle Witchesas Nicholas MedinaLady Chatterley's GhostKnock Outs2012Collision CourseBusty Housewives of Beverly Hillsas Nicholas MedinaHatfields and McCoys: Bad BloodBaby Dolls Behind Bars2013All I Want for ChristmasAbner, the Invisible Dog2014After MidnightChristmas in Palm SpringsHouse of Secrets2016TrialSniper: Special Ops Accidental Switch2020Dying for a Daughter2022Piranha Women
Television
TV Movies Year Title Director Writer Producer Notes 2004 Haunting Desires as Nicholas Medina and Sherman Scott 2007 Nuclear Hurricane n/a Bewitched Housewives as Nicholas Medina Super Ninja Doll as Nicholas Medina and Sherman Scott Girl with the Sex-Ray Eyes as Nicholas Medina and Sherman Scott An Accidental Christmas n/a2008 Polar Opposites Bikini Royale as Nicholas Medina Voodoo Dollz as Nicholas Medina Tarzeena, Queen of Kong Island as Nicholas Medina2009 Reptisaurus n/a 2010 Turbulent Skies Bikini Jones and the Temple of Eros as Nicholas Medina 2011 Bikini Warriors as Nicholas Juan Medina Lady Chatterley's Daughter as Nicholas Juan Medina and Mark Reynolds Bikini Time Machine as Nicholas Juan Medina Sexual Witchcraft as Nicholas Juan Medina 2012 Dirty Blondes from Beyond as Nicholas Medina Jersey Shore Shark Attack n/a A Christmas Wedding Date 2013 Holiday Road Trip All I Want For Christmas 2014 A Perfect Christmas List 2015 Eyewitness A Prince for Christmas The Christmas Gift 2016 A Mother's Revenge Unwanted Guests A Christmas in Vermont 2017 The Twin Stage Fright Deadly Vows Framed by My Fiancé 2018 Witness Unprotected Fiancé Killer Deadly Shores A Wedding For Christmas A Christmas In Royal Fashion 2019 Sister of the Bride Uncredited One Fine Christmas n/a Baking Christmas A Christmas Princess 2020A Mother's Secret A Royal Christmas Engagement 2021 The Killer in My Backyard 2022 A Royal Christmas on Ice Dognapped: Hound for the Holidays
TV Series Year Title Director Writer Producer Notes 2000Emmanuelle 2000 as Nicholas Medina, Episode: Emmanuelle's Sensual Pleasures 2002Sexy Urban Legends 2 Episodes2006–2007 Dante's Cove Supervising Producer 2007–2009 The Lair Creator, Executive Producer2018–2020 The Bay Co-executive producer 2019 Boggy Creek - The Bigfoot Series Executive Producer
See also Sam Newfield, a filmmaker who uses the "Sherman Scott" and "Peter Stewart" pseudonyms. Brad Linaweaver, science fiction writer, publisher, and frequent Ray collaborator.
References
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