William Lustig

Biography

William "Bill" Lustig (born February 1, 1955, in The Bronx, New York) is an American film director and producer who has worked primarily in the horror film genre. He is the nephew of former middleweight champion Jake LaMotta. As a film director, Lustig is best known for his low-budget horror films Maniac, Vigilante, Uncle Sam, and the Maniac Cop series. Lustig has also worked as an actor playing small roles in his own films as well as in films by Sam Raimi, most notably as a fake shemp in Army of Darkness and a dockworker in Darkman. As of 2009, Lustig is the CEO of Blue Underground; an entertainment company specializing in the release of obscure films and exploitation films on DVD. He also produced a remake of his film Maniac (2012) and is rumoured to be producing a new upcoming Maniac Cop with Nicolas Winding Refn. In an interview with Vulture in January 2023, Refn, when asked whether the creation of the series was still under discussion, said: "All I can say is, unfortunately, it’s not going to happen."

Most Known For

The Last Drive-in with Joe Bob Briggs

as Himself

Marcians

as Self - Interviewee

Creature Features

as Self

Army of Darkness

as Fake Shemp

Relentless

as Cop #2

Cameron's Closet

as Ice Cream Eater (uncredited)

Vigilante

as First Man Exiting Courtroom Elevator (uncredited)

Darkman

as Dockworker

Maniac Cop

as Motel Manager

Maniac

as Al - Hotel Manager (uncredited)

Charles Band’s Full Moon Freakshow

In Search of Darkness: Part III

as Self

Maniac Men

VHS Revolution

as Self

American Grindhouse

as Himself

13 Scarier Movie Moments

as Self

Texas Chain Saw Massacre: The Shocking Truth

as Himself

Direct Your Own Damn Movie!

as Self

The Joe Spinell Story

as Self

Hollywood Rated 'R'

as Self