COLOR OUT OF SPACE Filmmaker Richard Stanley Accused of Horrific Abuse
Dread Central is all about lauding and promoting filmmakers we respect. Unfortunately, it sometimes comes to light that the people we’ve supported are not worthy of the positive attention they received here. This is the case with Richard Stanley, the director and co-writer of Color Out of Space.
Color Out of Space was the number one film in our reader’s poll of the best horror movies of 2020; we ran an extensive interview with Stanley in advance of the film’s national release. It is for these reasons we feel morally obligated to report that Stanley has been accused of horrific abuse by his former partner, writer and novelist Scarlett Amaris.
In a lengthy blog post, Amaris reveals:
“I filed charges for Domestic Violence, Assault & Battery against Richard Stanley, my then long term life & creative partner in October, 2014, after he beat the shit out of me in our car parked behind the Banque Postale in Lavelanet, France when we were returning from a film festival in London. It was not the first time he had beaten me. In fact, he beaten the shit out of me numerous times, but I finally pressed charges against him that time.”
Amaris explains that she is coming forward now that additional abuse charges have been filed against Stanley by a different woman.
“Now there are another set of charges against him for Domestic Violence, Assault & Battery from another woman who was his partner. Another woman who believed him and loved him, and whom he beat the shit out more than once, and who was afraid she was going to die by his hand. I remember that feeling all too well.”
Amaris’s full account is nothing short of harrowing, and we encourage all of our readers to absorb it in full, HERE. We take no joy in reporting these horrific events, but we think it’s important that our readers are fully informed about filmmakers they may choose to support.
SpectreVision, the company that produced Color Out of Space, responded to these allegations with a statement of support for Amaris and all survivors of domestic violence.
Likewise, all of us here at Dread Central stand in solidarity with Amaris and all survivors of abuse. You are not alone. We believe you and we support you.
In addition to Color Out of Space, Stanley is best known as the director of Hardware (1990) and Dust Devil (1992). He was the original director of The Island of Dr. Moreau (1996) but was replaced by John Frankenheimer; his experiences on that film were the subject of the documentary Lost Soul: The Doomed Journey of Richard Stanley’s Island of Dr. Moreau.
Categorized:News
