Don Dohler

Donald Michael Dohler (January 27, 1946 – December 2, 2006) was an American film director known for making low-budget science fiction and horror films, as well as work in underground comix and publishing.

Early Life
Dohler was born in Baltimore, Maryland. When he was a child, his mother bought him a film projector and one day he drew stick figures on a piece of scotch tape. He ran the tape through the projector and just before the tape burned up inside of the projector, he saw the animated figure dance on the wall and that's when he knew he wanted to make films.

Filmmaking
Dohler's first film, the science fiction B movie The Alien Factor, was released in 1976. The story begins with a young teenage couple making out in a car when an insect-looking monster attacks. The local sheriff must find out what's causing the killings while the mayor is breathing down his neck to keep a lid on the deaths so a multimillion-dollar amusement park can be built nearby. Featuring special effects from Ernest Farino, John Cosentino, and Larry Schelecter, The Alien Factor had a long run on TV throughout the 1980s, including on Ted Turner's Superstation WPCH-TV.

Dohler made several more low-budget films during the 1980s, including The Galaxy Invader, Nightbeast, Blood Massacre and Fiend, a serial killer film with a supernatural twist.

After an eleven-year self-imposed hiatus, Dohler returned to filmmaking with Alien Rampage, where Dohler met actor/cop Joe Ripple. Dohler never cared for directing, so he asked Ripple to direct his films, and he concentrated on cinematography and editing. Together they made five films, including Harvesters, Stakes, Vampire Sisters, Crawler and Dead Hunt.

Later life and death
Dohler died from cancer in Maryland in 2006; he was 60 years old.

Dohler's life is chronicled in a documentary by John Kinhart titled Blood, Boobs & Beast and released in 2007.

Filmography

 * The Alien Factor (1976)
 * Fiend (1980)
 * Nightbeast (1982)
 * Galaxy Invader (1985)
 * Blood Massacre (1988)
 * Alien Rampage (1999) (A.K.A. Alien Factor 2: The Alien Rampage)
 * Harvesters (2001) (Remake of Blood Massacre)
 * Stakes (2002)
 * Vampire Sisters (2003)
 * Crawler (In Post-Production)
 * Dead Hunt (2006)