You might not immediately recognize the name Scott Spiegel, but if you—like most horror fans—are a sworn devotee of the legendary splatter comedy Evil Dead II, you are well familiar with his work. Spiegel, who passed away this week at age 67, co-wrote that film with a buddy of his since high school: director Sam Raimi. He had also acted in Within the Woods, Raimi’s proof-of-concept that later helped him make the first Evil Dead.
Spiegel’s other credits include co-writing the Clint Eastwood thriller The Rookie and directing From Dusk Till Dawn 2: Texas Blood Money and Hostel: Part III. He’d also executive-produced the first two Hostel movies, both directed by Eli Roth. In front of the camera, he achieved Raimi Easter egg status by the sheer number of cameos he racked up over the years, with bit parts in The Quick and the Dead, Spider-Man 2, Drag Me to Hell, and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
According to a Hollywood legend that Variety shared in his obituary, Spiegel also had a hand in a particularly potent showbiz moment: he’s said to have introduced Quentin Tarantino to producer Lawrence Bender, who became a key component in getting Reservoir Dogs made.
The trade shared statements from Raimi and Roth, who had warm words to share.
“More than anything, he wanted to make people laugh. And he was so good at doing it,” Raimi recalled. “Even as a kid, he was always working to provide a good life for his family. I remember that every Saturday, before shooting a Super 8 together, he first had to finish his work at Walnut Lake market, stocking shelves to pay his family’s bills.”
Roth added, “He taught me so much about directing and was the best I’ve ever met at coming up with visual gags and puns. So many directors talk about the ‘Scotty Spiegel shot’ or a ‘Scotty edit’ when you cut to a gag.”
Pop on Evil Dead II and pay tribute to the singular Spiegel, who Roth also notes was a collector of “ancient candy and defunct cereal.”