Paul Bartel, the cult-fave actor and director whose credits included schlocky Roger Corman films and the offbeat hit “Eating Raoul” died Saturday in New York, it was reported today. He was 61. Bartel acted in more than 70 films, ranging from “Frankenweenie” to the just-released “Hamlet” starring Ethan Hawke. His signature work was “Eating Raoul,” a macabre comedy and surprise art-house hit of 1982 that he co-wrote, directed and starred in.
After that, Bartel continued to make films such as “Lust in the Dust,” “Scenes From the Class Struggle in Beverly Hills” and “Shelf Life,” but none received the notoriety of “Raoul.”
The cause of Bartel’s death was not immediately known, although family members said that he recently underwent surgery for cancer of the liver ducts, according to The New York Times.
