George Eastman dead: Horror movie legend dies as tributes flood in

Horror legend George Eastman, real name Luigi Montefiori, died on Tuesday May 19 at the age of 83. His family confirmed the Italian star died at the "Gemelli Curae" clinic in Rome after a period of deteriorating health. The 6'9" former rugby player turned actor and screenwriter was a regular in spaghetti westerns and a formidable villain in horror movies. His close friendship with Italian horror filmmaker Joe D'Amato led to many memorable collaborations with both acting and screenwriting credits on films such as Absurd and Red Blood, both 1981.

He also had a notable role as one of the villains in Mario Bava's sadistic road thriller Rabid Dogs. From the 1990s onwards he worked mainly for television, as a screenwriter for shows such as La squadra, Il maresciallo Rocca, Il cuore nel pozzo and Uno bianca and popular melodramas such as L'onore e il rispetto and Il peccato e la vergogna.

In 1990 he branched out into directing with the science fiction horror DNA - Formula letale, which won him the first prize at the Avoriaz Film Festival.

Tributes flooded in for the star as fans learnt the news of his death. On Facebook one wrote: "A genuine legend of Euro Horror, Sci-Fi, Western & Exploitation cinema. RIP Sir."

Another added: "RIP greatest actor... I like his roles in Ben and Charlie... Django kills slowly... Viva Django... Boot Hill... Man Eater."

A third chimed in: "We're saddened by the passing of George Eastman: actor, screenwriter, and a genuine giant of Italian cinema. His story for Keoma (1976) remains one of the genre's finest. A talent whose contribution ran deeper than most realised. RIP."

A fourth penned: "I must have seen at least fifteen films with him in!! What a legend."

A fifth shared: "Very sad to hear about the passing of EuroHorror legend George Eastman, the Anthropophagous beast himself. RIP George and thanks for all the films."

Meanwhile a sixth lamented: "If you love your Italian movies, especially those of Joe D'Amato, and horror or westerns there's sad news that Luigi Montefiori aka George Eastman has passed away today aged 83. RIP Big Man!"

He is survived by his wife, Manuela, his three children, Evelina, 36, Arianna, 31, and Tommaso and his two grandchildren, Giulio, aged 4 months, the son of his eldest daughter, Evelina; and Allegra, aged 2 months, the daughter of Arianna and Mattia Briga.