- Born
- Irwin Yablans has gained a reputation for distributing horror films, cult films and exploitation pictures. Becoming an independent producer in the mid 70s, he started distributing films that didn't become large hits and released them overseas. Among the films was John Carpenter's 1976 film "Assault on Precinct 13". Yablans released it overseas, through his small studio Turtle Releasing Corporation, where it did rather well. In 1977, Yablans joined Joseph Wolf to form Compass International Pictures, a small scale theatrical company. Again, Yablans worked with John Carpenter and released his 1978 film Halloween (1978). Yablans pre-sold it into Kansas City where Halloween premiered and became very popular, ranking it the top grossing independent motion picture of the 1970s.
Halloween seemed to boost Yablans' reputation, but only little success came when making low budget films for Compass International, including "Tourist Trap", "Nocturna" and the Linda Blair films Roller Boogie (1979) and Hell Night (1981). Due to the small scale flops of theatrical releases, Compass International Pictures collapsed, and Yablans and Joseph Wolf returned to release two more Halloween films, Halloween II (1981) and Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982), for Universal Pictures. Yablans didn't form another company after the Halloween films, he joined Charles Band of Empire Pictures where he stayed for the next few years. Since then, Yablans has been associated with releasing direct to video films and has also since retired from the filmmaking industry.- IMDb Mini Biography By: Anonymous - Irwin Yablans has gained a reputation for distributing horror films, cult films and exploitation pictures. Becoming an independent producer in the mid-1970s, he started distributing films that didn't become large hits and released them overseas. Among the films was John Carpenter's 1976 film Assault on Precinct 13 (1976). Yablans released it overseas, through his small studio Turtle Releasing Corporation, where it did rather well. In 1977, Yablans joined Joseph Wolf to form Compass International Pictures, a small scale theatrical company. Again, Yablans worked with John Carpenter and released his 1978 film Halloween (1978). Yablans pre-sold it into Kansas City where Halloween premiered and became very popular, ranking it the top grossing independent motion picture of the 1970s. Halloween (1978) seemed to boost Yablans' reputation, but only little success came when making low budget films for Compass International, including Tourist Trap (1979), _Nocturna_ and the Linda Blair films Roller Boogie (1979) and Hell Night (1981). Due to the small scale flops of theatrical releases, Compass International Pictures collapsed, and Yablans and Joseph Wolf returned to release two more Halloween films, Halloween II (1981) and Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982), for Universal Pictures. Yablans didn't form another company after the Halloween films, he joined Charles Band of Empire Pictures where he stayed for the next few years. Since then, Yablans has been associated with releasing direct to video films and has also since retired from the filmmaking industry- IMDb Mini Biography By: Anonymous
- SpouseDiane Yablans(December 18, 1963 - present) (2 children)
- Children
- RelativesFrank Yablans(Sibling)Bob Yablans(Niece or Nephew)Eddy Yablans(Niece or Nephew)
- He and Joseph Wolf funded Compass International Pictures in 1978. Despite that their first film, Halloween (1978) had so much success, Compass International Pictures only released three more films, Tourist Trap (1979), Roller Boogie (1979), and Hell Night (1981), which only had minor releases and then Compass International Pictures eventually folded in mid-1981, before Halloween II (1981) was made.
- His brother, Frank Yablans is also an experienced movie executive and from 1981-1986, served as Chairman and CEO of Metro Goldwyn Mayer (MGM/UA).
- Brother of Frank Yablans.
- Father of Mickey Yablans.
- President of Compass International Pictures Inc. with Joseph Wolf in the 1970s and early 1980s. The theatrical production/distribution company is now a division of Trancas International Films.
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