Richard S. Brummer

Richard S. Brummer, born smack in the middle of Manhattan back in 1924, really made his mark behind the scenes, not on the red carpet. Editing was his thing, and honestly, his fingerprints are all over some wild cult classics. Take “Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!” from ‘65—yeah, that one’s pure, unfiltered chaos, all sharp cuts and frantic energy, and Brummer was slicing those reels with real attitude. He just had a knack for taking raw, sometimes bizarre footage and turning it into something that actually made your jaw drop. Move ahead a bit: “Angels Hard as They Come” in ‘71—biker flicks weren’t exactly Oscar bait, but Brummer gave it that grit, that edge, the kind of vibe that sticks to your brain like engine grease. Then there’s “The Return” from 1980, dipping toes into sci-fi with the same fearless style, not caring if it broke the so-called ‘rules’ of editing. That’s kind of his legacy—never playing it safe, always giving the audience something to chew on. He was married to Louise Meliere Brummer—don’t expect some Hollywood tabloid drama, just a solid partnership while he kept grinding away in the editing room. Lived most of his later years over in Los Angeles, which, honestly, feels right for a guy who helped shape the look and feel of offbeat cinema. When he passed in January 2022, it wasn’t exactly headline news, but for those who know their cult films, Brummer’s name is like a secret handshake. The industry’s a little less wild without him around.