A film legend whio

Amos Poe

Amos Poe died on Christmas Day after battling cancer (Image: Getty)

70s film legend Amos Poe has died aged 76, his devastated wife has confirmed. The director and screenwriter, who catapulted to fame with The Blank Generation in 1976, passed away on Christmas Day surrounded by his family. He had been diagnosed with stage four colon cancer in 2022.

His wife posted on Instagram: “Amos Poe September 30, 1949 – December 25, 2025. Amos took his last breath today at 3:33 pm, surrounded by loved ones,” as she added: “‘Adios’ — AP.” Poe’s daughter Lucy penned on Facebook: “We said goodbye today to @amos.poe – and the world will never be the same. Thanks, Dad, for bringing so much light, love and laughter to the world.” Poe became known for his experimental, do-it-yourself filmmaking, with The Blank Generation, which he made with Ivan Kral, being named as one of the Top 10 greatest punk movies by Rolling Stone.

Amos Poe

His wife and daughter paid tribute to Amos Poe (Image: Getty)

 

It featured a number of huge stars such as Patti Smith, Blondie, The Ramones, Richard Hell’s Television, Talking Heads, David Johansen’s New York Dolls and The Shirts.

Other pieces of work include The Foreigner (1978) and Subway Riders (1981) with Susan Tyrell, Robbie Coltrane and Cookie Mueller, which marked The New Wave Movement in New York.

Poe told Reuters in 2011: “Our whole esthetic, or the way we approached it, was that you didn’t necessarily have to have the professionalism or the understanding of making films, you had to have the inspiration and the will to put yourself completely into it.”

He went on to direct music videos in the 80s for Run-D.M.C., Anthrax and Van Zant and helmed Just an American Boy (2003), a documentary about musician-songwriter Steve Earle.

However, in a sad twist, Poe lost all ownership of The Blank Generation, as well as several other pieces of work in a legal row over licensing fees.

He said at the time: “I’m trying to be grown up about it. But they’re trying to rewrite history.”

He is survived by his wife, Claudia Summers, and his daughters.