Mark Tarlov was a prominent Hollywood producer and director, who worked on films such as Christine, Copycat, Serial Mom, and Cecil B. Demented. He was also a winemaker, who founded Evening Land Vineyards in Oregon’s Willamette Valley. He died on July 31, 2021, at his home in Manhattan, after battling cancer. He was 69 years old.
Early Life and Career
Mark Tarlov was born in 1952 in Norwalk, Connecticut. He graduated from Yale University and Harvard Law School, and worked as an attorney and a speechwriter for Senator Edward Kennedy. He joined Warner Bros. in 1979 as a business affairs executive, and soon became a producer. His first film was Christine, based on the Stephen King novel and directed by John Carpenter, in 1983. He went on to produce films such as Power, White Water Summer, Second Sight, Tune in Tomorrow, Mortal Thoughts, A Good Man in Africa, Radio Inside, and I Love You, I Love You Not. He also produced several films directed by John Waters, such as Pecker, Serial Mom, and Cecil B. Demented. He also directed two films of his own: Simply Irresistible, starring Sarah Michelle Gellar, and Temptation, a rock musical with Zoe Saldana.
Winemaking Venture
In 2006, Tarlov left Hollywood and moved to Oregon, where he started Evening Land Vineyards, a winery that focused on Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from the Eola-Amity Hills region. He hired renowned winemakers such as Dominique Lafon, Sashi Moorman, and Rajat Parr, and earned critical acclaim for his wines. He also launched other wine brands, such as Alit, Chapter 24, and Maison L’Envoyé. He was passionate about wine and its connection to culture, history, and art.
Personal Life and Death
Tarlov was married to Judith Roberts, a screenwriter and novelist, whom he met at Harvard Law School. They had two children, Jessica and Daniel. Jessica is a political commentator and analyst, who appears on Fox News. Daniel is a musician and composer, who performs under the name D.A. Stern. Tarlov was diagnosed with cancer in 2019, and underwent treatment in New York. He died on July 31, 2021, at his home in Manhattan, surrounded by his family. He was remembered by his friends and colleagues as a brilliant, creative, curious, and generous person, who had a wide range of interests and talents.
