Paul Morrissey, influential Warhol collaborator and cult film director, dies at 86

Paul Morrissey, a key collaborator with Andy Warhol, has died at 86 in New York after being hospitalized with pneumonia. He was known for directing cult classics like "Flesh" and "Lonesome Cowboys" during the late 1960s and early 1970s. Morrissey's films often challenged Hollywood norms, featuring explicit queer themes. He later distanced himself from Warhol, claiming he was the driving force behind their successful projects. His work has been credited with pushing Warhol's artistic direction. Born in 1938, Morrissey became part of the underground film scene in the 1960s. He continued to make films after parting ways with Warhol, including "Forty-Deuce" in 1982, which starred Kevin Bacon.