Co-writer of John Carpenter's The Fog and the first two Halloween movies.
She first met Carpenter when working as the script supervisor on his Assault on Precinct 13 from 1976.
She formed her own production company, financing popular films including Adventures in Babysitting and The Fisher King. She also signed a contract with Walt Disney Pictures in 1988.
She grew up in Haddonfield, New Jersey.
Her work on Oliver Stone's World Trade Center was her final film.