Michael Anderson ...
![Picture](/uploads/1/3/3/3/13332862/8419728.jpg)
In 2012, Michael Anderson received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Directors Guild of Canada.
Michael Anderson’s contribution to the science-fiction genre include:
1984 (1956), the first cinematic rendition of Georege Orwell’s literary masterpiece.
The Martian Chronicles (1980) (TV), a mini-series based on the Ray Bradbury’s book by the same name. Nominated for Best Dramatic Presentation at the 1981 Hugo Award Ceremony.
Millineum (1989), based on a 1977 short story by John Varley entitled “Air Raid”.
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1997) (TV)
And most notably for Logan’s Run (1976), a film depicting a dystopian society in the 23rd Century in which population and natural resources are regulated by killing everyone reaching the age of 30. Logan's Run garnered all six trophies for which it was nominated at the 1977 Saturn Awards: Best Science Fiction Film, Best Cinematography, Best Art Direction, Best Costume, Best Make-up, and Best Set Decoration. It also received a nomination for the Hugo Award for the Best Dramatic Presentation. Logan’s Run also receieved the Nebula Award for Best Script. Anderson himself was nominated for the Golden Prize at the 10th Moscow International Film Festival.
“I'm totally fascinated by it and whenever I'm asked to do science-fiction I jump at it because it's something I really enjoy. You can use your own imagination more. It opens up visual aspects that are taboo or you don't get the opportunity to do in normal films. Where do you get the opportunity of doing a time tank? Or a holograph? Or somebody walking from the past into the future or the present? It's a fascinating spirit--something we all dream about.” –Michael Anderson
-Kevin Turbeville
Michael Anderson’s contribution to the science-fiction genre include:
1984 (1956), the first cinematic rendition of Georege Orwell’s literary masterpiece.
The Martian Chronicles (1980) (TV), a mini-series based on the Ray Bradbury’s book by the same name. Nominated for Best Dramatic Presentation at the 1981 Hugo Award Ceremony.
Millineum (1989), based on a 1977 short story by John Varley entitled “Air Raid”.
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1997) (TV)
And most notably for Logan’s Run (1976), a film depicting a dystopian society in the 23rd Century in which population and natural resources are regulated by killing everyone reaching the age of 30. Logan's Run garnered all six trophies for which it was nominated at the 1977 Saturn Awards: Best Science Fiction Film, Best Cinematography, Best Art Direction, Best Costume, Best Make-up, and Best Set Decoration. It also received a nomination for the Hugo Award for the Best Dramatic Presentation. Logan’s Run also receieved the Nebula Award for Best Script. Anderson himself was nominated for the Golden Prize at the 10th Moscow International Film Festival.
“I'm totally fascinated by it and whenever I'm asked to do science-fiction I jump at it because it's something I really enjoy. You can use your own imagination more. It opens up visual aspects that are taboo or you don't get the opportunity to do in normal films. Where do you get the opportunity of doing a time tank? Or a holograph? Or somebody walking from the past into the future or the present? It's a fascinating spirit--something we all dream about.” –Michael Anderson
-Kevin Turbeville
Jack Arnold...
![Picture](/uploads/1/3/3/3/13332862/2498397.png?187)
... was born October 14, 1916 in New Haven, Connecticut. Originally, he was an actor on Broadway in the late 1930s and early 1940s, but he later became one of the most loved movie director in the history of Hollywood (Jack Arnold Biography). Arnold was one of the great directors of the 1950s science fiction features. His films are very distinguishable by moody black and white cinematography, solid acting, thought out scripts, and heartfelt enthusiasm for the science fiction genre (Jack Arnold). Starting out on Broadway, he appeared in plays such as “The Time of Your Life”, “Juke Box Jenny”, “China Passage”, and many more. Arnold also served in the US Army in the Signal Corps during World War II (Jack Arnold). While in the corps, he apprenticed under the famous documentary filmmaker Robert J. Flaherty. Nonetheless, Arnold eventually started making his own short films and documentaries. His 1950 film, “With These Hands”, was nominated for an Academy Award as Best Documentary Feature. Arnold later went on to make his theatrical movie debut with the 1953 B picture “Girls in the Night”(Jack Arnold). However, his first science fiction film breakthrough, “It Came From Outer Space”, also came out in 1953 (Jack Arnold Biography). His most popular film was “Creature from the Black Lagoon”(1955). This film was “scary yet poetic reworking of Beauty and the Beast”(Jack Arnold). Nonetheless, “The Incredible Shrinking Man” rates as Arnold’s crowning cinematic achievement; “it is an intelligent and entertaining classic that’s lost non of its potency throughout the years”(Jack Arnold). In addition to Arnold’s film work, he also directed TV shows such as “Science Fiction Theatre”(1955) , “Gilligan’s Island”(1964), “Wonder Woman”(1975) and “The Love Boat”(1977). Sadly, chronic illness halted his career in the 1970s, and he was inactive as a director in the 1980s. On March 17, 1992, Arnold died at the age of 75.- Whitney Malone
Darren Aronofsky...
![Picture](/uploads/1/3/3/3/13332862/2934529.jpg?318)
... is an acclaimed American film director, screenwriter, and film producer. Aronofsky was born in Brooklyn, New York, and attended New York City Public Schools. He attended Harvard University, where he studied both live action and animated filmmaking. He later went on to get an M.F.A. in directing from A.F.I. He has directed such notable films as Black Swan, Requiem for a Dream,The Wrestler, and The Fountain. Aronofsky got his breakthrough on his 2008 film Pi, which was made for a mere $60,000 that was borrowed from friends and family. Pi won him the Director’s Award at Sundance Film Festival and an Independent Spirit award for best screenplay.
After the success of his first film, Aronofsky went on to make Requiem for a Dream, a film that was placed on 150 top-ten lists (with Rolling Stone and the New York Times being two of the reputable periodicals from among the 150). The film’s unflinching depiction of drug addiction in America garnered more awards, most notably five Independent Spirit Award nominations and a Golden Globe and Academy Award nomination for Ellen Burstyn’s performance in the film.
Aronofsky’s 2006 film The Fountain is an ambitious Science-Fiction Romance, featuring spectacular visuals and time travel. It split critics pretty evenly, with some saying he achieved what he set out to accomplish and some claiming that he is “sometimes guilty of creating arty, pretentious, psychobabble” (Peter Travers).
Though some may have considered The Fountain as faltering, he regained critical support with his next two releases, The Wrestler and Black Swan. The Wrestler was praised for its evocative, pseudo-documentary style. It also helped restart the career of Mickey Rourke. Black Swan was also a critical success, and it won Natalie Portman an Academy Award for Best Actress. It was also nominated for Best Picture.
Aronofsky tackles complex issues of the times, including drug use and body image issues. He is a visual filmmaker, relying heavily on visceral images to evoke emotion as much as good screenwriting. His sequence from Requiem for a Dream has become iconic (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-Bwd0Y48m4). But his movies are not simply monuments of spectacle without having anything to say—his highly visual style adds to the complexity of his social commentary and well written characters, making him one of the most influential modern filmmakers in Hollywood. - Dylan Schrader
Works Cited
"Darren Aronofsky - Biography - Movies & TV - NYTimes.com." Darren Aronofsky - Biography - Movies & TV - NYTimes.com. New York Times Online, 02 Oct. 2013. Web. 02 Oct. 2013.
"Darren Aronofsky." Darren Aronofsky. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Oct. 2013.
"Darren Aronofsky." IMDb. IMDb.com, n.d. Web. 02 Oct. 2013.
After the success of his first film, Aronofsky went on to make Requiem for a Dream, a film that was placed on 150 top-ten lists (with Rolling Stone and the New York Times being two of the reputable periodicals from among the 150). The film’s unflinching depiction of drug addiction in America garnered more awards, most notably five Independent Spirit Award nominations and a Golden Globe and Academy Award nomination for Ellen Burstyn’s performance in the film.
Aronofsky’s 2006 film The Fountain is an ambitious Science-Fiction Romance, featuring spectacular visuals and time travel. It split critics pretty evenly, with some saying he achieved what he set out to accomplish and some claiming that he is “sometimes guilty of creating arty, pretentious, psychobabble” (Peter Travers).
Though some may have considered The Fountain as faltering, he regained critical support with his next two releases, The Wrestler and Black Swan. The Wrestler was praised for its evocative, pseudo-documentary style. It also helped restart the career of Mickey Rourke. Black Swan was also a critical success, and it won Natalie Portman an Academy Award for Best Actress. It was also nominated for Best Picture.
Aronofsky tackles complex issues of the times, including drug use and body image issues. He is a visual filmmaker, relying heavily on visceral images to evoke emotion as much as good screenwriting. His sequence from Requiem for a Dream has become iconic (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-Bwd0Y48m4). But his movies are not simply monuments of spectacle without having anything to say—his highly visual style adds to the complexity of his social commentary and well written characters, making him one of the most influential modern filmmakers in Hollywood. - Dylan Schrader
Works Cited
"Darren Aronofsky - Biography - Movies & TV - NYTimes.com." Darren Aronofsky - Biography - Movies & TV - NYTimes.com. New York Times Online, 02 Oct. 2013. Web. 02 Oct. 2013.
"Darren Aronofsky." Darren Aronofsky. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Oct. 2013.
"Darren Aronofsky." IMDb. IMDb.com, n.d. Web. 02 Oct. 2013.
Dorothy Arzner ...
![Picture](/uploads/1/3/3/3/13332862/80427.jpg?191)
.... was the only female film director to survive the shift from silent films to sound films. She was the only female member of the Directors Guild for years and her work remains the largest collection of films by a female director done within the studio system. Of the films she has directed she has four silent films and thirteen sound films under her belt.
Arzner went to school at the University of California to be a doctor for two years before deciding that, that life was not for her. After she quit school she got a job as a script girl at Paramount Studios and worked her way up to editor. As an editor she worked on over fifty films at Paramount. She so distinguished herself that when she threatened to leave for a rival company unless they allowed her to direct, the studio caved in. She was then given her first directing opportunity on the film Fashions for Women in the year 1927.
She later directed Paramounts first talkie, The Wild Party in 1929. This film is important for the history of sound technology because during this film she created the first boom mike by putting together a microphone and a fishing pole. She directed many films about women and is responsible for starting the careers of many now famous female actresses such as Lucille Ball, Katharine Hepburn, and Rosalind Russell.
Of her films, one of the last that she directed, Dance, Girl, Dance (1940) is now considered to be one of her most successful despite its reception by her contemporaries. It is also seen today as being an important addition to feminist film studies. Today she has become a vital part of feminist film studies due to her work both as a female filmmaker and for how she was able to work in a male dominated society. Arzner, herself, wanted to be remembered not as a female director but as a Hollywood director. - Lacy Offutt
Dance, Girl, Dance
Bibliography Hurd, Mary G. Women Directors and Their Films. Westport: Praeger,2007. Print.
Geller, Theresa L. “Dorothy Arzner.” Senses of Cinema. Web. 21 April. 2013.
Arzner went to school at the University of California to be a doctor for two years before deciding that, that life was not for her. After she quit school she got a job as a script girl at Paramount Studios and worked her way up to editor. As an editor she worked on over fifty films at Paramount. She so distinguished herself that when she threatened to leave for a rival company unless they allowed her to direct, the studio caved in. She was then given her first directing opportunity on the film Fashions for Women in the year 1927.
She later directed Paramounts first talkie, The Wild Party in 1929. This film is important for the history of sound technology because during this film she created the first boom mike by putting together a microphone and a fishing pole. She directed many films about women and is responsible for starting the careers of many now famous female actresses such as Lucille Ball, Katharine Hepburn, and Rosalind Russell.
Of her films, one of the last that she directed, Dance, Girl, Dance (1940) is now considered to be one of her most successful despite its reception by her contemporaries. It is also seen today as being an important addition to feminist film studies. Today she has become a vital part of feminist film studies due to her work both as a female filmmaker and for how she was able to work in a male dominated society. Arzner, herself, wanted to be remembered not as a female director but as a Hollywood director. - Lacy Offutt
Dance, Girl, Dance
Bibliography Hurd, Mary G. Women Directors and Their Films. Westport: Praeger,2007. Print.
Geller, Theresa L. “Dorothy Arzner.” Senses of Cinema. Web. 21 April. 2013.
Alice Guy Blache ...
![Picture](/uploads/1/3/3/3/13332862/9741527.jpg)
...French film maker, is considered to be the first female director in the motion picture industry. In addition, she is also considered to be one of the first fiction film directors. Interestingly enough, Alice Guy began her career as a secretary for Gaumont in Paris of 1896, during the period in which Gaumont manufactured cameras. As the company transitioned into producing movies, Guy became one its first film director. Given the chance to prove herself, Guy impressed the company with both the amount and quality of her work. In 1906, she directed The Life of Christ, a big budget production, which included 300 extras (Wikipedia) By 1950, Guy had been made Gaumont’s production director, a position that involved supervising other directors. A few years later, she married Herbert Blache, who operated the British and German offices of the company. Soon after, the couple went to the U.S. to begin their own production company. Their company experienced initial success, but declined and eventually was shut down. Not long after, she and her husband divorced. After a failed business and marriage, Guy returned to her home in France. Though she had secured work for several major Hollywood studios, she never made another film again. Later in life, she returned to the U.S. to live with her daughters in Mahwah, New Jersey, where she died in 1968.
Alice Guy Blache was a pioneer in the use of audio recording in conjunction with images on screen with Gaumont’s “Chronophone” system (Wikipedia). Blache was also an innovator who often employed special effects, using double exposure masking techniques and even running a film backwards. Guy is still considered to be the first female film maker and is responsible for creating one of the first ever narrative films. During her extensive career, she directed over 400 films, 22 of which were feature length features. With over 24 years of experience in the film industry, Guy was and still is the only woman to ever manage and own her own film studio. - Hali Black
Here is a short clip from her film: La Fée aux Choux (The Cabbage Fairy), 1896: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MTd7r0VkgnQ&feature=player_detailpage
Works Cited IMDb. (n.d.). Retrieved February 12, 2013, from Alice Guy: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0349785/bio
Alice Guy Blache was a pioneer in the use of audio recording in conjunction with images on screen with Gaumont’s “Chronophone” system (Wikipedia). Blache was also an innovator who often employed special effects, using double exposure masking techniques and even running a film backwards. Guy is still considered to be the first female film maker and is responsible for creating one of the first ever narrative films. During her extensive career, she directed over 400 films, 22 of which were feature length features. With over 24 years of experience in the film industry, Guy was and still is the only woman to ever manage and own her own film studio. - Hali Black
Here is a short clip from her film: La Fée aux Choux (The Cabbage Fairy), 1896: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MTd7r0VkgnQ&feature=player_detailpage
Works Cited IMDb. (n.d.). Retrieved February 12, 2013, from Alice Guy: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0349785/bio
G.W. "Billy" Blitzer...
![Picture](/uploads/1/3/3/3/13332862/3909051.jpg?212)
... was born on April 21, 1872, in Roxbury, Massachusetts. G.W. Bitzer began motion picture work for American Mutoscope Company circa 1896. According to imdb.com, “He became the first cinematographer to cover a war, when he was commissioned by William Randolph Hearst to get footage of the Spanish-American War.” He was later a staff cinematographer for Biograph Company. He then began working on films directed by D.W. Griffith. Bitzer went on to shoot nearly all of Griffith’s major films, including The Birth of a Nation (1915), Intolerance (1916), Broken Blossoms (1919) and Way Down East (1920). “In partnership with D.W. Griffith, G.W. Bitzer developed camera techniques that set the standard for all future motion pictures and stimulated important experimentation in the field (Encyclopedia Britannica).” He had been toying with lighting effects as early as 1909 using candlelight, sunlight, and by firelight. He was the first cameraman to completely film under artificial lights. “He developed methods that would permanently influence the industry including soft-focus photography, using a light-diffusion screen in front of the camera lens; the fade-out, used to close a scene; and the iris shot, in which the frame either is gradually blacked out in a shrinking circle, thereby ending a scene, or gradually opened in a widening circle, beginning a scene. He refined methods of taking close-ups and long shots and was one of the first cinematographers to make effective use of perspective (Encyclopedia Britannica).” Bitzer once said, "We took our work seriously in those days. We were always experimenting, fooling around, playing with lenses and lights, not because we had any clear idea of what we were after but because we had a vague hope that we would hit on something (Camera Guild)." He failed to patent any of these techniques so he received no monetary gain from them. Bitzer quit working with Griffith in 1924. Work became harder to come by and he worked on just a handful of films afterwards, retiring in 1933. He died on April 24, 1944. -Kaitlin Collignon
Works Cited
Photograph: http://www.silentera.com/people/cinematographers/Bitzer-GW.html
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0005658/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1
https://www.cameraguild.com/AboutUs/memberspotlightcustom/member-spotlight-billy-bitzer.aspx
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/67282/Billy-Bitzer
Photograph: http://www.silentera.com/people/cinematographers/Bitzer-GW.html
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0005658/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1
https://www.cameraguild.com/AboutUs/memberspotlightcustom/member-spotlight-billy-bitzer.aspx
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/67282/Billy-Bitzer
Neill Blomkamp..
![Picture](/uploads/1/3/3/3/13332862/6428754.jpg?226)
... was born in Johannesburg, South Africa in 1979. He moved to Canada at the age of 18, where he would attend the Vancouver film school which eventually led to his career in film. Blomkamp is probably most known for his handy-cam film style and use of CGI effects. Many of his films, including District 9, make use of the perspective of a hand held camera instead of a more cinematic third-person view. He is also known for his social commentary in films, often creating allusions to his time spent growing up in South Africa.
Blomkamp began his career in film as a visual effects artist working for the sci-fi television show Stargate SG-1. He went on to animate several other shows until finally trying his hand at directing with “Tetra Vaal”, a sci-fi short about a robotic police force sent to watch over developing countries. After directing four more shorts,
Blomkamp directed his first major motion picture, District 9. District 9 is a sci-fi film about aliens landing in South Africa. Immediately upon landing, the aliens are stripped of their power and contained in a section of South African slums. The film opened to both critical and commercial success, scoring a 90% freshness rating on rottentomatoes.com and earning $115.6 million at the box office. The film was praised for its commentary of the apartheid in South Africa, of prejudice, and of racism.
In 2013, Blomkamp released the sci-fi thriller Elysium, which opened to generally favorable reviews (68% freshness rating on rottentomatoes.com) and a box office of $91,851,060. In Elysium, Blomkamp addresses the problems of the wealth gap, immigration laws, and dealing with the earth’s limited resources. The film was mainly criticized for being overly dramatized and formulaic.
Currently, Blomkamp is working together with his wife, Terri Tatchell, on a new sci-fi film called Chappie, which is rumored to be based on his very first short film, “Tetra Vaal”. - Holden Belew
Works Cited
“District 9.” Rottentomatoes. Flixster, Inc., n.d. Web. 30 Sept. 2013.
“District 9 (2009).” IMDb. IMDb.com, Inc., n.d. Web. 30 Sept. 2013.
“Elysium.” Rottentomatoes. Flixster, Inc., n.d. Web. 30 Sept. 2013.
“Elysium (2013).” IMDb. IMDb.com, Inc., n.d. Web. 30 Sept. 2013.
“Neill Blomkamp.” IMDb. IMDb.com, Inc., n.d. Web. 30 Sept. 2013.
Blomkamp began his career in film as a visual effects artist working for the sci-fi television show Stargate SG-1. He went on to animate several other shows until finally trying his hand at directing with “Tetra Vaal”, a sci-fi short about a robotic police force sent to watch over developing countries. After directing four more shorts,
Blomkamp directed his first major motion picture, District 9. District 9 is a sci-fi film about aliens landing in South Africa. Immediately upon landing, the aliens are stripped of their power and contained in a section of South African slums. The film opened to both critical and commercial success, scoring a 90% freshness rating on rottentomatoes.com and earning $115.6 million at the box office. The film was praised for its commentary of the apartheid in South Africa, of prejudice, and of racism.
In 2013, Blomkamp released the sci-fi thriller Elysium, which opened to generally favorable reviews (68% freshness rating on rottentomatoes.com) and a box office of $91,851,060. In Elysium, Blomkamp addresses the problems of the wealth gap, immigration laws, and dealing with the earth’s limited resources. The film was mainly criticized for being overly dramatized and formulaic.
Currently, Blomkamp is working together with his wife, Terri Tatchell, on a new sci-fi film called Chappie, which is rumored to be based on his very first short film, “Tetra Vaal”. - Holden Belew
Works Cited
“District 9.” Rottentomatoes. Flixster, Inc., n.d. Web. 30 Sept. 2013.
“District 9 (2009).” IMDb. IMDb.com, Inc., n.d. Web. 30 Sept. 2013.
“Elysium.” Rottentomatoes. Flixster, Inc., n.d. Web. 30 Sept. 2013.
“Elysium (2013).” IMDb. IMDb.com, Inc., n.d. Web. 30 Sept. 2013.
“Neill Blomkamp.” IMDb. IMDb.com, Inc., n.d. Web. 30 Sept. 2013.
Danny Boyle ...
![Picture](/uploads/1/3/3/3/13332862/8892763.jpg?337)
... is the critically acclaimed and award-winning director of such diverse films as Trainspotting, 28 Weeks Later, Sunshine, 127 Hours, and Slumdog Millionaire. Born in England in 1956, Boyle got his directorial start in the theatre and television before his film debut, Shallow Grave, in 1994. This film, along with Boyle’s hugely acclaimed second film, Trainspotting, “revitalized British cinema,” and catapulted Boyle into the pantheon of iconic directors (Grice). He has continued to produce critically celebrated films (with only occasional missteps—the 2000 film The Beach) for nearly two decades, even branching out into genre film with the apocalyptic-zombie film 28 Days Later, a film that helped reinvigorate the zombie-horror genre. Two years prior to the success of 2008’s Slumdog Millionaire, which won 8 Academy Awards including “Best Director,” Boyle directed the sci-fi thriller Sunshine, his second film with 28 Days Later writer Alex Garland. Sunshine, like 28 Days, is a testament to Boyle’s versatility as a filmmaker. With gritty visuals and a heightened attention to character, both films are highly original entries into their respective sub-genres of science-fiction. From Bollywood to viral zombies, what makes Boyle such a distinguished filmmaker is his ability to produce such a variety of films that all maintain the same thematic centerpiece—one that Boyle has stated himself—of individuals “facing impossible odds and overcoming them” (Himes). - Spencer Murphy
Dunaway, Michael. "Danny Boyle: Jack of all Genres." Paste 2 April 2013.
Grice, Elizabeth. "from fleapit to the red carpet." The Telegraph (2009). Online Article.
Himes, Geoffery. "SXSW: Danny Boyle." City Paper (2013).
Sunshine. Dir. Danny Boyle. 2007.
See a clip from Sunshine here.
Dunaway, Michael. "Danny Boyle: Jack of all Genres." Paste 2 April 2013.
Grice, Elizabeth. "from fleapit to the red carpet." The Telegraph (2009). Online Article.
Himes, Geoffery. "SXSW: Danny Boyle." City Paper (2013).
Sunshine. Dir. Danny Boyle. 2007.
See a clip from Sunshine here.
Luis Buñuel ...
![Picture](/uploads/1/3/3/3/13332862/5844961.jpg)
...born in Spain in 1900, Luis Buñuel is most famous for his surrealist creations, according to the “Senses of Cinema” article on Luis Buñuel by Dominique Russell (). His works were popular and famous in Spain, France and Mexico, according to Russell (). He moved to Paris in1952 after his father died and began to focus on creating films, also according to Russell (Russell). One of his most famous films was made with Salvador Dali, Un Chien andalou (Russell). While only 17 minutes long, this became an important film in regards to the surrealist movement. According to Russell, Buñuel was nervous about the screening and came to the premier with rocks in his pockets, in case the film was not well received (Russell). Buñuel’s next documentary was created by chance. A friend told him if he won the lottery, than he would finance his next film, and in 1932 he was able to create Las Hurdes (Russell). Banned by the Spanish government, the surrealist document was seen as “Republican propaganda” (Russell). During the Spanish Civil War, he worked at “Filmófono, Spain’s Republican experiment in commercial filmmaking” according to Russell, and ended up in Hollywood at the end of the war. Buñuel eventually moved to Mexico to continue making surrealist films until 1964 (Russell). Religion played a part in his films and two were even approved by US National Catholic Film Office (Russell). His later films focused more on sexuality, according to Russell. Buñuel’s last film was created in 1977, though he was coaxed to create another film, he died in 1983 with his wife by his side (Russell). -Rachel Mellon
James Cameron ...
![Picture](/uploads/1/3/3/3/13332862/8921768.jpg)
... is arguably one of the biggest names in Science Fiction film to date. There might be other directors/writers who have a larger reach in terms of influence over the genre, but the 59 year old Canadian has directed some of the largest blockbusters of our time.
Born in a small town in Ontario, Canada, Cameron grew up in another small town—Chippawa, Ontario—with his father, an electrical engineer and his mother, an artist.
At the age of 15 Cameron saw Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey. As a fan of and avid reader of science fiction, this moment had a big impact on Cameron’s future. He became infatuated with the whole process of making motion pictures and his fantasy and science fiction writing began to pick up. It was in a biology class where young James Cameron wrote a story that would later become the film, The Abyss.
In 1971 Cameron moved to California to study physics at Fullerton Junior College. While in school he worked as both a machinist and a truck driver. Cameron quit his trucking job in favor of working on low-budget sci-fi films and teaching himself visual design and effects for movies.
After taking the self-taught route, Cameron began finding work in small studios and working his way up to doing special effects and art direction for films such as Battle Beyond the Stars (1980) and Escape from New York (1981).
In 1984, a vision that came to Cameron in a dream catapulted him into movie-making stardom. The Terminator was Cameron’s first big break as a writer/director that would eventually lead to him making giants of the genre such as Aliens (1986) and Avatar (2009).
Outside of the science fiction genre Cameron has also directed movies such as Titanic (1997), True Lies (1994) and Expedition: Bismarck (2002). - Matt Wilson
Notes:
"James Cameron Biography." James Cameron Biography. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Nov. 2013. <http://www.jamescamerononline.com/Biography.htm>.
"ExplorersBio." National Geographic. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Nov. 2013. <http://www.nationalgeographic.com/explorers/bios/james-cameron/>.
Born in a small town in Ontario, Canada, Cameron grew up in another small town—Chippawa, Ontario—with his father, an electrical engineer and his mother, an artist.
At the age of 15 Cameron saw Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey. As a fan of and avid reader of science fiction, this moment had a big impact on Cameron’s future. He became infatuated with the whole process of making motion pictures and his fantasy and science fiction writing began to pick up. It was in a biology class where young James Cameron wrote a story that would later become the film, The Abyss.
In 1971 Cameron moved to California to study physics at Fullerton Junior College. While in school he worked as both a machinist and a truck driver. Cameron quit his trucking job in favor of working on low-budget sci-fi films and teaching himself visual design and effects for movies.
After taking the self-taught route, Cameron began finding work in small studios and working his way up to doing special effects and art direction for films such as Battle Beyond the Stars (1980) and Escape from New York (1981).
In 1984, a vision that came to Cameron in a dream catapulted him into movie-making stardom. The Terminator was Cameron’s first big break as a writer/director that would eventually lead to him making giants of the genre such as Aliens (1986) and Avatar (2009).
Outside of the science fiction genre Cameron has also directed movies such as Titanic (1997), True Lies (1994) and Expedition: Bismarck (2002). - Matt Wilson
Notes:
"James Cameron Biography." James Cameron Biography. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Nov. 2013. <http://www.jamescamerononline.com/Biography.htm>.
"ExplorersBio." National Geographic. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Nov. 2013. <http://www.nationalgeographic.com/explorers/bios/james-cameron/>.
Charlie Chaplin...
![Picture](/uploads/1/3/3/3/13332862/1723042.jpg)
On April 16, 1889, Charles Spencer Chaplin was born in London, England, to Hannah and Charles Chaplin Sr. Charlie received his talent from his parents who were both talented singers and actors. At the age of ten, his father’s untimely death and mother’s mental illness lead him to use his talent to earn a living (“Overview of His Life”). In Charlie’s first stage show he played “Billy” the page in “Sherlock Holmes.” He soon started a career as a vaudeville comedian. His character relied on pantomime and quirky movements to become an iconic figure of the silent film era. He is often recognized by his bowler hat, a cane, and his toothbrush moustache. In 1910, he toured the United States with a comedy troupe and then moved to expand his career in Hollywood. He first signed with Keystone Studios, where he appeared in and directed 35 films, starring as the Little Tramp in nearly all (“Biography for Charles Chaplin”). In 1914, he signed with Essanay where he filmed 15 more films. Chaplin then filmed 12 films for Mutual. Next he signed with First National Studios and then created Chaplin Studios. In 1919, he and Douglas Fairbanks, Mary Pickford and D.W. Griffith formed United Artists (“Biography for Charles Chaplin”). Chaplin then went on to become a director (“Charlie Chaplin Biography”). His life was full of scandal and controversy including a paternity suite, allegations of not being loyal to England, and was thought to be helping the Nazi’s war efforts. Chaplin was married four times and had a total of 11 children. Chaplin died of natural causes on December 25, 1977 at his home in Switzerland (“Biography for Charles Chaplin”).
“Chaplin’s versatility extended to writing, music and sports. He was the author of at least four books,… as well as all of his scripts. An accomplished musician, though self-taught, he played a variety of instruments with equal skill and facility. He was also a composer, having written and published many songs,… as well as the soundtracks for all his films. Charles Chaplin was one of the rare comedians who not only financed and produced all his films (with the exception of "A Countess from Hong Kong"), but was the author, actor, director and soundtrack composer of them as well” (“Overview of His Life”). - Kaitlin Collignon
See cip from “The Lion’s Cage” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=79i84xYelZI
“Overview of His Life.” http://www.charliechaplin.com/en/biography/articles/21-Overview-of-His-Life
“Charlie Chaplin Biography.” http://www.biography.com/people/charlie-chaplin-9244327
“Biography for Charles Chaplin.” http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000122/
Photo credit: http://www.imdb.com/media/rm2832840192/nm0000122
“Chaplin’s versatility extended to writing, music and sports. He was the author of at least four books,… as well as all of his scripts. An accomplished musician, though self-taught, he played a variety of instruments with equal skill and facility. He was also a composer, having written and published many songs,… as well as the soundtracks for all his films. Charles Chaplin was one of the rare comedians who not only financed and produced all his films (with the exception of "A Countess from Hong Kong"), but was the author, actor, director and soundtrack composer of them as well” (“Overview of His Life”). - Kaitlin Collignon
See cip from “The Lion’s Cage” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=79i84xYelZI
“Overview of His Life.” http://www.charliechaplin.com/en/biography/articles/21-Overview-of-His-Life
“Charlie Chaplin Biography.” http://www.biography.com/people/charlie-chaplin-9244327
“Biography for Charles Chaplin.” http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000122/
Photo credit: http://www.imdb.com/media/rm2832840192/nm0000122
David Cronenberg...
![Picture](/uploads/1/3/3/3/13332862/5385352.jpg)
... is a Canadian writer, actor, and filmmaker who is known as the “King of Venereal Horror” and the “Baron of Blood” because of his flare for horror films and his concentration on bodily transformation. Because of this, he is also credited with creating the sub-genre “body horror” (“David Cronenberg”). He has directed over twenty films in his career most of which are either horror, science fiction, or a combination of the two. His most famous work is 1986's The Fly. Other works include The Dead Zone, Videodrome, Scanners, and A History of Violence, to name a few.
Cronenberg is also referred to as one of the greatest auteurs of all time, meaning that his personal influence and artistic control over his movies is so great that he, as the filmmaker, is regarded as the author of the movie (“David Cronenberg-Biography”). Even films based off of existing texts (The Dead Zone and The Fly) have so much of Cronenberg's style embedded in them that they are considered his own personal creations. This is evident in the vast majority of his work.
Cronenberg has found popularity and success from his films and has received countless awards and recognitions for his contributions to film. In 1999 he was indicted to the Canadian Hall of Fame, in 2006 he received the Cannes Film Festival's lifetime achievement award, and was listed as ninth in the Guardian's “40 Best Directors of All Time” (“David Cronenberg-Biography”). His newest movie Maps to the Stars is slated to come out in 2014. -Ashley Gabaldon
"David Cronenberg-Biography ."www.egs.edu. The European Graduate School. Web. 25 Nov 2013. http://www.egs.edu/faculty/david-cronenberg/
Daywalt, Drew. The Nightmare Images of David Croneberg. 2012. Photograph. fearnet.comWeb. 25 Nov 2013. http://www.fearnet.com/blogs/school-fear/nightmare-images-david-cronenberg
"David Cronenberg."IMDB. IMDB. Web. 25 Nov 2013. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000343/bio
Cronenberg is also referred to as one of the greatest auteurs of all time, meaning that his personal influence and artistic control over his movies is so great that he, as the filmmaker, is regarded as the author of the movie (“David Cronenberg-Biography”). Even films based off of existing texts (The Dead Zone and The Fly) have so much of Cronenberg's style embedded in them that they are considered his own personal creations. This is evident in the vast majority of his work.
Cronenberg has found popularity and success from his films and has received countless awards and recognitions for his contributions to film. In 1999 he was indicted to the Canadian Hall of Fame, in 2006 he received the Cannes Film Festival's lifetime achievement award, and was listed as ninth in the Guardian's “40 Best Directors of All Time” (“David Cronenberg-Biography”). His newest movie Maps to the Stars is slated to come out in 2014. -Ashley Gabaldon
"David Cronenberg-Biography ."www.egs.edu. The European Graduate School. Web. 25 Nov 2013. http://www.egs.edu/faculty/david-cronenberg/
Daywalt, Drew. The Nightmare Images of David Croneberg. 2012. Photograph. fearnet.comWeb. 25 Nov 2013. http://www.fearnet.com/blogs/school-fear/nightmare-images-david-cronenberg
"David Cronenberg."IMDB. IMDB. Web. 25 Nov 2013. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000343/bio
Guillermo del Toro...
![Picture](/uploads/1/3/3/3/13332862/3543403.jpg)
...was born October 9, 1964 in Guadalajara Jalisco, Mexico. He developed his love of filmmaking in his early teens. He later learned about makeup and effects from Dick Smith who worked on The Exorcist 1973, and began working on his on short films. At the age of 21,Guillerno del Toro executive produced his first feature, Dona Herlinda and Her Son (1986). Del Toro spent close to ten years working as a makeup supervisor and formed his own company Necropia before he finally got his big break. Cronos (1993) won nine academy awards in Mexico, then went on to win the International Critics Week prize at Cannes. In 1997 del Toro made his first Hollywood movie Mimic. Del Toro had some unfortunate experiences working with a demanding Hollywood studio on Mimic (1997), and returned to Mexico to form his own production company, The Tequila Gang. Next for del Toro was in 2001 a Spanish Civil War movie called The Devil’s Backbone. He got great reviews on this which made him give Hollywood another try. Guillermo del Toro then directed Blade II in 2002 and Hellboy in 2004. He turned down a chance to direct Blade: Trinity (2004), AVP: Alien vs. Predator (2004) and Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004) to work on his dream project: Hellboy (2004).These are probably del Toro’s most popular works. Del Toro likes to use a lot of insect imagery and religious artifacts and relics. He would often place the setting of his movies in underground places such as the subway as in Hellboy and Blade II. He turned down a chance to direct I Am Legend (2007), One Missed Call (2008), Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009) and Halo to work on Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008). He now lives in Los Angeles with his wife Lorenza and their two children. - Courtney Gresham
Thomas Edison ...
![Picture](/uploads/1/3/3/3/13332862/2435601.jpg)
In 1888, Thomas Edison (along with his assistant W.K.L. Dickson) decided to make a device that would show moving photographs. The pair attempted to manufacture a device that worked similarly to Edison’s phonograph by making rows of small photographs around cylinders. This was to little avail. After traveling to Paris in 1889 and seeing Marey’s camera’s use of flexible film stock, Edison found a new way make the camera work. Dickson attained some Kodak film stock, cut them into 1 inch wide strips, spliced them end to end and punched four holes on both sides of the frame. This allowed a system of toothed gears to move the film forward. This led to the development of his Kinetoscope.
Edison and Dickson then built a studio, called the Black Maria, to film movies to make money off of their new device. The films he shot lasted about twenty seconds because that was the longest the Kinetoscope could hold. Edison filmed vaudeville acts, sports figures, and even filmed Annie Oakley showing off her impressive rifle skills.
To utilize the Kinetoscope, Edison utilized the same method he had used for the phonograph— he leased it to parlors, where the public paid a nickel to watch the shorts on his Kinetoscopes through the self-contained viewer.
After the initial success of the Kinetoscope began to fade because of the advent of the projector, Edison agreed to manufacture Thomas Armat’s Kinetoscope, although Edison had no hand in developing the camera. After the initial showing of Edison’s Vitascope (it was titled after Edison for marketing reasons) venues sprouted up all across the country. They did not sale the Vitascope, but leased it to entrepreneurs who bought the rights to use it in different states.
After Edison’s failed lawsuit of AM&B, he decided to make more films to compete with the other firms. He hired possibly the greatest filmmaker of the early years in 1900, Edwin S. Porter, who was also an expert with building photographic equipment. He improved the films cameras and projectors. Later that year, Edison built a glass-enclosed studio on a rooftop in New York which allowed them to use painted stage scenery. Porter went on to make important, successful films such as Life of an American Fireman and The Great Train Robbery, establishing Edison’s company as one of the premiere film companies of the time.
Edison, through a series of lawsuits, made it to where all film production companies had to pay either his company or AM&B to continue production. After a few years of being rival companies, Edison an AM&B set up the Motion Picture Patents Company as a way to corner the market on American films, though an unsuccessful lawsuit (as well as mismanagement) led to the decline of the company.
Edison’s achievements, both technological and financial, established the backbone on which the film industry of America was built. - Dylan Schrader
Link to Edison’s Annie Oakley video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XN85Nj_bfQo
Edison and Dickson then built a studio, called the Black Maria, to film movies to make money off of their new device. The films he shot lasted about twenty seconds because that was the longest the Kinetoscope could hold. Edison filmed vaudeville acts, sports figures, and even filmed Annie Oakley showing off her impressive rifle skills.
To utilize the Kinetoscope, Edison utilized the same method he had used for the phonograph— he leased it to parlors, where the public paid a nickel to watch the shorts on his Kinetoscopes through the self-contained viewer.
After the initial success of the Kinetoscope began to fade because of the advent of the projector, Edison agreed to manufacture Thomas Armat’s Kinetoscope, although Edison had no hand in developing the camera. After the initial showing of Edison’s Vitascope (it was titled after Edison for marketing reasons) venues sprouted up all across the country. They did not sale the Vitascope, but leased it to entrepreneurs who bought the rights to use it in different states.
After Edison’s failed lawsuit of AM&B, he decided to make more films to compete with the other firms. He hired possibly the greatest filmmaker of the early years in 1900, Edwin S. Porter, who was also an expert with building photographic equipment. He improved the films cameras and projectors. Later that year, Edison built a glass-enclosed studio on a rooftop in New York which allowed them to use painted stage scenery. Porter went on to make important, successful films such as Life of an American Fireman and The Great Train Robbery, establishing Edison’s company as one of the premiere film companies of the time.
Edison, through a series of lawsuits, made it to where all film production companies had to pay either his company or AM&B to continue production. After a few years of being rival companies, Edison an AM&B set up the Motion Picture Patents Company as a way to corner the market on American films, though an unsuccessful lawsuit (as well as mismanagement) led to the decline of the company.
Edison’s achievements, both technological and financial, established the backbone on which the film industry of America was built. - Dylan Schrader
Link to Edison’s Annie Oakley video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XN85Nj_bfQo
Sergei Eisenstein...
![Picture](/uploads/1/3/3/3/13332862/110110.jpg?272)
... was born in 1898 in Riga Latvia to Jewish parents. He would follow in his father’s footsteps and study engineering architecture. His studies in these fields would later have an influence on his filmmaking. He would use his skills as an engineer to enter the film industry a set designer, gradually working his way to directing. He would become known as the father of montage and would be one of the earliest film theorists. His most notable works were his silent films such as Strike, Battleship Potempkin, and October. He would also become equally recognized later for his historical epics, Alexander Nevsky and Ivan the Terrible. He would be very influential to the film industry despite only completing seven films.
While working as a set designer for Vsevolod Meyerhold, Eisenstein became familiar with biomechanics. Biomechanics was theorized by Vsevolod Meyerhold to allow a person to call upon emotions through particular movements and gestures. Eisenstein’s work with Meyerhold eventually led to his own theories involving psychology’s role in film. He would introduce montage in his debut film Strike, in 1924. This new style of editing would place images beside each other that would abbreviate the time span, condensing the scene and its symbolism, giving the scene a synergistic quality. His use of rhythmic montage would become famous in his 1925 film Battleship Potempkin. His next film October:Ten Days that Shook the World was a documentary style film that covered the 1917 October Revolution. This film would still hold true to Eisenstein’s vision, but would be tempered by Communists officials.
Communists officials would plague Eisenstein’s work through the 1930’s, having his film Bezhin Lug shut down by Party officials in 1935 for its political commentary. He was only allowed to begin work on Alexander Nevsky after offering a public apology. Alexander Nevsky, which attacked Nazi Germany, would also be withdrawn from distribution after Joseph Stalin signed the non-aggression pact with Adolph Hitler in 1939. The first film of the Ivan the Terrible Trilogy was received very well by the Party, but the second installment was despised by Stalin and would not surface until 1958. Health problems plagued Eisenstein as he filmed the third installment of the trilogy and he died after a heart attack in 1948.
Sergei Eisenstein’s work with montage would heavily influence the film industry and see its use in many films from that point on. - Adam DeWitt
While working as a set designer for Vsevolod Meyerhold, Eisenstein became familiar with biomechanics. Biomechanics was theorized by Vsevolod Meyerhold to allow a person to call upon emotions through particular movements and gestures. Eisenstein’s work with Meyerhold eventually led to his own theories involving psychology’s role in film. He would introduce montage in his debut film Strike, in 1924. This new style of editing would place images beside each other that would abbreviate the time span, condensing the scene and its symbolism, giving the scene a synergistic quality. His use of rhythmic montage would become famous in his 1925 film Battleship Potempkin. His next film October:Ten Days that Shook the World was a documentary style film that covered the 1917 October Revolution. This film would still hold true to Eisenstein’s vision, but would be tempered by Communists officials.
Communists officials would plague Eisenstein’s work through the 1930’s, having his film Bezhin Lug shut down by Party officials in 1935 for its political commentary. He was only allowed to begin work on Alexander Nevsky after offering a public apology. Alexander Nevsky, which attacked Nazi Germany, would also be withdrawn from distribution after Joseph Stalin signed the non-aggression pact with Adolph Hitler in 1939. The first film of the Ivan the Terrible Trilogy was received very well by the Party, but the second installment was despised by Stalin and would not surface until 1958. Health problems plagued Eisenstein as he filmed the third installment of the trilogy and he died after a heart attack in 1948.
Sergei Eisenstein’s work with montage would heavily influence the film industry and see its use in many films from that point on. - Adam DeWitt
Roland Emmerich ...
![Picture](/uploads/1/3/3/3/13332862/1380728899.jpg)
, ...known mostly for his large scale disaster films, began his film career in Germany. When asked what he owes his passion of directing to he says, “all my movies are created because I'm fascinated by a subject. Sometimes I think there's just a certain obsession about it all - when you want to do something just for the sake of it.” Seeing success at a young age, Emmerich had a student film - The Noah’s Ark Principle - open the 1984 Berlin Film Festival and go on to be sold to more than 20 different countries.
Afterward completion of film school, Emmerich formed his own production company, Centropolis Film Productions, in which he produced his own movies; the next one being Making Contact (a.k.a. Joey). A film about a boy whose recently-passed father manages to communicate with him through his toys, Emmerich displays a large knowledge of special effects and the capability to implement them.
In the 1990s, Emmerich began to showcase his work in the science fiction genre, directing four widely-popular films in Universal Soldier, StarGate, Independence Day, and Godzilla.
Since, Emmerich has taken on a variation of different genres in an attempt to do as he says, “make movies for the masses.” These films range from the action and drama that is present in The Patriot and White House Down to the adventure that shows up in 10,000 BC and The Day After Tomorrow. Most of his movies maintain an element of science fiction that he had connected himself with in the rise of his career.
Emmerich’s films are not the most critically acclaimed movies but as he places much more value on what the audience feels and how the audience connects with what he creates. He approaches this saying, “you get something that does well, but is criticized. So you say, 'OK, they just didn't get it. There's 1% or 2% who didn't like it. But there's 98% who did.”
Emmerich is currently living in Beverly Hills and has plans to revisit Independence Day as his first sequel-like production, to be released in 2015.
- Zach Searcy
Roland talks about some of the pressure and the thoughts that must happen before ID Forever (the follow-up to Independence Day) can fully come together - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EoOtnzofBi4
Citations:
"Roland Emmerich - Biography." IMDb. IMDb.com. Web. 01 Oct. 2013.
"Roland Emmerich Bio." Tribute.ca. Web. 01 Oct. 2013.
Image: http://img.spokeo.com/public/900-600/roland_emmerich_2004_05_24.jpg
Afterward completion of film school, Emmerich formed his own production company, Centropolis Film Productions, in which he produced his own movies; the next one being Making Contact (a.k.a. Joey). A film about a boy whose recently-passed father manages to communicate with him through his toys, Emmerich displays a large knowledge of special effects and the capability to implement them.
In the 1990s, Emmerich began to showcase his work in the science fiction genre, directing four widely-popular films in Universal Soldier, StarGate, Independence Day, and Godzilla.
Since, Emmerich has taken on a variation of different genres in an attempt to do as he says, “make movies for the masses.” These films range from the action and drama that is present in The Patriot and White House Down to the adventure that shows up in 10,000 BC and The Day After Tomorrow. Most of his movies maintain an element of science fiction that he had connected himself with in the rise of his career.
Emmerich’s films are not the most critically acclaimed movies but as he places much more value on what the audience feels and how the audience connects with what he creates. He approaches this saying, “you get something that does well, but is criticized. So you say, 'OK, they just didn't get it. There's 1% or 2% who didn't like it. But there's 98% who did.”
Emmerich is currently living in Beverly Hills and has plans to revisit Independence Day as his first sequel-like production, to be released in 2015.
- Zach Searcy
Roland talks about some of the pressure and the thoughts that must happen before ID Forever (the follow-up to Independence Day) can fully come together - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EoOtnzofBi4
Citations:
"Roland Emmerich - Biography." IMDb. IMDb.com. Web. 01 Oct. 2013.
"Roland Emmerich Bio." Tribute.ca. Web. 01 Oct. 2013.
Image: http://img.spokeo.com/public/900-600/roland_emmerich_2004_05_24.jpg
Frederico Fellini...
![Picture](/uploads/1/3/3/3/13332862/4352632.jpg?194)
... was an Italian film director. He first started making a living as a cartoonist. He also began writing and acting in sketch comedy productions. A famous Italian director, Roberto Rossellini, wanted to cast one of Fellini’s friends and by arranging their meeting, Fellini became an assistant scriptwriter. As an assistant scriptwriter, he learned the inner workings of how to create and edit films. This jump started a new career as a film director.
His five decade cinema career won him multiple awards including Oscars. The majority of his films were inspired by dreams he began recording in a notebook in the 1960s. Fellini was a neorealist screenwriter in the early part of his career, then he later broke away from neorealism political strictures. Many of Fellini’s films inspired Broadway with important musicals such as Sweet Charity, which was based on the film Le notti di Cabiria. Many directors referenced his work in a wide very of films. Television commercials used parodies of Fellini’s style. A poll was once conducted concerning the history of cinema and Fellini was the first to be mentioned. His film La dolce vita introduced audiences to new expressions (vocabulary); this film has been compared to the kind of impact Gone With the Wind and The Godfather had on American culture.
Frederico Fellini died on October 31, 1993, the day after his 50th wedding anniversary. His contribution to the film industry has had a tremendous impact in movies. He not only made an impact in his home country of Italy but internationally as well. His will forever be watched and remembered. Director from across the globe will use his style. He is known as one of the most influential filmmakers in the 20th century. He has influenced inspiring filmmakers to mimic his style and to follow their dreams just as he followed his. - Toby Cooper
Le notti di Cabiria
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bU2VInEfvbE
Sources: http://catdir.loc.gov/catdir/samples/cam031/2001035147.pdf; http://www.federicofellini.com/; http://www.criterion.com/explore/20-federico-fellini; http://fellini.it/
His five decade cinema career won him multiple awards including Oscars. The majority of his films were inspired by dreams he began recording in a notebook in the 1960s. Fellini was a neorealist screenwriter in the early part of his career, then he later broke away from neorealism political strictures. Many of Fellini’s films inspired Broadway with important musicals such as Sweet Charity, which was based on the film Le notti di Cabiria. Many directors referenced his work in a wide very of films. Television commercials used parodies of Fellini’s style. A poll was once conducted concerning the history of cinema and Fellini was the first to be mentioned. His film La dolce vita introduced audiences to new expressions (vocabulary); this film has been compared to the kind of impact Gone With the Wind and The Godfather had on American culture.
Frederico Fellini died on October 31, 1993, the day after his 50th wedding anniversary. His contribution to the film industry has had a tremendous impact in movies. He not only made an impact in his home country of Italy but internationally as well. His will forever be watched and remembered. Director from across the globe will use his style. He is known as one of the most influential filmmakers in the 20th century. He has influenced inspiring filmmakers to mimic his style and to follow their dreams just as he followed his. - Toby Cooper
Le notti di Cabiria
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bU2VInEfvbE
Sources: http://catdir.loc.gov/catdir/samples/cam031/2001035147.pdf; http://www.federicofellini.com/; http://www.criterion.com/explore/20-federico-fellini; http://fellini.it/
Louis Feuillade...
![Picture](/uploads/1/3/3/3/13332862/9917839.jpg)
... was a prolific director: making over 700 films (most of them being of short and medium length). Feuillade began his film career with Gaumont as artistic director in charge of production, which he did in addition to directing his own films. Feuillade made films of all types, ranging from comedies, historical films, thrillers, and melodramas. He is best well known for his serials, however. The “Fantomas” crime serials brought him acclaim from the public and also the Surrealist (for the possibly unintentional “poetic” quality of his work). After this he started making serials based on “popular sentimental novels” until his death in 1925. He is credited with beginning many of the conventions of the thriller genre. - Dylan Schrader
Robert Joseph Flaherty...
![Picture](/uploads/1/3/3/3/13332862/4351735.jpg)
..., American filmmaker, was the first to direct and produce a commercially successful feature length documentary film, Nanook of the North (1922). Born in 1844, Flaherty was eldest of six children of Robert and Susan Flaherty. The Flaherty family moved to Ontario, Canada when Robert was 13 years old. After attending Upper Canada College, Flaherty followed his father’s tradition and began a career as a prospector for a railroad company. Interestingly enough, Flaherty didn’t take up film seriously until the age of 38.
In 1913, Flaherty went on an expedition to prospect the Belcher Islands. His boss, Sir William Mackenzie, suggested that he take a motion picture camera on the trip. Flaherty complies by bringing a Bell and Howell hand cranked, motion picture camera. Intrigued by the life of the Inuit people, Flaherty spent so much time filming them. Flaherty returned home with 30,000 feet of film, however; there was an unfortunate accident in which he improperly disposed of a cigarette. The highly flammable nitrate film ignited in a fire and all his work was burned to ash. Although his editing print was saved and shown several times, Flaherty wasn't satisfied, having lost a great proportion of his work. Determined to make another film about the Inuit families, Flaherty sought financial backing from Revillon Frères, a French fur trade company. In the summer of 1920, Flaherty arrived in Port Harrison, Quebec to shoot what would become Nanook of the North. Living in a cabin, Flaherty cast locals for parts in his film. Though he aimed to show traditional Inuit life, Flaherty staged many of the scenes, much like reality television shows do today, including the dramatic ending in which the Inuit family must find a shelter or risk dying. Interestingly, the set for the film included an igloo which was built beforehand and was modified for easy camera shots. Flaherty also insisted that the Inuit not use their rifles to hunt, despite their common use amongst the people. In a moment of pure selfishness, Flaherty actually went to so as to actually put the family in danger and pretend to not hear their cries for help, instead he kept the cameras rolling. As if all this wasn’t enough, Flaherty also had an affair with the lead actress, a young Inuit woman who played Nanook’s wife in the film. Flaherty abandoned the young Inuit woman and she gave birth to his son, Josephie, whom he never acknowledged. Josephine was one of the Inuit who were involuntarily relocated during the 1950s to areas of extreme living conditions. According to sources, Flaherty knew of his son’s harsh living conditions, yet he took no action to help and refused to discuss the matter.
Despite his morally questionable actions, the film was a success. Flaherty was in great demand afterwards, though he would never achieve the amount of success as he had with Nanook of the North. Soon after, he was contacted for a contract with Paramount Pictures to produce another documentary style fiction film and Flaherty went to Samoa to film Moana (1926). - Hali Black
Sources:
"Robert Flaherty". Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Encyclopædia Britannica Inc., 2013. Web. 06 May. 2013
<http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/209319/Robert-Flaherty>.
Flaherty, Robert. "How I Filmed "Nanook Of The North": Adventures With The Eskimos To Get Pictures Of Their Home Life And Their Battles With Nature To Get Food.". The World's Work: A History of Our Time XLIV: 553–560. Google Book Search. Web. 5 May 2013.
Flaherty, Robert . "Life Among The Eskimos: The Difficulties And Hardships Of The Arctic. How Motion Pictures Were Secured of Nanook Of The North And His Hardy And Generous People". The World's Work: A History of Our Time XLIV: 632–640. Google Book Search. Web. 5 May 2013.
Additional Reading Links:
http://flahertyseminar.org/
http://sensesofcinema.com/2002/great-directors/flaherty/
In 1913, Flaherty went on an expedition to prospect the Belcher Islands. His boss, Sir William Mackenzie, suggested that he take a motion picture camera on the trip. Flaherty complies by bringing a Bell and Howell hand cranked, motion picture camera. Intrigued by the life of the Inuit people, Flaherty spent so much time filming them. Flaherty returned home with 30,000 feet of film, however; there was an unfortunate accident in which he improperly disposed of a cigarette. The highly flammable nitrate film ignited in a fire and all his work was burned to ash. Although his editing print was saved and shown several times, Flaherty wasn't satisfied, having lost a great proportion of his work. Determined to make another film about the Inuit families, Flaherty sought financial backing from Revillon Frères, a French fur trade company. In the summer of 1920, Flaherty arrived in Port Harrison, Quebec to shoot what would become Nanook of the North. Living in a cabin, Flaherty cast locals for parts in his film. Though he aimed to show traditional Inuit life, Flaherty staged many of the scenes, much like reality television shows do today, including the dramatic ending in which the Inuit family must find a shelter or risk dying. Interestingly, the set for the film included an igloo which was built beforehand and was modified for easy camera shots. Flaherty also insisted that the Inuit not use their rifles to hunt, despite their common use amongst the people. In a moment of pure selfishness, Flaherty actually went to so as to actually put the family in danger and pretend to not hear their cries for help, instead he kept the cameras rolling. As if all this wasn’t enough, Flaherty also had an affair with the lead actress, a young Inuit woman who played Nanook’s wife in the film. Flaherty abandoned the young Inuit woman and she gave birth to his son, Josephie, whom he never acknowledged. Josephine was one of the Inuit who were involuntarily relocated during the 1950s to areas of extreme living conditions. According to sources, Flaherty knew of his son’s harsh living conditions, yet he took no action to help and refused to discuss the matter.
Despite his morally questionable actions, the film was a success. Flaherty was in great demand afterwards, though he would never achieve the amount of success as he had with Nanook of the North. Soon after, he was contacted for a contract with Paramount Pictures to produce another documentary style fiction film and Flaherty went to Samoa to film Moana (1926). - Hali Black
Sources:
"Robert Flaherty". Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Encyclopædia Britannica Inc., 2013. Web. 06 May. 2013
<http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/209319/Robert-Flaherty>.
Flaherty, Robert. "How I Filmed "Nanook Of The North": Adventures With The Eskimos To Get Pictures Of Their Home Life And Their Battles With Nature To Get Food.". The World's Work: A History of Our Time XLIV: 553–560. Google Book Search. Web. 5 May 2013.
Flaherty, Robert . "Life Among The Eskimos: The Difficulties And Hardships Of The Arctic. How Motion Pictures Were Secured of Nanook Of The North And His Hardy And Generous People". The World's Work: A History of Our Time XLIV: 632–640. Google Book Search. Web. 5 May 2013.
Additional Reading Links:
http://flahertyseminar.org/
http://sensesofcinema.com/2002/great-directors/flaherty/
Richard Fleischer ...
![Picture](/uploads/1/3/3/3/13332862/3386011.jpg?364)
... is an American film director and producer who directed classics such as Conan the Destroyer (1984),Tora! Tora! Tora! (1970), and Soylent Green (1973). Fleischer directed and produced over 60 films during a career that spanned over the entire last half of the twentieth century, although his name is not as recognizable in American film as some of his contemporaries. Fleischer directed so many films that it is hard to categorize him, but his work remains as a testament to his skill and his best works remain as classics in various film genres.
Richard Fleischer was born on December 8, 1916 in Brooklyn, New York. His father was a revolutionary animator who created both Betty Boop and Popeye. Fleischer entered the movie business during World War II and slowly began to make his mark on the industry. His early years in Hollywood were spent on the sets of documentaries, short newsreels, and comedies. After producing a variety of mildly successful B-movies in the 1950s, Fleischer undertook his first big budget, star featuring film: Jules Verne's Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea (1954).
Fleischer’s contributions to science-fiction film began with Fantastic Voyage (1966). The film starred Raquel Welch and depicted a team of doctors that are shrunk to be small enough to travel through an injured scientist’s bloodstream in order to help save him. Flescher also directed Logan’s Run (1976), a futuristic tale of a world in which everyone is killed at the age of thirty to prevent over-population. Fleischer made his most lasting mark as a director of science-fiction film with Soylent Green (1973). The film depicts an Earth in despair in the year 2022. Overpopulation and malnourishment of the land has led to the disappearance of natural foods such as fruit. Companies manufacture food that is supposedly made from plankton of the ocean, but as the film progresses, the ingredients of “Soylent Green” are revealed to be much more sinister. - Taima Nagle
IMDb.com
New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/17/movies/17kehr.html
The Gaurdian: http://www.theguardian.com/news/2006/mar/28/guardianobituaries.usa
Richard Fleischer was born on December 8, 1916 in Brooklyn, New York. His father was a revolutionary animator who created both Betty Boop and Popeye. Fleischer entered the movie business during World War II and slowly began to make his mark on the industry. His early years in Hollywood were spent on the sets of documentaries, short newsreels, and comedies. After producing a variety of mildly successful B-movies in the 1950s, Fleischer undertook his first big budget, star featuring film: Jules Verne's Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea (1954).
Fleischer’s contributions to science-fiction film began with Fantastic Voyage (1966). The film starred Raquel Welch and depicted a team of doctors that are shrunk to be small enough to travel through an injured scientist’s bloodstream in order to help save him. Flescher also directed Logan’s Run (1976), a futuristic tale of a world in which everyone is killed at the age of thirty to prevent over-population. Fleischer made his most lasting mark as a director of science-fiction film with Soylent Green (1973). The film depicts an Earth in despair in the year 2022. Overpopulation and malnourishment of the land has led to the disappearance of natural foods such as fruit. Companies manufacture food that is supposedly made from plankton of the ocean, but as the film progresses, the ingredients of “Soylent Green” are revealed to be much more sinister. - Taima Nagle
IMDb.com
New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/17/movies/17kehr.html
The Gaurdian: http://www.theguardian.com/news/2006/mar/28/guardianobituaries.usa
Terry Gilliam…
![Picture](/uploads/1/3/3/3/13332862/3774169.jpg)
...although he is known mostly for his British-style comedy, Gilliam was born in Minnesota and didn’t leave the country until he was in his twenties. He states his reason for leaving the states as a dramatic one. Gilliam was a political science major in college and seeing the violence and turmoil that surrounded him in his time in Los Angeles angered him so much that he felt if he were to stay, he would become an actual terrorist and so he moved to England to get away.
Shortly after moving to England, Gilliam began working as the animator for a children’s show called Do Not Adjust Your Set. It was here that Gilliam met Terry Jones, Eric Idle and Michael Palin. His work on Do Not Adjust Your Set was mostly geared towards the adults of the children. His dark humor that he would sneak into the show often went unnoticed by children, a method that is still found in many children’s shows today.
In the late 1960s, Gilliam was asked by John Cleese to join him and the others in a new comedy project called Monty Python. Amongst the productions of Monty Python, Gilliam mostly spends his time behind the scenes either directing, writing, or animating. His work, however, goes beyond Monty Python. Gilliam has directed and produced several movies apart from the troupe, including Brazil, The Adventures of Baron Munchausen, and The Fisher King.
In 1995, Gilliam had his biggest box office hit to date with his science fiction film, 12 Monkeys. A film about a prisoner who is sent back in time in order to try and save the world from a widespread virus, the film achieved such commercial success that Gilliam had some room to show more creative ability in future releases. However, in trying to create his dream project in late 2000, Who Killed Don Quixote, things fell apart and Gilliam has not worked on much since.
In the past week, Monty Python has announced that they are going to get back together for a tour of live shows and the events have been selling out. Terry Gilliam has come full circle, from distress to Monty Python, to success back to distress, and here we are with Monty Python in our near future again. -Zach Searcy
Shortly after moving to England, Gilliam began working as the animator for a children’s show called Do Not Adjust Your Set. It was here that Gilliam met Terry Jones, Eric Idle and Michael Palin. His work on Do Not Adjust Your Set was mostly geared towards the adults of the children. His dark humor that he would sneak into the show often went unnoticed by children, a method that is still found in many children’s shows today.
In the late 1960s, Gilliam was asked by John Cleese to join him and the others in a new comedy project called Monty Python. Amongst the productions of Monty Python, Gilliam mostly spends his time behind the scenes either directing, writing, or animating. His work, however, goes beyond Monty Python. Gilliam has directed and produced several movies apart from the troupe, including Brazil, The Adventures of Baron Munchausen, and The Fisher King.
In 1995, Gilliam had his biggest box office hit to date with his science fiction film, 12 Monkeys. A film about a prisoner who is sent back in time in order to try and save the world from a widespread virus, the film achieved such commercial success that Gilliam had some room to show more creative ability in future releases. However, in trying to create his dream project in late 2000, Who Killed Don Quixote, things fell apart and Gilliam has not worked on much since.
In the past week, Monty Python has announced that they are going to get back together for a tour of live shows and the events have been selling out. Terry Gilliam has come full circle, from distress to Monty Python, to success back to distress, and here we are with Monty Python in our near future again. -Zach Searcy
Michel Gondry...
![Picture](/uploads/1/3/3/3/13332862/6480598.jpg?327)
... is a director/ writer who was born in 1963, grew up in Versailles and was heavily influenced by a musically rich family. Gondry had aspirations to go into the visual arts by way of painting. His grandfather invented the Clavioline, one of the first synthesizers that came to fruition. Gondry’s musical genes became apparent while at art school in Paris during the 1980s. He was one of the founders (and drummer) of Oui-Oui, a pop-rock group that released two albums.
His talent at making the bands videos earned him the opportunity to direct a music video for Bjork. The relationship he gained with Bjork continued as he went on to direct five videos for the singer of international fame. In 2005 Gondry revised his role as drummer for the Kanye West single “Diamonds from Sierra Leone”. Gondry’s success as a director has been made possible in large part by his ability to fit into various outlets to express his art.
Gondry found success with commercials and gained more awards with his Levi’s commercial than any other director of a one-off advert. This success on the small screen earned the respect of Hollywood and earned him the ability to direct “Human Nature”. Eventually Gondry was found directing Kate Winslet and Jim Carrey in “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind”. Eternal Sunshine earned Gondry and his crew an Oscar, and was the film that Kate Winslet referred to as her favorite performance of her career. - Jake McCormack
Works Cited
“Michel Gondry.” IMDB IMDB.com, n.d. Web 10 Oct 2013.
Image link: http://www.wired.com/images/article/magazine/1601/ff_gondry1_f.jpg
His talent at making the bands videos earned him the opportunity to direct a music video for Bjork. The relationship he gained with Bjork continued as he went on to direct five videos for the singer of international fame. In 2005 Gondry revised his role as drummer for the Kanye West single “Diamonds from Sierra Leone”. Gondry’s success as a director has been made possible in large part by his ability to fit into various outlets to express his art.
Gondry found success with commercials and gained more awards with his Levi’s commercial than any other director of a one-off advert. This success on the small screen earned the respect of Hollywood and earned him the ability to direct “Human Nature”. Eventually Gondry was found directing Kate Winslet and Jim Carrey in “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind”. Eternal Sunshine earned Gondry and his crew an Oscar, and was the film that Kate Winslet referred to as her favorite performance of her career. - Jake McCormack
Works Cited
“Michel Gondry.” IMDB IMDB.com, n.d. Web 10 Oct 2013.
Image link: http://www.wired.com/images/article/magazine/1601/ff_gondry1_f.jpg
Howard Hawks...
![Picture](/uploads/1/3/3/3/13332862/7404665.png?258)
... was born on May 30, 1896. He graduated from Cornell in 1917 and worked briefly as a prop man before joining the air corps. He served in the military during World War I. He got his start in the film industry as a prop man before becoming a story editor. The Road to Glory was the first film he directed in 1926. He directed eight silent films in the 1920s before directing his first talkie, The Dawn Patrol, in 1930. The movie that really helped him to make a name for himself in Hollywood was Scarface (1932). It was a controversial gangster film about Al Capone that was a huge success. He helped many actors launch their careers after they appeared in his successful films; some of these actors include Carol Lombard, Rita Hayworth, Lauren Bacall, Paul Muni, and James Caan. His film Red River in 1948 with John Wayne is what made Wayne into a “superstar” and they worked together on many films after that. He directed Gentlemen Prefer Blondes in 1953 which starred Marilyn Monroe, and is considered to be one of her finest performances, partly attributed to Hawks.
Hawks’ style of directing inspired many other directors allowed him to direct successful films in many different genres. He was very straightforward and focused on the relationships of the characters in his films. Howard Hawks directed his final film in 1970, Rio Lobo, which was a western starring John Wayne. He was nominated for an academy award for Sergeant York (1943), a special Academy Award in 1974, and an honorary award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. He passed away at 81 years old on December 26, 1977. -Lauren Esslinger
Trailer for “Diamonds are a Girl’s Best Friend”-Marilyn Monroe in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953).
Sources:
"Howard Hawks." 2013. The Biography Channel website. Apr 23 2013, 11:01 http://www.biography.com/people/howard-hawks-9331796.
"Biography for Howard Hawks." IMDb. IMDb.com, n.d. Web. 23 Apr. 2013. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001328/bio
Hawks’ style of directing inspired many other directors allowed him to direct successful films in many different genres. He was very straightforward and focused on the relationships of the characters in his films. Howard Hawks directed his final film in 1970, Rio Lobo, which was a western starring John Wayne. He was nominated for an academy award for Sergeant York (1943), a special Academy Award in 1974, and an honorary award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. He passed away at 81 years old on December 26, 1977. -Lauren Esslinger
Trailer for “Diamonds are a Girl’s Best Friend”-Marilyn Monroe in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953).
Sources:
"Howard Hawks." 2013. The Biography Channel website. Apr 23 2013, 11:01 http://www.biography.com/people/howard-hawks-9331796.
"Biography for Howard Hawks." IMDb. IMDb.com, n.d. Web. 23 Apr. 2013. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001328/bio
Gavin Hood...
![Picture](/uploads/1/3/3/3/13332862/4292934.jpg)
... is director currently working in Hollywood. Originally from Johannesburg, South Africa, Hood never thought his dream of becoming involved in film would actually be realized. He was drafted into the military at age 17, which would later have a major influence on his adaptation of the young adult sci-fi novel, Ender’s Game. After finishing his time in the military, Hood started a career as a lawyer, where he became inspired to write his first screenplay, A Reasonable Man. He finally broke into the film industry as an actor, taking on the role of Charlie Bates in The Game, a South African television drama about ruby. Hood’s first attempt at creating something of his own came with his writing and directing of “The Storekeeper”. The film takes place in South Africa, and tells a story of vigilante justice carried out by an older man. A Reasonable Man was Gavin Hood’s first full-length film. He wrote, directed, and starred in this film about a lawyer who gets tangled up in a case involving South African mysticism. A Reasonable Man won several awards, including the All African Film Awards for Best Film and Best Director.
After his success with A Reasonable Man, Hood agreed to direct the Polish film In Desert and Wilderness after its original director became too sick to finish it. In 2005, Hood went on to direct and co-write Tsotsi, a crime drama set in Hood’s hometown of Johannesburg. The film ended up winning several awards, including an Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film of the Year. In 2009, Hood began his first foray into sci-fi when he agreed to direct X-Men Origins: Wolverine. Although it was his most poorly rated movie, sitting at a 18% rotten with top critics on RottenTomatoes, the film was also Hood’s highest grossing movie to date, making $179,883,016 at the Box Office. Despite receiving less than desirable reviews on his first sci-fi, Hood was not finished with sci-fi just yet. In 2011, he decided to adapt Ender’s Game. While the film fared better critically than his previous sci-fi effort, Ender’s Game only made $59,400,000 at the Box Office. As stated previously, Hood’s time spent in the military played a major role on his adaptation of Ender’s Game. He ended up changing the ages of the main characters from children to teenagers. Hood claims that this decision is partly influenced by the problems with younger actors showing a wide range of emotions, and partly because he wanted the military brainwashing in the film to match what he himself went through as a teenager. - Holden Belew
Bevan, Carin. “The top 10 vintage South African TV series.” TheSouthAfrican. Blue Sky Publication Ltd. Blog. 6 Dec. 2013.
Clark, Noelene. “’Ender’s Game’ director Gavin Hood on why he changed Ender’s age.” Los Angeles Times. Web. 6 Dec. 2013.
“Ender’s Game.” Rottentomatoes. Flixster, Inc., n.d. Web. 6 Dec. 2013.
“Ender’s Game (2009).” IMDb. IMDb.com, Inc., n.d. Web. 6 Dec. 2013.
“Gavin Hood.” IMDb. IMDb.com, Inc., n.d. Web. 6 Dec. 2013.
“Gavin Hood Bio.” Tribute.ca. Tribute Entertainment Media Group, n.d. Web. 6 Dec. 2013
“A Reasonable Man (1999).” IMDb. IMDb.com, Inc., n.d. Web. 6 Dec. 2013.
“Tsotsi (2005).” IMDb. IMDb.com, Inc., n.d. Web. 6 Dec. 2013.
“X-Men Origins: Wolverine.” Rottentomatoes. Flixster, Inc., n.d. Web. 6 Dec. 2013.
“X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009).” IMDb. IMDb.com, Inc., n.d. Web. 6 Dec. 2013.
After his success with A Reasonable Man, Hood agreed to direct the Polish film In Desert and Wilderness after its original director became too sick to finish it. In 2005, Hood went on to direct and co-write Tsotsi, a crime drama set in Hood’s hometown of Johannesburg. The film ended up winning several awards, including an Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film of the Year. In 2009, Hood began his first foray into sci-fi when he agreed to direct X-Men Origins: Wolverine. Although it was his most poorly rated movie, sitting at a 18% rotten with top critics on RottenTomatoes, the film was also Hood’s highest grossing movie to date, making $179,883,016 at the Box Office. Despite receiving less than desirable reviews on his first sci-fi, Hood was not finished with sci-fi just yet. In 2011, he decided to adapt Ender’s Game. While the film fared better critically than his previous sci-fi effort, Ender’s Game only made $59,400,000 at the Box Office. As stated previously, Hood’s time spent in the military played a major role on his adaptation of Ender’s Game. He ended up changing the ages of the main characters from children to teenagers. Hood claims that this decision is partly influenced by the problems with younger actors showing a wide range of emotions, and partly because he wanted the military brainwashing in the film to match what he himself went through as a teenager. - Holden Belew
Bevan, Carin. “The top 10 vintage South African TV series.” TheSouthAfrican. Blue Sky Publication Ltd. Blog. 6 Dec. 2013.
Clark, Noelene. “’Ender’s Game’ director Gavin Hood on why he changed Ender’s age.” Los Angeles Times. Web. 6 Dec. 2013.
“Ender’s Game.” Rottentomatoes. Flixster, Inc., n.d. Web. 6 Dec. 2013.
“Ender’s Game (2009).” IMDb. IMDb.com, Inc., n.d. Web. 6 Dec. 2013.
“Gavin Hood.” IMDb. IMDb.com, Inc., n.d. Web. 6 Dec. 2013.
“Gavin Hood Bio.” Tribute.ca. Tribute Entertainment Media Group, n.d. Web. 6 Dec. 2013
“A Reasonable Man (1999).” IMDb. IMDb.com, Inc., n.d. Web. 6 Dec. 2013.
“Tsotsi (2005).” IMDb. IMDb.com, Inc., n.d. Web. 6 Dec. 2013.
“X-Men Origins: Wolverine.” Rottentomatoes. Flixster, Inc., n.d. Web. 6 Dec. 2013.
“X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009).” IMDb. IMDb.com, Inc., n.d. Web. 6 Dec. 2013.
Duncan Jones...
![Picture](/uploads/1/3/3/3/13332862/7549652.jpg?275)
Born in Beckham, Kent, England on May 30, 1971, Duncan Zowie Haywood Jones is a British director/writer best known for his Science Fiction work. He comes from a line of artists, being the only the son of famed musician David Bowie. Upon the divorce of his parents Angela and David, young Duncan spent majority of his time with his father, only visiting his mother on holiday. Jones has been married to Rodene Ronquillo a little over a year, after getting married on November 6, 2012. They were wed the same that Ronquillo was diagnosed with Breast Cancer. They do not yet have any children.
Jones’ filmography includes short film Whistle (2002), Moon (2009), and Source Code (2011). He directed and co-wrote the feature-length film Moon; released in July of 2009. The film tells the story of Sam, an astronaut who has lived on the Moon for three years researching along with his computer GERTY. The film won multiple indepent awards, including an award from the British Academy of Film and Television Arts for Outstanding Debut.
His more recent directing project, Source Code was released in 2011. The premise of this SciFi Mystiery Thriller is about fighter pilot whos last memory is flying over the middle east when suddenly he wakes up in the body of an unknown man. He finds himself invoved in a mission to find the bomber of a train. The film one an award for Best Screenplay, but no personal wins for Jones. -Alyson Berry
Links:
Moon: http://youtu.be/twuScTcDP_Q
Source Code: http://youtu.be/NkTrG-gpIzE
Sources
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0945513/?ref_=tt_rec_tt
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duncan_Jones
Jones’ filmography includes short film Whistle (2002), Moon (2009), and Source Code (2011). He directed and co-wrote the feature-length film Moon; released in July of 2009. The film tells the story of Sam, an astronaut who has lived on the Moon for three years researching along with his computer GERTY. The film won multiple indepent awards, including an award from the British Academy of Film and Television Arts for Outstanding Debut.
His more recent directing project, Source Code was released in 2011. The premise of this SciFi Mystiery Thriller is about fighter pilot whos last memory is flying over the middle east when suddenly he wakes up in the body of an unknown man. He finds himself invoved in a mission to find the bomber of a train. The film one an award for Best Screenplay, but no personal wins for Jones. -Alyson Berry
Links:
Moon: http://youtu.be/twuScTcDP_Q
Source Code: http://youtu.be/NkTrG-gpIzE
Sources
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0945513/?ref_=tt_rec_tt
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duncan_Jones
Elia Kazan...
![Picture](/uploads/1/3/3/3/13332862/9152666.jpg)
...was born on September 7, 1909, in Turkey though his parents were Greek. They moved to New York when he was 4, and eventually majored in English after graduating from Williams College. Kazan then went on to enroll in Yale Drama School which led to acting in the troupe “Group Theater” and was complimented on his acting skills though his dream was to direct. He directed a couple of productions of Group Theater, but made a name for himself when he directed The Skin of Our Teeth which won a Pulitzer Prize (Kennedy Center for Performing Arts).
Kazan continued his directorial work and eventually worked with Tennesse Williams to direct A Streetcar Named Desire. He and the alumni of Group Theater also founded Actors Studio where method acting ran rampant. Not long after this, in 1952, Kazan was brought before HUAC (House Committee on UnAmerican Activities), and at first refused to give up any of the communists that he knew. Kazan was a part of the communist part in the 1930s, but left after a few years. Despite this, Kazan gave several names to HUAC and because of this was scorned and blacklisted. However, Kazan's next film, On the Waterfront, was a huge success which was nominated for 12 Academy Awards and walked away with Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actress, and Best Director (Kennedy Center for Performing Arts).
Kazan notoriously overcame his blacklisting and continued to make critically-acclaimed movies. Later he started writing and wrote his last film America, America which was about his Greek uncle's journey to get America. He continued to write, but also took small acting parts. A surprise and controversy came when in 1998 Kazan won the Lifetime Achievement Award from Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Elia Kazan might have a questionable personality, but his work speaks for itself (NY Times). - Molly Keeton
Videos on Elia Kazan
The Life, Works, and Impact of Elia Kazan
Kazan Recieving Lifetime Achievement Award
Works Cited
“Elia Kazan Receiving an Honorary Oscar.” YouTube. YouTube, 24 Apr. 2008. Web. 23 Apr. 2013.
"Elia Kazan." The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Apr. 2013.
Marx, Rebecca F. "Elia Kazan - Biography." Elia Kazan - Biography - Movies & TV - NYTimes.com. New York Times, 23 Apr. 2013. Web. 23 Apr. 2013.
"The Life, Works, and Impact of Elia Kazan." YouTube. YouTube, 27 June 2009. Web. 23 Apr. 2013.
Videos on Elia Kazan
Kazan continued his directorial work and eventually worked with Tennesse Williams to direct A Streetcar Named Desire. He and the alumni of Group Theater also founded Actors Studio where method acting ran rampant. Not long after this, in 1952, Kazan was brought before HUAC (House Committee on UnAmerican Activities), and at first refused to give up any of the communists that he knew. Kazan was a part of the communist part in the 1930s, but left after a few years. Despite this, Kazan gave several names to HUAC and because of this was scorned and blacklisted. However, Kazan's next film, On the Waterfront, was a huge success which was nominated for 12 Academy Awards and walked away with Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actress, and Best Director (Kennedy Center for Performing Arts).
Kazan notoriously overcame his blacklisting and continued to make critically-acclaimed movies. Later he started writing and wrote his last film America, America which was about his Greek uncle's journey to get America. He continued to write, but also took small acting parts. A surprise and controversy came when in 1998 Kazan won the Lifetime Achievement Award from Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Elia Kazan might have a questionable personality, but his work speaks for itself (NY Times). - Molly Keeton
Videos on Elia Kazan
The Life, Works, and Impact of Elia Kazan
Kazan Recieving Lifetime Achievement Award
Works Cited
“Elia Kazan Receiving an Honorary Oscar.” YouTube. YouTube, 24 Apr. 2008. Web. 23 Apr. 2013.
"Elia Kazan." The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Apr. 2013.
Marx, Rebecca F. "Elia Kazan - Biography." Elia Kazan - Biography - Movies & TV - NYTimes.com. New York Times, 23 Apr. 2013. Web. 23 Apr. 2013.
"The Life, Works, and Impact of Elia Kazan." YouTube. YouTube, 27 June 2009. Web. 23 Apr. 2013.
Videos on Elia Kazan
Irvin Kershner...
![Picture](/uploads/1/3/3/3/13332862/4768496.jpg?190)
... was born on April 29, 1923 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Kershner joined the Air Force as a flight engineer on B-24 bombers in World War II. After the war, Kershner attended the Tyler School of Fine Arts where he studied art and design. Kershner continued studying art in New York City under artist, Hans Hoffman. When Kershner was 25 years old, he moved to Los Angeles where he studied photography and design at the Art Center College of Design and UCLA. Kershner first studied film at USC’s School of Cinema where he was teaching photography. While studying film at USC, Kershner accepted a job as a still photographer with a State Department Film Crew in Iran. This opportunity led him to directing documentaries on Europe and the Middle East for the US Information system in 1950. He directed a TV documentary series called “Confidential File,” which discussed events in the news. Kershner’s first feature film, “Stakeout on Dope Street,” was a low-budget crime drama that was praised for its realistic direction.
Although Kershner held multiple job titles like producer, educator, and director, he is best known for directing the “Star Wars” sequel, “The Empire Strikes Back” (1980). As his legacy, this movie was the most critically acclaimed out of the “Star Wars” trilogy. One reason Kershner remains a legacy for directing “The Empire Strikes Back,” is because of his notable trademarks. Kershner used his experience with photography by filling up the movie frame with his characters’ faces. He is also known to show a robot being dismantled, and to show a character getting his/her own hand cut off. These three trademarks can be seen in “The Empire Strikes Back,” as well as many of his other cinematic works. They demonstrate how Kershner’s education in the fine arts helped shape him into becoming a praised director.
Irvin Kershner passed away from lung cancer at the age of 87 on November 27, 2010. - Heather Rhodes
Bibliography
"Biography for Irvin Kershner." IMDb. IMDb. Web. 30 Sep 2013. <http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0449984/bio?ref_=nm_ov_bio_sm>.
"Irvin Kershner Biography." Irvin Kershner Presents ., 15 December 2009. Web. 30 Sep 2013. <http://irvinkershner.com/irvin-kershner-biography>.
Although Kershner held multiple job titles like producer, educator, and director, he is best known for directing the “Star Wars” sequel, “The Empire Strikes Back” (1980). As his legacy, this movie was the most critically acclaimed out of the “Star Wars” trilogy. One reason Kershner remains a legacy for directing “The Empire Strikes Back,” is because of his notable trademarks. Kershner used his experience with photography by filling up the movie frame with his characters’ faces. He is also known to show a robot being dismantled, and to show a character getting his/her own hand cut off. These three trademarks can be seen in “The Empire Strikes Back,” as well as many of his other cinematic works. They demonstrate how Kershner’s education in the fine arts helped shape him into becoming a praised director.
Irvin Kershner passed away from lung cancer at the age of 87 on November 27, 2010. - Heather Rhodes
Bibliography
"Biography for Irvin Kershner." IMDb. IMDb. Web. 30 Sep 2013. <http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0449984/bio?ref_=nm_ov_bio_sm>.
"Irvin Kershner Biography." Irvin Kershner Presents ., 15 December 2009. Web. 30 Sep 2013. <http://irvinkershner.com/irvin-kershner-biography>.
Joseph Kosinski...
![Picture](/uploads/1/3/3/3/13332862/771885.jpg)
...is a multi-talented professor, producer, screenwriter and director. He was born on May 3,1974 in the small mid-western town of Marshalltown, Iowa , where he spent his childhood (“Joseph Kosinski Bio”). He received an undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering from Stanford and went on to acquire a master's degree in architecture from Columbia, where he now teaches. Television commercials make up the majority of his portfolio. He has done TV ads for popular video games such as Halo 3 and Gears of War and high-profile companies such as Chevrolet, Lincoln and Nike, to name a few (Fischer). He has also directed several award-winning short films. In 2006, Kosinski moved to Los Angeles where he began working on a film treatment called “Oblivion,” which recently made its way to the big screen (“Joseph Kosinski Bio”).
Kosinski has thus far only directed two movies in his career, both of which are science fiction. The first was the Tron reboot, Tron Legacy. Released in 2010, this film follows a young man who goes in search of his father within the virtual world that he created. The second movie, his newest project, was this year's Oblivion starring Tom Cruise wherein a man is assigned to extract resources from Earth which has been devastated by war with aliens. Both films are futuristic and highly stylized.
Kosinski is best known for his computer graphics and CGI work as well as his distinctive style described as, “a futuristic outlook matched with a sleek, modern aesthetic (“Joseph Kosinski Oblivion House”).” Kosinski utilizes his architectural background to create visionary landscapes within science fiction films that are really unrivaled. He has several upcoming projects including a Tron: Legacy sequel, a remake of The Black Hole and is in talks to direct The Twilight Zone film (Fischer). It will be interesting to see what the future brings for Kosinski. - Ashley Gabaldon
Disney, Enterprises.Set Pieces: The Look of 'Tron: Legacy. 2010. Photograph. Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles. Web. 30 Sep 2013. <http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/home_blog/2010/12/tron-legacy-set-design-.html>.
Fischer, Russ. "Joseph Kosinski in Talks to Direct 'The Twilight Zone'."slashfilm.com. N.p., 16 Aug 2013. Web. 30 Sep 2013. <http://www.slashfilm.com/joseph-kosinski-in-talks-to-direct-the-twilight-zone/
"Joseph Kosinski Bio." . Tribute.Ca. Web. 30 Sep 2013. <http://www.tribute.ca/people/joseph-kosinski/32024/>.
"Joseph Kosinski Oblivion House."Inspirationist.ro. Architecture, CGI, Interior, Movie, 29 Jul 2013. Web. 30 Sep 2013. <http://inspirationist.ro/joseph-kosinski-oblivion-house/>.
Kosinski, Joseph, dir.Gears of War (Mad World). Microsoft , 2009. Film. 30 Sep 2013. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-AFlHsXc3w>.
See Gears of War commercial here.
Kosinski has thus far only directed two movies in his career, both of which are science fiction. The first was the Tron reboot, Tron Legacy. Released in 2010, this film follows a young man who goes in search of his father within the virtual world that he created. The second movie, his newest project, was this year's Oblivion starring Tom Cruise wherein a man is assigned to extract resources from Earth which has been devastated by war with aliens. Both films are futuristic and highly stylized.
Kosinski is best known for his computer graphics and CGI work as well as his distinctive style described as, “a futuristic outlook matched with a sleek, modern aesthetic (“Joseph Kosinski Oblivion House”).” Kosinski utilizes his architectural background to create visionary landscapes within science fiction films that are really unrivaled. He has several upcoming projects including a Tron: Legacy sequel, a remake of The Black Hole and is in talks to direct The Twilight Zone film (Fischer). It will be interesting to see what the future brings for Kosinski. - Ashley Gabaldon
Disney, Enterprises.Set Pieces: The Look of 'Tron: Legacy. 2010. Photograph. Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles. Web. 30 Sep 2013. <http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/home_blog/2010/12/tron-legacy-set-design-.html>.
Fischer, Russ. "Joseph Kosinski in Talks to Direct 'The Twilight Zone'."slashfilm.com. N.p., 16 Aug 2013. Web. 30 Sep 2013. <http://www.slashfilm.com/joseph-kosinski-in-talks-to-direct-the-twilight-zone/
"Joseph Kosinski Bio." . Tribute.Ca. Web. 30 Sep 2013. <http://www.tribute.ca/people/joseph-kosinski/32024/>.
"Joseph Kosinski Oblivion House."Inspirationist.ro. Architecture, CGI, Interior, Movie, 29 Jul 2013. Web. 30 Sep 2013. <http://inspirationist.ro/joseph-kosinski-oblivion-house/>.
Kosinski, Joseph, dir.Gears of War (Mad World). Microsoft , 2009. Film. 30 Sep 2013. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-AFlHsXc3w>.
See Gears of War commercial here.
Stanley Kubrick ...
![Picture](/uploads/1/3/3/3/13332862/2804685.jpg?262)
... was a most beloved American director, screenwriter, cinematographer, and producer of films ranging from the 1950s to the 1990s. His groundbreaking work acclaimed him as a noteworthy artist that even earned him an Academy Award as well as other recognitions. His science fiction movie, 2001: A Space Odyssey, showed off Kubrick’s talents of writing (he co-wrote the screenplay) and his unique vision of image in cinematography. It was after this movie that the world began to see the creative genius of Stanley Kubrick.
Born in the Bronx, New York on July 26, 1928, Kubrick was the firstborn of two children. At a young age, Kubrick had a love of still photography; Kubrick’s father supported this hobby and bought his son a camera to further his interest. This passion for photography eventually led to film.
Kubrick made some short documentaries before making his first official, yet low budget, feature film in 1953 (Fear and Desire). Kubrick dabbled around with different genres of film. Kubrick made six films after that before making his first science fiction movie in 1968, 2001: A Space Odyssey. This movie was inspired by a short story, The Sentinel, written by Arthur C. Clarke who helped Kubrick write the screenplay for the adaptation of the story. Kubrick, who also directed this film, was greatly praised for the special effects in this movie that had never been seen before. After this groundbreaking film, Kubrick went on to direct five more movies including A Clockwork Orange (1971) and The Shining (1980).
Kubrick lived in England for the remainder of his life. He passed away of natural causes on March 7, 1999 at the age of 70. He left behind, however, a legacy of unique and detailed masterpieces of film for the future generations to experience. Without his imagination and vision, science fiction films, especially the aspect of special effects for film, would never be the same. - Michelle Gordy
Born in the Bronx, New York on July 26, 1928, Kubrick was the firstborn of two children. At a young age, Kubrick had a love of still photography; Kubrick’s father supported this hobby and bought his son a camera to further his interest. This passion for photography eventually led to film.
Kubrick made some short documentaries before making his first official, yet low budget, feature film in 1953 (Fear and Desire). Kubrick dabbled around with different genres of film. Kubrick made six films after that before making his first science fiction movie in 1968, 2001: A Space Odyssey. This movie was inspired by a short story, The Sentinel, written by Arthur C. Clarke who helped Kubrick write the screenplay for the adaptation of the story. Kubrick, who also directed this film, was greatly praised for the special effects in this movie that had never been seen before. After this groundbreaking film, Kubrick went on to direct five more movies including A Clockwork Orange (1971) and The Shining (1980).
Kubrick lived in England for the remainder of his life. He passed away of natural causes on March 7, 1999 at the age of 70. He left behind, however, a legacy of unique and detailed masterpieces of film for the future generations to experience. Without his imagination and vision, science fiction films, especially the aspect of special effects for film, would never be the same. - Michelle Gordy
Akira Kurosawa ...
![Picture](/uploads/1/3/3/3/13332862/1868025.jpg)
was a renowned Japanese screenwriter, producer, editor, and director, possibly most famous for his film Seven Samurai. It is suggested by many film critics that George Lucas drew great inspiration from Kurosawa for his Star Wars franchise, in particularly Kurosawa’s 1958 film The Hidden Fortress. After breaking into the film business in the late 1930’s, Kurosawa got his first big break in 1950 with the film Rashomon. It won the top prize at the Venice Film Festival, and Kurosawa began to enjoy much success in the film industry, up until the late 1960’s. During this period, Kurosawa became depressed and even tried committing suicide. After the attempt on his life and his survival, Kurosawa began making films again. In 1980, he even collaborated with a couple of his western admirers, George Lucas and Francis Ford Coppola, to make another samurai epic named Kagemusha. Bizarrely, Kurosawa is not as beloved in his native Japan as he is in other western countries such as the United States and Great Britain. This could be due to the fact that Kurosawa sometimes likes to set his movies in Feudal Japanese adaptions of Shakespearean plays. (IMDb.com) Kurosawa’s influence is undeniable in the western world, as his movies Rashomon (1950) was remade as The Outrage in 1964, Seven Samurai (1954), was remade as The Magnificent Seven in 1960, and Yojimbo (1961), was remade as A Fistful of Dollars in 1964 (IMDb.com). Some of Kurosawa’s trademarks in his films were using the “wipe effect” to go from one screen to another, his use of weather to heighten moods (mostly rain), and driven characters who frequently end up failing in the goals but ultimately learn hard fought life lessons (IMDb.com). One of Kurosawa’s ultimate dreams was to direct his own Godzilla movie; however, Japanese studios feared his budget would be too large, so he never got to direct one. In an interesting note, Kurosawa was considered to be very large for a Japanese person, standing over 6 ft. tall. - Chase Johnson
See Star Wars Hidden Fortress Comparison here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4g8r0LhpMzk
"Akira Kurosawa - Biography." IMDb - Movies, TV and Celebrities. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Feb. 2013. <http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000041
"Akira Kurosawa - Explore - The Criterion Collection." The Criterion Collection. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Feb. 2013. <http://www.criterion.com/explore/3-akira-kurosawa>.
"The Hidden Fortress (JAPAN 1958)." LoveHKFilm.com - Reviews of movies from Hong Kong, Korea, Japan, China, Taiwan, and more. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Feb. 2013. <http://www.lovehkfilm.com/panasia/hidd
unknown. Another Embrace. N.d. unknown, unknown. Another Embrace - Blogspot. Web. 13 Feb. 2013.
Batteries4Holden. “Star Wars Hidden Fortress Comparison”. Online video clip. YouTube. Youtube, 1 Aug, 2011. Web. 13 Feb. 2013
See Star Wars Hidden Fortress Comparison here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4g8r0LhpMzk
"Akira Kurosawa - Biography." IMDb - Movies, TV and Celebrities. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Feb. 2013. <http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000041
"Akira Kurosawa - Explore - The Criterion Collection." The Criterion Collection. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Feb. 2013. <http://www.criterion.com/explore/3-akira-kurosawa>.
"The Hidden Fortress (JAPAN 1958)." LoveHKFilm.com - Reviews of movies from Hong Kong, Korea, Japan, China, Taiwan, and more. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Feb. 2013. <http://www.lovehkfilm.com/panasia/hidd
unknown. Another Embrace. N.d. unknown, unknown. Another Embrace - Blogspot. Web. 13 Feb. 2013.
Batteries4Holden. “Star Wars Hidden Fortress Comparison”. Online video clip. YouTube. Youtube, 1 Aug, 2011. Web. 13 Feb. 2013
Carl Laemmle ...
![Picture](/uploads/1/3/3/3/13332862/6600039.jpg)
was born in Germany in 1867 to a poor Jewish family. As a teenager Laemmle worked as an apprentice in a nearby town, learning the art of salesmanship. Laemmle spent much time reading the letters of his older brother, who had moved to America in the 1870s, and magazines that romanticized life in the “New World”; in 1884 at the age of 17, Laemmle set sail for America.
For ten years after his arrival in the US, Laemmle worked dead-end jobs—but in 1894, he was hired on as bookkeeper by the Continental Clothing Company in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. Laemmle began looking into increasing the company’s sales by creating interesting advertising campaigns as well as making new window displays for the store. Soon he was promoted to a management position.
After saving up $3,000, Laemmle left the Continental Clothing Company in order to go solo; he wanted to open up his own retail stores. One day, however, Laemmle went to a local nickelodeon to find that people were constantly coming and going to see short films. Seeing the attraction of the nickelodeon business, Laemmle opened up two theaters in Chicago right on time; the movie business had just become a major source of entertainment (http://www.immigrantentrepreneurship.org).
Laemmle opened a film exchange business (a film distribution company) and, in 1909, went on to produce his first film. Laemmle was a part of the “Independents,” a group of film producers and distributors who were in opposition with the Patents Company, owned by Thomas Edison. The battle of the Patents Company against the Independents became quite heated and led many film companies—including Laemmle’s—to flee Chicago for the famous “Hollywoodland,” an ideal place to start over.
Laemmle bought Taylor Ranch, located in Hollywood Hills, in 1914. Taylor Ranch became Universal City, the home of Universal Pictures, which was America’s biggest film producer for ten years. Universal Pictures , in addition to being the biggest name in Hollywood from 1915-1925, also acted as the launching pad for the careers of many of Hollywood’s big names: among them John Ford and George Marshall.
Universal produced movies at a quick pace, but most of these titles were low-budget films. Laemmle would occasionally work to produce bigger budget movies that required him to take out loans. When Sutter’s Gold was a box office flop in 1936, Laemmle was forced to take out a $750,000 loan for the production of Show Boat. Unfortunately for Laemmle, the $750,000 was not the end of his expenses—problems with the film’s production caused high fees to be added to his loan. Despite Show Boat’s success in 1936, Laemmle was unable to save his squandering company and, by the summer of 1936, his prime time in Hollywood had come to an end (http://www.laemmle.us/About_CarlLaemmle.html). - Kathleen Franks
For ten years after his arrival in the US, Laemmle worked dead-end jobs—but in 1894, he was hired on as bookkeeper by the Continental Clothing Company in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. Laemmle began looking into increasing the company’s sales by creating interesting advertising campaigns as well as making new window displays for the store. Soon he was promoted to a management position.
After saving up $3,000, Laemmle left the Continental Clothing Company in order to go solo; he wanted to open up his own retail stores. One day, however, Laemmle went to a local nickelodeon to find that people were constantly coming and going to see short films. Seeing the attraction of the nickelodeon business, Laemmle opened up two theaters in Chicago right on time; the movie business had just become a major source of entertainment (http://www.immigrantentrepreneurship.org).
Laemmle opened a film exchange business (a film distribution company) and, in 1909, went on to produce his first film. Laemmle was a part of the “Independents,” a group of film producers and distributors who were in opposition with the Patents Company, owned by Thomas Edison. The battle of the Patents Company against the Independents became quite heated and led many film companies—including Laemmle’s—to flee Chicago for the famous “Hollywoodland,” an ideal place to start over.
Laemmle bought Taylor Ranch, located in Hollywood Hills, in 1914. Taylor Ranch became Universal City, the home of Universal Pictures, which was America’s biggest film producer for ten years. Universal Pictures , in addition to being the biggest name in Hollywood from 1915-1925, also acted as the launching pad for the careers of many of Hollywood’s big names: among them John Ford and George Marshall.
Universal produced movies at a quick pace, but most of these titles were low-budget films. Laemmle would occasionally work to produce bigger budget movies that required him to take out loans. When Sutter’s Gold was a box office flop in 1936, Laemmle was forced to take out a $750,000 loan for the production of Show Boat. Unfortunately for Laemmle, the $750,000 was not the end of his expenses—problems with the film’s production caused high fees to be added to his loan. Despite Show Boat’s success in 1936, Laemmle was unable to save his squandering company and, by the summer of 1936, his prime time in Hollywood had come to an end (http://www.laemmle.us/About_CarlLaemmle.html). - Kathleen Franks
Fritz Lang ...
![Picture](/uploads/1/3/3/3/13332862/2839774.jpg)
was born in Vienna, Austria in 1890 and began his film career in 1917 as a writer of mostly horror films and thrillers. As his career grew he exemplified the stereotype of the domineering German director, wearing a monocle being known as very difficult to work with and influencing some legendary stories about his harshness on the set. He worked in Germany until 1934 when he fled to Paris after rejecting an offer to become the head of the German film studio UFA. He came to America and begins his film career there in 1936. He brought the same characteristics and themes of his earlier films into Hollywood and is now known as an early pioneer of the noir film genre.
His German film career began around the same time as the Expressionists movement was taking off. He would use Expressionist techniques heavily in his early films and gradually adapted is own style later in his career. Although he was heavily influenced by the Expressionist movement early in his career, in one of his earliest films, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, he persuaded his partner on the film, Robert Weine, to use a framing technique that would reveal the story to be a dream sequence. This technique of his would be used heavily in films through today. His film Metropolis, in 1927, is considered a visual masterpiece and also influenced many films to come, particularly Blade Runner, with its special effects and set design featuring a futuristic cityscape and an industrialized underground.
His film, M, captures the characteristics of the noir genre. It is a crime melodrama featuring: the protagonist as a criminal, single-source lit scenes, social commentary, and shadowy figures. All of these would become common in the genre. He also experimented with sound techniques such as bridging dialogue through multiple cuts and staying away from non-diegetic music. His American films would further the genre thematically. His films, Fury, Ministry of Fear, Scarlet Street, and The Big Heat, focused on obsession, vengeance, justice, persecution, and restitution. Just as his earlier story lines and visual effects would be copied and built upon, these themes are also relevant in almost every noir film. - Adam Dewitt
Works Cited
Ankeny, Jason. "Fritz Lang." Movies and TV. New York Times, n.d. Web. 11 Feb 2013. http://movies.nytimes.com/person/98675/Fritz-Lang/biography
Flippo, Hyde. "Fritz Lang." . German-Hollywood connection, n.d. Web. 11 Feb 2013. http://www.german- way.com/cinema/bio-fritz-lang.html
Flippo, Hyde. “Fritz Lang’s Silent Masterpiece.” Fritz Lang: Metropolis. German-Hollywood connection, n.d. Web. 11 Feb 2013. http://www.german-way.com/cinema/films-fritz-lang.html
"What is Film Noir." Film Noir. FilmNoir.net. Web. 11 Feb 2013. http://filmsnoir.net/what-is-film-noir
"Fritz Lang's M: Editing Sound as Visuals." FilmSound.org. N.p.. Web. 12 Feb 2013. http://filmsound.org/articles/langsm.htm
Krehl, James. Metropolis1927.com. N.p.. Web. 11 Feb 2013. http://metropolis1927.com
"The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari." filmphest.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Feb 2013. http://filmphest.com/Films/caligari.htm
His German film career began around the same time as the Expressionists movement was taking off. He would use Expressionist techniques heavily in his early films and gradually adapted is own style later in his career. Although he was heavily influenced by the Expressionist movement early in his career, in one of his earliest films, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, he persuaded his partner on the film, Robert Weine, to use a framing technique that would reveal the story to be a dream sequence. This technique of his would be used heavily in films through today. His film Metropolis, in 1927, is considered a visual masterpiece and also influenced many films to come, particularly Blade Runner, with its special effects and set design featuring a futuristic cityscape and an industrialized underground.
His film, M, captures the characteristics of the noir genre. It is a crime melodrama featuring: the protagonist as a criminal, single-source lit scenes, social commentary, and shadowy figures. All of these would become common in the genre. He also experimented with sound techniques such as bridging dialogue through multiple cuts and staying away from non-diegetic music. His American films would further the genre thematically. His films, Fury, Ministry of Fear, Scarlet Street, and The Big Heat, focused on obsession, vengeance, justice, persecution, and restitution. Just as his earlier story lines and visual effects would be copied and built upon, these themes are also relevant in almost every noir film. - Adam Dewitt
Works Cited
Ankeny, Jason. "Fritz Lang." Movies and TV. New York Times, n.d. Web. 11 Feb 2013. http://movies.nytimes.com/person/98675/Fritz-Lang/biography
Flippo, Hyde. "Fritz Lang." . German-Hollywood connection, n.d. Web. 11 Feb 2013. http://www.german- way.com/cinema/bio-fritz-lang.html
Flippo, Hyde. “Fritz Lang’s Silent Masterpiece.” Fritz Lang: Metropolis. German-Hollywood connection, n.d. Web. 11 Feb 2013. http://www.german-way.com/cinema/films-fritz-lang.html
"What is Film Noir." Film Noir. FilmNoir.net. Web. 11 Feb 2013. http://filmsnoir.net/what-is-film-noir
"Fritz Lang's M: Editing Sound as Visuals." FilmSound.org. N.p.. Web. 12 Feb 2013. http://filmsound.org/articles/langsm.htm
Krehl, James. Metropolis1927.com. N.p.. Web. 11 Feb 2013. http://metropolis1927.com
"The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari." filmphest.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Feb 2013. http://filmphest.com/Films/caligari.htm
Jesse Lasky ...
![Picture](/uploads/1/3/3/3/13332862/7785913.jpg)
is most famous for forming what would later become Paramount pictures, according to Betty Lasky, on Jesse Lasky’s website. Born in California in 1880, Lasky did not experience success early in his life, learning the cornet, trying to pan for gold and moving to Hawaii to play in a band (Lasky). Lasky moved back to California in 1913 and would later produce Hollywood’s first feature length film (Lasky). Despite his earlier failures, his forming of what would later become Paramount, was his biggest success. According to I.S Mowis, who wrote Jesse Lasky’s short biography on IMDB.com, Lasky formed, along with Cecil B DeMille, the Jesse L. Lasky Feature Play Company (Mowis). Movies such as The Rough Riders and The Vanishing American were important films about the United States and its heritage. As did many companies in the Great Depression, Lasky and Paramount experienced monetary problems. According to Mowis, “Under pressure from the IRS and back-stabbed by his own personal assistant, Lasky was eventually ousted from his executive position at Paramount in 1932” (Mowis). After he left Paramount, Lasky was able to make a comeback and became an independent producer (Lasky). According to Betty Lasky, “In the 1940s, Lasky launched a series of screen biographies: Rhapsody in Blue, The Adventures of Mark Twain and Sergeant York” (Lasky). Sadly, the fame that Lasky experience during his time at Paramount was never to be seen again. After finishing a project at Paramount to settle his debt, according to Mowis, Lasky later died in January 1958, essentially unknown (Mowis). - Rachel Mellen
Henry Levin ...
![Picture](/uploads/1/3/3/3/13332862/720150.jpg?160)
...born on June 5, 1909 in Trenton, New Jersey, is mostly known as an “efficient contract director of B-movies,” which encompassed several genres, including the western, science fiction, musicals, and romantic comedies (Encyclopedia Britannica Online). Before his career in film, he was a stage actor and director. Levin made his way into the film business as a director of dialogue in the early 1940s, and quickly worked his way up as director. Levin directed his first film the Cry of the Werewolf in 1944. He is most noted for two films, A Journey to the Center of the Earth (1959), an adaptation of Jules Verne’s classic science fiction novel which starred Pat Boone and Shirley Jones, and The Lonely Man (1957), a brooding, melancholic western starring Jack Palance. He was most popular in the 1960s with his serious of sex comedies, notably Come Fly with Me (1963) and Honeymoon Hotel (1964). Levin spent the 1970s making mostly made-for-TV movies, and died the day after filming his last one, A Scout’s Honor, which starred Gary Coleman, on May 1, 1980. - Dylan Schrader
Barson, Michael. "Henry Levin (American Director)." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, 3 Oct. 2013. Web. 10 Dec. 2013.
"Henry Levin." IMDb. IMDb.com, n.d. Web. 10 Dec. 2013.
Barson, Michael. "Henry Levin (American Director)." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, 3 Oct. 2013. Web. 10 Dec. 2013.
"Henry Levin." IMDb. IMDb.com, n.d. Web. 10 Dec. 2013.
George Lucas ...
![Picture](/uploads/1/3/3/3/13332862/5897172.jpg?248)
Today, George Lucas is a household name, but when I was a boy that was not the case. As little boy, I went to the drive-in theatre in my home town in 1977 and saw one of most unbelievable films of my life. A New Hope, The first installment to the film trilogy, Star Wars. Within months of its success, George Lucas quickly became a household name and so did his creation. Everywhere I looked at my elementary school there was Star Wars paraphernalia: t-shirts, metal lunch boxes, pencils, rain jackets, coats, and for the lucky ones, shoes with the pictures of star wars characters. As the trilogy unfolded, Lucas seemed to outdo his prior success with the last two installments of Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and The Return of Jedi (1983). It can justifiably be said, that my entire childhood was overshadowed by this international sensation. As an adult I have frequently put in the video tape (DVD now) and reminisce about my boyhood days watching those movies for the first time, until I heard about the prequel trilogy installment that Lucas had in store. My son was born in 1995. It seemed as if Lucas was going to wave his wand of magic once again to tease the imagination of whole new generation, one of them being my son. My son and I together watched the Attack of the Clones (2002) when he was only six years old. I relived my experience as a boy through my son as watched him sit in amazement at the truly unique digital, magical experience. Everywhere I looked in the new millennium kids were brandishing their light sabers. With the last two installments of the prequel trilogy, Revenge of The Sith (2005) and The Clone Wars (2008), I was a little saddened. My son, who turned thirteen with the release of the The Clones Wars (2008), was a little old now for light sabers, but the enjoyment had not dissipated in the least. Can anyone really out grow the magical experience of watching film at its finest? I look back over this essay and realize that I could have talked about the technical contributions that George Lucas made in film, such as his inventive techniques for visual effects and THX sound, but as wonderful as those things are, I think Lucas’s greatest accomplishment was teasing the minds of little children to explore their imaginations and allow themselves to be taken to a “galaxy far far away.” - Michael Edwards
Works Cited
Fig. 1. Tamala Baldwin. Tamalabaldwin. http://www.tamalabaldwin.com/2012/02/26/george-lucas-felt-his-career-was-hopeless. 26 February 2012. Web. 12 February 2013.
Works Cited
Fig. 1. Tamala Baldwin. Tamalabaldwin. http://www.tamalabaldwin.com/2012/02/26/george-lucas-felt-his-career-was-hopeless. 26 February 2012. Web. 12 February 2013.
David Lynch...
![Picture](/uploads/1/3/3/3/13332862/5711109.jpg?263)
... is often hailed as being a revolutionary and inspired American filmmaker. He is considered to be one of the first widely popular Surrealist filmmakers. He is best known for his surrealist films, which feature a great amount of dream imagery, careful sound design, and often disturbing violence.
He was born to a middle class family in Missoula, Montana on January 20, 1946. He spent his childhood moving from town to town, as his father was often relocated for his work. His early experience with the art world was through the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts where he studied painting. However, it was also here that he transitioned into the medium of film. He began making short films, and eventually, after moving to L.A. to focus on film, made his first full-length film Eraserhead (1977). This film was not widely popular, but it was celebrated as a cult classic. It was considered to be too surreal, too bizarre, for mainstream audiences.
While Eraserhead was not a popular film in the mainstream circuit, the film did accomplish the feat of bringing Lynch’s name to the attention of a certain Hollywood director, named Mel Brooks. He was able to direct his first mainstream success, with the collaboration of Brooks, The Elephant Man, in 1980. Following the success of this movie, Lynch was hired by the De Laurentiis Entertainment Group, and he directed Dune (1984), and Blue Velvet (1986). While Dune failed to be a success, Blue Velvet was critically acclaimed.
Following his success with Blue Velvet, Lynch began to venture into more surreal films once more. These include Lost Highway (1997), Mulholland Drive (2001), and Inland Empire (2006). Lynch became known for his use of dream imagery, as well as the use of slow motion during many key violent scenes. He often combines low/middle frequency sounds with dark, squalid settings and décor to increase the feeling of despair, dankness, and danger. In addition to this, he used numerous references to the French people, their culture, and language. This has earned him various awards and honors from the French government and film groups, including the Legion of Honor, which is the highest honor for a civilian. - Shellie Gentle
He was born to a middle class family in Missoula, Montana on January 20, 1946. He spent his childhood moving from town to town, as his father was often relocated for his work. His early experience with the art world was through the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts where he studied painting. However, it was also here that he transitioned into the medium of film. He began making short films, and eventually, after moving to L.A. to focus on film, made his first full-length film Eraserhead (1977). This film was not widely popular, but it was celebrated as a cult classic. It was considered to be too surreal, too bizarre, for mainstream audiences.
While Eraserhead was not a popular film in the mainstream circuit, the film did accomplish the feat of bringing Lynch’s name to the attention of a certain Hollywood director, named Mel Brooks. He was able to direct his first mainstream success, with the collaboration of Brooks, The Elephant Man, in 1980. Following the success of this movie, Lynch was hired by the De Laurentiis Entertainment Group, and he directed Dune (1984), and Blue Velvet (1986). While Dune failed to be a success, Blue Velvet was critically acclaimed.
Following his success with Blue Velvet, Lynch began to venture into more surreal films once more. These include Lost Highway (1997), Mulholland Drive (2001), and Inland Empire (2006). Lynch became known for his use of dream imagery, as well as the use of slow motion during many key violent scenes. He often combines low/middle frequency sounds with dark, squalid settings and décor to increase the feeling of despair, dankness, and danger. In addition to this, he used numerous references to the French people, their culture, and language. This has earned him various awards and honors from the French government and film groups, including the Legion of Honor, which is the highest honor for a civilian. - Shellie Gentle
Louis B. Mayer ...
![Picture](/uploads/1/3/3/3/13332862/5616881.jpg)
although he lived much of his early life in Canada, was born Louis Burt Mayer in the Ukraine on July 12, 1884. He later denied his birth date, claiming the Fourth of July instead. When he was nineteen, Mayer moved to America by utilizing the expansion of his family’s scrap metal business. Not long after he came to America, he invested in a dilapidated, seedy theater. For its first show, Mayer played a religious film. Soon he was buying old theaters all over town and successfully restoring the buildings and the businesses (Biography.com).
Mayer put his foot in the door of film distribution when he sold his wife’s wedding ring to obtain the exclusive rights to The Birth of a Nation in 1914. Four years later, he moved to Los Angeles and created the Louis B. Mayer Picture Corporation. Through his L.A. business, Mayer eventually became famous for finding great talent like Clark Gable, Greta Garbo, Katherine Hepburn, and many others.
Around this time, Marcus Loew merged his company with Samuel Goldwyn’s company to become Metro-Goldwyn; however, they had no one to run it, and turned to Mayer for help. From that moment on Metro-Goldwyn became known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, or as it is commonly referred to today, MGM. Mayer worked at MGM for 27 years and was well known as a blunt, stubborn, and talented producer who had a hand in movies like Ben-Hur and an influence on those such as Fred Astaire. At one point during his career, Mayer was the highest paid man in America.
It was not until 1951, after MGM’s glory had begun to fade, that Mayer retired from MGM (Biography.com). Only six years later, in 1957, he died of leukemia. Supposedly Mayer’s last words were, “Nothing matters! Don't let them worry you. Nothing matters!" and were spoken to Howard Strickland. Mayer was a strong and influential man left behind a legacy by creating another world within this one through his films. - Molly Keeton
Videos about and of Louis Mayer:
Excerpt of Mayer's Testimony at HUAC
Louis Mayer Tribute
Works Cited
"Louis B. Mayer." Internet Movie Database. N.p.. Web. 12 Feb 2013. <http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0562454/>.
"Louis B. Mayer Biography." Biography.Com. A E Networks, n.d. Web. 12 Feb 2013. http://www.biography.com/people/louis-b-mayer-9403666?page=2.
MGM.When.The.Lion.Roars-Louis B. Mayer-Nothing Matters (tribute) . 2012. Video. Youtube. Web. 12 Feb 2013. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31tO_TZXge4>.
Louis B Mayer HUAC Testimony, 1947. 2010. Video. Youtube.Web. 12 Feb 2013. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-no4OiPxXM&playnext=1&list=PLCAC5873DE9E00A49&feature=results_video.
Mayer put his foot in the door of film distribution when he sold his wife’s wedding ring to obtain the exclusive rights to The Birth of a Nation in 1914. Four years later, he moved to Los Angeles and created the Louis B. Mayer Picture Corporation. Through his L.A. business, Mayer eventually became famous for finding great talent like Clark Gable, Greta Garbo, Katherine Hepburn, and many others.
Around this time, Marcus Loew merged his company with Samuel Goldwyn’s company to become Metro-Goldwyn; however, they had no one to run it, and turned to Mayer for help. From that moment on Metro-Goldwyn became known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, or as it is commonly referred to today, MGM. Mayer worked at MGM for 27 years and was well known as a blunt, stubborn, and talented producer who had a hand in movies like Ben-Hur and an influence on those such as Fred Astaire. At one point during his career, Mayer was the highest paid man in America.
It was not until 1951, after MGM’s glory had begun to fade, that Mayer retired from MGM (Biography.com). Only six years later, in 1957, he died of leukemia. Supposedly Mayer’s last words were, “Nothing matters! Don't let them worry you. Nothing matters!" and were spoken to Howard Strickland. Mayer was a strong and influential man left behind a legacy by creating another world within this one through his films. - Molly Keeton
Videos about and of Louis Mayer:
Excerpt of Mayer's Testimony at HUAC
Louis Mayer Tribute
Works Cited
"Louis B. Mayer." Internet Movie Database. N.p.. Web. 12 Feb 2013. <http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0562454/>.
"Louis B. Mayer Biography." Biography.Com. A E Networks, n.d. Web. 12 Feb 2013. http://www.biography.com/people/louis-b-mayer-9403666?page=2.
MGM.When.The.Lion.Roars-Louis B. Mayer-Nothing Matters (tribute) . 2012. Video. Youtube. Web. 12 Feb 2013. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31tO_TZXge4>.
Louis B Mayer HUAC Testimony, 1947. 2010. Video. Youtube.Web. 12 Feb 2013. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-no4OiPxXM&playnext=1&list=PLCAC5873DE9E00A49&feature=results_video.
George Méliès
![Picture](/uploads/1/3/3/3/13332862/8948003.jpg?223)
As the United States began its dive into a mire of civil war, the world of cinema and more specifically science-fiction cinema were about to have their foremost pioneer arrive on planet Earth. Maries Georges Jean Melies was born in Paris, France in 1861 to a shoemaker and his Dutch wife.
Interest in the arts early in life lead to a place for Melies at the Ecole des Beaux Arts where he showed particular interest in the realms of puppetry and stage craft. These early interests would come to the surface later in Melies’ life when he began to pioneer the art of special effects in cinema.
Melies’ parents sent him to study abroad in London with plans for him to learn English and return to work for his father’s shoe business. However, Melies was struck by the works of John Nevil Maskelyne and other stage magicians and actors. After returning to Paris, Melies took over for his father as the manager of the footwear business until he was able to raise enough money to purchase a local theatre in 1888. Melies began work full time as a stage performer and magician at this point and worked on his craft of illusion and magic tricks in his theatre.
Melies’ life took a dramatic turn when he was in the audience to witness cinematography as it was introduced by the Lumiere brothers in December of 1895. This had an intense effect on Melies’ life. After offering to buy the camera-projector from the Lumiere brothers and being turned down, Melies began investigating how to construct his own. On April 4th, 1896 Georges Melies was able to screen his very first film. In the beginning Melies screened films made by others but within months he was shooting and presenting films of his own.
Perhaps what Melies is best known for as far as contributions to cinema is the exploration of special effects which have arced with importance over time for all films but especially for science fiction. A fortunate accident happened to Melies in 1896, an accident that has since made its way into film folklore. While shooting a street scene the camera jammed on Melies and it took him a few seconds or so to fix the film and continue shooting. Melies initially thought nothing of the incident and went about processing the film later on in the day. What he discovered changed his way of looking at and thinking about cinema and its possibilities. He noticed that the jamming of the film caused objects to appear and disappear sporadically and for objects to melt into other objects. He realized that manipulation of the film itself could change the perception of time and space for the viewer.
Melies pioneered what are now relatively common techniques both in cinema and still photography such as double exposure and a dissolving effect. In the end, Georges Melies produced over 500 films that he filmed, directed, financed and even starred in. - Matt Wilson
Video Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ipc7dLLQx-Y
Works Cited
"EarlyCinema.com." EarlyCinema.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Sept. 2013. <http://www.earlycinema.com/pioneers/melies_bio.html>.
"Who's Who of Victorian Cinema." Who's Who of Victorian Cinema. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Sept. 2013. <http://www.victorian-cinema.net/melies>.
"Georges Méliès - 1904 - La Sirène - YouTube." YouTube. N.p., n.d. Web. 1 Oct. 2013. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ipc7dLLQx-Y>.
Interest in the arts early in life lead to a place for Melies at the Ecole des Beaux Arts where he showed particular interest in the realms of puppetry and stage craft. These early interests would come to the surface later in Melies’ life when he began to pioneer the art of special effects in cinema.
Melies’ parents sent him to study abroad in London with plans for him to learn English and return to work for his father’s shoe business. However, Melies was struck by the works of John Nevil Maskelyne and other stage magicians and actors. After returning to Paris, Melies took over for his father as the manager of the footwear business until he was able to raise enough money to purchase a local theatre in 1888. Melies began work full time as a stage performer and magician at this point and worked on his craft of illusion and magic tricks in his theatre.
Melies’ life took a dramatic turn when he was in the audience to witness cinematography as it was introduced by the Lumiere brothers in December of 1895. This had an intense effect on Melies’ life. After offering to buy the camera-projector from the Lumiere brothers and being turned down, Melies began investigating how to construct his own. On April 4th, 1896 Georges Melies was able to screen his very first film. In the beginning Melies screened films made by others but within months he was shooting and presenting films of his own.
Perhaps what Melies is best known for as far as contributions to cinema is the exploration of special effects which have arced with importance over time for all films but especially for science fiction. A fortunate accident happened to Melies in 1896, an accident that has since made its way into film folklore. While shooting a street scene the camera jammed on Melies and it took him a few seconds or so to fix the film and continue shooting. Melies initially thought nothing of the incident and went about processing the film later on in the day. What he discovered changed his way of looking at and thinking about cinema and its possibilities. He noticed that the jamming of the film caused objects to appear and disappear sporadically and for objects to melt into other objects. He realized that manipulation of the film itself could change the perception of time and space for the viewer.
Melies pioneered what are now relatively common techniques both in cinema and still photography such as double exposure and a dissolving effect. In the end, Georges Melies produced over 500 films that he filmed, directed, financed and even starred in. - Matt Wilson
Video Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ipc7dLLQx-Y
Works Cited
"EarlyCinema.com." EarlyCinema.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Sept. 2013. <http://www.earlycinema.com/pioneers/melies_bio.html>.
"Who's Who of Victorian Cinema." Who's Who of Victorian Cinema. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Sept. 2013. <http://www.victorian-cinema.net/melies>.
"Georges Méliès - 1904 - La Sirène - YouTube." YouTube. N.p., n.d. Web. 1 Oct. 2013. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ipc7dLLQx-Y>.
...Nicholas Meyer
![Picture](/uploads/1/3/3/3/13332862/537004.jpg)
... was born in New York City in 1945. He was the son of psychoanalyst and writer Bernard C. Meyer. His father was the one who helped him begin his path to film making. Nicholas studied film and theatre at the University of Iowa. He started at Paramount Pictures the fall of 1964 after he graduated. His career just took off from there.
He soon moved to Hollywood where he would begin his career as a novelist and a screenplay writer. He made the best seller list with his second novel The Seven-Per-Cent Solution, and then again with The West End Horror. Both novels were stories about Sherlock Holmes. Meyer directed movies such as The Day After and Volunteers with Tom Hank. The Day After was one of his most popular movies that he directed. It was released in the mid-80s. Its topic dealt with nuclear war, and during that time brought a lot of attention. Meyer was nominated for 17 academy awards for that movie alone.
Nicholas Meyer is responsible for part of the most iconic movie sagas in science fiction history. He directed Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan in 1982 and Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country in 1991. He also wrote the screenplay for Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home. These movies are what Meyer is most known for. He received two academy awards for Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country along with many other nominations throughout his career. He won best director for The Wrath of Khan in 1983.
Meyer currently resides in Los Angeles California where he lives with his wife author Stephanie Meyer and their three daughters. He still continues to write and direct to this day. - Courtney Gresham
Photo: http://en.memory-alpha.org/wiki/Nicholas_Meyer
He soon moved to Hollywood where he would begin his career as a novelist and a screenplay writer. He made the best seller list with his second novel The Seven-Per-Cent Solution, and then again with The West End Horror. Both novels were stories about Sherlock Holmes. Meyer directed movies such as The Day After and Volunteers with Tom Hank. The Day After was one of his most popular movies that he directed. It was released in the mid-80s. Its topic dealt with nuclear war, and during that time brought a lot of attention. Meyer was nominated for 17 academy awards for that movie alone.
Nicholas Meyer is responsible for part of the most iconic movie sagas in science fiction history. He directed Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan in 1982 and Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country in 1991. He also wrote the screenplay for Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home. These movies are what Meyer is most known for. He received two academy awards for Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country along with many other nominations throughout his career. He won best director for The Wrath of Khan in 1983.
Meyer currently resides in Los Angeles California where he lives with his wife author Stephanie Meyer and their three daughters. He still continues to write and direct to this day. - Courtney Gresham
Photo: http://en.memory-alpha.org/wiki/Nicholas_Meyer
Vincente Minnellie...
![Picture](/uploads/1/3/3/3/13332862/7595233.jpg?292)
... was an influential director who is best remembered for his lavish musicals Gigi (1958) and Meet Me in St. Louis (1944). While he also directed many more serious films, it is his musicals that show his particular style in regards to mise-en-scene. He is also known for his brief marriage to Judy Garland, and their talented daughter Liza Minnelli. He was born in 1903 as Lester Anthony Minnelli. He was exposed to theater and music at an early age through his father Anthony Minnelli who was a conductor for Minnelli Brother’s Theater.
Like his father, Vincente Minnelli pursued an artistic career beginning with his work at the Chicago Theater’s costume department. From there Minnelli moved to Broadway and worked in sets and costumes, and he also worked at Radio City Music Hall as an art director, which is when he changed his name to Vincente. On Broadway, Minnelli also had the opportunity to direct several plays including At Home Abroad (1935), The Show is On (1936), and Hooray for What! (1937). His experience both in Broadway and in the various theaters led to his extensive mise-en-scene and costumes in his work in Hollywood.
As mentioned above, Minnelli is best known for his work in Hollywood with MGM. He was hired by MGM in 1940. Some of Minnelli’s most famous films include Gigi and Meet Me in St. Louis. It is in these two movies, particularly Gigi, that his lavish mise-en-scene is most apparent. The sets in Gigi border on garishly extravagant, in particular ‘the red room.’ The room is the set for the song “The Night They Invented Champagne.” Its walls are strikingly, shockingly red, as well as the upholstery and curtains. The furniture in the room is garish and ornate, and Gigi’s brilliant blue dress stands out against the walls. The bright colors and extravagant furnishings have the effect of making the scene almost unforgettable. While many critics consider Gigi to not be Minnelli’s greatest work, the sets and costumes clearly show his particular style and skill with mise-en-scene. - Shellie Gentle
Like his father, Vincente Minnelli pursued an artistic career beginning with his work at the Chicago Theater’s costume department. From there Minnelli moved to Broadway and worked in sets and costumes, and he also worked at Radio City Music Hall as an art director, which is when he changed his name to Vincente. On Broadway, Minnelli also had the opportunity to direct several plays including At Home Abroad (1935), The Show is On (1936), and Hooray for What! (1937). His experience both in Broadway and in the various theaters led to his extensive mise-en-scene and costumes in his work in Hollywood.
As mentioned above, Minnelli is best known for his work in Hollywood with MGM. He was hired by MGM in 1940. Some of Minnelli’s most famous films include Gigi and Meet Me in St. Louis. It is in these two movies, particularly Gigi, that his lavish mise-en-scene is most apparent. The sets in Gigi border on garishly extravagant, in particular ‘the red room.’ The room is the set for the song “The Night They Invented Champagne.” Its walls are strikingly, shockingly red, as well as the upholstery and curtains. The furniture in the room is garish and ornate, and Gigi’s brilliant blue dress stands out against the walls. The bright colors and extravagant furnishings have the effect of making the scene almost unforgettable. While many critics consider Gigi to not be Minnelli’s greatest work, the sets and costumes clearly show his particular style and skill with mise-en-scene. - Shellie Gentle
Christopher Nolan...
![Picture](/uploads/1/3/3/3/13332862/9574729.jpg)
... was born on July 30, 1970 in London, England. His desire for films developed at a very young age, and when he made his first film short at the age of just seven. Since his mother was American and his father was British, Nolan got the chance to travel from Chicago to London frequently. The University College London was the school he decided to attend, where he studied English literature and joined the film society. During this time, he released shorts such as Tarantula, Larceny, and Doodlebug before going on to make longer productions.
Nolan’s first major film in his directing career was Following--a low budget, black and white, movie about a writer who becomes obsessed with following strangers. This film launched him to his next project, Memento, which is an indie film about a man who is experiencing amnesia and must rely solely on pictures to seek his revenge. This story was adapted from a book by Christopher Nolan’s brother, Jonathan, and it went on to achieve two Oscar nominations for the editing work and screenplay. After production more psychological thrillers such as, Insomnia, Nolan changed direction and agreed to bring life back to the comic hero Batman.
In 2005, Batman Begins, which stares Christian Bale, made more than $372 million worldwide. Following this movie, Nolan released The Prestige, a story about battling magicians, in 2006. However, his journey with Batman was no complete with only one film. In 2008, the sequel, The Dark Knight, set records with by making $158 million dollars its opening weekend. Several Oscar and Golden Globe nominations were given to the film, and Nolan accepted Heath Ledger’s Globe award on his behalf, which was given to Ledger after his sudden death. Two years later, Nolan returned to the screen with the movie Inception, staring Leonardo Dicapro. The movie was yet another blockbuster hit for the film maker, and it won four Academy Awards. After Inception, Nolan released the third installment in the Batman franchise, The Dark Knight Rises. Throughout his career, Nolan was the sole screenwriter for Following and Inception, but gives his brother credit also for Insomnia and other films.
Christopher Nolan’s films has been credited for several things including: intellectualism, and psychological depth in his storytelling, non-chronological narrative structures in Following and Memento, and for creating a story within a story in Inception. The majority of his work has male protagonist who must come to terms with their past while still struggling with the ups and downs of their present day. His female characters are often depicted as allies and romantic interests. The imagery in his films have been stated as looking like surreal paintings, and both Batman and Inception show the audience his artistic ability when it comes to film making.
Nolan has four children with his wife, Emma Thomas, who has also been the producer on all of his feature films. Along with this, he has legal citizenship in both the United States and Great Britain. - Chelsea Wise
Sources
"Christopher Nolan Biography." Bio.com. A&E Networks Television, n.d. Web. 29 Sept. 2013.
<http://www.biography.com/people/christopher-nolan-20881457?page=1>.
Photo Source: http://www.buzzpatrol.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/Christopher_Nolan.jpg
Clip Source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S8B370KNp1o
Nolan’s first major film in his directing career was Following--a low budget, black and white, movie about a writer who becomes obsessed with following strangers. This film launched him to his next project, Memento, which is an indie film about a man who is experiencing amnesia and must rely solely on pictures to seek his revenge. This story was adapted from a book by Christopher Nolan’s brother, Jonathan, and it went on to achieve two Oscar nominations for the editing work and screenplay. After production more psychological thrillers such as, Insomnia, Nolan changed direction and agreed to bring life back to the comic hero Batman.
In 2005, Batman Begins, which stares Christian Bale, made more than $372 million worldwide. Following this movie, Nolan released The Prestige, a story about battling magicians, in 2006. However, his journey with Batman was no complete with only one film. In 2008, the sequel, The Dark Knight, set records with by making $158 million dollars its opening weekend. Several Oscar and Golden Globe nominations were given to the film, and Nolan accepted Heath Ledger’s Globe award on his behalf, which was given to Ledger after his sudden death. Two years later, Nolan returned to the screen with the movie Inception, staring Leonardo Dicapro. The movie was yet another blockbuster hit for the film maker, and it won four Academy Awards. After Inception, Nolan released the third installment in the Batman franchise, The Dark Knight Rises. Throughout his career, Nolan was the sole screenwriter for Following and Inception, but gives his brother credit also for Insomnia and other films.
Christopher Nolan’s films has been credited for several things including: intellectualism, and psychological depth in his storytelling, non-chronological narrative structures in Following and Memento, and for creating a story within a story in Inception. The majority of his work has male protagonist who must come to terms with their past while still struggling with the ups and downs of their present day. His female characters are often depicted as allies and romantic interests. The imagery in his films have been stated as looking like surreal paintings, and both Batman and Inception show the audience his artistic ability when it comes to film making.
Nolan has four children with his wife, Emma Thomas, who has also been the producer on all of his feature films. Along with this, he has legal citizenship in both the United States and Great Britain. - Chelsea Wise
Sources
"Christopher Nolan Biography." Bio.com. A&E Networks Television, n.d. Web. 29 Sept. 2013.
<http://www.biography.com/people/christopher-nolan-20881457?page=1>.
Photo Source: http://www.buzzpatrol.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/Christopher_Nolan.jpg
Clip Source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S8B370KNp1o
Mary Pickford...
![Picture](/uploads/1/3/3/3/13332862/3753224.jpg?271)
Mary Pickford was born Gladys Smith in Toronto, Ontario, Canada on April 8, 1892. After her father left the family (and died three years later), Pickford, then five years old, began working as an actress in local productions in order to help provide for her family (“Mary Pickford Biography”). After nine years of touring with local theatre companies, Pickford went to New York to begin taking on Broadway. Young Mary Pickford was so talented that by 1909 she had already starred in forty of D.W. Griffith’s films and, when he moved his productions to California, she followed him (Biography).
Mary Pickford rose to stardom very quickly and became known as “the girl with the curls” and as America’s sweetheart. Pickford changed studios several times between 1912 and 1919 (her earnings increased each time) until she joined United Artists along with Charlie Chaplin, D.W. Griffith, and Douglas Fairbanks. Although she had been warned that divorce in show business carried with it a social stigma, Pickford divorced her first husband, Owen Moore, and married Douglas Fairbanks in 1920. The couple, whose house became lovingly known as “Pickfair,” became Hollywood’s first “supercouple” (“About Mary”). The ‘20s was an eventful decade for Pickford; she starred in seventeen films (IMDb), and became even more beloved for her roles in Polyanna (1920) and Little Lord Fauntleroy (1922). In 1927 Pickford helped create the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and, in 1929, starred in her first talkie, Coquette, for which she received an Oscar (Biography).
By the time her relationship with Fairbanks ended in 1933, Pickford had begun working as a producer and had founded the Society of Independent Motion Picture Producers. Although her career as a film actress had been nothing short of successful, Pickford made her last acting performance in 1933’s Secrets (“About Mary”). Pickford’s career, however, was far from over. She worked as producer for several films, among them One Rainy Afternoon (1936) and Sleep, My Love (1948), served on the board of United Artists (Biography), and was one of the first supporters of the film preservation movement (“About Mary”). Pickford founded the Motion Picture Relief Fund, which she financed during the Payroll Pledge Program “by deducting one half of one percent from the salaries of those making over two hundred dollars a week” (“About Mary”).
In 1937 Pickford married Charles “Buddy” Rogers, her third husband, with whom she adopted two children. Pickford and Buddy Rogers were married until her death in 1979 at the age of 87 (Biography).
Mary Pickford was America’s first sweetheart and the inspiration of young girls everywhere during the early era film. Not only was Pickford an iconic actress in the 1920s, she played the role of producer and founded a variety of philanthropic organizations. The philosophy of one of Hollywood’s pioneers can be summed up by the words of Mary Pickford herself: “If you have made mistakes . . . and there is always another chance for you. . . . you may have a fresh start any moment you choose, for this thing we call ‘failure’ is not the falling down but the staying down” (IMDb). - Kathleen Franks
Clips:
Pickford’s Oscar-winning performance in Coquette (1929)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0kQXd1HQA4k
Sources:
“About Mary.” Mary Pickford. Mary Pickford Foundation, 2013. Web. 10 Apr. 2013.
“Mary Pickford.” Biography. A&E Networks, 2013. Web. 10 Apr. 2013.
“Mary Pickford.” IMDb. IMDb, Inc., 1990-2013. Web. 10 Apr. 2013.
“Mary Pickford Biography.” The Biography Channel. AETN UK, 2005-2011. Web. 10 Apr. 2013.
Photo from Biography.
Mary Pickford rose to stardom very quickly and became known as “the girl with the curls” and as America’s sweetheart. Pickford changed studios several times between 1912 and 1919 (her earnings increased each time) until she joined United Artists along with Charlie Chaplin, D.W. Griffith, and Douglas Fairbanks. Although she had been warned that divorce in show business carried with it a social stigma, Pickford divorced her first husband, Owen Moore, and married Douglas Fairbanks in 1920. The couple, whose house became lovingly known as “Pickfair,” became Hollywood’s first “supercouple” (“About Mary”). The ‘20s was an eventful decade for Pickford; she starred in seventeen films (IMDb), and became even more beloved for her roles in Polyanna (1920) and Little Lord Fauntleroy (1922). In 1927 Pickford helped create the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and, in 1929, starred in her first talkie, Coquette, for which she received an Oscar (Biography).
By the time her relationship with Fairbanks ended in 1933, Pickford had begun working as a producer and had founded the Society of Independent Motion Picture Producers. Although her career as a film actress had been nothing short of successful, Pickford made her last acting performance in 1933’s Secrets (“About Mary”). Pickford’s career, however, was far from over. She worked as producer for several films, among them One Rainy Afternoon (1936) and Sleep, My Love (1948), served on the board of United Artists (Biography), and was one of the first supporters of the film preservation movement (“About Mary”). Pickford founded the Motion Picture Relief Fund, which she financed during the Payroll Pledge Program “by deducting one half of one percent from the salaries of those making over two hundred dollars a week” (“About Mary”).
In 1937 Pickford married Charles “Buddy” Rogers, her third husband, with whom she adopted two children. Pickford and Buddy Rogers were married until her death in 1979 at the age of 87 (Biography).
Mary Pickford was America’s first sweetheart and the inspiration of young girls everywhere during the early era film. Not only was Pickford an iconic actress in the 1920s, she played the role of producer and founded a variety of philanthropic organizations. The philosophy of one of Hollywood’s pioneers can be summed up by the words of Mary Pickford herself: “If you have made mistakes . . . and there is always another chance for you. . . . you may have a fresh start any moment you choose, for this thing we call ‘failure’ is not the falling down but the staying down” (IMDb). - Kathleen Franks
Clips:
Pickford’s Oscar-winning performance in Coquette (1929)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0kQXd1HQA4k
Sources:
“About Mary.” Mary Pickford. Mary Pickford Foundation, 2013. Web. 10 Apr. 2013.
“Mary Pickford.” Biography. A&E Networks, 2013. Web. 10 Apr. 2013.
“Mary Pickford.” IMDb. IMDb, Inc., 1990-2013. Web. 10 Apr. 2013.
“Mary Pickford Biography.” The Biography Channel. AETN UK, 2005-2011. Web. 10 Apr. 2013.
Photo from Biography.
Roman Polanski ...
![Picture](/uploads/1/3/3/3/13332862/7905646.jpg?317)
The honored Polish-French director of Rosemary’s Baby, Chinatown, The Pianist, and numerous others remains one of the most interesting and influential auteurs in film history, inspiring leagues of imitators and peers since his earliest films. He revolutionized the style and tone of the horror and suspense genres in the 1960s and 70s. With deliberate pacing, dark narrative turns, and vulnerable characters, Polanski forged new ways to horrify while also exploring a human darkness that sets his life and work apart.
His life and childhood are a series of unfortunate, extraordinary circumstances. After surviving the Holocaust alone in Nazi-occupied Poland, he became intrigued with acting and filmmaking. Once he had risen to international honor and fame with Rosemary’s Baby in 1968, his momentum seemed to be unstoppable. The next year, his wife was murdered at a party in Los Angeles by Charles Manson’s deranged cult. In 1977, Polanksi was arrested for the sexual assault of a 13 year-old. During what was discovered to be a highly unfair mockery of a trial, Polanski fled the United States to avoid conviction. Unable to return to the United States, he continued filming movies internationally and remains one of the most well regarded and respected directors to this day.
In the St. James Film Directors Encyclopedia, the authors conclude that “Roman Polanski's importance as a filmmaker hinges upon a uniquely unsettling point of view,” a reflection, no doubt, of his own experience and personal struggles. - Spencer Murphy
"Still from the film, Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired." 22 May 2008. Photograph.
Sarris, Andrew, The St. James Film Directors Encyclopedia, Visible Ink Press, 1998.
His life and childhood are a series of unfortunate, extraordinary circumstances. After surviving the Holocaust alone in Nazi-occupied Poland, he became intrigued with acting and filmmaking. Once he had risen to international honor and fame with Rosemary’s Baby in 1968, his momentum seemed to be unstoppable. The next year, his wife was murdered at a party in Los Angeles by Charles Manson’s deranged cult. In 1977, Polanksi was arrested for the sexual assault of a 13 year-old. During what was discovered to be a highly unfair mockery of a trial, Polanski fled the United States to avoid conviction. Unable to return to the United States, he continued filming movies internationally and remains one of the most well regarded and respected directors to this day.
In the St. James Film Directors Encyclopedia, the authors conclude that “Roman Polanski's importance as a filmmaker hinges upon a uniquely unsettling point of view,” a reflection, no doubt, of his own experience and personal struggles. - Spencer Murphy
"Still from the film, Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired." 22 May 2008. Photograph.
Sarris, Andrew, The St. James Film Directors Encyclopedia, Visible Ink Press, 1998.
Edwin S. Porter...
![Picture](/uploads/1/3/3/3/13332862/6457334.jpg?273)
... got his start in film working for Vitascope Marketing Company in 1895. He had experience as an electrical engineer, and Vitascope needed him because his experience would be vital in the production of the first project movie in New York, which happened on April 23, 1986. He grew tired of working for a company, and in 1898, became a freelance projectionist. He was a fan of early filmmaker Georges Mêlées, and tried to emulate his photography in film anyway he could, even joining Edison’s Manufacturing Company for the second time in his life. Porter was also one of the first directors to ever shoot at night with his “Pan-American Exposition by Night”. He is considered a pioneer of documentary making, preferring to use real life scenes in his films (I.e. firefighters fighting a fire). His most famous and accomplished work was “The Great Train Robbery”, which was the first epic western and had its own script with 40 actors, which was rare at the time. Porter made a few more films with Edison and then in 1915, he returned to working with projectors and remained doing so for the rest of his life. - Chase Johnson
Photo Credit
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b5/Great_train_robbery_still.jpg
Photo Credit
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b5/Great_train_robbery_still.jpg
Alex Proyas ...
![Picture](/uploads/1/3/3/3/13332862/3372053.jpg?343)
... was born on September 23, 1963 in Egypt. Proyas and his family relocated to Australia when Proyas was the age of three. Proyas attended the Australian Film, Television, and Radio School. While in school, he made his first short film: Groping (1980). The short film garnered him some attention at festival screenings in Sydney and London. Also, while still in school, Proyas formed a production company called Meaningful Eye Contact. Proyas’ feature-film debut as a director and as a screenwriter was the film Spirits of the Air, Gremlins of the Clouds (1989). The film was about a brother and sister who are trying to endure in a post-apocalyptic outback until the arrival of a stranger. Film critics admired Proyas’ first feature, but ultimately felt that the overall result was lacking. Proyas started directing commercials for companies such as Nike and directing music videos for artists such as Sting. Proyas would use these experiences to hone as craft as a director. Proyas signed on to direct the adaptation of James O’Barr’s comic strip The Crow in 1993. During the production of The Crow (1994), star Brandon Lee was accidently shot and killed in a stunt scene. Lee’s death cast a pall over the rest of the production of the film and a pall over its theatrical release. The Crow went on to become a box office success as it racked up $50 million domestically on a $ 14 million-dollar budget. Most reviews of the film were favorable and many reviews pointed out the production value of the film. Reviewers liked The Crow’s colorless, rain-soaked wasteland that received comparison to Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner (1982) and Tim Burton’s Batman (1989). After The Crow, Proyas would not return to the director’s chair until 1998 with the film Dark City. Dark City’s plot focuses on an amnesiac man who has lost his memory and who is wanted for several brutal murders. As he tries to remember his past, he comes across beings known as The Strangers who have the power to manipulate and alter almost anything in the city. Two interesting aspects from the film are that there’s no sun and that at midnight, the people of the city become comatose and unconscious because at midnight everything is at a still period as The Strangers are altering and changing things in the city. Proyas would later return home to Australia and direct Garage Days (2002), which is about a young Sydney garage band trying to make it big in the rock scene. Proyas would return to Hollywood in 2004 with the science fiction film I, Robot starring Will Smith. The plot focuses on Chicago detective Del Spooner (Will Smith) who is investigating the murder of Dr. Alfred Lanning (James Cromwell) in which a robot by the name of Sonny (Alan Tudyk), is implicated as the murderer which means that Sonny has broken the Three Laws of Robotics. Fear sets in as humans begin to realize that if the robots are capable of breaking the laws, then the robots could possibly take over the world. Proyas took another lengthy absence for five years and then returned with Knowing (2009). Knowing was a science fiction film that focused on MIT Professor John Koestler (Nicolas Cage) who finds a mysterious list of numbers from a time capsule and links the numbers to past and future disasters. Koestler uses this list to set out to prevent the ultimate catastrophe. Proyas has new film on the horizon, Gods of Egypt, which is set to release in 2015. - Jordan Lash
Photo credit: http://www.sliceofscifi.com/2009/03/21/slice-of-scifi-205/
Photo credit: http://www.sliceofscifi.com/2009/03/21/slice-of-scifi-205/
Roberto Rossellini ...
![Picture](/uploads/1/3/3/3/13332862/2687084.jpg?333)
Born on May 8, 1906 in Rome, Lazio, Italy, Roberto Rossellini is undoubtedly one of the greatest names in the history of the film industry. This Italian born filmmaker’s exposure to the Cinematic world was immediate: his father was well known for having opened the first Cinema in Italy. As a child, Rossellini would spend countless hours in his father’s movie house immersed in the latest Cinematic developments. Thus Rossellini’s love for the art took root at an exceptionally early age. Being so closely tied to the growing Italian cinema, Rossellini had an extremely deep and expansive knowledge of the history and future of the industry. He studied under many Italian Directors as a youth, and then began to direct his own films. Because of his relations with the Mussolini family, Rossellini thrived during the Fascist Regime. However, he promptly made a political switch at the end of this reign. His first film under this new standard was Open Rome. His films Paisan and Germany Year Zero would be associated with Open Rome as a politically charged War Trilogy dealing with the occupation of Italy by Nazi ideals. Rossellini is considered the father of the neorealism movement in Italian Cinema. Quotably, his aim was not “to make beautiful films, [but] to make useful films”. He desired to “capture reality, nothing else”. This was in stark contrast to previous filmmakers whose subject matter consisted of overly beautified versions of reality. Rossellini’s name is infamously tied to that of Ingrid Bergman. The two were caught in a scandalously public affair. However, from this relationship would raise some of Rossellini’s greatest works. His trilogy consisting of Stromboli, Europa ’51 and Voyage to Italy dealt primarily with religious and spiritual matter. Though once regarded as inappropriate due to the attached scandal, they are now viewed with great respect. Rossellini’s last film was Il Messia, which was released in 1975. He would die at the age of 71 in 1977 from a fatal heart attack. - Alyson Berry
The Flowers of St. Francis
Paisa
Bibliography
Hopwood, John C. . "Roberto Rossellini." Mini Biography. 2013. <http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0744023/bio>.
"Roberto Rossellini." The Criterion Collection. The Criterion Collection, n.d. Web. 25 Apr 2013. <http://www.criterion.com/explore/146-roberto-rossellini>.
The Flowers of St. Francis
Paisa
Bibliography
Hopwood, John C. . "Roberto Rossellini." Mini Biography. 2013. <http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0744023/bio>.
"Roberto Rossellini." The Criterion Collection. The Criterion Collection, n.d. Web. 25 Apr 2013. <http://www.criterion.com/explore/146-roberto-rossellini>.
John Sayles ...
![Picture](/uploads/1/3/3/3/13332862/867000767.jpg)
is a man who sees himself first and foremost as a storyteller. He has written novels, short stories, plays, and movies some of which he directed himself and some for other people. He went to Williams College where he participated in theatre, gaining himself skills which would later help him as a writer. After graduating he spent some time traveling around the United States working odd jobs that would later help fuel his writing. Some of these jobs included work as a day laborer, meat packer, and medical orderly (Stevens Jr. 523-526). He published two novels and various short stories for magazines during this time.
Sayles began his work in Hollywood as a screen writer for Roger Corman and used the money he made from his writing to fund his first film Return of the Secaucus Seven. This first film was produced for $40,000 in 1978 and was shot in four weeks( http://www.blockbuster.com). It established his career as a director and won him Best Screenplay awards in 1980 from film critic groups in New York and Los Angeles along with Best Independent Film in 1981 from a Boston film critic group (http://www.imdb. ). His later films include works such as Lone Star (1996), Sunshine State (2002), and Secret of Roan Inish (1994). Sayles works focus on political issues such as race and class and he enjoys depicting complex events from several different viewpoints(http://johnsaylesblog.com/biography/biography/ ).
John Sayles has continued his work as a film director for over two decades and has been called the “Godfather of Bootstrap Cinema” for his work as an independent film director (http://johnsaylesblog.com). He has continued the same approach of producing films throughout the year as he took with his very first by using his own money to finance them. His work as an independent director against the odds has inspired many others to follow his footsteps throughout the years. - Lacy Offutt
Return of the Secaucus Seven: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZlZxA9WdDBw
Bibliography
Stevens Jr, George. Conversations at the American Film Institution with the Great Moviemakers. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2012.Print.
“Biography.” John Sayles Blog http://johnsaylesblog.com/biography/biography/ 11 Feb.2013.
“John Sayles Movies.” http://www.blockbuster.com/browse/catalog/personDetails/97351 11 Feb. 2013.
“Awards for Return of the Secaucus Seven.” http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0081420/awards?ref_=tt_awd 11Feb. 2013.
http://www.ew.com/ew/allabout/0,,20001671,00.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZlZxA9WdDBw
Sayles began his work in Hollywood as a screen writer for Roger Corman and used the money he made from his writing to fund his first film Return of the Secaucus Seven. This first film was produced for $40,000 in 1978 and was shot in four weeks( http://www.blockbuster.com). It established his career as a director and won him Best Screenplay awards in 1980 from film critic groups in New York and Los Angeles along with Best Independent Film in 1981 from a Boston film critic group (http://www.imdb. ). His later films include works such as Lone Star (1996), Sunshine State (2002), and Secret of Roan Inish (1994). Sayles works focus on political issues such as race and class and he enjoys depicting complex events from several different viewpoints(http://johnsaylesblog.com/biography/biography/ ).
John Sayles has continued his work as a film director for over two decades and has been called the “Godfather of Bootstrap Cinema” for his work as an independent film director (http://johnsaylesblog.com). He has continued the same approach of producing films throughout the year as he took with his very first by using his own money to finance them. His work as an independent director against the odds has inspired many others to follow his footsteps throughout the years. - Lacy Offutt
Return of the Secaucus Seven: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZlZxA9WdDBw
Bibliography
Stevens Jr, George. Conversations at the American Film Institution with the Great Moviemakers. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2012.Print.
“Biography.” John Sayles Blog http://johnsaylesblog.com/biography/biography/ 11 Feb.2013.
“John Sayles Movies.” http://www.blockbuster.com/browse/catalog/personDetails/97351 11 Feb. 2013.
“Awards for Return of the Secaucus Seven.” http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0081420/awards?ref_=tt_awd 11Feb. 2013.
http://www.ew.com/ew/allabout/0,,20001671,00.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZlZxA9WdDBw
Franklin Schaffner...
![Picture](/uploads/1/3/3/3/13332862/3951140.jpg?296)
The best Science Fiction movies are those that don’t evince the typical sci-fi rhythms. So many films are forgotten over the years precisely because they fit their genre’s format so closely. Like many groundbreaking Science Fiction films, Planet of the Apes was directed by a filmmaker who had never worked in the genre before, nor revisited it afterward. Films like 2001: A Space Odyssey, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, The Fly, Solaris, 12 Monkeys were all directed by filmmakers who spent most of their career working in other genres. As a genre with very specific stylistic and narrative confines, Science Fiction often needs a director’s foreign touch to keep it from becoming sterile, which can happen easily.
Franklin Schaffner has mainly worked in drama, directing classic films such as Papillion and Patton, but with Planet of the Apes in 1968 he created a dark, slow-burning Science Fiction-drama with a large dose of social commentary that was quite uncommon for the genre at that time. Much like Stanley Kubrick’s 2001, which was released the same year, Planet of the Apes contained moments that would adopted into cinema’s iconography: the half-buried Statue of Liberty, the line “…you damned dirty apes” are even recognized by people who might not be interested in film.
Much of the time, science fiction is its best when directed by a filmmaker with a pedigree in drama because the genre can so easily become stale. The fact must also be faced that many Science Fiction films can be very weak in a narrative sense. A great way to rejuvenate a stale genre is to approach it from a different area of expertise. - Evan Sandy
Franklin Schaffner has mainly worked in drama, directing classic films such as Papillion and Patton, but with Planet of the Apes in 1968 he created a dark, slow-burning Science Fiction-drama with a large dose of social commentary that was quite uncommon for the genre at that time. Much like Stanley Kubrick’s 2001, which was released the same year, Planet of the Apes contained moments that would adopted into cinema’s iconography: the half-buried Statue of Liberty, the line “…you damned dirty apes” are even recognized by people who might not be interested in film.
Much of the time, science fiction is its best when directed by a filmmaker with a pedigree in drama because the genre can so easily become stale. The fact must also be faced that many Science Fiction films can be very weak in a narrative sense. A great way to rejuvenate a stale genre is to approach it from a different area of expertise. - Evan Sandy
Martin Scorsese ...
![Picture](/uploads/1/3/3/3/13332862/1029093.jpg?225)
... the iconic and multi-award winning director and producer of nearly 100 films, was born on November 17, 1942, in New York City. He was raised by his parents, both Italian immigrants, in New York’s “Little Italy” as well as Manhattan. His parents fully immersed the young Scorsese in his Italian heritage and they also raised him in a fairly strict Catholic environment. Many of Scorsese’s films are set in New York City, and it is clear that his young life there greatly impacted many of his films. With over forty years of experience in the movie industry, Scorsese has established himself as one of the best and most beloved American filmmakers of all time.
Scorsese has tackled an amazingly diverse variety of subject matter and film genres in his career including(but not limited to): gangster films (Goodfellas), thrillers (Cape Fear), comedies (The King of Comedy), biopics (Raging Bull), and even children’s films (Hugo). Scorsese’s films are often characterized by their unapologetically realistic portrayal of the often harsh and violent ways of the world. He has mastered his craft to become one of the most respected filmmakers alive today, with his films earning nearly one billion dollars at the box office overall.
Every Scorsese fan undoubtedly has an opinion on his best work, and the multitude of options and variety one encounters when looking at his body of work is a testament unto itself. Some of Scorsese’s most critically acclaimed and best box office sellers are considered to be true classics of film. The 1976 film Taxi Driver established Scorsese as a force to be reckoned with. The film tells the story of a former U.S. marine who has become a lonely taxi driver traveling the streets of New York City with his increasingly demented thoughts. The film starred a young Robert DeNiro, whose iconic status in film is linked largely to his many collaborations with Scorsese.
Arguably, Martin Scorsese’s most popular film is the 1990 gangster film Goodfellas . The movie follows Henry Hill (Ray Liotta) as he works his way up through the New York City mob. Film critic Roger Ebert declared that the film “shows America's finest filmmaker at the peak of his form.” Goodfellas has inspired countless films and continues to shape the way many movies are made today. Martin Scorsese’s experience includes science fiction as well. His children’s movie, Hugo, tells the story of the French illusionist and filmmaker Georges Méliès, who is known as the “grandfather of science fiction.” - Taima Nagle
Works Cited
1.)imdb.com
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000217/
2.)ropeofsilicon.com
http://www.ropeofsilicon.com/top-ten-films-of-martin-scorsese/
3.)biography.com
http://www.biography.com/people/martin-scorsese-9476727
4.)nytimes.com
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/06/magazine/martin-scorseses-magical-hugo.html
Scorsese has tackled an amazingly diverse variety of subject matter and film genres in his career including(but not limited to): gangster films (Goodfellas), thrillers (Cape Fear), comedies (The King of Comedy), biopics (Raging Bull), and even children’s films (Hugo). Scorsese’s films are often characterized by their unapologetically realistic portrayal of the often harsh and violent ways of the world. He has mastered his craft to become one of the most respected filmmakers alive today, with his films earning nearly one billion dollars at the box office overall.
Every Scorsese fan undoubtedly has an opinion on his best work, and the multitude of options and variety one encounters when looking at his body of work is a testament unto itself. Some of Scorsese’s most critically acclaimed and best box office sellers are considered to be true classics of film. The 1976 film Taxi Driver established Scorsese as a force to be reckoned with. The film tells the story of a former U.S. marine who has become a lonely taxi driver traveling the streets of New York City with his increasingly demented thoughts. The film starred a young Robert DeNiro, whose iconic status in film is linked largely to his many collaborations with Scorsese.
Arguably, Martin Scorsese’s most popular film is the 1990 gangster film Goodfellas . The movie follows Henry Hill (Ray Liotta) as he works his way up through the New York City mob. Film critic Roger Ebert declared that the film “shows America's finest filmmaker at the peak of his form.” Goodfellas has inspired countless films and continues to shape the way many movies are made today. Martin Scorsese’s experience includes science fiction as well. His children’s movie, Hugo, tells the story of the French illusionist and filmmaker Georges Méliès, who is known as the “grandfather of science fiction.” - Taima Nagle
Works Cited
1.)imdb.com
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000217/
2.)ropeofsilicon.com
http://www.ropeofsilicon.com/top-ten-films-of-martin-scorsese/
3.)biography.com
http://www.biography.com/people/martin-scorsese-9476727
4.)nytimes.com
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/06/magazine/martin-scorseses-magical-hugo.html
M. Night Shyamalan ...
![Picture](/uploads/1/3/3/3/13332862/7256524.jpg?225)
Manoj Nelliyattu Shyamalan, more widely known as M. Night Shyamalan, was born in Mahe, Pondicherry, India on August 6, 1970. Although he was born in India, he was raised in Philadelphia by his parents, both doctors. Enamored with filmmaking at an early age, Shyamalan had completed forty-five short films by the age of sixteen. Although he received scholarship offers from multiple prestigious medical schools, he turned them down to pursue his passion for film, hoping to follow in the footsteps of his idol Steven Spielberg. Shyamalan attended New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, where he wrote Praying with Anger, his first feature film. His movie career truly took off in 1999 with several box office hits. Stuart Little, particularly popular with families, took in millions at the box office. Shyamalan’s major hit of the year, The Sixth Sense, did even better, earning him Oscar nominations for Best Director and Best Screenplay. As his most well known film, it also earned six Academy Award nominations. The film raked in over $600 million worldwide by the beginning of 2000.
His next major film, Signs (2002), was highly popular and pulled in over $400 million worldwide. After the huge success of The Sixth Sense and Signs, Shyamalan’s film career began to fizzle. The Village(2004) was given mixed reviews and had no significant success at the box office. Shyamalan did even worse with his 2006 film Lady in the Water. For his role in the film, he was “awarded” a Razzie for Worst Supporting Actor. The Happening(2008), although it earned $30 million in its opening weekend, quickly lost its popularity. Shyamalan’s 2010 film adaptation of The Last Airbender instantly received negative reviews and was often claimed by critics to be terrible and forgettable. Although still relatively new, his most recent enterprise, After Earth, has already widely been deemed a disappointment by critics. Unless he redeems himself in the near future, Shyamalan will likely remain most well known for his work on The Sixth Sense and Signs. - Shelby Heathcoat
“Biography for M. Night Shyamalan.” IMDb. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 September 2013.
“M. Night Shyamalan.” bio. A+E Networks, n.d. Web. 20 September 2013.
“M. Night Shyamalna Biography.” tribute.ca. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 September 2013.
His next major film, Signs (2002), was highly popular and pulled in over $400 million worldwide. After the huge success of The Sixth Sense and Signs, Shyamalan’s film career began to fizzle. The Village(2004) was given mixed reviews and had no significant success at the box office. Shyamalan did even worse with his 2006 film Lady in the Water. For his role in the film, he was “awarded” a Razzie for Worst Supporting Actor. The Happening(2008), although it earned $30 million in its opening weekend, quickly lost its popularity. Shyamalan’s 2010 film adaptation of The Last Airbender instantly received negative reviews and was often claimed by critics to be terrible and forgettable. Although still relatively new, his most recent enterprise, After Earth, has already widely been deemed a disappointment by critics. Unless he redeems himself in the near future, Shyamalan will likely remain most well known for his work on The Sixth Sense and Signs. - Shelby Heathcoat
“Biography for M. Night Shyamalan.” IMDb. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 September 2013.
“M. Night Shyamalan.” bio. A+E Networks, n.d. Web. 20 September 2013.
“M. Night Shyamalna Biography.” tribute.ca. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 September 2013.
Don Siegel...
![Picture](/uploads/1/3/3/3/13332862/5413470.png?231)
... was born on October 26, 1912 in Chicago, Illinois. Don Siegel began his film career in the mid-1930’s as an editor and second assistant director at Warner Brothers. Siegel also developed montage sequences for films as well. During that time, Siegel worked on films such as Knute Rockne All American (1940, starred Ronald Reagan, former President) and They Drive by Night (1940, starred Humphrey Bogart).
Siegel began directing films in 1945. Siegel in his first year of directing directed two short films that went on to win Academy Awards: Star in the Night and Hitler Lives. After his two films won Academy Awards, Siegel received the opportunity to direct his first feature, which was the crime film The Verdict (1946). In the 1950’s, Siegel established his skill for the crime and action genres with films such as Riot in Cell Block 11 (1954), Private Hell 36 (1954), and The Lineup (1958). Siegel delved into the science fiction genre in the 1950’s with Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1955). Invasion of the Body Snatchers turned out to be a hit though it had a low budget and received national debate towards whether the film supported or denied the anti-Communist witch hunts of that time period.
In the early 1960’s, Siegel worked in television. Siegel worked on shows such as “Breaking Point” and “The Twilight Zone.” Siegel would fully return to features in 1968 with Madigan though he did direct the feature The Killers (1964) while in his television run. Also in 1968, Siegel would go on to direct Coogan’s Bluff which would began his friendship and frequent collaboration with actor Clint Eastwood.
Siegel started off the 1970’s with Two Mules for Sister Sara (1970) which was a Western that starred Clint Eastwood. The two collaborated again in 1971 with The Beguiled, which featured a wounded Union soldier who is rescued by teachers and students at a female boarding school, and then after their help he tries to seduce them. The film was seen negatively because of how weak Eastwood’s character was and how the film had a perceived notion of misogyny. This film though would not be seen as controversial as Dirty Harry which came out the same year and also was a collaboration between Siegel and Eastwood. After this film, Siegel’s output slowed down. Siegel did direct John Wayne’s final film The Shootist (1976) and directed Eastwood one last time in Escape from Alcatraz (1979). His final film was Jinxed! in 1982. Siegel would pass away from cancer in April 20, 1991. Clint Eastwood dedicated his 1992 Western Unforgiven to Sergio Leone and Don Siegel. - Jordan Lash
Sources
Don Siegel photo courtesy of http://acertaincinema.com/media-tags/don-siegel/
“Don Siegel.” Allmovie.com. http://www.allmovie.com/artist/don-siegel-p111406
“Don Siegel.” Imdb.com. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0796923/bio?ref_=nm_ov_bio_sm
“Don Siegel.” Tcm.com. http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/person/177271%7C39870/Don-Siegel/biography.html
Siegel began directing films in 1945. Siegel in his first year of directing directed two short films that went on to win Academy Awards: Star in the Night and Hitler Lives. After his two films won Academy Awards, Siegel received the opportunity to direct his first feature, which was the crime film The Verdict (1946). In the 1950’s, Siegel established his skill for the crime and action genres with films such as Riot in Cell Block 11 (1954), Private Hell 36 (1954), and The Lineup (1958). Siegel delved into the science fiction genre in the 1950’s with Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1955). Invasion of the Body Snatchers turned out to be a hit though it had a low budget and received national debate towards whether the film supported or denied the anti-Communist witch hunts of that time period.
In the early 1960’s, Siegel worked in television. Siegel worked on shows such as “Breaking Point” and “The Twilight Zone.” Siegel would fully return to features in 1968 with Madigan though he did direct the feature The Killers (1964) while in his television run. Also in 1968, Siegel would go on to direct Coogan’s Bluff which would began his friendship and frequent collaboration with actor Clint Eastwood.
Siegel started off the 1970’s with Two Mules for Sister Sara (1970) which was a Western that starred Clint Eastwood. The two collaborated again in 1971 with The Beguiled, which featured a wounded Union soldier who is rescued by teachers and students at a female boarding school, and then after their help he tries to seduce them. The film was seen negatively because of how weak Eastwood’s character was and how the film had a perceived notion of misogyny. This film though would not be seen as controversial as Dirty Harry which came out the same year and also was a collaboration between Siegel and Eastwood. After this film, Siegel’s output slowed down. Siegel did direct John Wayne’s final film The Shootist (1976) and directed Eastwood one last time in Escape from Alcatraz (1979). His final film was Jinxed! in 1982. Siegel would pass away from cancer in April 20, 1991. Clint Eastwood dedicated his 1992 Western Unforgiven to Sergio Leone and Don Siegel. - Jordan Lash
Sources
Don Siegel photo courtesy of http://acertaincinema.com/media-tags/don-siegel/
“Don Siegel.” Allmovie.com. http://www.allmovie.com/artist/don-siegel-p111406
“Don Siegel.” Imdb.com. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0796923/bio?ref_=nm_ov_bio_sm
“Don Siegel.” Tcm.com. http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/person/177271%7C39870/Don-Siegel/biography.html
Steven Spielberg...
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Born on December 18, 1946 in Cincinati, Ohio, to parents Arnold and Leahanni, Steven Spielberg is arguably one of the most notorious filmmakers of history. Growing up, Speilberg was the oldest of four, having three younger sisters. He began experiementing with film at an early age, his fisrt project being Escape to Nowhere, a 40 minute war-themed film that actually won an award. During his high school days, he produced his first feature-length SciFi film, Firelight, which would actually tun a profit showing at the local theater. Upon graduation, Spielberg moved to California to live with his father. Once he arrived, he applied for several film schools, including UCLA School of Theatre, Film and Television and the University of Southern California’s School of Cinema and Television. Interestingly enough, his application was rejected by both. After several attempts, Spielberg gave in and began attending California State University. While attending school in Long Beach, Spielberg managed to land a sort of unofficial apprenticship with Universal Studios. When Universal executives saw a short film Spielberg had made, they offered the young film enthusiast a job as a television director. Spielberg dropped out of college to pursue his passion, and would not in fact obtain a degree until 2002.
And we are all very glad he did. Spielberg is responsible for some of the most beloved films to ever come out of Hollywood. His first well-known piece was the thriller Jaws, followed by Close Encounters of the Third Time. His E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial is adored by all, and Indiana Jones: Raiders of the Lost Ark still maintains a tremendous fan following. He directed and produced a personal favorite, Back to the Future, and also produced the heart-warming dinosaur feature length animated film The Land Before Time. The list continues, and includes Shrek, A.I. Artificial Intelligence, Saving Private Ryan and Jurassic Park. Perhaps his most moving and unversally appreciated film was the 1993 Schindler’s List. This heart-wrenching depiction of the Holocaust’s Hero, Oscar Schiendler, would win Spielberg Best Director and Best Picture at the Oscars. In addition to directing and producing countless blockbust films, Spielberg helped found DreamWorks, a successful animation company formed in the mid 1990’s.
Spielberg is currently married to Kate Capshaw, with whom he has 5 children, as well as one adopted child. He also has a child from a previous marrige with Amy Irving. - Alyson Berry
Schindler’s List: http://youtu.be/dwfIf1WMhgc
E.T. The Extra Terrestrial: http://youtu.be/_7-2PB4jj2o
Back to the Future: http://youtu.be/yosuvf7Unmg
And we are all very glad he did. Spielberg is responsible for some of the most beloved films to ever come out of Hollywood. His first well-known piece was the thriller Jaws, followed by Close Encounters of the Third Time. His E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial is adored by all, and Indiana Jones: Raiders of the Lost Ark still maintains a tremendous fan following. He directed and produced a personal favorite, Back to the Future, and also produced the heart-warming dinosaur feature length animated film The Land Before Time. The list continues, and includes Shrek, A.I. Artificial Intelligence, Saving Private Ryan and Jurassic Park. Perhaps his most moving and unversally appreciated film was the 1993 Schindler’s List. This heart-wrenching depiction of the Holocaust’s Hero, Oscar Schiendler, would win Spielberg Best Director and Best Picture at the Oscars. In addition to directing and producing countless blockbust films, Spielberg helped found DreamWorks, a successful animation company formed in the mid 1990’s.
Spielberg is currently married to Kate Capshaw, with whom he has 5 children, as well as one adopted child. He also has a child from a previous marrige with Amy Irving. - Alyson Berry
Schindler’s List: http://youtu.be/dwfIf1WMhgc
E.T. The Extra Terrestrial: http://youtu.be/_7-2PB4jj2o
Back to the Future: http://youtu.be/yosuvf7Unmg
Andrei Tarkovsky
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“I am only interested in the views of two people: one is called Bresson and one called Bergman.” (McRobbie). The “Bergman” to whom Russian filmmaker Andrei Tarkovsky refers is obviously the Swedish auteur responsible for one the richest bodies of work in film history and in Bergman’s view Tarkovsky’s Andrei Rublev (1966) was nothing short of miraculous:
Suddenly, I found myself standing at the door of a room the keys of which had, until then, never been given to me. It was a room I had always wanted to enter and where he was moving freely and fully at ease. I felt encouraged and stimulated: someone was expressing what I had always wanted to say without knowing how. Tarkovsky is for me the greatest, the one who invented a new language, true to the nature of film, as it captures life as a reflection, life as a dream. When film is not a document, it is dream. That is why Tarkovsky is the greatest of them all. He moves with such naturalness in the room of dreams. He doesn't explain. What should he explain anyhow? He is a spectator, capable of staging his visions in the most unwieldy but, in a way, the most willing of media. All my life I have hammered on the doors of the rooms in which he moves so naturally. Only a few times have I managed to creep inside. Most of my conscious efforts have ended in embarrassing failure - THE SERPENT'S EGG, THE TOUCH, FACE TO FACE and so on. (Criteriophile)
While the dream-like state can feel abstract to the audience, cinematic identity is inextricably tied to its ability to capture reality. Tarkovsky was once asked whether his films should be considered abstract. He responded, “There can be no such thing. Cinema’s most basic gesture is to open the shutter and to start the film rolling, recording whatever happens to be in front of the lens.” (Manovich, 796) Tarkovsky went on to adeptly apply his new language of life through the filter of dreams in Solaris (1972) and Stalker (1979), both of which were major contributions to what is considered the second golden age of science fiction. Undoubtedly Tarkovsky’s contribution to the filmic canon would have been more extensive had he operated outside the constraints of the Iron Curtain. However, like Salinger’s Catcher in the Rye, the art Tarkovsky produced may in part feel so inspired due to the censorship he faced. - Kevin Turbeville
Works Cited
Criteriophile. "The Criterion Collection." The Criterion Collection. The Criterion Collection, 21 Nov. 2012. Web. 30 Sept. 2013. <http://www.criterion.com/lists/109878-ingmar bergman-s-six-favorite-criterions>.
Manovich, Lev. "The Language of New Media." 2001. Film Theory and Criticism: IntroductoryReadings. 7th ed. New York: Oxford UP, 2009. 794-801. Print.
McRobbie, Michael A. "Andrei Tarkovsky and the Nuance of the Human Condition." Speech.Office of the President: Michael A. McRobbie. Indiana University, 7 Nov. 2011. Web. 30 Sept. 2013. <http://pres.iu.edu/speeches/2011/20111107-01.shtml>.
Clip
Suddenly, I found myself standing at the door of a room the keys of which had, until then, never been given to me. It was a room I had always wanted to enter and where he was moving freely and fully at ease. I felt encouraged and stimulated: someone was expressing what I had always wanted to say without knowing how. Tarkovsky is for me the greatest, the one who invented a new language, true to the nature of film, as it captures life as a reflection, life as a dream. When film is not a document, it is dream. That is why Tarkovsky is the greatest of them all. He moves with such naturalness in the room of dreams. He doesn't explain. What should he explain anyhow? He is a spectator, capable of staging his visions in the most unwieldy but, in a way, the most willing of media. All my life I have hammered on the doors of the rooms in which he moves so naturally. Only a few times have I managed to creep inside. Most of my conscious efforts have ended in embarrassing failure - THE SERPENT'S EGG, THE TOUCH, FACE TO FACE and so on. (Criteriophile)
While the dream-like state can feel abstract to the audience, cinematic identity is inextricably tied to its ability to capture reality. Tarkovsky was once asked whether his films should be considered abstract. He responded, “There can be no such thing. Cinema’s most basic gesture is to open the shutter and to start the film rolling, recording whatever happens to be in front of the lens.” (Manovich, 796) Tarkovsky went on to adeptly apply his new language of life through the filter of dreams in Solaris (1972) and Stalker (1979), both of which were major contributions to what is considered the second golden age of science fiction. Undoubtedly Tarkovsky’s contribution to the filmic canon would have been more extensive had he operated outside the constraints of the Iron Curtain. However, like Salinger’s Catcher in the Rye, the art Tarkovsky produced may in part feel so inspired due to the censorship he faced. - Kevin Turbeville
Works Cited
Criteriophile. "The Criterion Collection." The Criterion Collection. The Criterion Collection, 21 Nov. 2012. Web. 30 Sept. 2013. <http://www.criterion.com/lists/109878-ingmar bergman-s-six-favorite-criterions>.
Manovich, Lev. "The Language of New Media." 2001. Film Theory and Criticism: IntroductoryReadings. 7th ed. New York: Oxford UP, 2009. 794-801. Print.
McRobbie, Michael A. "Andrei Tarkovsky and the Nuance of the Human Condition." Speech.Office of the President: Michael A. McRobbie. Indiana University, 7 Nov. 2011. Web. 30 Sept. 2013. <http://pres.iu.edu/speeches/2011/20111107-01.shtml>.
Clip
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The Kingdom (1994)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pBJBTD3cPXQ
... (born Lars Trier) is naïve of Denmark. The “von” came from his days in film school. He entered Copenhagen's film school in the late 1970s, winning prizes from the Munich Film Festival 1981 and 1982; Trier attended the National School of Film in Denmark, and graduated in 1983 with a short film Images of a Relief. This film won Best Film in the Munich Film Festival the year after.
Born and raised by his radical, nudist, and Communists parents, Trier dedicated his life to film. Trier later describing his upbringing as “a cold home”, he used film as an outlet to explore complex questions and ideas that his parents never discussed. After finding out that the man who raised him was not his biological father and his real father was a high ranking German bureaucrat, Trier suffered from severe depression and phobias. He soon attended the National School of Film in Denmark, where he acquired the “von” to his name, as homage. While in film school, he was greatly awarded for his shorts like Nocturne (1980) and The Last Detail (1981). His final project was Images of a Relief before graduating in 1983. The nearly hour-long film was set in the chaotic days after the liberation of Denmark in 1945, and featured a Nazi officer as its protagonist. It would be von Trier's first film to spark heated debate by admirers and detractors alike, but it certainly would not be his last.
This Danish director has made films that people have made a fuss over with stylistic brio and extreme narratives with films such as The Kingdom (1994) and Breaking the Waves (1996). Since the early 1980s, Lars von Trier has become a successful director and has made real name for himself in Denmark. Because of his films, film students around the world can be inspired from his style. - Toby Cooper
Born and raised by his radical, nudist, and Communists parents, Trier dedicated his life to film. Trier later describing his upbringing as “a cold home”, he used film as an outlet to explore complex questions and ideas that his parents never discussed. After finding out that the man who raised him was not his biological father and his real father was a high ranking German bureaucrat, Trier suffered from severe depression and phobias. He soon attended the National School of Film in Denmark, where he acquired the “von” to his name, as homage. While in film school, he was greatly awarded for his shorts like Nocturne (1980) and The Last Detail (1981). His final project was Images of a Relief before graduating in 1983. The nearly hour-long film was set in the chaotic days after the liberation of Denmark in 1945, and featured a Nazi officer as its protagonist. It would be von Trier's first film to spark heated debate by admirers and detractors alike, but it certainly would not be his last.
This Danish director has made films that people have made a fuss over with stylistic brio and extreme narratives with films such as The Kingdom (1994) and Breaking the Waves (1996). Since the early 1980s, Lars von Trier has become a successful director and has made real name for himself in Denmark. Because of his films, film students around the world can be inspired from his style. - Toby Cooper
Francois Truffaut ...
![Picture](/uploads/1/3/3/3/13332862/12472.jpg?313)
... seems to have had a very troubled childhood. He was born in Paris, France, on February 6, 1932. He was “born to an unwed mother and neglected in his adolescence, Truffaut took solace in the movie houses of Nazi-occupied Paris, where his psyche was sculpted by cinema”(Smith,1). Truffaut took refuge in the cinema, “by his own estimation, Truffaut saw at least half of the 200 French films made during the Nazi occupation, averaging two or three a week and often revisiting individual films multiple times” (2). Truffaut found himself board with school. So, he quit school at 14 and started working. In 1947, at age 15, “he founded a film club and met André Bazin, a French critic, who becomes his protector” (Yepok, 1). “It was through Bazin's mentorship that Truffaut met fellow cineastes Jean-Luc Godard, Eric Rohmer and Jacques Rivette, with whom he would establish the French New Wave movement” (Smith, 2).
The “New Wave”, Nouvelle Vague, was a generation that embraced “a more political culture of consumption and leisure” (Thompson, 407). Truffaut directed the movie The 400 Blows (1959) which was “a sensitive tale of a boy becoming a thief and a runaway, won the director’s prize at Cannes and gave the New Wave great international prestige” (Thompson, 407). Smith adds that “Truffaut would work aspects of his life, with varying degrees of fidelity to the facts, into a number of his films, including Baises volérs (Stolen Kisses) (1968), Domicile conjuga (Bed and Board) (1970) and L'amour en fruite (Love on the Run) (1979)”(Smith,2).
In History of Film we are told that “Styllistically, Truffaut’s early films flaunt zoom shots, choppy editing, casual compositions, and bursts of quirky humor or sudden violence” (Thompson, 410). In his film The 400 Blows (1959) in which he won the director’s prize at Cannes, Truffaut uses a several unique shots to capture the mood of the movie:
“montage shots of children watching a puppet show which emphasize their innocence, and sharply contrast with the disillusioned Antoine in jail, seemingly detaching himself from his inextricable situation by pulling his turtleneck over his nose. Fluid camera tracking pervade the film’s exterior shots, reflecting the humor and vitality of youth. Note the lightly paced overhead shot of the outdoor exercise scene, as the boys slowly splinter off in different directions until no one is left. In contrast, Antoine’s flight from the reform school is slow and labored, reaching an uncertain conclusion. Ending with the infamous stop motion zoom of Antoine at the shoreline, he is at a proverbial crossroads: unable to keep running away, looking back at a familiar, hopeless fate” (Strictly Film School, 1).
Smith explains that Truffaut “despite the contumely that he had heaped upon formal French filmmakers, was the least experimental of the New Wave auteurs and the majority of his films had a conservative, classical approach. His best films through the remainder of his career include Jules et Jim (Jules and Jim) (1962), La mariée était en noir (The Bride Wore Black) (1968), La nuit américaine (Day for Night) (1973), which won the 1974 Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, and Le dernier metro (The Last Metro) (1980), which swept the French César awards in 1981” (Smith, 3).
After a lifetime of cinema, Francois Truffaut was Diagnosed with a brain tumor in 1983, and subsequently died on Oct. 21, 1984 at the age of 52. - Michael Edwards
The “New Wave”, Nouvelle Vague, was a generation that embraced “a more political culture of consumption and leisure” (Thompson, 407). Truffaut directed the movie The 400 Blows (1959) which was “a sensitive tale of a boy becoming a thief and a runaway, won the director’s prize at Cannes and gave the New Wave great international prestige” (Thompson, 407). Smith adds that “Truffaut would work aspects of his life, with varying degrees of fidelity to the facts, into a number of his films, including Baises volérs (Stolen Kisses) (1968), Domicile conjuga (Bed and Board) (1970) and L'amour en fruite (Love on the Run) (1979)”(Smith,2).
In History of Film we are told that “Styllistically, Truffaut’s early films flaunt zoom shots, choppy editing, casual compositions, and bursts of quirky humor or sudden violence” (Thompson, 410). In his film The 400 Blows (1959) in which he won the director’s prize at Cannes, Truffaut uses a several unique shots to capture the mood of the movie:
“montage shots of children watching a puppet show which emphasize their innocence, and sharply contrast with the disillusioned Antoine in jail, seemingly detaching himself from his inextricable situation by pulling his turtleneck over his nose. Fluid camera tracking pervade the film’s exterior shots, reflecting the humor and vitality of youth. Note the lightly paced overhead shot of the outdoor exercise scene, as the boys slowly splinter off in different directions until no one is left. In contrast, Antoine’s flight from the reform school is slow and labored, reaching an uncertain conclusion. Ending with the infamous stop motion zoom of Antoine at the shoreline, he is at a proverbial crossroads: unable to keep running away, looking back at a familiar, hopeless fate” (Strictly Film School, 1).
Smith explains that Truffaut “despite the contumely that he had heaped upon formal French filmmakers, was the least experimental of the New Wave auteurs and the majority of his films had a conservative, classical approach. His best films through the remainder of his career include Jules et Jim (Jules and Jim) (1962), La mariée était en noir (The Bride Wore Black) (1968), La nuit américaine (Day for Night) (1973), which won the 1974 Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, and Le dernier metro (The Last Metro) (1980), which swept the French César awards in 1981” (Smith, 3).
After a lifetime of cinema, Francois Truffaut was Diagnosed with a brain tumor in 1983, and subsequently died on Oct. 21, 1984 at the age of 52. - Michael Edwards
Paul Verhoeven...
![Picture](/uploads/1/3/3/3/13332862/5825139.jpg?180)
... was born in Amsterdam in 1938 and grew up during the violent, tense times of World War II. In 1964 he graduated from the University of Leiden with doctorate degrees in math and physics. At the time, Amsterdam still required military service. While serving in the Royal Dutch Navy, he was a member of the Marine Film Service where he became a documentary filmmaker. The production, The Marine Corps, won the French Silver Sun award for military films. He first gained personal popularity through early film contributions such as the television series Floris and the film Turkish Delight. His most popular and most successful Dutch film was Soldier of Orange (1977) which won a Golden Globe award.
His first major international hit came with RoboCop (1987). His next major movie, Total Recall (1992) was a smashing success. It also was nominated for two Oscars and won an Academy Award for special effects. Although Verhoeven’s popularity and prestige as a director wouldn’t last much longer, Basic Instinct (1992) was the number one movie worldwide. Despite his next movie, Showgirls, being a complete box office flop, he soon returned successfully to the science-fiction genre with Starship Troopers (1997) and The Hollow Man (2000). Regardless of his highly successful, popular films, Verhoeven was and remains fairly unknown. Although he became popular for his highly violent science-fiction films, Verhoeven claims to simply reflect the violence of the real world. "People seem to have this strange idea that films can influence people to be violent, but in my sincere opinion, film only reflects the violence of society." - Shelby Heathcoat
“Paul Verhoeven Biography.” tribute.ca. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 September 2013.
“Paul Verhoeven (1938).” New Netherland Institute. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 September 2013.
R.J. Lahey. “Bioghraphy for Paul Verhoeven.” IMDb. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 September 2013.
His first major international hit came with RoboCop (1987). His next major movie, Total Recall (1992) was a smashing success. It also was nominated for two Oscars and won an Academy Award for special effects. Although Verhoeven’s popularity and prestige as a director wouldn’t last much longer, Basic Instinct (1992) was the number one movie worldwide. Despite his next movie, Showgirls, being a complete box office flop, he soon returned successfully to the science-fiction genre with Starship Troopers (1997) and The Hollow Man (2000). Regardless of his highly successful, popular films, Verhoeven was and remains fairly unknown. Although he became popular for his highly violent science-fiction films, Verhoeven claims to simply reflect the violence of the real world. "People seem to have this strange idea that films can influence people to be violent, but in my sincere opinion, film only reflects the violence of society." - Shelby Heathcoat
“Paul Verhoeven Biography.” tribute.ca. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 September 2013.
“Paul Verhoeven (1938).” New Netherland Institute. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 September 2013.
R.J. Lahey. “Bioghraphy for Paul Verhoeven.” IMDb. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 September 2013.
Andy Wachowski...
![Picture](/uploads/1/3/3/3/13332862/945812.jpg)
... was born December 29, 1967, in Chicago, Illinois. Wachowski was enrolled at Emerson College, but then left to run his own painting and carpentry business with his sibling, Larry (Lana). Andy started out his career by writing for a Marvel Comics imprint series, and then moved on to working in Hollywood with the producer Joel Silver; Andy and Larry (Lana) Wachowski both penned the script for the action film Assassins (1995). Although Andy Wachowski also worked on other films such as the thriller Bound, he and his sibling are best known for their groundbreaking science fiction film The Matrix (Andy Wachowski Biography). Andy, along side with his sibling, directed and co-wrote the film that explored existential philosophies. The 1999 film starred Laurence Fishburne, Keanu Reeves, and Carrie-Anne Moss. The film examined the virtual world of a future era, and it “revolutionized the interplay of action choreography and CGI effects”(Andy Wachowski Biography). The film focused around a computer programmer who is drawn into war between humans and machines (Starpulse). The humans were unaware of the war due to sleep in a simulated reality, while the group of rebels go in search of The One in order to save humanity while also trying to outrun machines (Starpulse). Wachowski ultimately used diverse influences like anime, Hong Kong action films, Alice in Wonderland, The Bible, postmodern philosophy, and others to get inspiration for the film; all the cast and crew were required to read and look over the influences (Starpulse). The movie was a global hit, and two sequels followed it in 2003: The Matrix Reloaded, and The Matrix Revolutions. Overall, the trilogy ended up earning more than $1 billion worldwide. Surprisingly, Andy (along with his sibling) wanted to remain private; they negotiated a deal with Warner Brothers so that neither of them would have to do press (Andy Wachowski Biography). Successes were enjoyed, but maintaining privacy was important.
In 2004, Andy continued adding to his successes and helped establish a comic and graphic novel publisher, Burlyman Entertainment. Furthering his successes even more, Andy, along with his sibling, produced and wrote the 2006 film V for Vendetta. The movie was directed by James McTeigue, and starred Hugo Weaving along with Natalie Portman (Andy Wachowski Biography). Furthermore, Wachowski also wrote scripts for The Invasion (2007), Speed Racer (2008), and Ninja Assassin (2009); nonetheless, he returned to directing with Cloud Atlas in 2012 (Starpulse). The film Cloud Atlas was an epic that traversed many characters and stories throughout various time periods in order to show how one life can impact many others (Starpulse). The film was ultimately the most expensive independent film, made for $100 million, and was presented at the Toronto International Film Festival (Starpulse). Nonetheless, Andy Wachowski has made many contributions to film, and there is no argument that his work has been nothing less than successful. - Whitney Malone
Bibliography
"Andy Wachowski Biography." Bio.com. A&E Networks Television, n.d. Web. 29 Sept.
2013. <http://www.biography.com/people/andy-wachowski-21095529>.
"Starpulse.com." Starpulse. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Oct. 2013.
<http://www.starpulse.com/Actors/Wachowski,_Andy/Biography/>.
In 2004, Andy continued adding to his successes and helped establish a comic and graphic novel publisher, Burlyman Entertainment. Furthering his successes even more, Andy, along with his sibling, produced and wrote the 2006 film V for Vendetta. The movie was directed by James McTeigue, and starred Hugo Weaving along with Natalie Portman (Andy Wachowski Biography). Furthermore, Wachowski also wrote scripts for The Invasion (2007), Speed Racer (2008), and Ninja Assassin (2009); nonetheless, he returned to directing with Cloud Atlas in 2012 (Starpulse). The film Cloud Atlas was an epic that traversed many characters and stories throughout various time periods in order to show how one life can impact many others (Starpulse). The film was ultimately the most expensive independent film, made for $100 million, and was presented at the Toronto International Film Festival (Starpulse). Nonetheless, Andy Wachowski has made many contributions to film, and there is no argument that his work has been nothing less than successful. - Whitney Malone
Bibliography
"Andy Wachowski Biography." Bio.com. A&E Networks Television, n.d. Web. 29 Sept.
2013. <http://www.biography.com/people/andy-wachowski-21095529>.
"Starpulse.com." Starpulse. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Oct. 2013.
<http://www.starpulse.com/Actors/Wachowski,_Andy/Biography/>.
Lana Wachowski ...
![Picture](/uploads/1/3/3/3/13332862/5891625.jpg?295)
... and her younger brother Andy Wachowski have directed and produced several groundbreaking films. Lana was born on June 21, 1965 to parents Lynne and Ron Wachowski. She was born as Laurence Wachowski, as she is biologically male. She grew up as Laurence, or Larry, until 2000 when she began openly living as Lana. She and her younger brother Andy were both interested in Marvel comics and action movies, which is reflected in the movies which they both directed, screen wrote and produced. Her education consisted of a magnet high school, Whitney M. Young Magnet High School, and eventually Bard College.
Lana went on from her education to work on several important film projects. Arguably one of the most important would be the Matrix series. The Matrix films combined real life action with CGI in a way that hadn’t been attempted before. The action scenes of Matrix have become iconic, and known for their amazingly seamless special effects. Lana Wachowski has been known for visually impressive action scenes that utilize special effects, and this can be seen in her films V for Vendetta and Ninja Assassin. Perhaps it was her love for comics that inspired the use of special effects with her action scenes. Regardless, the use of CGI in the action films revolutionized the action and super hero genres.
It is undeniable that her work with the Matrix revolutionized the genre of Science Fiction, as well as the subgenre of Comic Book films. Time and again, she has been able to adapt comics and graphic novels to film, without loosing the parts that made the stories unique. - Shellie Gentle
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0905154/?ref_=nv_sr_2
Lana went on from her education to work on several important film projects. Arguably one of the most important would be the Matrix series. The Matrix films combined real life action with CGI in a way that hadn’t been attempted before. The action scenes of Matrix have become iconic, and known for their amazingly seamless special effects. Lana Wachowski has been known for visually impressive action scenes that utilize special effects, and this can be seen in her films V for Vendetta and Ninja Assassin. Perhaps it was her love for comics that inspired the use of special effects with her action scenes. Regardless, the use of CGI in the action films revolutionized the action and super hero genres.
It is undeniable that her work with the Matrix revolutionized the genre of Science Fiction, as well as the subgenre of Comic Book films. Time and again, she has been able to adapt comics and graphic novels to film, without loosing the parts that made the stories unique. - Shellie Gentle
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0905154/?ref_=nv_sr_2
Lois Weber ...
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Born June 13, 1879 in Allegheny, Pennsylvania, Lois Weber is notable not only for her role in Film, but also for her influence in women’s history. As a young woman, her primary interest was in studying voice in New York City. When this dream fell through, Weber lived an impoverished life working as a evangelist on the street corners of New York and Pittsburg. This work involved preaching and singing hymns. She continued in this career until she became involved with a traveling show. Acting in the show would lead her to meet her husband, Phillip Smalley whom she would marry in 1904. This marrige did not last, however it would bring Weber into the film industry. In 1911, she took her first job working behind the camera under the guidance of Alice Guy Blanche for Universal Studios. This notorious frenchwoman is credited as the first female director. Consequently, Weber would be known as the first American Woman Director. After making a switch from Universal Studios to Bosworth, Weber pioneered the use of film to convey a moral message to the public at large. This epitome would give birth to her most highly regarded work, Hypocrites (1914). This film would attract much attention as she posed nude in one of the shots. After the development of this new use of morality in film, Weber returned to Universal Studios, where she continued to produce feature length films. Arguably her best work, Shoes, was produced in 1916. This was proceeded by Where Are My Children? which brought the issue of Birth Control to the table. In this manner Weber undeniably intertwined women’s rights within her career as a director. Her last film was produced in 1934. White Heat would be finished just a fews year before her death in 1938. Lois Weber would die at the age 58, having had a notorious and fulfilled career. - Alyson Berry
Lois Weber
The Hypocrit
Bibliography
Hopwood, Jon C. "Lois Weber." Biography. 2012. <http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0916665/bio>.
Ostergard, Carey, and Kim Worley. "Lois Weber." Tecomm. N.p.. Web. 25 Apr 2013. <http://www.tecomm.com/MMTC-Weber.html>.
"Lois Weber." Education and Resources. National Women's History Museum, n. d. Web. 25 Apr. 2013. <http://www.nwhm.org/education-resources/biography/biographies/lois-weber/>.
Lois Weber
The Hypocrit
Bibliography
Hopwood, Jon C. "Lois Weber." Biography. 2012. <http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0916665/bio>.
Ostergard, Carey, and Kim Worley. "Lois Weber." Tecomm. N.p.. Web. 25 Apr 2013. <http://www.tecomm.com/MMTC-Weber.html>.
"Lois Weber." Education and Resources. National Women's History Museum, n. d. Web. 25 Apr. 2013. <http://www.nwhm.org/education-resources/biography/biographies/lois-weber/>.
James Whale ...
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... was born in Dudley, Worcestershire, UK on July 22, 1889. He was the sixth child out of seven, and grew up in a poor household. He was forced to drop out of school and start working to help earn money for his family. Whale began work in a cobblers shop, but he learned quickly how to use his artistic abilities to make signs and tags for other store owners to earn additional income. He took the extra money he made, and invested in his future by attending the Dudley School of Arts. World War I began in 1914, Whale began officer training school, and two years later he joined the service. Whale was captured in 1917, and was sent to a German prisoner of war camp. He took advantage of his time at the POW camp by putting on plays for his guards and fellow prisoners. This was the beginning for his love of the theater from directing to using his artistic abilities with set design and acting. Once being freed from the POW camp, Whale went back to England to begin his career in the theater.
In 1930, Whale directed his first film, “Journeys End,” and followed it up in 1931 with “Waterloo Bridge.” Both of these films were of the genre of war films, and both films did well. The next film he made was “Frankenstein,” and this is the movie that made James Whale an A-list director in Hollywood, and well known in the science fiction genre. In the movie “Frankenstein,” Whale was able to bring human qualities to a monster such as Frankenstein, and get the audience to feel compassion for him. Whale produced the “Invisible Man” and the “Bride of Frankenstein” in the following years. He produced many films with a variety of subject matters, but people always labeled Whale in the horror movie genre. This aggravated Whale since he thought of himself as a director of films not just horror films. Whale became a very depressed man, and even resorted to electric shock for treatment. This treatment did not work for him. He committed suicide by drowning in his pool on May 29, 1957. - Heather Rhodes
Bibliography
"James Whale." Turner Classic Movies. Web. 25 Nov. 2013. <http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/person/204821|78327/James-Whale/biography.html>.
"James Whale." IMDb. IMDb.com. Web. 25 Nov. 2013. <http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001843/>.
Photo Credit: http://www.nndb.com/people/349/000108025/
In 1930, Whale directed his first film, “Journeys End,” and followed it up in 1931 with “Waterloo Bridge.” Both of these films were of the genre of war films, and both films did well. The next film he made was “Frankenstein,” and this is the movie that made James Whale an A-list director in Hollywood, and well known in the science fiction genre. In the movie “Frankenstein,” Whale was able to bring human qualities to a monster such as Frankenstein, and get the audience to feel compassion for him. Whale produced the “Invisible Man” and the “Bride of Frankenstein” in the following years. He produced many films with a variety of subject matters, but people always labeled Whale in the horror movie genre. This aggravated Whale since he thought of himself as a director of films not just horror films. Whale became a very depressed man, and even resorted to electric shock for treatment. This treatment did not work for him. He committed suicide by drowning in his pool on May 29, 1957. - Heather Rhodes
Bibliography
"James Whale." Turner Classic Movies. Web. 25 Nov. 2013. <http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/person/204821|78327/James-Whale/biography.html>.
"James Whale." IMDb. IMDb.com. Web. 25 Nov. 2013. <http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001843/>.
Photo Credit: http://www.nndb.com/people/349/000108025/
Joss Whedon
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Like many of Hollywood’s elite, Joss Whedon comes from a family of film and television makers. His father and grandfather were in the craft, which arguably influenced his decision to pursue a career in film. However, unlike his relatives, Joss Whedon revolutionized the genre of Science Fiction. He is important for his penchant for utilizing strong women in a genre when women are usually cast in roles of the over sexed and barely intelligent. His female characters, such as his work with Buffy The Vampire Slayer, feature strong women who can handle themselves. They often feature a romantic interest, such as Buffy and Angel, but Buffy by no means relies on Angel for her survival.
In addition to Buffy, Whedon worked on the film Serenity. This film as well, features strong women in a genre, as mentioned above, usually reserved for men. Serenity features women like Zoe, a soldier, and Inara, a prostitute, who are not villainized or rejected for their strength, but who are celebrated. Perhaps Inara, the prostitute, is the most telling character. She sells her body for profit, but it is never shown as a shameful thing. Rather, the film casts her in the light of almost a priestess.
Whedon is most known, as stated, for his work in science fiction. He revolutionized the role of women not only in film, but in science fiction. He gave women a place next to the hero, not two steps behind. - Shellie Gentle
Sources:
IMDB
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0923736/bio?ref_=nm_ov_bio_sm
In addition to Buffy, Whedon worked on the film Serenity. This film as well, features strong women in a genre, as mentioned above, usually reserved for men. Serenity features women like Zoe, a soldier, and Inara, a prostitute, who are not villainized or rejected for their strength, but who are celebrated. Perhaps Inara, the prostitute, is the most telling character. She sells her body for profit, but it is never shown as a shameful thing. Rather, the film casts her in the light of almost a priestess.
Whedon is most known, as stated, for his work in science fiction. He revolutionized the role of women not only in film, but in science fiction. He gave women a place next to the hero, not two steps behind. - Shellie Gentle
Sources:
IMDB
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0923736/bio?ref_=nm_ov_bio_sm
Robert Zemeckis ...
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... has participated in a long list of blockbuster films including Back to the Future and 1941. His incredible resume in film started as he “studied filmmaking at Northern Illinois University” (Erickson). After a short stent at a local news network, Zemeckis became an assistant to Steven Spielberg. In return, Spielberg was the on “who lined up Zemeckis’ first directing hob, the 1977 comedy/nostalgia blend I Wanna Hold Your Hand” (Erickson). Zemeckis mixed his witty comedy with science fiction when he directed Back to the Future as he proved “that live actors could be combined with special effects to produce spectacular results” (Erickson). These special affects made appearances in the future movies of Zemeckis’ such as Who Framed Roger Rabbit? and even Forrest Gump.
“By the early ‘90s, Zemeckis was recognized as a director of great technical skill” that can be seen in his mastery of special effects that are used in multiple movies. His movies could blur lines between reality and the animated. His special effects have were utilized in many films of the horror genre. His filmmaking “played an instrumental part in bringing such diverse efforts” to iconic horror films like House of Wax and Defiance (Erickson).His unbridled special effects gave life to his science fiction films, produced fear in his horror films, and blurred lines of reality in fantasy films.
In fact, some of Zemeckis’ later works have become totally animated. These fantasy films were more “kid-friendly”, but the special effects are not lacking (Erickson). He successfully creates fantasy and Sci-fi worlds in films such as Monster House, A Christmas Carol, and Mars Needs Moms. Though Zemeckis made “efforts to provide fun frights for viewers of all ages”, some films he helped produce had less than stellar views (Erickson). Now Zemeckis has “returned to live-action actors” in films such as 2012’s Flight (Erickson). - Chase Wise
For a fan's look into the mind of Robert Zemeckis, go here:
Work Cited
Erickson, Rovi H. "Robert Zemeckis - Biography." Robert Zemeckis - Biography. New York Times, 30 Sept. 2010. Web. 30 Sept. 2013.
"{in the Mind Of} Robert Zemeckis." YouTube. YouTube, 17 Mar. 2012. Web. 01 Oct. 2013.
Pasquine, Frank. "NYFA Guest Post: Bob Z Returns to Live Action | The Movie Blog." The Movie Blog NYFA Guest Post Bob Z Returns to Live Action Comments. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Oct. 2013.
“By the early ‘90s, Zemeckis was recognized as a director of great technical skill” that can be seen in his mastery of special effects that are used in multiple movies. His movies could blur lines between reality and the animated. His special effects have were utilized in many films of the horror genre. His filmmaking “played an instrumental part in bringing such diverse efforts” to iconic horror films like House of Wax and Defiance (Erickson).His unbridled special effects gave life to his science fiction films, produced fear in his horror films, and blurred lines of reality in fantasy films.
In fact, some of Zemeckis’ later works have become totally animated. These fantasy films were more “kid-friendly”, but the special effects are not lacking (Erickson). He successfully creates fantasy and Sci-fi worlds in films such as Monster House, A Christmas Carol, and Mars Needs Moms. Though Zemeckis made “efforts to provide fun frights for viewers of all ages”, some films he helped produce had less than stellar views (Erickson). Now Zemeckis has “returned to live-action actors” in films such as 2012’s Flight (Erickson). - Chase Wise
For a fan's look into the mind of Robert Zemeckis, go here:
Work Cited
Erickson, Rovi H. "Robert Zemeckis - Biography." Robert Zemeckis - Biography. New York Times, 30 Sept. 2010. Web. 30 Sept. 2013.
"{in the Mind Of} Robert Zemeckis." YouTube. YouTube, 17 Mar. 2012. Web. 01 Oct. 2013.
Pasquine, Frank. "NYFA Guest Post: Bob Z Returns to Live Action | The Movie Blog." The Movie Blog NYFA Guest Post Bob Z Returns to Live Action Comments. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Oct. 2013.