My Favourite Action B-Movie directors (And Those I Love to Hate) (70's, 80's & 90's)
My list of favourite action B-movie directors.
This list focuses on those who made my favourite B-movie action movies, mainly during the 70's, 80's and 90's. The directors on this list are best known for their low-budget, independent productions.
Also included are those I disliked but still made an impression.
I've got a similar list to this, but for directors best known for their mainstream, big-budget, Hollywood studio action movies of the same era: https://www.imdb.com/list/ls049235596/
This list focuses on those who made my favourite B-movie action movies, mainly during the 70's, 80's and 90's. The directors on this list are best known for their low-budget, independent productions.
Also included are those I disliked but still made an impression.
I've got a similar list to this, but for directors best known for their mainstream, big-budget, Hollywood studio action movies of the same era: https://www.imdb.com/list/ls049235596/
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- Producer
- Director
- Actor
Roger William Corman was born April 5, 1926, in Detroit, Michigan. Initially following in his father's footsteps, Corman studied engineering at Stanford University but while in school, he began to lose interest in the profession and developed a growing passion for film. Upon graduation, he worked a total of three days as an engineer at US Electrical Motors, which cemented his growing realization that engineering wasn't for him. He quit and took a job as a messenger for 20th Century Fox, eventually rising to the position of story analyst.
After a term spent studying modern English literature at England's Oxford University and a year spent bopping around Europe, Corman returned to the US, intent on becoming a screenwriter/producer. He sold his first script in 1953, "The House in the Sea," which was eventually filmed and released as Highway Dragnet (1954).
Horrified by the disconnect between his vision for the project and the film that eventually emerged, Corman took his salary from the picture, scraped together a little capital and set himself up as a producer, turning out Monster from the Ocean Floor (1954). Corman used his next picture, The Fast and the Furious (1954), to finagle a multi-picture deal with a fledgling company called American Releasing Corp. (ARC). It would soon change its name to American-International Pictures (AIP) and with Corman as its major talent behind the camera, would become one of the most successful independent studios in cinema history.
With no formal training, Corman first took to the director's chair with Five Guns West (1955) and over the next 15 years directed 53 films, mostly for AIP. He proved himself a master of quick, inexpensive productions, turning out several movies as director and/or producer in each of those years--nine movies in 1957, and nine again in 1958. His personal speed record was set with The Little Shop of Horrors (1960), which he shot in two days and a night.
In the early 1960s he began to take on more ambitious projects, gaining a great deal of critical praise (and commercial success) from a series of adaptations of Edgar Allan Poe stories, most of them starring Vincent Price. His film The Intruder (1962) was a serious look at racial integration in the South, starring a very young William Shatner. Critically praised and winning a prize at the Venice Film Festival, the movie became Corman's first--and, for many years, only--commercial flop. He called its failure "the greatest disappointment in my career." As a consequence of the experience, Corman opted to avoid such direct "message" films in the future and resolved to express his social and political concerns beneath the surface of overt entertainments.
Those messages became more radical as the 1960s wound to a close and after AIP began re-editing his films without his knowledge or consent, he left the company, retiring from directing to concentrate on production and distribution through his own newly formed company, New World Pictures. In addition to low-budget exploitation flicks, New World also distributed distinguished art cinema from around the world, becoming the American distributor for the films of Ingmar Bergman, Akira Kurosawa, Federico Fellini, François Truffaut and others. Selling off New World in the 1980s, Corman has continued his work through various companies in the years since--Concorde Pictures, New Horizons, Millenium Pictures, New Concorde. In 1990, after the publication of his biography "How I Made A Hundred Movies in Hollywood And Never Lost A Dime"--one of the all-time great books on filmmaking--he returned to directing but only for a single film, Frankenstein Unbound (1990)
With hundreds of movies to his credit, Roger Corman is one of the most prolific producers in the history of the film medium and one of the most successful--in his nearly six decades in the business, only about a dozen of his films have failed to turn a profit. Corman has been dubbed, among other things, "The King of the Cult Film" and "The Pope of Pop Cinema" and his filmography is packed with hundreds of remarkably entertaining films in addition to dozens of genuine cult classics. Corman has displayed an unrivaled eye for talent over the years--it could almost be said that it would be easier to name the top directors, actors, writers and creators in Hollywood who DIDN'T get their start with him than those who did. Among those he mentored are Francis Ford Coppola, Ron Howard, Martin Scorsese, Jack Nicholson, James Cameron, Robert De Niro, Peter Bogdanovich, Joe Dante and Sandra Bullock. His influence on modern American cinema is almost incalculable. In 2009 he was honored with an Academy Award for Lifetime Achievement."King of the B's"
I've watched the following that he's directed:
Deathsport (1978) [also as Producer]
Battle Beyond the Stars (1980) [also as Executive Producer]- Writer
- Producer
- Actor
H.B. Halicki was born on 18 October 1940 in Dunkirk, New York, USA. He was a writer and producer, known for Gone in 60 Seconds (1974), Deadline Auto Theft (1983) and The Junkman (1982). He was married to Denice Shakarian Halicki. He died on 20 August 1989 in Tonawanda, New York, USA.I've watched the following that he's directed:
Gone in 60 Seconds (1974)
The Junkman (1982)
Deadline Auto Theft (1983)- Producer
- Director
- Writer
Charles Band is a writer, producer, director and publisher. He was born on December 27, 1951 in Los Angeles, California, as Charles Robert Band. His father was producer and director Albert Band and his brother is composer Richard Band.
Band has been writing, producing and directing films in the horror, science fiction, fantasy and comedy genres since the 1970s both for other company's and with his own studios, Empire Pictures and Full Moon Features. He was instrumental in ushering in the home video boom of the early 1980s with his companies Meda (later renamed Media Home Entertainment) and Wizard Video, the latter imprint which was responsible for being among the first entities to distribute European horror movies from such now celebrated filmmakers as Jess Franco and Lucio Fulci.
Band is perhaps best known for his work with Empire Pictures, making such pictures as Ghoulies, The Dungeonmaster, Terrorvision, Re-Animator and From Beyond and later, with Full Moon Features making films like Puppetmaster, Doctor Mordrid, Subspecies, Pit and the Pendulum, Castle Freak and many more.
Despite the changes in the home video and theatrical film marketplaces, Band has never stopped making and distributing movies. Many of his classic Full Moon pictures can be found on his Full Moon Streaming channel and now on the Full Moon Amazon channel. Band also distributes hundreds of his own and other filmmakers movies on DVD and Blu-ray via Full Moon Direct, along with a myriad toys and related Full Moon universe merchandise.
Recent Full Moon Features productions include Evil Bong High 5, Trophy Heads, Killjoy's Psycho Circus, Ravenwolf Towers and Puppetmaster: Axis Termination.I've watched the following that he's directed:
Crash! (1976) [also as Producer]
Parasite (1982) [also as Producer]
Metalstorm: The Destruction of Jared-Syn (1983) [also as Producer]
The Dungeonmaster (1984) [also as Producer]
Trancers (1984) [also as Producer]
Pulse Pounders (1988) [also as Producer and Executive Producer]
Trancers II (1991) [also as Producer]- Producer
- Director
- Actor
A veteran filmmaker, Albert Band is one of Hollywood's most prolific filmmakers who started his career in the early 50s. He began financing a number of motion pictures through the seventies and eighties and helped his son, Charles Band, bring together his own production company, 'Empire Pictures', in the early eighties. Upon the collapse of Empire Pictures in the early nineties, Band continued to work with his son and help bring a number of low-budget and medium budget films to the Hollywood screen and sopme direct to video releases. Albert Band died in June of 2002 of stomach and lung cancer. His other son, Richard Band, is a film music composer for a number of motion pictures.I've watched the following that he's directed:
Doctor Mordrid (1992)
Robot Wars (1993)- Director
- Writer
- Producer
Brian Trenchard-Smith is an Anglo Australian film and television director, producer, and writer, with a reputation for large scale movies on small scale budgets, many of which display a quirky sense of humor that has earned him a cult following. Quentin Tarantino referred to him in Entertainment Weekly as one of his favorite directors. His early work is featured in Not Quite Hollywood, an award winning documentary released by Magnolia. Among his early successes were the 20th Century Fox release The Man from Hong Kong, a wry James Bond/Chop Sockey cocktail, the Vietnam battle movie Siege of Firebase Gloria, and the futuristic satire Dead End Drive-In, a particular Tarantino favorite. BMX Bandits, showcasing a 15-year old Nicole Kidman, and Miramax's The Quest, starring ET's Henry Thomas, won prizes at children's film festivals in Montreal and Europe. He has also directed 35 episodes of television series as diverse as Silk Stalkings, Time Trax, The Others, and Flipper. Born in England, where his Australian father was in the RAF, Trenchard-Smith attended UK's prestigious Wellington College, where he neglected studies in favor of acting and making short films, before migrating to Australia. He started as a news film editor, then graduated to network promos before he became one of a group of young people that, as he recalls, "pushed, shoved, lobbied and bullied the government into introducing investment for Australian made films." He persuaded Australia's largest distribution-exhibition circuit at the time, the Greater Union Theater Organization, to form an in-house production company that he would run. The company made three successful films in a row, and his career was underway. In parallel careers, he was also founding editor of Australia's quarterly Movie magazine for 6 years, and has made over 100 trailers for other directors in Australia, Europe, and America. Among his 39 movies, 5 were commissioned by Showtime, including the remake of the World War II classic, Sahara, the highly rated, Happy Face Murders, starring Ann-Margret, and DC 9/11: Time of Crisis, with Timothy Bottoms as President Bush. His frequently repeated family drama for Lifetime, Long Lost Son starring Gabrielle Anwar, introduced future Gossip Girl's Chace Crawford to audiences in the title role." I knew from his first scene, he was going to be hot." In 2009, Trenchard-Smith shot Porky's - The College Years, a re-imagining of the famous 80's franchise of teen comedies. His recent ecological thriller Arctic Blast, starring Michael Shanks, was chosen to premiere at the 2010 Possible Worlds Canadian Film Festival in Sydney. Trenchard-Smith writes for filmindustrybloggers.com as The Genre Director, and is a contributing guru to trailersfromhell.com. He is married to Byzantine historian Dr. Margaret Trenchard-Smith, lives in Los Angeles, and is a member of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts.I've watched the following that he's directed:
Kung Fu Killers (1974)
The Man from Hong Kong (1975)
Death Cheaters (1976)
Day of the Assassin (1979)
Stunt Rock (1979)
Turkey Shoot (1982)
BMX Bandits (1983)
The Quest (1986)
Dead End Drive-In (1986)
Day of the Panther (1988)
Strike of the Panther (1988)
The Siege of Firebase Gloria (1989)
Official Denial (TV Movie) (1993)
Sahara (1995)
Voyage of Terror (TV Movie) (1998)
Seconds to Spare (TV Movie) (2002)- Director
- Producer
- Writer
Producer/director Cirio H. Santiago is the son of Dr. Ciriaco Santiago, who founded Premiere Productions in Manila in 1946. He has two siblings. After starting out as a producer he started directing English-language movies in the early 70s. Santiago became one of the pioneers of the "Blaxploitation" genre by being one of the first to cast black actors and especially actresses as strong action heroes. Movies like TNT Jackson (1974) became instant cult classics. In the 80s, Santiago became known for his numerous low-budget Vietnam war movies such as Firehawk (1993) which gave him a reputation as the "master of the Vietnam war genre". A long running partnership with Roger Corman assured proper distribution of his movies in the USA. Many of today's hottest filmmakers such as Jonathan Demme, Joe Dante or Carl Franklin got their first directing jobs with Santiago. In 1995 he was named president of the Philippines Film Development Funds by President Ramos. The organization strives to uplift the quality of Filipino filmmaking to new, higher standards and to encourage production of foreign movies on location in the Philippines. Premiere Productions, headed by Cirio H. Santiago, still remains one of the biggest studios in the Philippines and went public in 1997.I've watched the following that he's directed:
Death Force (1978)
Firecracker (1981)
Stryker (1983) [also as Producer]
Naked Vengeance (1985)
Wheels of Fire (1985) [also as Producer]
Silk (1986)
The Devastator (1986)
Future Hunters (1986)
Eye of the Eagle (1987)
Equalizer 2000 (1987) [also as Producer]
The Sisterhood (1988)
The Expendables (1988)
Fast Gun (1988)
Eye of the Eagle 2: Inside the Enemy (1989)
Eye of the Eagle 3 (1989)
Nam Angels (1989)
Silk 2 (1989)
Dune Warriors (1990)
Beyond the Call of Duty (1992)
Raiders of the Sun (1992) [also as Producer]
Firehawk (1993)
Angelfist (1993)
One Man Army (1994)
Stranglehold (1994)- Director
- Writer
- Additional Crew
Ferdinando Baldi was born on 19 May 1917 in Cava de' Tirreni, Campania, Italy. He was a director and writer, known for Missione finale (1988), Un maledetto soldato (1988) and Texas, Adios (1966). He died on 12 November 2007 in Rome, Lazio, Italy.I've watched the following that he's directed:
War Bus (1986)
Just a Damned Soldier (1988)
Ten Zan - Ultimate Mission (1988)- Director
- Writer
- Composer
Indonesian action cinema specialist Arizal was born on January 11, 1943 in Airmolek, Riau, Indonesia. His parents Ibriham Sidi Mangkuto and Matayam bt. M. Yasin were of Minangkabau descent. Following graduation from high school, Arizal went on to study at both the Faculty of Economics at the University of Indonesia and the West Coast Institute of Management & Technology in Perth, Australia. He began his career in the entertainment industry as a caricaturist for the magazine Selecta. Arizal subsequently went on to join the editorial staff for the magazines Panorama and Mayapada. He started his film career as an artistic assistant for Walt Disney cartoons at Universal Studios in Los Angeles, California. Arizal directed his first movie in 1974 and directed over fifty movies altogether. He displayed a definite knack for wild over-the-top action fare. Moreover, his film High School Serenade (1979) was a considerable box office hit -- it was the third most viewed Indonesian film in Jakarta in 1979, with 162,050 in ticket sales -- and has been widely hailed as one of the top 25 best Indonesian films of all time. Arizal died at age 71 on May 18, 2014 in Jakarta, Indonesia.I've watched the following that he's directed:
Special Silencers (1982)
The Stabilizer (1986)
Final Score (1986)
American Hunter (1989)
Double Crosser (1991)- Director
- Actor
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Enzo G. Castellari was born on 29 July 1938 in Rome, Lazio, Italy. He is a director and actor, known for Light Blast (1985), Warriors of the Wasteland (1983) and The Big Racket (1976). He has been married to Mirella since 17 December 1961. They have two children.I've watched the following that he's directed:
High Crime (1973)
Street Law (1975)
The Big Racket (1976)
The Heroin Busters (1977)
The Inglorious Bastards (1978)
Day of the Cobra (1980)
1990: The Bronx Warriors (1982)
Escape from the Bronx (1983)
Warriors of the Wasteland (1983)
Tuareg: The Desert Warrior (1984)
Light Blast (1985)
Hammerhead (1987)
Striker (1988)
Jonathan of the Bears (1994)- Director
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
- Writer
Ruggero Deodato was born on May 7, 1939, in Potenza, Italy, and grew up outside Rome. One of his close friends at the time was Renzo Rossellini, the son of famed Italian director Roberto Rossellini. Knowing Ruggerio's love for the movies, Renzo persuaded him to work as a second unit director on some of his father's productions. From 1958-67 Deodato worked as a second unit director for several cult film directors such as Anthony M. Dawson (Antonio Margheriti), Riccardo Freda and Joseph Losey. Deodato's directorial debut was the action-fantasy Hercules, Prisoner of Evil (1964), replacing Margheriti who quit the production. Deodato's claim to fame was the spaghetti western Django (1966). His career took off in 1968 when he directed a number of films based on comic-book characters and musicals. It was while shooting one of these films that Deodato met, and later married, Silvia Dionisio.
From 1971-75 Deodato worked in television, directing the series All'ultimo minuto (1971) as well as TV commercials, including ones for Esso Oil, Band-Aid and Fanta. Deodato returned to filmmaking with an erotic melodrama and a police thriller. At the same time his marriage fell apart. In 1977 Deodato directed the notorious Last Cannibal World (1977) and later Cannibal Holocaust (1980). Deodato traveled to New York City and directed the disturbing thriller House on the Edge of the Park (1980), a semi-follow-up to Wes Craven's The Last House on the Left (1972). Deodato made House on the Edge of the Park (1980) in just 19 days on a tiny budget. He then returned to directing action and horror flicks.
Deodato lives in Rome with his current partner, Micaela Rocco, and still works in movies and occasional TV series. He is rumored to be planning a sequel to "Cannibal Holocaust".I've watched the following that he's directed:
Live Like a Cop, Die Like a Man (1976)
Last Cannibal World (1977)
Concorde Affaire '79 (1979)
Cannibal Holocaust (1980)
The Atlantis Interceptors (1983)
Cut and Run (1985)
Lone Runner (1986)
The Barbarians (1987)- Director
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
- Writer
Since 1980 Sam Firstenberg has been in the independent filmmaking field. Directing 22 theatrical feature films since completing his graduate studies in film at Loyola Marymount University. One More Chance (1981), starring Kirstie Alley, won prizes in major film festivals and sparked the beginning of his career as a director. Subsequent films have become commercial hits and cult classics, especially the "American Ninja" series starring Michael Dudikoff and the break-dance phenomenon Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo (1984).
Born in Poland, he grew up in Jerusalem, Israel. In 1972 he moved to the US where "Shmulik" became "Sam", and he completed his graduate studies in film at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, California, where he resides with his wife and three daughters.I've watched the following that he's directed:
Revenge of the Ninja (1983)
Ninja III: The Domination (1984)
Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo (1984)
American Ninja (1985)
Avenging Force (1986)
American Ninja 2: The Confrontation (1987)
Riverbend (1989)
Delta Force 3: The Killing Game (1991)
American Samurai (1992)
Cyborg Cop (1993)
Blood Warriors (1993)
Cyborg Cop II (1994)- Director
- Cinematographer
- Camera and Electrical Department
Joe D'Amato was born Aristide Massaccesi on December 15, 1936, in Rome, Italy. At age 14 he began working for his father, a chief electrician and later the founder of the company A.C.M. By going to school in the daytime, Massaccesi worked afternoons part-time as a stagehand and stage cameraman around various film sets. After attending grade school, from 1953-57, Massaccesi worked for his father. Mole Richardson, another motion picture company, was looking for someone to work as an assistant cameraman and Massaccesi jumped at the opportunity. Starting in 1969 he worked as director of photography as well as assistant director for a number of films until 1974. His first directing work was in 1972's low-budget Stay Away from Trinity... When He Comes to Eldorado (1972), co-directed by Diego Spataro, under the pseudonym Dick Spitfire, but it was a commercial failure. Later that same year Massaccesi directed a western (under the name of Oskar Faradine). He then used his assistant's name, Romano Gastaldi, for his next film, Fra' Tazio da Velletri (1973), as well as a few others.
Massaccesi was reluctant to use his real name early in his directing career, since he was still known mainly as a director of photography and didn't want his directing jobs to jeopardize his cinematography career. He used his real name for screenplay and cinematography roles, but worked under many aliases (such as Michael Wotruba) to disguise the authorship of some films in order not to mix up the different genres of comedy, western, drama, thrillers and others. He used so many phony names that he may well have more pseudonyms credited to him than any other director in the world.
Massaccesi entered the horror genre with Death Smiles on a Murderer (1973) under his real name, which inspired him to make other gothic horror films. Under a new pseudonym, Joe D'Amato, he directed soft-core, erotic films starring Laura Gemser, such as Emanuelle and Francoise (1975), Emanuelle and the Last Cannibals (1977), Emanuelle in America (1977), Erotic Nights of the Living Dead (1980) and others. He also directed such action films as Tough to Kill (1979).
Massaccesi, now referring to himself as Joe D'Amato, entered the "gore" genere films with Beyond the Darkness (1979), which remains his most successful horror film, shot in four weeks on a low budget entirely at a villa near Bressanone and which had an excellent music soundtrack by the rock group Goblin. His next horror film, but less successful than the previous one, was The Grim Reaper (1980), directed as "Peter Newton". The film starred Tisa Farrow, sister of Mia Farrow and the star of Zombie (1979), another gore genre flick.
During the 1980s and 1990s D'Amato directed over 100 hardcore porn sex films for the Italian video market, although under his many pseudonyms he continued to direct and produce other films. One of them was StageFright (1987) directed by Michele Soavi on which, under his real name, Massaccesi served as producer. He then directed two "Ator the Invincible" films. He directed the violent, hardcore Caligula: The Untold Story (1982), using the name "David Hills", a commercial exploitation (some might say "rip-off") of the successful film by Tinto Brass.
D'Amato's other films during the 1980s were Paradiso Blu (1980) and violent adventure films such as Deep Blood (1989), which were filmed in Florida, and Ghosthouse (1988). Some of D'Amato's greatest successes abroad were L'alcova (1985) and Pomeriggio caldo (1989), as well as the horror-thriller Hitcher in the Dark (1989) (aka "Hitcher in the Dark").
His long film career came to an abrupt end when, in January 1999, he suffered an unexpected and fatal heart attack at his home in Rome. He was 62. Joe D'Amato had made his mark on Italian cinema as a talented director, scriptwriter, producer and cinematographer with scores of films and more than a dozen aliases to his credit.I've watched the following that he's directed:
Tough to Kill (1979)
2020 Texas Gladiators (1982)
Endgame (1983)- Director
- Writer
- Production Manager
Talented, prolific and versatile writer/director Sergio Martino has made a vast array of often solid and enjoyable films in such diverse genres as horror, comedy, Western and science-fiction in a career that spans over 40 years.
Martino was born on July 19, 1938, in Rome, Italy. His grandfather was noted director Gennaro Righelli. Sergio began his cinematic career in his early 20s as an assistant to his writer/producer brother Luciano Martino and handled second unit director chores on Mario Bava's The Whip and the Body (1963), and made his directorial debut in 1969 with the mondo documentary Wages of Sin (1969). He really hit his stride in the early 1970s with several superior giallo murder mystery thrillers that usually starred popular actress Edwige Fenech (who was married to Martino's brother Luciano at the time): The Strange Vice of Mrs. Wardh (1971), They're Coming to Get You! (1972), The Case of the Scorpion's Tail (1971) and Your Vice Is a Locked Room and Only I Have the Key (1972). Martino subsequently collaborated with Fenech on a handful of other projects, including the bubbly sex comedies Sex with a Smile (1976) and Cream Horn (1981). Other people Sergio has frequently worked with are actors George Hilton, Ivan Rassimov and Claudio Cassinelli and screenwriter Ernesto Gastaldi. Sergio's other worthwhile movies are the gritty spaghetti western Arizona Colt, Hired Gun (1970), the terrifically trashy Torso (1973), the rousing crime thriller The Violent Professionals (1973), the entertaining action/adventure romp Slave of the Cannibal God (1978), the fun "The Island of Dr. Moreau" rip-off The Island of the Fishmen (1979) and the funky post-nuke sci-fi/action opus 2019: After the Fall of New York (1983). He has also directed various made-for-TV features and episodes of TV shows for Italian television.I've watched the following that he's directed:
The Violent Professionals (1973)
Silent Action (1975)
Too Young to Die (1975)
2019: After the Fall of New York (1983)
Hands of Steel (1986)
The Opponent (1988)
After the Condor (1990)- Actor
- Director
- Writer
Jack Vacek is known for Double Nickels (1977), Deadly Addiction (1989) and The Junkman (1982). He is married to Trice Schubert.I've watched the following that he's directed and produced:
Double Nickels (1977)
Deadly Addictin (1988)- Director
- Producer
Jim West is known for Polk County Pot Plane (1977).I've watched the following that he's directed:
Polk County Pot Plane (1977)- Director
- Producer
- Actor
I've watched the following that he's directed:
Dirt (1979)
The Octagon (1980)
Opposing Force (1986)
Black Eagle (1988)
Angel Town (1990)- Writer
- Director
- Producer
Stuart Gordon started his film directing career in 1985. After graduating from Lane Technical High School, Gordon worked as a commercial artist apprentice prior to enrolling at the University of Wisconsin in Madison. Unable to get into the film classes, he enrolled in an acting class and ended up majoring in theater. In 1968, he directed a psychedelic adaptation of Peter Pan as a political satire. He was arrested on obscenity charges and Gordon dropped out of the university. He and his wife Carolyn formed the Organic Theater and moved the group to Chicago.
The Organic performed their work on and off-Broadway, in Los Angeles, and toured Europe. Among their productions were the world premiere of David Mamet's "Sexual Perversity in Chicago," which launched Mamet's playwriting career, the improv-based comedy "Bleacher Bums," which ran for over ten years in Los Angeles, and the hospital comedy E/R (1984), which became a TV series produced by Norman Lear.
He joined with Brian Yuzna and Charles Band's Empire Pictures to create the company's first major hit, Re-Animator (1985), based on the story by H.P. Lovecraft, which won a Critics' Prize at the Cannes Film Festival. Gordon then helmed another Lovecraft adaptation From Beyond (1986) and tackled the murderous Dolls (1986) followed by Robot Jox (1989). Gordon co-created the story for Honey, I Shrunk the Kids (1989) a major hit for Disney. The same year, he directed the remake and more graphic version of The Pit and the Pendulum (1991). Other works include Fortress (1992), and the screenplay for The Dentist (1996) and Body Snatchers (1993), which he co-wrote with long-time writing partner Dennis Paoli.
In 2001, Gordon returned to the H.P. Lovecraft territory with Dagon (2001), and in 2003, directed King of the Ants (2003) about a housepainter-turned-hit man, and brought the David Mamet play Edmond (2005) to the screen.
He contributed to the horror anthology series Masters of Horror (2005) with the episode Dreams in the Witch-House (2005), based on a short story by H.P. Lovecraft. He returned to the series in 2007 with the episode The Black Cat (2007), based on Edgar Allan Poe's story. And in 2008, he directed Eater (2008) for the NBC series Fear Itself (2008).
He is also known for frequently murdering his wife, actress Carolyn Purdy-Gordon, in many of his films.I've watched the following that he's directed:
Robot Jox (1989)- Writer
- Actor
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Legendary screenwriter Charles Byron Griffith was born in Chicago on September 23, 1930. His mother and grandmother starred in the famous radio show, "Myrt and Marge," which went on to New York and became a soap opera. After a hitch in the army, Griffith went to California to live with his grandmother, Myrtle Vail. Before he started writing scripts, Griffith and his cousin Ron Fellows were in a stage act called "Tsk, Tsk, Pare!", with famous movie and stage comedians Ole Olsen and Chic Johnson. Later, he tried his hand at writing, with his first attempt being a proposed television version of "Myrt and Marge". Griffith then met and became good friends with actor Jonathan Haze, who had just started working for prolific producer/director 'Roger Corman' on _Monster From The Ocean Floor (1954). Wanting to help his friend break into movies, Haze took several of Griffith's scripts and put them right down on Corman's desk. Corman liked the scripts and hired him. Corman took Griffith's third script and turned it into a western, Gunslinger (1956), starring Beverly Garland and John Ireland. Griffith's next movie for Corman became a sci-fi cult classic: It Conquered the World (1956). He not only wrote for Corman but also acted in some of them and was an assistant director for many. In "It Conquered the World" he was Dr. Pete Shelton. Later he wrote The Undead (1957) for Corman -- a fascinating journey into reincarnation. Originally written in iambic pentameter, the script was translated by Griffith back into English. It starred Pamela Duncan, Richard Garland and Allison Hayes -- who appeared in three of Griffith's films and later appeared as the title character in Attack of the 50 Foot Woman (1958), for which she achieved "cult-status" among sci-fi fans.
Griffith's next film was the sci-fi classic Not of This Earth (1957), an excellent venture concerning an alien vampire from outer space that he co-wrote with Mark Hanna. Paul Birch starred as Mr. Johnson, the "blood-seeking" vampire from the planet Davanna, whose very eyes can incinerate a person's brain. The film also starred the beautiful and highly talented Beverly Garland. This low-budget excursion is considered by some to be one of the best sci-fi films of the 1950s. The interesting plot concerns the Davannans traveling to Earth, via a teleportation-integrator, in order to obtain human blood because of a blood disease that their dying race has contracted. More films followed, ;including another "B" sci-fi classic: Attack of the Crab Monsters (1957), which he not only wrote but also acted in and served as assistant director/second-unit director. This starred Richard Garland, Russell Johnson, Pamela Duncan and Ed Nelson, along with two of Griffith's best friends: Jonathan Haze and Mel Welles. Ed Nelson was also good friends with Griffith and went on to appear in several films Griffith wrote, such as Rock All Night (1957), Teenage Doll (1957) and A Bucket of Blood (1959).
Both "It Conquered The World" and "Not of This Earth" had alien monsters created by the genius "monster-maker", Paul Blaisdell. For "It Conquered the World", Blaisdell created an innovative alien that was nicknamed "Beulah." In "Not of This Earth" Griffith's script called for a "protoplasmic" robotic dog, but because of budgetary restrictions Blaisdell made a different creation--a flying alien "umbrella bat" which would assimilate human brain tissue! For "Attack of the Crab Monsters" Blaisdell was asked to create a giant crab monster, but he turned it down because he thought he could not produce a realistic-looking monster due to the small amount of funds allocated to him.
"A Bucket of Blood" was a dark horror comedy about an artist who murders people to make art works out of them. Dick Miller starred in this film, one of Corman's most popular. Probably Griffith's best-known film was the low-budget classic The Little Shop of Horrors (1960). Shot in three days, this horror comedy starred Jonathan Haze as nerdish Seymour Krelboin and 'Jackie Joseph' as pretty but somewhat air-headed Audrey, Seymour's love. Haze delivered a magnificent performance in his role. This was such a popular cult movie that it later became a Broadway musical which was eventually made into a film (The Little Shop of Horrors (1960). Griffith had four parts in the original film: he was the voice of the plant Audrey 2 ("Feed meeee!"), a shadow on the wall in an alley, a man running out of the dentist's office and the burglar who breaks into the flower shop of Gravis Mushnik (Mel Welles) only to be eaten alive by Audrey 2. Griffith and Welles shot exterior locations for this film in the "Skid Row" section of Los Angeles. Griffith wrote many more films, including another cult-classic, Death Race 2000 (1975), which he adapted from a story by Ib Melchior. Griffith also appeared at a number of movie memorabilia shows on the West Coast, but only appeared at one show in the East (in March 2007 in Ohio). He was a guest celebrity at the show for a "Little Shop of Horrors Reunion" along with his good friends Jonathan Haze, Jackie Joseph and writers Lawrence Fultz Jr. and Stephen Knepp.I've watched the following that he's directed:
Eat My Dust (1976)
Smokey Bites the Dust (1981)- Director
- Actor
- Writer
Corey Allen earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts from UCLA in Theatre in 1954. While there, he received the department's Best Actor award and starred in the UCLA film, "A Time Out of War", which won the Academy Award & Cannes & Venice Film Festival for Best Short Film. Upon graduation, he appeared in approximately twenty plays in the Los Angeles area. Director Nicholas Ray spotted Allen and subsequently chose him for the role of "Buzz" in Rebel Without a Cause (1955). This led to featured roles in another dozen films such as Private Property (1960), Party Girl (1958), Darby's Rangers (1958) and The Chapman Report (1962). Allen also appeared in many leading television series including Perry Mason (1957) and Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1955). Meanwhile, he created, directed for and co-produced the Freeway Circuit Theatre which toured the Southwest for six seasons. Allen also directed numerous Equity productions in Los Angeles theatres. This led to a thirty year directorial career in television and film during which he directed three movies including Avalanche; television movies including the Emmy winning The Ann Jillian Story (1988); created a dozen pilots for television series including Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987), Murder, She Wrote (1984), Simon & Simon (1981), Code Name: Foxfire (1985), Stone (1979) and Capitol (1982). He has earned two Directors Guild nominations for Best Direction in a television series, the Award for Cable Excellence for Best Direction of The Paper Chase (1978) and received an Emmy for Best Direction of a Hill Street Blues (1981). Throughout this career, Allen instructed acting, including three years at the Actors Workshop, and for the last nine years, conducted cold reading workshops at the Margie Haber Studio. This year, Allen was presented with an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from Columbia College-Holllywood for his work in helping to create their acting and directing curricula.I've watched the following that he's directed:
Thunder and Lightning (1977)
Star Trek: The Next Generation (TV Series) (5 episodes) (1987-1994)- Writer
- Director
- Editor
Richard Taylor was born on 21 May 1946 in Detroit, Michigan, USA. He is a writer and director, known for Fright Show (1985), Shipslog (2019) and Stingray (1978).I've watched the following that he's directed:
Stingray (1978)- Director
- Producer
- Writer
Writer/director/producer Harley Cokeliss was born Harley Louis Cokliss on February 11, 1945 in San Diego, California. He was raised in Chicago, Illinois. He moved to England in 1966, studying at the London Film School, and started making TV documentaries in 1970, among them It's Fantastic! It's Futuristic! It's Fatalistic! It's Science Fiction! (1973) and The Need for Nightmare (1974). Cokeliss made his first foray into feature filmmaking with the family adventure outing The Battle of Billy's Pond (1977). This was followed by the charming children's science-fiction offering The Glitterball (1977) and the engaging adolescent picture That Summer! (1979). After handling second unit director duties on Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980), he has gone on to make a handful of movies in the action, horror and science-fiction genres. His most notable films are the enjoyable futuristic sci-fi/action opus Battletruck (1982), the entertaining action outing Black Moon Rising (1986), the ill-received Burt Reynolds action vehicle Malone (1987) and the creepy fright flick Dream Demon (1988). Moreover, Cokeliss has also directed episodes of such TV shows as Hercules: The Legendary Journeys (1995), Xena: Warrior Princess (1995), The Dark Knight (2000) and The Immortal (2000). He's the owner of Barzo Productions Ltd. His latest film is the mystery/romance thriller Paris Connections (2010).I've watched the following that he's directed:
Battletruck (1982)
Black Moon Rising (1986)- Director
- Writer
- Special Effects
Antonio Margheriti was born on 19 September 1930 in Rome, Lazio, Italy. He was a director and writer, known for Yor: The Hunter from the Future (1983), Seven Deaths in the Cat's Eyes (1973) and The Unnaturals (1969). He died on 4 November 2002 in Monterosi, Lazio, Italy.I've watched the following that he's directed:
Death Rage (1976)
The Squeeze (1978)
Car Crash (1981)
The Last Hunter (1980)
Tiger Joe (1982)
The Hunters of the Golden Cobra (1982)
Yor: The Hunter from the Future (1983)
Last Blood (1983)
The Ark of the Sun God (1984)
Code Name: Wild Geese (1984)
Jungle Raiders (1985)
Commando Leopard (1985)
The Commander (1988)
Alien from the Deep (1989)
Indio (1989)
Indio 2 - The Revolt (1991)
Virtual Weapon (1997)- Director
- Writer
- Editor
Ted Nicolaou was born on 3 October 1949. He is a director and writer, known for Subspecies (1991), TerrorVision (1986) and Vampire Journals (1997). He is married to Rebecca Nicolaou. He was previously married to Sally Nicolaou Hamilton.I've watched the following that he's directed:
The Dungeonmaster (segment "Desert Pursuit") (1984)
TerrorVision (1986)- Producer
- Writer
- Director
Donald G. Jackson was born on 24 April 1943 in Tremont, Mississippi, USA. He was a producer and writer, known for Return of the Roller Blade Seven (1993), The Roller Blade Seven (1991) and Rollergator (1996). He died on 20 October 2003 in Los Angeles, California, USA.I've watched the following that he's directed:
Roller Blade (1986)
Hell Comes to Frogtown (1988)
Roller Blade Warriors: Taken by Force (1989)
The Roller Blade Seven (1991)
Frogtown II (1992)
Return of the Roller Blade Seven (1993)
Toad Warrior (1996)
Max Hell Frog Warrior (2002)- Director
- Producer
- Editor
I've watched the following that he's directed:
Land of Doom (1986)
Terror Squad (1988)
Viper (1988)
Ministry of Vengeance (1989)
Hangfire (1991)
Diplomatic Immunity (1991)- Director
- Writer
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Godfrey Ho was born in 1948 in Hong Kong. He is a director and writer, known for The Ninja Squad (1986), Thunder of Gigantic Serpent (1988) and Challenge of the Ninja (1986).I've watched the following that he's directed:
The Blazing Ninja (1973)
Paris Killers (1974)
The Dynamite Shaolin Heroes (1977)
Enter the Invincible Hero (1977)
The Deadly Silver Ninja (1978)
The Dragon, the Hero (1979)
Golden Dragon Silver Snake (1979)
The Dragon's Infernal Showdown (1980)
Champ vs. Champ (1980)
Magnificent Wonderman (1980)
Hard Bastard (1982)
Secret Executioners (1982)
The Leopard Fist Ninja (1982)
Ninja, the Violent Sorcerer (1982)
Fist of Golden Monkey (1983)
Mission Thunderbolt (1983)
Ninja Thunderbolt (1984)
Revenge of the Drunken Master (1984)
Ninja in the Killing Fields (1984 Video)
Ninja Masters of Death (1985)
Majestic Thunderbolt (1985)
Ninja Terminator (1986)
Ninja Destroyer (1986)
The Ultimate Ninja (1986)
The Ninja Squad (1986)
Ninja the Protector (1986)
Ninja Fantasy (1986)
Ninja Dragon (1986)
Golden Ninja Warrior (1986)
Fatal Command (1986)
Clash of the Ninjas (1986)
Bionic Ninja (1986)
Ninja and the Warriors of Fire (1987)
Ninja: American Warrior (1987)
Ninja and the Warriors of Fire (1987)
Hitman the Cobra (1987)
Devil Dynamite (1987)
Ninja Phantom Heroes (1987)
Top Mission (1987)
Super Platoon (1987)
Raiding Invaders (1987)
Ninja Operation: Licensed to Terminate (1987)
Ninja Kill (1987)
Ninja Death Squad (1987)
Ninja Death Squad (1987)
Ninja Commandments (1987)
Ninja Avengers (1987)
Ninja: Silent Assassin (1987)
Mission War Flame (1987)
Golden Ninja Invasion (1987)
Death Code: Ninja (1987)
Cobra vs. Ninja (1987)
Empire of the Spiritual Ninja (1988)
Hands of Death (1988)
Thunder of Gigantic Serpent (1988)
Ninja: The Battalion (1988)
Crocodile Fury (1988)
Rage of Ninja (1988)
Ninja Demon's Massacre (1988)
Battle for the Treasure (1988)
Ninja Demon's Massacre (1988)
Ninja's Extreme Weapons (1988)
American Commando 3: Savage Temptation (1988)
The Power of Ninjitsu (1988)
Soldier Terminators (1988)
Scorpion Thunderbolt (1988)
Robo Vampire (1988)
Ninja Strike Force (1988)
Ninja Powerforce (1988)
Ninja Knight Brothers of Blood (1988)
Ninja, Force of Assassins (1988)
Night of the Ninja (1988)
Law of Honor (1988)
Kingdom of Power (1988)
Hard Justice (1988)
Dressed to Fire (1988)
American Ninja: The Magnificent (1988)
Instant Rage (1989)
Under Police Protection (1989)
Angel's Mission (1989)
Zombie vs. Ninja (1989)
Robo Vampire 3: Counter Destroy (1989)
American Force 5: Mission Dynamo (1989)
Full Metal Ninja (1989)
Euro Crossing (1988)
Angel Enforcers (1989)
U.S. Catman: Lethal Track (1990)
Lethal Panther (1990)
Little Kickboxer (1991)
The Fighter, the Winner (1991)
Power Force (1991)
Kickboxer the Champion (1991)
Year if the Kingboxer (1991)
Thunder Ninja Kids in the Golden Adventure (1992)
Honor & Glory (1992)
Robo-Kickboxer - Power of Justice (1992)
Undefeatable (1993)
U.S. Catman 2: Boxer Blow (1993)
Manhattan Chase (2000)
Written by:
Die to Win (1988) directed by Phillip Ko
Red Heat Conspiracy (1988) directed by Phillip Ko
The Extreme Project (1988) directed by Phillip Ko
L.A. Connection (1988) directed by Phillip Ko- Producer
- Writer
- Director
Born in Portland Oregon, Roth was the son of Judge Phillip Roth a renowned jurist with over 35 years on the bench. He started writing short stories when he was 10 and at age 14, he got his first taste at filmmaking working at the Wilson High School cable channel. He graduated from Lewis and Clark College in 1982. After a brief attempt to go to Law school and a stint working for an international manufacturing company. In 1984 Roth went back to his childhood love of filmmaking, Directing and writing a number of action features in his home town of Portland (Honor Betrayed, Bad Trip and Fatal Revenge). During this period, he even loaned his office to then struggling filmmaker Gus Van Zant making his critically acclaimed opus, "Mala Noche." Moving to Los Angeles in 1989 he founded UFO, a production and distribution company. Since its foundation, Roth with his partner Jeffery Beach has produced written and directed over 120 feature films and series to date that have been distributed by Universal, 20th Century Fox, Warner Brothers, Sony, Paramount, Columbia-Tristar, Blockbuster and various other US and International distributors such as RTL, Gaga, M-6, Telecinco, BskyB and Canal Plus to name a few.
Roth was also one of the earliest innovators in digital special effects. In 1990 Roth began using PC hardware and software solutions to create digital special effects for feature films. Up to his point almost all digital special effects had been based on far more expensive main frame technology coded for SGI and Cray computer systems. Two Sci-fi features in the early nineties, Prototype X29 and APEX written and directed by Roth opened up the use of PC work stations in features. APEX, an alternate future- science fiction was released theatrically in over 100 theatres by Republic Pictures in 1994. This was almost unheard of for an independent film, with an under one-million-dollar budget to receive a theatrical release, let alone a science fiction relying on digital special effects. Roth's innovation with PC digital applications such as with Lightwave 3-D software was quickly adapted by James Cameron's Lightstorm Entertainment to allow him the digital horse power to create the massive special effects required in Titanic. Up to this point movies such as this had relied on the use of far more expensive main frame softwares with limited numbers of qualified animators. This breakthrough in this digital glass ceiling is what has ushered in the massive use of digital special effects we see today.
During nineties Roth with his partner continued to write, produce and direct many films out of their Los Angeles based company. In 1999 UFO partnered with a German publicly traded company Advanced Media and set up operations in Sofia Bulgaria to take advantage of a highly skilled work force at reduced budgets. This move became a key factor to Roth and his partner further growing the company and founding their own Studio.
In Roth's nearly 20 years working in Bulgaria, he has become an expert in feature, series and commercial in the Bulgarian market making it his business model to attract producers and directors from all over the world. To further establish his foothold in the Bulgarian film community, Roth has built one of the largest studios and back lots in Bulgaria, only 2nd to NuBoyana Studios. While NuBoyana was a product of privatization, Roth's studio in Dolna Malina known as UFO Film and Television Studios was built on derelict farm land, entirely financed by international equity funding. In addition to the studio, Roth has also established one of the most prolific special effects houses from the catalyst of his first studio started in 1989 in Los Angeles. This makes his VFX companies some the longest continuous running in the world. Since opening his VFX operations in Sofia in 2002 it has been re-branded CinedigitalFX.com.
Roth lives full time in Sofia with his wife, Ekaterina and his four children; Natasha 30, Aaron 22, Elayah 13 and Roxanne 8. Natasha and Aaron having immigrated from the United States and Elayah and Roxanne born in Bulgaria. In addition to his vibrant schedule of work, Roth still actively ski races at an International level, training and racing with members of the Bulgarian National Ski Team and in addition is currently recognized as the number 1 ranked Master Wake Surfer in Bulgaria.- Director
- Writer
- Producer
A hard-working director throughout his long and varied career, Robert Clouse was best-known for his two most successful films: Enter the Dragon (1973) and Game of Death (1978). Born in 1928, he was a director. After being hired by Warner Bros. and Golden Harvest to direct Enter the Dragon (1973), Clouse was escalated into the realm of profitable directors. But, unlike others in this category, doors in Hollywood were not entirely open to him. In 1974, he was hired to direct Black Belt Jones (1974) for Warner Brothers Pictures. The film proved to be a moderate success.
In 1978, Clouse returned to Hong Kong where he was hired by Golden Harvest's Raymond Chow to direct a comeback movie for Martial Artist Bruce Lee, despite the fact that Lee had died five years earlier. Clouse was given the incomplete footage from Lee's original version of Game of Death, but decided that only a small amount of this footage should be used (mainly because the original film's plot had been re-created countless times in Hong Kong cinema since Lee's death). With the help of Sammo Kam-Bo Hung and Robert Wall, among others, Clouse shot several Bruce Lee lookalikes and stand-ins as well as cutting back to footage from other Lee movies and, of course, the original Game of Death takes. Clouse was never able to match the success of his two Lee films later in his career. He died in 1997, aged 68.- Cinematographer
- Director
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
David Worth has a resume of over fifty feature films as a Cinematographer or, Director of Photography (DP) and Director, including two as the DP for the Iconic Director Clint Eastwood: BRONCO BILLY & ANY WHICH WAY YOU CAN. He was also the DP the original BLOODSPORT, before he Directed the original KICKBOXER, launching the career of Jean-Claude Van Damme...
"DW" has taught Filmmaking at Chapman University, USC, Chapman's New Campus in Singapore, as well as at his Alma Mater UCLA, and from 2011 to 2022 at The Academy of Art University in San Francisco. His three textbooks including, the pricey Coffee Table version of, MILESTONES IN CINEMA 50 Visionary Films & Filmmakers are available on amazon...
His entire body of work can be found on IMDb: David Worth - IMDb or, contact him directly by Instagram- Director
- Writer
- Producer
Albert Pyun was an award-winning US filmmaker best known for his contributions to the science-fiction and action genres. He is credited with pioneering the cyborg sub-genre and is considered to be a maverick and renegade in independent genre cinema. With over 50 titles to his name, he has enjoyed a prolific career spanning 30+ years and has earned himself a fevered cult following.
His first film, The Sword and the Sorcerer (1982), was the highest-grossing independent film of 1982, earning $36,714,025 in the US. The film's success led to Pyun being attached to various large sci-fi projects, including Total Recall (1990) (eventually directed by Paul Verhoeven) and he became a much sought-after director by several studios. His follow-up film was the post-apocalyptic sci-fi Radioactive Dreams (1984), which helped launch the careers of Michael Dudikoff and John Stockwell, and cemented Pyun's reputation for being an edgy and creative filmmaker. The 1980s was a highly productive decade for him, with the release of Dangerously Close (1986), Vicious Lips (1986), Down Twisted (1987), Alien from L.A. (1988), Journey to the Center of the Earth (1988), Cyborg (1989) and Deceit (1990).
Pyun's work with Cannon Pictures saw him direct more films for the company than any other filmmaker and his involvement with "Spider-Man" and "Masters of the Universe 2" became legendary. When both films were canceled mid-way into their productions, Pyun devised a breakneck strategy to combine the sets and costume designs from both to salvage the lost money and deliver a single stand-alone film. The result was Cyborg (1989), which opened in 1989 as the fourth highest grossing film in the United States. It grossed $10,166,459 and gave Jean-Claude Van Damme his Hollywood superstar status.
The 1990s proved to be an even more prolific decade, with Pyun directing a further 24 films. Notable throughout those years include Captain America (1990), Nemesis (1992), Nemesis 2: Nebula (1995), Nemesis 3: Time Lapse (1996), Nemesis 4: Death Angel (1996), Kickboxer 2: The Road Back (1991), Knightriders (1981), Omega Doom (1996), Adrenalin: Fear the Rush (1996), Hong Kong 97 (1994), Postmortem (1998) and Mean Guns (1997). His work with Charles Band's Full Moon Pictures saw him direct Dollman (1991) and Arcade (1993), both of which continue to hold a strong cult following.
The 2000s marked a new era for Pyun, as he moved away from the independent studio system and began making films much more independently by way of self-funding and outsourcing money personally. This allowed for greater creative freedoms as a filmmaker, despite his budgets being drastically reduced. His new approach to filmmaking has divided audiences, however; those who have followed his career closely agree that his films since 2000 have been far more audacious and personal, none more so than his 2013 film Road to Hell (2008) (shot in 2008). Inspired by Walter Hill's classic Streets of Fire (1984), the film acts as a spiritual sequel and presents the two protagonists in an alternative future. Michael Paré and Deborah Van Valkenburgh reprised their roles of Tom and Reva Cody and their characters are pitted against a vibrant and surreal purgatory landscape. The film has enjoyed a steady run on the festival circuit and is slated for a home-entertainment release. Other notable films from this decade include the stunning one-shot horror film Invasion (2004) (aka "Infection"), the brutal drug trade thriller Bulletface (2010) and the long-awaited Abelar: Tales of an Ancient Empire (2010), a follow up to "The Sword and the Sorcerer". Investor and distributor interference on this film jeopardized the final theatrical cut and the film is slated, along with several of his other films, for an upcoming director's cut release.
The 2010s have proven to be a difficult time in Pyun's career due to declining health and difficulties getting a major project released. His film Cyborg Nemesis: The Dark Rift was shot, but remains unfinished due to pending post-production issues. An incomplete version of the film was screened for an audience at the Yellow Fever Independent Film Festival. His health took a turn for the worst in 2012 when he was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. The effect of the illness took an emotional and physical toll on him and in early 2013 he announced his retirement. Following a brief hiatus he concluded that the best remedy was filmmaking and he made a triumphant return with The Interrogation of Cheryl Cooper (2014). While he endured medical tests and treatments, the film had an incredibly fast turnaround and was written, shot and completed within a matter of weeks. The story line was a direct follow-up to "Invasion" and continued the one-shot concept. It was entirely filmed over the course of a single day and showcased Pyun's ability to think outside the box, both practically and creatively.
As of 2015 Pyun had attempted to develop various other projects, while maintaining ongoing treatment for his multiple sclerosis. These projects include "Napoleon", "The Kickboxer": "City of Blood" and "Algiers". In maintaining a strong relationship with his fan base Pyun has shared the production details of these projects on his Facebook page and maintains that he is still actively pursuing them. Their further development will depend on his ongoing health. He attributes his relationship with his fans as a driving force in fighting his illness and he has shared his medical journey with them almost every step of the way.
November of 2015 saw the release of a conceptual teaser trailer for a brand-new film titled "Star Warfare Rangers" and the "Cyborg Witch of Endor" (later retitled Interstellar Civil War: Shadows of the Empire (2017)). Having evolved from various attempts to revive his "Cyborg" saga, the film is an original story detailing the search for a missing Cyborg child. The film marked Albert's 33rd collaboration with his long-standing composer Tony Riparetti and boasts an impressive cast including Brad Thornton, Glenn Maynard, Ellie Church, Tommie Vegas, Shane Ryan and Morgan Weisser, among others.
Pyun's career has seen him work with some of the biggest stars in Hollywood, many of whom got their first break with him. He has worked with the likes of Jean-Claude Van Damme, Sasha Mitchell, Christopher Lambert, Natasha Henstridge, Brion James, Tim Thomerson, Jackie Earle Haley, Teri Hatcher, Rutger Hauer, Olivier Gruner, Charlie Sheen, Burt Reynolds, Steven Seagal, Rob Lowe, Ice-T, Snoop Dogg, Kevin Sorbo, Tom Sizemore, Andrew Dice Clay, Dennis Hopper, Kevin Gage, Robert Patrick, Seth Green, Dennis Chan, Ned Beatty, Darren McGavin, Ronny Cox, Kris Kristofferson, George Kennedy, Richard Lynch, Lee Horsley, Richard Moll, Courteney Cox, Tom Matthews, Nicholas Guest, Kathy Ireland, Deep Roy, Michel Qissi, Andrew Divoff, David Carradine, Vincent Klyn, Mitch Pileggi, Yuji Okumoto, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, Michael Pare and Deborah Van Vulkenburgh. His most frequent actor collaborations have been with Norbert Weisser and Scott Paulin, who have worked alongside Albert in dozens of films spanning several decades.
Albert passed away on November 22, 2022 in Las Vegas, NV, where he lived with his wife and producer, Cynthia Curnan.- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
- Producer
- Director
Peter Manoogian was born on 16 December 1949 in the USA. He is an assistant director and producer, known for The Dungeonmaster (1984), The Howling (1981) and Eliminators (1986).- Director
- Writer
- Producer
A 25-year veteran in the Hollywood exploitation field, writer/producer/director Jim Wynorski is responsible for over 150 varied motion pictures in a myriad of genres. Leaving behind a successful commercial business in New York, Wynorski relocated to California in 1980 and soon found himself on the doorstep of his childhood idol, B-film king Roger Corman. "The rest was destiny," recounts Wynorski, who soon found himself hired by the renowned movie mogul to cut "coming attractions" for all of the company's new action and horror films. "It was like grasshopper learning from the kung-fu master," says Wynorski, who claims his six-months internship with Corman taught him more than four years at film school.
"It wasn't long after that Corman offered me the first of many writing/directing assignments. Some distributor wanted a flick about a killer in a shopping mall," recalls Wynorski, "and Roger trusted me enough to say 'come up with something good, and you can direct it." Well, a couple days later, the director walked in with the first treatment to a film called Chopping Mall (1986), and the rest was history. From then on, Jim Wynorski turned out an average of three to five films a year as a director, and even more as a producer/writer. Throughout the 1980s came a steady stream of wild exploitation titles like Big Bad Mama II (1987) with Angie Dickinson, Not of This Earth (1988) with Traci Lords and The Return of Swamp Thing (1989) with Heather Locklear. On into the 1990s, Wynorski continued to climb to the top of the B-Film mountain with flicks like Hard Bounty (1995) starring Kelly LeBrock, Point of Seduction: Body Chemistry III (1994) & Body Chemistry 4: Full Exposure (1995) with Shannon Tweed and Morgan Fairchild and Munchie (1992), which featured the first film appearance of the then-unknown 12-year-old child actress Jennifer Love Hewitt.
As the years peeled by and tastes changed, Jim Wynorski kept hip by innovating new special effects techniques that landed the director no less than seven world premieres on the Sci-Fi Channel. His credits there include films like Gargoyle (2004), The Curse of the Komodo (2004), Project Viper and Cry of the Winged Serpent (2007).
As for the future, the 59-year-old Wynorski feels the audience for alternative cinema made away from the studio system will continue to grow thanks to new advances in Internet and Cable technologies. In fact, he is in post-production on another thriller, Vampire in Vegas (2009). "And you can bet I'll be there," he offers with a big smile, "with some really fun stuff." Jim has a huge following in the MidWest and is beloved in Franklin, Indiana, Home of The B Movie Celebration.- Director
- Actor
- Writer
Andy Sidaris was born on 20 February 1931 in Chicago, Illinois, USA. He was a director and actor, known for Malibu Express (1985), Stacey (1973) and Seven (1979). He was married to Anne Sidaris-Reeves and Arlene Sidaris. He died on 7 March 2007 in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, California, USA.- Director
- Writer
- Producer
Winner was an only child, born in Hampstead, London, England, to Helen (née Zlota) and George Joseph Winner (1910-1975), a company director. His family was Jewish; his mother was Polish and his father of Russian extraction. Following his father's death, Winner's mother gambled recklessly and sold art and furniture worth around £10m at the time, bequeathed to her not only for her life but to Michael thereafter. She died aged 78 in 1984.
He was educated at St Christopher School, Letchworth, and Downing College, Cambridge, where he read law and economics. He also edited the university's student newspaper, Varsity (he was the youngest ever editor up to that time, both in age and in terms of his university career, being only in the second term of his second year). Winner had earlier written a newspaper column, 'Michael Winner's Showbiz Gossip,' in the Kensington Post from the age of 14. The first issue of Showgirl Glamour Revue in 1955 has him writing another film and showbusiness gossip column, "Winner's World". Such jobs allowed him to meet and interview several leading film personalities, including James Stewart and Marlene Dietrich. He also wrote for the New Musical Express.
He began his screen career as an assistant director of BBC television programmes, cinema shorts, and full-length "B" productions, occasionally writing screenplays. In 1957 he directed his first travelogue, This is Belgium, shot largely on location in East Grinstead. His first on-screen credit was earned as a writer for the crime film Man with a Gun (1958) directed by Montgomery Tully. Winner's first credit on a cinema short was Associate Producer on the film Floating Fortress (1959) produced by Harold Baim. Winner's first project as a lead director involved another story he wrote, Shoot to Kill (1960). He would regularly edit his own movies, using the pseudonym "Arnold Crust". He graduated to first features with Play It Cool (1962), a pop musical starring Billy Fury.
Winner's first significant film was West 11 (1963), a sympathetic study of rootless drifters in the then seedy Notting Hill area of London. Filmed on location (always Winner's preference), with a script by Willis Hall and Keith Waterhouse, the film remains an interesting contribution to the working-class realism wave of the early 1960s. Following differences with his producer, Daniel Angel, Winner (who had wanted to cast Julie Christie in the main female role) resolved to produce as well as direct his films and set up his own company, Scimitar. The Girl-Getters (1964) and the hectic, dystopian I'll Never Forget What's'isname (1967) were paired pieces starring Oliver Reed that continued Winner's exploration of alienated youth adrift in a rising tide of affluence, dreaming of an alternative life they can never achieve. These films and the exuberant 'Swinging London' comedy The Jokers (1967), also starring Reed, were well-suited to Winner's restless, intrusive camera style and staccato editing. They were followed by Hannibal Brooks (1969), a witty Second World War comedy written by Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais, which attracted attention in America and led to Winner pursuing a Hollywood career in the 1970s.
Winner now developed a new reputation as an efficient maker of violent action thrillers, often starring Charles Bronson. The most successful and controversial was Death Wish (1974), with Bronson cast as a liberal architect who embraces vengeance after the murder of his wife and daughter. An intelligent analysis of the deep roots of vigilantism in American society, Death Wish is restrained in its depiction of violence. With his obsessive need to work, Winner accepted many inferior projects, including two weak Death Wish sequels, though occasionally he tried to make more prestigious films, notably The Nightcomers (1971), a prequel to Henry James' The Turn of the Screw, made in Britain with Marlon Brando; and A Chorus of Disapproval (1989), a satisfying version of Alan Ayckbourn's bittersweet comedy.
By the 1990s Winner had become less prolific, and reaped no benefit from the Lottery-prompted rise in genre film-making, which favoured the young and inexperienced. Dirty Weekend (1993), a rape-revenge movie with a female vigilante, aroused considerable controversy, but hardly enhanced Winner's reputation; Parting Shots (1998), a comedy revenge thriller suffused with allusions to Death Wish and restaurant scenes invoking Winner's current incarnation as a food critic, is perhaps his swan song.
In an interview with The Times newspaper, Winner said liver specialists had told him in summer 2012 that he had between 18 months and two years to live. He said he had researched assisted suicide offered at the Dignitas clinic in Switzerland, but found the bureaucracy of the process off-putting. Winner died at his home, Woodland House in Holland Park, on 21 January 2013, aged 77. Winner was buried following a traditional Jewish funeral at Willesden Jewish Cemetery.- Writer
- Director
- Producer
Writer/director/producer James Glickenhaus was born on July 24, 1950 in New York City. He grew up in affluent New Rochelle. James first fell in love with movies at age eight. Glickenhaus attended Fieldston School in Riverdale, New York, the University of California, Antioch College in Yellow Springs, Ohio, and Sarah Lawrence College in New York. James began his film career making educational and industrial pictures. He made his theatrical feature debut in the mid 70's with the obscure horror entry "Suicide Cult." Glickenhaus achieved his biggest commercial success with the brutal and controversial urban vigilante opus "The Exterminator." James subsequently directed the violent action item "The Soldier," the fun Jackie Chan vehicle "The Protector," the exciting "Shakedown," the so-so "McBain," the creepy thriller "Slaughter of the Innocents," and the enjoyable sci-fi romp "Timemaster." Glickenhaus served as the chairman for the film company SGE Entertainment from 1987 to 1995; this company specialized in both making and distributing low-budget independent straight-to-video fare. James was the executive producer for the movies "Maniac Cop," "Frankenhooker," both "Basket Case" sequels, "Ring of Steel," and "Tough and Deadly." He quit the film business in the mid 90's and went on to become a Wall Street fund manager as well as a limited partner in the Wall Street firm Glickenhaus and Company. Moreover, James is an avid collector of rare expensive former racing cars. His son Jesse Cameron-Glickenhaus appears in three of his movies: "The Protector," "Slaughter of the Innocents," and "Timemaster." More recently James Glickenhaus popped up in a small role in Frank Henenlotter's typically outrageous "Bad Biology."- Producer
- Director
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Lamar Card was born in Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA. He is a producer and director, known for The Blood of Others (1984), Terror Train (1980) and Nation.