M. Night Shyamalan

"I see dead people"
This is just one of the chilling lines from "6th Sense". A film which put Shyamalan on the hollywood map in a big way. His style is dark, fluid and mysterious with emotional twists that are remenicent of the late Alfred Hitchcock.

Born in India dduring 1970, Shyamalan first got a taste for movies when given a video camera at just eight years old. Having made his first movie in 1992 "Praying With Anger" it wasn't until 1998 that Shyamalan would make his return with, "Wide Awake" which he also wrote.

But it was in 1999 that he came to great success with his box office smash, The 6th Sense. A supernatural tale starring Bruce Willis and brilliant child star Haley Joel Osment.

Shyamalan uses tension in leaps and bounds to keep his audience guessing as we try to piece the story together. Although his movies are very different from each other, they do tend to seek out something supernatural or push the boundaries of the "What if?" scenario.

Lighting and camera movement stand out as one of his strong points, which he does with ease on every outting, although his basic idea is relatively simple.

The beauty of Shyamalan's movies always show up at the end of the film, where he produces all the magic, when you realise that what you saw, was not really going on at all.

What were you thinking?
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Spike Lee

The end of the 1990's saw the re-emergence of Black Power, not only in the streets,music and fashion, but also on the silver screen.

Spike Lee first came to public attention when he released "She's Gotta Have It". A movie shot in black & white in 1986. But it wasn't until he made "Do The Right Thing" in 1989 that hollywood began to take this young black director,writer/actor seriously, and won himself an academy nomination for best "Original screen Play" and Rick Aiello for best Supporting Actor.

Lee exploded on the film scene with a string of follow up movies like, "Mo' Better Blues" "Jungle Fever" and "Malcom X" while firmly turning himself into a household name, marketing/advertising himself with Nike alongside Micheal Jordan.

Spike Lee tends to hire the same actors/actresses in his films, which seem to give his movies a sense of association to his audience, and it was always a guarantee with his earlier films that there was going to be some kind of controversy!

Spike Lee changed Black Film. Not only did he stir up the call of injustice, he would brings it across in beautiful bright colours and black urban soul as it's soundtrack. Over night Lee became a role model for black people around the world, especially in the Hip-Hop communities.

Although deemed controvertial, Lee has been able to use this to his own advantage. By getting white America to not only see things from a Black perspective, but for White America to actually look at itself!

Rumour has it, that Lee is being tipped to direct the life and times of the legendary James Brown. Controversy?
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John Landis

One of my favourite artists is Micheal Jackson, but nothing brought him more acclaim then his video for "Thriller"


Born in Chicago in 1950, Landis worked as a mailroom attendant at 20th century Fox before coming to the forefront as a director. Infact Landis got called in as an assistant director whilst at MGM in Yuogoslavia during 1969.

Landis made his first movie "Schlock" in 1971. The film was a total flop by indusrty standards, but Landis had something bigger in mind...!

Being inspired by the likes of Monty Python (Terry Gilliam) and Saturday Night Live, Landis made "Kentucky Fried Movie" in 1977 quickly followed by "National Lampoon's Animal House" and "The Blues Brothers", which was a box office hit!

In 1981 he released "An American Werewolf in London". Landis revolutionised make-up on film with his special effects team, namely academy award winning artist Rick Baker.
Landis will always be known as the first to metomorphisise from human to animal/ghoul in bright light, but making the whole transformation totally amazing!

He also went on to collaborate with names such as Eddie Murphy in "Trading Places" "Coming To America" and the not so overwhelming "Beverly Hills Cop 3"

John Landis obviously likes to have fun behind the camera, but at the same time he doesn't demand that his audience take him too seriously. He just wants to make you laugh, while he scares you to death!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hOj5H5W

The Brothers Quay

Movement, mood and attention to detail is what first thing that springs to mind with these guys. Identical twins born in Pennsylania, USA 1947, Stephen and Timothy both studied illustration in Philidelphia. The brothers first started making short movies whilst attending The Royal College of Art in London.

The stop motion style and technique used by the brothers is is accompanied by some type of medival period with spooky suggestive overtones. They are not big fans of speech. But the sound in their movies are essential in creating moods with texture. A lot of thier work tends to feature dolls as characters and very often have no eyes, or have half a head. Weird?

Terry Gilliam

Slightly crazy, off beat and full of satire, Terry Gilliam is not an easy customer. He is a writer, actor, animator, director, but started out as an illustrator.
Born November 1940 in Minnesota, Gilliam studied at Birmingham High school and got his first job working for a magazine called "Help" as an assistant editer. Later on Gilliam would leave America and moved to England in 1967.

During 1969 Gilliam was asked by John Cleese to join The Monty Python comdey cast. Along with this Gilliam contributed many pieces if animation and even began taking small acting roles.
His animation is dark and surreal and filled with classic art and pictures. He always seeks to push the boundaries in an attempt to offer his viewing audience just a little bit more...? What he does with pictures in animation is truely amazing and inovative. Humour and comedy is always apparant, even if it can't be seen at first and creates subtle moods with his colours and tones.

Away from the satire & animation Gilliam is credited as a director for films such as "Brother's Grimm" & "12 Monkeys" which starred Bruce Willis & Brad Pitt. He also directed Robert De Niro in another one of his movies "Brazil". The thing with Gilliam is you either love his work or hate it. He is a specialist in his feild...I'm just not too sure exactly what that is? Terry Gilliam is not your average modern Artist.
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Tim Burton

Animator, writer, producer & director, Tim Burton is one of hollywoods biggest talents. Born in California 1958, Tim was alway interested in film as a little boy, and was fond of monster movies.
But it was during 1974 that Tim would choose animation as a career and began to attend The California Institute of The Arts. By 1979 Burton was working for Walt Disney on a project called "The Fox & The Hound"

After discovering Burtons dark & unusual style of drawing, Disney gave Burton a chance to produce his own animation "Vincent" a personal tribute the the late Vincent Price, one of his childhood heroes.

After scoring a hit with his first movie "Pee Wee's big Adventure" Burton went on to direct Batman, Edward Scissorhands, Planet of The Apes, Beetle Juice, only to be called upon again for Batman Returns.

Burton clearly has a taste for horror & goth, but you can also see a child-like thread in all of his work wether as an animator or director. Just to name a few: Sleepy Hollow, Ed Wood, Charlie & the Chocolate Factory, The Night Before Christmas & Sleepy Hollow.
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