User:Jon698/David Cronenberg

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David Cronenberg
CC OOnt
Cronenberg in 2012
Born
David Paul Cronenberg

(1943-03-15) March 15, 1943 (age 81)
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Other namesThe Baron of Blood
King of Venereal Horror
EducationUniversity of Toronto (BA)
Occupations
  • Film director
  • screenwriter
  • actor
Years active1966–present
Spouses
Margaret Hindson
​
​
(m. 1972; div. 1979)​
Carolyn Zeifman
​
​
(m. 1979; died 2017)​
Children3, including Brandon and Caitlin
RelativesDenise Cronenberg (sister)
Aaron Woodley (nephew)

David Paul Cronenberg CC OOnt (born March 15, 1943) is a Canadian film director, screenwriter, and actor.

Early life and education[edit]

David Cronenberg was born in Toronto, Ontario, on March 15, 1943.[1] Milton wrote some short stories for True Detective and had a column in the Toronto Telegram for around thirty years.[2]

Cronenberg attended Dewson Street Public School, Kent Senior School, Harbord Collegiate Institute and North Toronto Collegiate Institute. He enrolled at the University of Toronto for Honours Science in 1963, but changed to Honours English Language and Literature the next year. He graduated from university in 1967, at the top of his class with a general bachelor of arts.[3][1] Cronenberg decided to not study for a master of arts after making Stereo.[4]

Career[edit]

Short films and television[edit]

Cronenberg made two short films, Transfer and From the Drain, with a few hundred dollars.[5] Cronenberg, Ivan Reitman, Bob Fothergill, and Iain Ewing were inspired by Jonas Mekas and formed the Toronto Film Co-op.[6]

After finishing Crimes of the Future Cronenberg lived in Tourrettes-sur-Loup, France, where he shot filler for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation using a 16 mm camera he purchased with a Canada Council grant. During his time in France he went to the Cannes Film Festival where he realized that he "couldn't make movies like Stereo and Crimes and consider myself a professional film-maker" and that he needed a broader audience. He returned to Canada and started work on Shivers.[7]

On his return to Canada he directed an episode for the television series Program X which he later referred to as "his suppressed film".[8] In 1975, John Hirsch taught Cronenberg technical details about filming and invited him to direct two episodes, The Victim and The Lie Chair, for the television series Peep Show.[9] Between the release of Shivers and production of Rabid he directed The Italian Machine, an episode of Teleplay, in 1976.[10]

Early films[edit]

Cronenberg joined Cinépix which he described as "sleazy distributors, and I say that with great affection - my kind of people".[11]

Cronenberg was in the midst of a divorce and custody battle during the production of The Brood.[12]

Cronenberg gained Mike Marcus as his agent, the only one in his career, after completing Scanners.[13]

De Laurentiis[edit]

Cronenberg initially rejected De Laurentiis' offer to direct The Dead Zone, but accepted the position after meeting Hill.[14][15] The financial failure of Videodrome occurred during the filming of The Dead Zone.[16]

Cronenberg produced a series of commercials for Ontario Hydro, Neilson Dairy, and Nike, Inc. from 1989 to 1990.[17]

Directing style[edit]

Cronenberg stated that he was "anti-Hitchcockian" as he felt there was nothing "more hideous than planning everything on paper before you shoot, and then enduring the process".[18]

Unrealized projects[edit]

In the early 1980s Cronenberg attempted to make a film adaption of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein that took place in the modern day.[19] Cronenberg wrote an original script for Universal after Videodrome titled Six Legs, but the film was never made although aspects were incorporated into The Fly and Naked Lunch.[20]

Cronenberg was offered the role of director for Witness while it was under the name Come Home, but declined as he "could never be a fan of the Amish". He was also offered the director's position for Flashdance, Top Gun, and Beverly Hills Cop.[21][20] Marc Boyman offered Cronenberg the position of director for The Incubus, but declined although this led to Boyman producing The Fly and Dead Ringers.[22]

Filmography[edit]

Year Title Credited as Notes Ref(s)
Director Writer Producer Editor Other
1969 Stereo Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes cinematographer [23]
1970 Crimes of the Future Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes cinematographer [23]
1975 Shivers Yes Yes No No No [24]
1977 Rabid Yes Yes No No No [25]
1979 Fast Company Yes Yes No No No [26]
1979 The Brood Yes Yes No No No [27]
1980 Scanners Yes Yes No No No [28]
1983 Videodrome Yes Yes No No No [29]
1983 The Dead Zone Yes No No No No [30]
1986 The Fly Yes Yes No No No [31]
1988 Dead Ringers Yes Yes Yes No No [32]
1991 Naked Lunch Yes Yes No No No [33]
1993 M. Butterfly Yes No No No No [34]
1996 Crash Yes Yes Yes No No [35]
Year Title Credited as Notes Ref(s)
Director Writer Producer Editor Other
1971 Jim Ritchie Sculptor Documentary short [36]
1971 Letter from Michelangelo Documentary short [36]
1971 Tourettes Documentary short [36]
1972 Don Valley Documentary short [36]
1972 Fort York Documentary short [36]
1972 Lakeshore Documentary short [36]
1972 Winter Garden Documentary short [36]
1972 Scarborough Bluffs Documentary short [36]
1972 In the Dirt Documentary short [36]
1972 Secret Weapons Yes No No No Yes Episode of Program X [36]
1975 The Victim Yes No No No No Episode of Peep Show [24]
1975 The Lie Chair Yes No No No No Episode of Peep Show [37]
1976 The Italian Machine Yes Yes No No No Episode of Teleplay [37]
1987 Faith Healer Yes No No No No Episode of Friday the 13th: The Series [38]
1990 Regina Versus Horvath Yes No No No No Episode of Scales of Justice [39]
1990 Regina Versus Logan Yes No No No No Episode of Scales of Justice [39]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b "David Cronenberg". The New York Times. 2009. Archived from the original on February 22, 2009.
  2. ^ Rodley 1997, p. 2.
  3. ^ Rodley 1997, p. 1-2.
  4. ^ Rodley 1997, p. 17.
  5. ^ Rodley 1997, p. 13.
  6. ^ Rodley 1997, p. 15.
  7. ^ Rodley 1997, p. 34-35.
  8. ^ Rodley 1997, p. 35.
  9. ^ Rodley 1997, p. 51.
  10. ^ Rodley 1997, p. 54.
  11. ^ Rodley 1997, p. 36.
  12. ^ Rodley 1997, p. 76.
  13. ^ Rodley 1997, p. 109.
  14. ^ Cronenberg 2006, p. 72-73.
  15. ^ Rodley 1997, p. 110.
  16. ^ Rodley 1997, p. 102.
  17. ^ Rodley 1997, p. 217.
  18. ^ Rodley 1997, p. 153.
  19. ^ Rodley 1997, p. 92.
  20. ^ a b Rodley 1997, p. 119.
  21. ^ Rodley 1997, p. 116.
  22. ^ Rodley 1997, p. 136.
  23. ^ a b Rodley 1997, p. 206.
  24. ^ a b Rodley 1997, p. 208.
  25. ^ Rodley 1997, p. 211.
  26. ^ Rodley 1997, p. 211-212.
  27. ^ Rodley 1997, p. 212.
  28. ^ Rodley 1997, p. 213.
  29. ^ Rodley 1997, p. 213-214.
  30. ^ Rodley 1997, p. 214-215.
  31. ^ Rodley 1997, p. 215.
  32. ^ Rodley 1997, p. 216-217.
  33. ^ Rodley 1997, p. 220.
  34. ^ Rodley 1997, p. 221.
  35. ^ Rodley 1997, p. 221-222.
  36. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Rodley 1997, p. 207.
  37. ^ a b Rodley 1997, p. 210.
  38. ^ Rodley 1997, p. 216.
  39. ^ a b Rodley 1997, p. 218.

Works cited[edit]

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