History Creator / BrianDePalma

Brian Russell De Palma is an American film director and writer, born on September 11, 1940, in Newark, New Jersey. De Palma attended Columbia University in New York, New York. He made his first film, Icarus, as a student there. After De Palma graduated in 1962, he spent time at Sarah Lawrence College on a writing fellowship. In the mid-1960s De Palma began working on his feature-length debut with ''Film/TheWeddingParty'', released in 1969 and featured an up-and-coming actor named Creator/RobertDeNiro. De Palma’s career began to take off in the 1970s with the horror film ''Film/{{Carrie|1976}}'', based on a Creator/StephenKing novel. Often compared to the legendary director Creator/AlfredHitchcock, De Palma has helmed numerous thrillers, such as ''Film/DressedToKill'' (1980), ''Film/BlowOut'' (1981) starring Creator/JohnTravolta and ''Film/BodyDouble'' (1984). He has also created one of Creator/AlPacino's most famous roles--as [[Film/{{Scarface1983}} Tony Montana]], a Cuban refugee who climbs the criminal ladder to become a Miami drug kingpin. In 1987, De Palma directed ''Film/TheUntouchables'' based on the television show about real life federal agent Eliot Ness' war against the Chicago bootlegging empire of Al Capone.

He's a BIG fan of Hitchcock--''and it shows''! Many of his films have obvious allusions to Hitchcock's work, and a few are even considered loose remakes of Hitchcock films. This makes him controversial among cinephiles. He's either considered to be the person who carried on the Hitchcock legacy, or an untalented pretender [[FollowTheLeader prone to ripping him off]].

He's also well known for having heavy doses of {{Fanservice}} in his films--[[InterplayOfSexAndViolence often linked in some way with violence against women]], occasionally drawing some controversy for this. His response: "I'm always attacked for having an erotic, sexist approach---chopping up women, putting women in peril. I'm making suspense movies! What else is going to happen to them?"

* ''Film/MurderALaMod'' (1968) Little-known early film, finally re-released on Creator/TheCriterionCollection UsefulNotes/BluRay of ''Film/BlowOut''.
* ''Film/{{Greetings}}'' (1968) "Underground" indie known for featuring Creator/RobertDeNiro in his first major role and for being the first film ''ever'' to get an "X" rating (the MPAA later changed its mind, and rated it "R").

He also had a small but important impact on a little film called ''Film/ANewHope''; he held joint auditions with his buddy George Lucas for it and ''Film/{{Carrie|1976}}'', because of the similar actor types needed for Carrie White/Princess Leia and Tommy Ross/Luke Skywalker. Then, when Lucas showed him the draft for his film's opening crawl, De Palma found it too long and too "gibberish". De Palma rewrote and edited down the crawl to the now-famous text audiences know and love.

* ProductionPosse: Actors like Creator/RobertDeNiro Nancy Allen, Amy Irving, Dennis Franz, Gerrit Graham, William Finley, Al Israel, Jennifer Salt, and Gregg Henry crop up a lot in his work.

* AuthorAppeal: His most consistent genres fall into murder mysteries, psychological thrillers, and crime.
* ColorMotifs: He really likes using a neon color palette in his movies, particularly [[RedFilterOfDoom red]] and [[UnnaturallyBlueLighting blue]].
* RecurringElement: De Palma has been noted for utilizing a distinctive assortment of filmmaking techniques and visual cues in his movies, which all play a role in conveying information to the audience, enhancing the atmosphere, and building up tension. These include:
** AnInsert

* ShoutOut: Frequently references other filmmakers, particularly Creator/AlfredHitchcock, by recreating scenes, shots, or by reusing another movie's premise for his movies. He does this to the point where some accuse him of committing plagiarism rather than merely referencing other works.

!Films directed by Brian De Palma include:

!Tropes Pertaining to Brian De Palma's films:

* ShoutOut: Frequently references other filmmakers, particularly Creator/AlfredHitchcock, by recreating scenes, shots, or by reusing another movie's premise for his movies. He does this to the point where some accuse him of plagiarism rather than merely referencing other works.

* CommonElement: De Palma has been noted for utilizing a distinctive assortment of filmmaking techniques and visual cues in his movies, which all play a role in conveying information to the audience, enhancing the atmosphere, and building up tension. These include:

* ''Film/TheBonfireOfTheVanities'' (1990)

He's also well known for having heavy doses of {{Fanservice}} in his films--[[InterplayOfSexAndViolence often linked in some way with violence aginst women]], occasionally drawing some controversy for this. His response: "I'm always attacked for having an erotic, sexist approach---chopping up women, putting women in peril. I'm making suspense movies! What else is going to happen to them?"

He's also well known for having heavy doses of {{Fanservice}} in his films--[[InterplayOfSexAndViolence often linked in some way with violence]], occasionally drawing some controversy for this.

He's a BIG fan of Hitchcock--''and it shows''! Many of his films have obvious allusions to Hitchcock's work, and a few are even considered loose remakes of Hitchcock films. This makes him controversial among cinephiles. He's either considered to be the person who carried on his legacy, or an untalented pretender [[FollowTheLeader prone to ripping him off]].

He's a BIG fan of Hitchcock--''and it shows''! Also, many of his films have moments of intense self-reflectiveness about cinema: ''Film/BlowOut'', for example, has a sound editor (whose equipment assists his amateur investigation) as a protagonist; ''Film/BodyDouble'' has an actor (and a major plot point involving [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin body doubles]]); the beginning of ''Film/{{Femme Fatale|2002}}'' takes place at Cannes; and ''Film/TheBlackDahlia'' has Hollywood culture in the 1940s as an important plot point. His Hitchcock appreciation makes him controversial among cinephiles. He's either considered to be the person who carried on his legacy, or an untalented pretender [[FollowTheLeader prone to ripping him off]].

He's also well known for having heavy doses of {{Fanservice}} in his films--[[InterplayOfSexAndViolence often linked in some way with violence]]. He also had a small but important impact on a little film called ''Film/ANewHope''; his buddy George Lucas showed him the draft for his film's opening crawl, which [=DePalma=] found too long and too "gibberish". [=DePalma=] rewrote and edited down the crawl to the now-famous text audiences know and love.

He's also well known for having heavy doses of {{Fanservice}} in his films--[[InterplayOfSexAndViolence often linked in some way with violence]].

* ''Film/MurderALaMod'' (1968) Little-known early film, finally re-released on TheCriterionCollection UsefulNotes/BluRay of ''Film/BlowOut''.

Brian De Palma is an American film director and writer, born on September 11, 1940, in Newark, New Jersey. De Palma attended Columbia University in New York, New York. He made his first film, Icarus, as a student there. After De Palma graduated in 1962, he spent time at Sarah Lawrence College on a writing fellowship. In the mid-1960s De Palma began working on his feature-length debut with ''Film/TheWeddingParty'', released in 1969 and featured an up-and-coming actor named Creator/RobertDeNiro. De Palma’s career began to take off in the 1970s with the horror film ''Film/{{Carrie|1976}}'', based on a Creator/StephenKing novel. Often compared to the legendary director Creator/AlfredHitchcock, De Palma has helmed numerous thrillers, such as ''Film/DressedToKill'' (1980), ''Film/BlowOut'' (1981) starring Creator/JohnTravolta and ''Film/BodyDouble'' (1984). He has also created one of Creator/AlPacino's most famous roles--as [[Film/{{Scarface1983}} Tony Montana]], a Cuban refugee who climbs the criminal ladder to become a Miami drug kingpin. In 1987, De Palma directed ''Film/TheUntouchables'' based on the television show about real life federal agent Eliot Ness' war against the Chicago bootlegging empire of Al Capone.

* ''Film/{{Greetings}}'' (1968) "Underground" indie known for featuring RobertDeNiro in his first major role and for being the first film ''ever'' to get an "X" rating (the MPAA later changed its mind, and rated it "R").

He's a BIG fan of Hitchcock--''and it shows''! Also, many of his films have moments of intense self-reflectiveness about cinema: ''Film/BlowOut'', for example, has a sound editor (whose equipment assists his amateur investigation) as a protagonist; ''Film/BodyDouble'' has an actor (and a major plot point involving [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin body doubles]]); the beginning of ''Film/{{Femme Fatale|2002}}'' takes place at Cannes; and ''Film/TheBlackDahlia'' has Hollywood culture in the 1940s as an important plot point. His Hitchcock appreciation makes him controversial among cinephiles. Either he's the SpiritualSuccessor who carries on his legacy, or an untalented pretender [[FollowTheLeader prone to ripping him off]].

He's a BIG fan of Hitchcock--''and it shows''! Also, many of his films have moments of intense self-reflectiveness about cinema: ''Film/BlowOut'', for example, has a sound editor (whose equipment assists his amateur investigation) as a protagonist; ''Film/BodyDouble'' has an actor (and a major plot point involving [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin body doubles]]); the beginning of ''Film/FemmeFatale'' takes place at Cannes; and ''Film/TheBlackDahlia'' has Hollywood culture in the 1940s as an important plot point. His Hitchcock appreciation makes him controversial among cinephiles. Either he's the SpiritualSuccessor who carries on his legacy, or an untalented pretender [[FollowTheLeader prone to ripping him off]].

* ''Film/FemmeFatale'' (2002)

* ''Film/{{Sisters}}'' (1973)

He's a BIG fan of Hitchcock--''and it shows''! Also, many of his films have moments of intense self-reflectiveness about cinema: ''Film/BlowOut'', for example, has a sound editor (whose equipment assists his amateur investigation) as a protagonist; ''Film/BodyDouble'' has an actor (and a major plot point involving [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin body doubles]]); the beginning of ''Film/FemmeFatale'' takes place at Cannes; and ''Film/TheBlackDahlia'' has Hollywood culture in the 1940s as an important plot point. His Hitchcock appreciation makes him a BaseBreaker among cinephiles. Either he's the SpiritualSuccessor who carries on his legacy, or an untalented pretender [[FollowTheLeader prone to ripping him off]].

Brian De Palma is an American film director and writer, born on September 11, 1940, in Newark, New Jersey. De Palma attended Columbia University in New York, New York. He made his first film, Icarus, as a student there. After De Palma graduated in 1962, he spent time at Sarah Lawrence College on a writing fellowship. In the mid-1960s De Palma began working on his feature-length debut with ''Film/TheWeddingParty'', released in 1969 and featured an up-and-coming actor named Creator/RobertDeNiro. De Palma’s career began to take off in the 1970s with the horror film ''Film/{{Carrie}}'', based on a Creator/StephenKing novel. Often compared to the legendary director Creator/AlfredHitchcock, De Palma has helmed numerous thrillers, such as ''Film/DressedToKill'' (1980), ''Film/BlowOut'' (1981) starring Creator/JohnTravolta and ''Film/BodyDouble'' (1984). He has also created one of Creator/AlPacino's most famous roles--as [[Film/{{Scarface1983}} Tony Montana]], a Cuban refugee who climbs the criminal ladder to become a Miami drug kingpin. In 1987, De Palma directed ''Film/TheUntouchables'' based on the television show about real life federal agent Eliot Ness' war against the Chicago bootlegging empire of Al Capone.

* ''Film/{{Carrie}}'' (1976)

He's a BIG fan of Hitchcock--''and it shows''! Also, many of his films have moments of intense self-reflectiveness about cinema: ''Film/BlowOut'', for example, has a sound editor (whose equipment assists his amateur investigation) as a protagonist; ''Film/BodyDouble'' has an actor (and a major plot point involving [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin body doubles]]); the beginning of ''Film/FemmeFatale'' takes place at Cannes; and ''Film/TheBlackDahlia'' has Hollywood culture in the 1940s as an important plot point. His Hitchcock appreciation makes him a BaseBreaker among cinephiles. Either he's the SpiritualSuccessor of Hitchcock who carries on his legacy, or an untalented pretender [[FollowTheLeader prone to ripping off Hitchcock]].

He's a BIG fan of Hitchcock--''and it shows''! Also, many of his films have moments of intense self-reflectiveness about cinema: ''Film/BlowOut'', for example, has a sound editor (whose equipment assists his amateur investigation) as a protagonist; ''Film/BodyDouble'' has an actor (and a major plot point involving [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin body doubles]]); the beginning of ''Film/FemmeFatale'' takes place at Cannes; and ''Film/TheBlackDahlia'' has Hollywood culture in the 1940s as an important plot point.

Brian De Palma is an American film director and writer, born on September 11, 1940, in Newark, New Jersey. De Palma attended Columbia University in New York, New York. He made his first film, Icarus, as a student there. After De Palma graduated in 1962, he spent time at Sarah Lawrence College on a writing fellowship. In the mid-1960s De Palma began working on his feature-length debut with ''Film/TheWeddingParty'', released in 1969 and featured an up-and-coming actor named Creator/RobertDeNiro. De Palma’s career began to take off in the 1970s with the horror film ''Film/{{Carrie}}'', based on a Creator/StephenKing novel. Often compared to the legendary director Creator/AlfredHitchcock, De Palma has helmed numerous thrillers, such as ''Film/DressedToKill'' (1980), ''Film/BlowOut'' (1981) starring Creator/JohnTravolta and ''Film/BodyDouble'' (1984). He has also created one of Creator/AlPacino's most famous roles--as [[Film/{{Scarface}} Tony Montana]], a Cuban refugee who climbs the criminal ladder to become a Miami drug kingpin. In 1987, De Palma directed ''Film/TheUntouchables'' based on the television show about real life federal agent Eliot Ness' war against the Chicago bootlegging empire of Al Capone.

Brian De Palma is an American film director and writer, born on September 11, 1940, in Newark, New Jersey. De Palma attended Columbia University in New York, New York. He made his first film, Icarus, as a student there. After De Palma graduated in 1962, he spent time at Sarah Lawrence College on a writing fellowship. In the mid-1960s De Palma began working on his feature-length debut with ''Film/TheWeddingParty'', released in 1969 and featured an up-and-coming actor named Creator/RobertDeNiro. De Palma’s career began to take off in the 1970s with the horror film ''Film/{{Carrie}}'', based on a Creator/StephenKing novel. Often compared to the legendary director Creator/AlfredHitchcock, De Palma has helmed numerous thrillers, such as ''Film/DressedToKill'' (1980), ''Film/BlowOut'' (1981) starring Creator/JohnTravolta and ''Film/BodyDouble'' (1984). He has also created one of Creator/AlPacino's most famous roles - as [[Film/{{Scarface}} Tony Montana]], a Cuban refugee who climbs the criminal ladder to become a Miami drug kingpin. In 1987, De Palma directed ''Film/TheUntouchables'' based on the television show about real life federal agent Eliot Ness' war agains the Chicago bootlegging empire of Al Capone.

Brian De Palma is an American film director and writer, born on September 11, 1940, in Newark, New Jersey. De Palma attended Columbia University in New York, New York. He made his first film, Icarus, as a student there. After De Palma graduated in 1962, he spent time at Sarah Lawrence College on a writing fellowship. In the mid-1960s De Palma began working on his feature-length debut with ''Film/TheWeddingParty'', released in 1969 and featured an up-and-coming actor named Creator/RobertDeNiro. De Palma’s career began to take off in the 1970s with the horror film ''Film/{{Carrie}}'', based on a Creator/StephenKing novel. Often compared to the legendary director Creator/AlfredHitchcock, De Palma has helmed numerous thrillers, such as ''Film/DressedToKill'' (1980), ''Film/BlowOut'' (1981) starring Creator/JohnTravolta and ''Film/BodyDouble'' (1984). He has also created one of Creator/AlPacino as a Cuban refugee who climbs Miami drug kingpin. In 1987, De Palma directed ''Film/TheUntouchables'' based on the television show about real life federal agent Eliot Ness' war agains the Chicago bootlegging empire of Al Capone.

He's also well known for having heavy doses of {{Fanservice}} in his films--often linked in some way with violence.