Joel Schumacher - director, screenwriter and producer of American cinema

American film director, producer and screenwriter J. Schumacher was born in New York on August 29, 1939. The father died when the child was not even four years old. The mother had to manage the economy alone and earn the living herself. The family overcame difficulties, Joel grew up and also began to work part-time. Gradually, the family appeared prosperity, and he was able to go to school.

Carier start

Young Schumacher chose the school Parsons, where they taught design. Then Joel entered the Institute of Fashion and Clothing Technology. Having received a diploma, he got a job at an advertising agency and began to decorate the facades and interiors of fashion stores. However, young Schumacher constantly dreamed about cinema, he was attracted by the romance of the shooting process, communication with Hollywood stars, and, of course, good earnings.

Joel Schumacher left the advertising business and moved from New York to Los Angeles. In Hollywood, he began to work in his specialty, a costume designer. Quickly enough, Schumacher advanced in the design of film projects. The performers valued the talented specialist and literally overwhelmed his work.

Soon Joel Schumacher proved himself as a capable screenwriter. According to the plot he proposed, a low-budget film, "Car Wash" was shot, which unexpectedly had good box office. After such a successful debut, Joel wrote several more scenarios for which films were put. Schumacher became his man in Hollywood, wrote a lot, his stories were different in novelty, the narrative was exciting and informative.

Career director

In 1981, Joel Schumacher filmed his first film as a director. It was a picture in the genre of a satirical comedy titled "An Incredibly Withered Woman." The next film "St. Elm's Fire" staged by director Schumacher not only gave a good box office, but also served as a start in a great movie for a whole group of young, novice actors.

The film "The Missing Guys", filmed by Joel in 1987 in the genre of horror (horror film), made famous actor Sutherland. Later this artist played along with Julia Roberts in the film "Comedians", filmed in 1990. Joel Schumacher, whose films became popular and anticipated by the public even before the screen, wrote one script after another and immediately filmed the best of them. His image as a director constantly grew and strengthened, the administrative elite of Hollywood could not be proud of the success of new film projects.

Best movie

In 1993, Joel Schumacher shot one of the most notable films for the entire period of his work as a stage director. It was a psychological thriller "I've had enough!" With Michael Douglas in the title role. The picture was created on the highest note of nervous tension. It was a masterpiece of cinema art.

Then came two more successful film projects: the film "Client", based on the novel by John Grisham, and the film "Time to Kill." In 1995, the management of the Warner Brothers film studio suggested that Schumacher remove a new version of "Batman" with the expectation of a higher degree of artistry and minimization of bloody scenes. Schumacher created a full-length feature film "Batman Forever" with Val Kilmer in the title role. The film had an impressive box office success, although the criticism was restrained.

"Golden Raspberry"

Nevertheless, the director was offered to remove the sequel titled "Batman and Robin", which was done. Against all expectations, the new motion picture failed miserably, and Joel Schumacher received the nomination for the Golden Raspberry Award. This meant that he was jokingly recognized as the worst director for the film "Batman and Robin."

Schumacher was not at all upset and soon shot two more films: "Without flaw" (in the title role - Robert de Niro) and "8 millimeters" with Nicolas Cage. These films had no particular success.

In 2000, Joel Schumacher put the picture "The Land of Tigers" about the Vietnamese campaign. The dramatic plot provided an opportunity to prove himself to the actor of Irish origin Colin Farrell, for whom the film became the debut Hollywood project. Three years later, the director again met with Colin, already in the picture "Phone booth."

The film "House of Cards"

In 2013, Joel Schumacher wrote the script for a television series called "House of Cards".

In the center of the story are political events unfolding around the election of the US President and the appointment of the Secretary of State. The film "House of Cards" tells about dishonesty of American politicians.

Director and music

In 2004, Schumacher tried his hand at a musical film project called "The Phantom of the Opera" in the footsteps of the musical Webber Andrew Lloyd. The film received a nomination for three Oscar awards and three Golden Globes, but no real prizes were given to its creators.

Currently, director Joel Schumacher is working on new projects. At 77, he is full of energy and ready to work on.