Biography
Later dubbed the Modern Master of Suspense, De Palma owed much of his career to the original Master, Alfred Hitchcock, whose movies he remade in one fashion or another several times over. After emerging onto the scene with small independents like "Greetings" (1968) and "The Wedding Party" (1969), De Palma reworked Hitchcock's "Vertigo" (1958) into the unsuccessful thriller, "Obsession" (1976). But he had one of his most lasting successes with …
Latest Tv Credits
1 - 4 of 4
Career Milestones
2007 | Wrote and directed "Redacted," a drama based on the Mahmudiyah killings; the rape, murder, and burning of Abeer Qasim Hamza al-Janabi, a 14-year-old Iraqi girl in March 2006 by U.S. soldiers who also killed her parents and younger sister | |
2006 | Helmed an adaptation of the James Ellroy crime novel "The Black Dahlia" framed around the infamous Hollywood murder of wannabe actress Elizabeth Short | |
2002 | Wrote and directed the erotic thriller "Femme Fatale" starring Rebecca Romijn-Stamos and Antonio Banderas | |
2000 | Directed the little-seen sci-fi film "Mission to Mars" | |
1998 | Bombed with "Snake Eyes," despite a promising opening: a 12-minute continuous steadicam shot | |
1996 | Raised stock considerably helming the blockbuster "Mission: Impossible," produced by and starring Tom Cruise | |
1993 | Reteamed with Pacino and Penn for "Carlito's Way" | |
1992 | Returned to the world of the medium budget thriller for "Raising Cain" with little success; sixth and (to date) last collaboration with Donaggio | |
1990 | Bombed with "Bonfire of the Vanities" | |
1989 | Directed compelling Vietnam War tale, "Casualties of War"; first collaboration with Sean Penn | |
1987 | Scored huge commercial success with "The Untouchables"; film featured Robert De Niro as Al Capone | |
1983 | First pairing with Al Pacino, "Scarface" | |
1981 | Emulated Michelangelo Antonioni with "Blow Out," which reteamed him with Travolta; last film directing Allen | |
1980 | Wrote and directed the melodrama "Dressed to Kill," featuring a chilling score by Donaggio and an appearance by Allen | |
1979 | Debut as a producer, "Home Movies"; also directed and contributed story; second teaming with Douglas, Allen and Donaggio | |
1978 | Continued his study of psychokinetic powers with "The Fury," starring Kirk Douglas and Amy Irving | |
1976 | Commercial breakthrough, "Carrie" based on the Stephen King novel and starring Sissy Spacek as a teenager with psykokinetic powers; first of five movies directing then wife Nancy Allen; also marked initial collaborations with composer Pino Donaggio and actors John Travolta and Amy Irving | |
1973 | Directed "Sisters," his first thriller; also scripted from his story | |
1972 | Directed first Hollywood production "Get To Know Your Rabbit," for Warner Bros.; was fired from the film; reworked by studio before release | |
1968 | Directed, wrote and edited his first theatrical feature, "Greetings," featuring De Niro | |
| Made documentaries for the US Treasury Department | ||
| Shot "The Responsive Eye," a record of the opening of the 'Op' art show at the Museum of Modern Art in NYC, in four hours | ||
1963 | Began co-directing, co-writing, and co-editing (with Wilford Leach and Cynthia Munroe) first feature, "The Wedding Party" (completed in 1966; released in 1969); also initial collaboration with actor Robert De Niro | |
1962 | Earned MCA writing fellowship to Sarah Lawrence on strength of third student film, "Wotan's Wake" | |
1960 | Made first film, "Icarus" while at Columbia | |
| Raised in Philadelphia | ||
Awards
2007 | Venice International Film Festival for Silver Lion for Best Director in Redacted |
1992 | Boston Society of Film Critics Award for Best Discovery or Rediscovery in Blow Out |