Director Alan Parker dead at 76
07-31-20, 11:13 AM
#1
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Director Alan Parker dead at 76
Filmmaker Alan Parker, a towering figure in the UK industry, passed away this morning following a lengthy illness, the British Film Institute has confirmed.
Two-time Oscar nominee Parker was best known for directing classic films including Bugsy Malone, Midnight Express, Mississippi Burning and The Commitments, as well as big-budget Madonna movie Evita. Across a glittering career, his feature films won 19 BAFTA awards, ten Golden Globes and ten Oscars between them.
Parker was a passionate supporter of the UK industry and a founding member of the Directors Guild of Great Britain. He was the founding Chairman of the UK Film Council in 2000, a position he held for five years, and prior to that he was Chairman of the BFI. He received a CBE in 1995 and a knighthood in 2002. He was also an Officier des Arts et Letters (France).
Alan Parker was born in Islington, London, February 14, 1944. He began his career in advertising as a copywriter but quickly graduated to writing and directing commercials. By the late 1960s he was one of the small, but hugely influential, group of British directors (including Ridley Scott and Hugh Hudson and Adrian Lyne) who revolutionised the look, quality and reputation of TV advertising by combining sophisticated, witty storytelling with cinema aesthetics for the first time. In 1980 he received the D&AD Gold President’s Award.
In 1974, he moved into long form drama when he directed the BBC film, The Evacuees, written by Jack Rosenthal, which won the International Emmy Award and a BAFTA award for direction; the first of Parker’s seven BAFTA awards.
Parker wrote and directed his first feature film, Bugsy Malone, in 1975. It was a unique musical pastiche of Hollywood gangster films of the 1930’s with a cast comprised entirely of children, including a knockout performance by Jodie Foster. The film received eight BAFTA film nominations and five awards.
Parker’s second film was the hugely successful and controversial Midnight Express(1977) which won two Oscars and six Academy Award nominations, including for Parker as Best Director. The film received six Golden Globe Awards and four BAFTA awards.
Two-time Oscar nominee Parker was best known for directing classic films including Bugsy Malone, Midnight Express, Mississippi Burning and The Commitments, as well as big-budget Madonna movie Evita. Across a glittering career, his feature films won 19 BAFTA awards, ten Golden Globes and ten Oscars between them.
Parker was a passionate supporter of the UK industry and a founding member of the Directors Guild of Great Britain. He was the founding Chairman of the UK Film Council in 2000, a position he held for five years, and prior to that he was Chairman of the BFI. He received a CBE in 1995 and a knighthood in 2002. He was also an Officier des Arts et Letters (France).
Alan Parker was born in Islington, London, February 14, 1944. He began his career in advertising as a copywriter but quickly graduated to writing and directing commercials. By the late 1960s he was one of the small, but hugely influential, group of British directors (including Ridley Scott and Hugh Hudson and Adrian Lyne) who revolutionised the look, quality and reputation of TV advertising by combining sophisticated, witty storytelling with cinema aesthetics for the first time. In 1980 he received the D&AD Gold President’s Award.
In 1974, he moved into long form drama when he directed the BBC film, The Evacuees, written by Jack Rosenthal, which won the International Emmy Award and a BAFTA award for direction; the first of Parker’s seven BAFTA awards.
Parker wrote and directed his first feature film, Bugsy Malone, in 1975. It was a unique musical pastiche of Hollywood gangster films of the 1930’s with a cast comprised entirely of children, including a knockout performance by Jodie Foster. The film received eight BAFTA film nominations and five awards.
Parker’s second film was the hugely successful and controversial Midnight Express(1977) which won two Oscars and six Academy Award nominations, including for Parker as Best Director. The film received six Golden Globe Awards and four BAFTA awards.
The following 4 users liked this post by TomOpus:
07-31-20, 11:29 AM
#3
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Re: Director Alan Parker dead at 76
He's done some great films. Loved The Commitments, and Mississippi Burning. Midnight Express is a tough watch but very impressive film-making.
07-31-20, 11:29 AM
#4
DVD Talk Legend
Re: Director Alan Parker dead at 76
For those with laserdisc capability, Parker did an audio commentary on the Wall LD that Roger Waters was not happy with and had it removed. Not sure why, other than Waters' feeling that The Wall is his and his alone to discuss.
07-31-20, 11:39 AM
#6
DVD Talk God
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Re: Director Alan Parker dead at 76
The Commitments is awesome. I’m also a fan of Come see the Paradise.
07-31-20, 12:04 PM
#7
Re: Director Alan Parker dead at 76
He made some good ones. Midnight Express, Angel Heart and Mississippi Burning are probably my faves. Need to see Shoot the Moon and Angela's Ashes.
07-31-20, 12:22 PM
#8
DVD Talk Legend
Re: Director Alan Parker dead at 76
Very sad news. ALAN PARKER was one of my favorite all time directors and never quite got the recognition he deserved. He made some AMAZING films: Midnight Express, Fame, Pink Floyd's The Wall, Angel Heart, Mississippi Burning, The Commitments, Evita, and Angela's Ashes. An amazing talent. RIP.
07-31-20, 12:27 PM
#9
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Re: Director Alan Parker dead at 76
Just rewatched Mississippi Burning last week. It holds up as drama even if it is a bunch of bullshit glorifying the FBI. I always thought it was weird a brit director would want to make a film of such specific regional America. Well if you read up on it he was very much a director for hire. The movie was the brainchild of its writer and producer. To Parker’s credit it is beautifully rendered. Great photography, brisk pace, superb acting.
I’ll throw in a good word about Birdy and I won’t belabor The Life of David Gale.
I’ll throw in a good word about Birdy and I won’t belabor The Life of David Gale.
Last edited by Mabuse; 07-31-20 at 12:34 PM.
07-31-20, 07:08 PM
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Re: Director Alan Parker dead at 76
He did have a small, but great resume of important movies. Some never talked about. Some often talked about. Too bad. Some of his lesser known, like Angel Heart or even Life of David Gale and original Fame, I really liked. Rip.
08-01-20, 12:52 AM
#12
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Re: Director Alan Parker dead at 76
Tamlyn Tomita posted a tribute to Parker. She and Dennis Quaid worked with him on Come See The Paradise. It’s not one of the most well known Parker titles. But it’s still a really good film about the Japanese concentration camps.
03-24-21, 11:02 AM
#15
DVD Talk Legend
Re: Director Alan Parker dead at 76
Thought I'd bump this thread after watching Bugsy Malone for the first time, last night on TCM.
I forget which song it was, but he had a close-up of the childrens' marching feet that immediately had me thinking of the kids marching into the meat grinder in Pink Floyd's The Wall. He definitely had a distinct style, and liked using certain types of shots in many of his films.
I forget which song it was, but he had a close-up of the childrens' marching feet that immediately had me thinking of the kids marching into the meat grinder in Pink Floyd's The Wall. He definitely had a distinct style, and liked using certain types of shots in many of his films.
03-24-21, 11:40 AM
#17
Re: Director Alan Parker dead at 76
I was also glad to see this was a thread bump, not me having another one of those "Mandela Effect" moments.
