Abel Ferrara
Encyclopedia
Abel Ferrara is an American film screenwriter
and director
. He is best known as an independent filmmaker of such films as The Driller Killer
(1979), Ms. 45
(1981), King of New York
(1990), Bad Lieutenant (1992) and The Funeral
(1996).
of Italian
and Irish
descent. He was raised Catholic, which had a later effect on much of his work. At 15, he moved to Peekskill in Westchester
, New York
where he attended high school with Nicholas St. John, who has written most of his films. He attended the film conservatory at SUNY Purchase, where he directed several movies, which are all available on "The Short Films of Abel Ferrara" collection. Soon finding himself out of work, he directed a pornographic film titled 9 Lives of a Wet Pussy in 1976, which starred his then-girlfriend. Interviewed by the Guardian in 2010, he recalled having to step in front of the camera: "It's bad enough paying a guy $200 to fuck your girlfriend, then he can't get it up."
movie The Driller Killer
(1979), an urban slasher in the mold of Taxi Driver
(1976), about an artist (played by Ferrara himself under the alias Jimmy Laine) who goes on a killing spree with a drill in hand. He followed it with Ms. 45
(1981), a "rape revenge" film starring Zoë Tamerlis, who later scripted Bad Lieutenant. Ferrara was next hired to direct Fear City
(1984), starring Tom Berenger
, Melanie Griffith
, Billy Dee Williams
, Rae Dawn Chong
and María Conchita Alonso
. True to form, it depicted a seedy Times Square strip club, where a "kung fu slasher" stalks and murders the girls after work. Berenger portrayed a disgraced boxer who has to use his fighting skills to defeat the killer.
Ferrara then worked on two Michael Mann-produced television series, directing the two-hour pilot for Crime Story
(aired 18 September 1986), starring Dennis Farina
, along with two episodes of the series Miami Vice
: "The Home Invaders" (aired 15 March 1985, in season 1) and "The Dutch Oven" (aired 25 October 1985, in season 2).
Following his television work, Ferrara directed several feature films: China Girl
(1987), a modern retelling of West Side Story as a gang war between the Chinese tong
and the Italian Mafia
; the vigilante action thriller The Gladiator
(1987) with Nancy Allen
; and Cat Chaser
(1989), starring Peter Weller
.
Next, Ferrara created one of his most well-known films, King of New York
(1990), starring Christopher Walken
as gangster Frank White
, who runs a group of black drug dealers, including one played by Laurence Fishburne
. The cast also included Wesley Snipes
and David Caruso
. As with most of Ferrara's films, the screenplay was written by Nicholas St. John.
Ferrara next directed Harvey Keitel
in an acclaimed performance as the eponymous Bad Lieutenant (1992). Keitel plays a foul-mouthed, sex-addicted drug user who wrestles with guilt and eventually seeks redemption in a Catholic church. The script was written by Ms. 45 star Zoe Tamerlis. Both Ferrara and Keitel were nominated for Spirit Awards and despite its controversial content, the film was lauded by critics. Director Martin Scorsese
also named it one of his top 10 films of the 1990s.
Ferrara was then hired for two Hollywood studio
films: a second remake of Invasion of the Body Snatchers, titled Body Snatchers (1993), for Warner Bros.
; and Dangerous Game
(1993), starring Keitel and Madonna
, for MGM.
In the mid-1990s, Ferrara returned to independent filmmaking, directing two well-received movies: The Addiction
(1995) and The Funeral
(1996). The Addiction, photographed in black-and-white, starred Lili Taylor
as a New York University
philosophy
student who succumbs to a vampire
as she studies the problem of evil, represented by the most violent events of the 20th century. The Funeral starred Christopher Walken, Chris Penn
, Isabella Rossellini
, Benicio del Toro
, Vincent Gallo
and others.
(1997) with Matthew Modine
and Dennis Hopper
, he contributed to the omnibus
HBO–television movie
Subway Stories. Ferrara then made New Rose Hotel
(1998), which reunited him with Christopher Walken.
Ferrara returned three years later with 'R Xmas
(2001), which starred Drea de Matteo
and Ice-T
. After recording two commentaries for Driller Killer and King of New York, he made Mary
(2005), the religious-themed film starring Forrest Whitaker, Marion Cotillard
, Juliette Binoche
, Heather Graham, Stefania Rocca
and Matthew Modine
. The multi-plot film concerns an actress (Binoche) who stars in a Passion of the Christ-like movie about Jesus
, where she plays Mary Magdalene
, with whom she subsequently becomes obsessed. Mary premiered at the Venice Film Festival in 2005. It swept the awards ceremony, garnering the Grand Jury Prize, SIGNIS Award and two others. It was also seen at the Toronto Film Festival. In 2007, he directed a comedy with Modine, Bob Hoskins
and Willem Dafoe
, Go Go Tales
. It premiered at the Cannes Film Festival and was either highly acclaimed or vehemently disliked. Ferrara began preparations for Jekyll and Hyde in 2009, which was to star Forrest Whitaker and 50 Cent. After disagreements with Warner Bros. the film was indefinitely shelved in 2010.
A Ferrara film, the docudrama
called Napoli Napoli Napoli
, is scheduled to premiere at the Rome Film Festival. Ferrara plays a small role as a mugger in the independent film Daddy Longlegs
(2010).
In April 2011, Ferrara began shooting his first feature in four years, 4:44 - Last Day on Earth, starring Willem Dafoe
and Ferrara's long time companion Shanyn Leigh. This is Dafoe's third collaboration with Ferrara after 1998's New Rose Hotel and his last feature film, 2007's Go Go Tales
. During Montclair State University's film forum event in February 2011, Abel spoke about his latest project. Ethan Hawke was slated to star originally yet he is no longer involved. The film will be shot in one location, an apartment, during the course of the last 24 hours before the biblical apocalypse. Ferrara's longtime cinematographer Ken Kelsch will be shooting the film. The film is scheduled to compete in competition at the 68th Venice International Film Festival
in September.
(1984) !! Crime Story
(1986) !! China Girl
(1987) !! Cat Chaser
(1989) !! King of New York
(1990) !! Bad Lieutenant
(1992) !! Body Snatchers
(1993) !! Dangerous Game
(1993) !! The Addiction
(1995) !! The Funeral
(1996) !! The Blackout
(1997) !! New Rose Hotel
(1998) !! 'R Xmas
(2001) !! Mary
(2005) !! Go Go Tales
(2007) !! Chelsea on the Rocks
(2008) !! Napoli Napoli Napoli
(2009) !! 4:44 Last Day on Earth
(2011)
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! Victor Argo
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! Paul Calderón
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! David Caruso
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! Willem Dafoe
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! Giancarlo Esposito
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! Paul Hipp
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! Dennis Hopper
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! Harvey Keitel
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! Shanyn Leigh
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! Zoë Lund
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! Matthew Modine
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! Gretchen Mol
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! Annabella Sciorra
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! Christopher Walken
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! Forest Whitaker
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|}
Screenwriter
Screenwriters or scriptwriters or scenario writers are people who write/create the short or feature-length screenplays from which mass media such as films, television programs, Comics or video games are based.-Profession:...
and director
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
. He is best known as an independent filmmaker of such films as The Driller Killer
The Driller Killer
The Driller Killer is a 1979 slasher film directed by and starring Abel Ferrara. It was on a list of banned so-called video nasties in the United Kingdom...
(1979), Ms. 45
Ms. 45
Ms. 45, also known as Angel of Vengeance, is a 1981 American low-budget exploitation film directed by Abel Ferrara and starring Zoë Tamerlis Lund...
(1981), King of New York
King of New York
King of New York is a 1990 American crime drama film, starring Christopher Walken, Laurence Fishburne, David Caruso, Wesley Snipes, Victor Argo, and Giancarlo Esposito. It was directed by independent filmmaker Abel Ferrara and written by Nicholas St...
(1990), Bad Lieutenant (1992) and The Funeral
The Funeral (1996 film)
The Funeral is a 1996 American crime-drama film directed by Abel Ferrara and starring Christopher Walken, Chris Penn, Annabella Sciorra, Isabella Rossellini, Vincent Gallo, Benicio del Toro and Gretchen Mol....
(1996).
Early life
Ferrara was born in the BronxThe Bronx
The Bronx is the northernmost of the five boroughs of New York City. It is also known as Bronx County, the last of the 62 counties of New York State to be incorporated...
of Italian
Italian people
The Italian people are an ethnic group that share a common Italian culture, ancestry and speak the Italian language as a mother tongue. Within Italy, Italians are defined by citizenship, regardless of ancestry or country of residence , and are distinguished from people...
and Irish
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
descent. He was raised Catholic, which had a later effect on much of his work. At 15, he moved to Peekskill in Westchester
Westchester County, New York
Westchester County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. Westchester covers an area of and has a population of 949,113 according to the 2010 Census, residing in 45 municipalities...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
where he attended high school with Nicholas St. John, who has written most of his films. He attended the film conservatory at SUNY Purchase, where he directed several movies, which are all available on "The Short Films of Abel Ferrara" collection. Soon finding himself out of work, he directed a pornographic film titled 9 Lives of a Wet Pussy in 1976, which starred his then-girlfriend. Interviewed by the Guardian in 2010, he recalled having to step in front of the camera: "It's bad enough paying a guy $200 to fuck your girlfriend, then he can't get it up."
Early career
Ferrarra first drew a cult audience with his grindhouseGrindhouse
A grindhouse is an American term for a theater that mainly shows exploitation films. It is named after the defunct burlesque theaters located on 42nd Street in New York City, where 'bump n' grind' dancing and striptease were featured.- History :...
movie The Driller Killer
The Driller Killer
The Driller Killer is a 1979 slasher film directed by and starring Abel Ferrara. It was on a list of banned so-called video nasties in the United Kingdom...
(1979), an urban slasher in the mold of Taxi Driver
Taxi Driver
Taxi Driver is a 1976 American drama film directed by Martin Scorsese and written by Paul Schrader. The film is set in New York City, soon after the Vietnam War. The film stars Robert De Niro and features Jodie Foster, Harvey Keitel, and Cybill Shepherd. The film was nominated for four Academy...
(1976), about an artist (played by Ferrara himself under the alias Jimmy Laine) who goes on a killing spree with a drill in hand. He followed it with Ms. 45
Ms. 45
Ms. 45, also known as Angel of Vengeance, is a 1981 American low-budget exploitation film directed by Abel Ferrara and starring Zoë Tamerlis Lund...
(1981), a "rape revenge" film starring Zoë Tamerlis, who later scripted Bad Lieutenant. Ferrara was next hired to direct Fear City
Fear City
Fear City is a 1984 American action-thriller directed by Abel Ferrara. The lead roles are played by Billy Dee Williams and Tom Berenger.-Plot:...
(1984), starring Tom Berenger
Tom Berenger
Tom Berenger is an American actor known mainly for his roles in action films.-Early life:Berenger was born as Thomas Michael Moore in Chicago to an Irish Catholic family. Berenger's father was a printer for the Chicago Sun-Times. Berenger has a sister, Susan...
, Melanie Griffith
Melanie Griffith
Melanie Richards Griffith is an American actress. She is an Academy Award nominee and Golden Globe winner for her performance in the 1988 film Working Girl...
, Billy Dee Williams
Billy Dee Williams
William December "Billy Dee" Williams, Jr. is an American actor, artist, singer, and writer.-Early life:Williams was born in New York City, New York, the son of Loretta...
, Rae Dawn Chong
Rae Dawn Chong
Rae Dawn Chong is a Canadian-American actress.-Life and career:Chong was born in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, the daughter of Maxine Sneed and Tommy Chong. She and her sister Robbi were raised by her grandmother, Tommy Chong's mother. Chong's father is of Chinese and Scottish-Irish ancestry and her...
and María Conchita Alonso
Maria Conchita Alonso
María Conchita Alonso , better known as María Conchita, is a Venezuelan Grammy Award-nominated singer and actress.- Early life :...
. True to form, it depicted a seedy Times Square strip club, where a "kung fu slasher" stalks and murders the girls after work. Berenger portrayed a disgraced boxer who has to use his fighting skills to defeat the killer.
Ferrara then worked on two Michael Mann-produced television series, directing the two-hour pilot for Crime Story
Crime Story (TV series)
Crime Story is an NBC TV drama created by Gustave Reininger and Chuck Adamson. The executive producer was Michael Mann, who had left Miami Vice to oversee Crime Story and direct the film Manhunter. The show premiered with a two hour pilot — a movie which had been exhibited theatrically —...
(aired 18 September 1986), starring Dennis Farina
Dennis Farina
Dennis Farina is an American actor of film and television and former Chicago police officer. He is a character actor, often typecast as a mobster or police officer. His most known film roles are those of mobster Jimmy Serrano in the comedy Midnight Run and Ray "Bones" Barboni in Get Shorty...
, along with two episodes of the series Miami Vice
Miami Vice
Miami Vice is an American television series produced by Michael Mann for NBC. The series starred Don Johnson and Philip Michael Thomas as two Metro-Dade Police Department detectives working undercover in Miami. It ran for five seasons on NBC from 1984–1989...
: "The Home Invaders" (aired 15 March 1985, in season 1) and "The Dutch Oven" (aired 25 October 1985, in season 2).
Following his television work, Ferrara directed several feature films: China Girl
China Girl (1987 film)
China Girl is a 1987 film directed by independent filmmaker Abel Ferrara, and written by his longtime partner Nicholas St. John.-Story:China Girl is a modern take on the classic tale of Romeo and Juliet...
(1987), a modern retelling of West Side Story as a gang war between the Chinese tong
Tong (organization)
The word tong means "hall" or "gathering place". In North America a tong is a type of organization found among Chinese living in the United States and Canada. These organizations are described as secret societies or sworn brotherhoods and are often tied to criminal activity...
and the Italian Mafia
Mafia
The Mafia is a criminal syndicate that emerged in the mid-nineteenth century in Sicily, Italy. It is a loose association of criminal groups that share a common organizational structure and code of conduct, and whose common enterprise is protection racketeering...
; the vigilante action thriller The Gladiator
The Gladiator (1986 film)
The Gladiator is a vigilante made for TV action film directed by Abel Ferrara and starring Nancy Allen and Ken Wahl. Robert Culp, Brian Robbins and Rick Dees have supporting roles. The film was released in February of 1986...
(1987) with Nancy Allen
Nancy Allen (actress)
Nancy Anne Allen is a Golden Globe nominated American actress and cancer activist.Allen began an acting and modelling career as a child, and from the mid-1970s appeared in small film roles, most notably the anchor of Robert Zemeckis's ensemble comedy I Wanna Hold Your Hand...
; and Cat Chaser
Cat Chaser
Cat Chaser is a 1989 film directed by Abel Ferrara and starring Peter Weller and Kelly McGillis, based on the novel of the same name by Elmore Leonard. It was adapted from the novel by Leonard and James Borelli....
(1989), starring Peter Weller
Peter Weller
Peter Frederick Weller is an American film and stage actor, director and lecturer.He is best known for his roles as the title character in the first two RoboCop films and Buckaroo Banzai in the cult classic The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension...
.
Next, Ferrara created one of his most well-known films, King of New York
King of New York
King of New York is a 1990 American crime drama film, starring Christopher Walken, Laurence Fishburne, David Caruso, Wesley Snipes, Victor Argo, and Giancarlo Esposito. It was directed by independent filmmaker Abel Ferrara and written by Nicholas St...
(1990), starring Christopher Walken
Christopher Walken
Christopher Walken is an American stage and screen actor. He has appeared in more than 100 movies and television shows, including Joe Dirt, Annie Hall, The Deer Hunter, The Prophecy trilogy, The Dogs of War, Sleepy Hollow, Brainstorm, The Dead Zone, A View to a Kill, At Close Range, King of New...
as gangster Frank White
Frank White
Frank White, Jr. is a former Major League Baseball player, and coach for the Kansas City Royals and their AA affiliate, the Wichita Wranglers. He currently is a color commentator for Royals telecasts....
, who runs a group of black drug dealers, including one played by Laurence Fishburne
Laurence Fishburne
Laurence John Fishburne III is an American film and stage actor, playwright, director, and producer. He is perhaps best known for his roles as Morpheus in the Matrix science fiction film trilogy, as Cowboy Curtis on the 1980's television show Pee-wee's Playhouse, and as singer-musician Ike Turner...
. The cast also included Wesley Snipes
Wesley Snipes
Wesley Trent Snipes is an American actor, film producer, and martial artist, who has starred in numerous action films, thrillers, and dramatic feature films. Snipes is known for playing the Marvel Comics character Blade in the Blade film trilogy, among various other high profile roles...
and David Caruso
David Caruso
David Stephen Caruso is an American film and television actor and producer, best known for his role of Lieutenant Horatio Caine on the TV series CSI: Miami. The role that gained him initial significant recognition was the role of Det...
. As with most of Ferrara's films, the screenplay was written by Nicholas St. John.
Ferrara next directed Harvey Keitel
Harvey Keitel
Harvey Keitel is an American actor. Some of his most notable starring roles were in Martin Scorsese's Mean Streets and Taxi Driver, Ridley Scott's The Duellists and Thelma and Louise, Ettore Scola's That Night in Varennes, Quentin Tarantino's Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction, Jane Campion's The...
in an acclaimed performance as the eponymous Bad Lieutenant (1992). Keitel plays a foul-mouthed, sex-addicted drug user who wrestles with guilt and eventually seeks redemption in a Catholic church. The script was written by Ms. 45 star Zoe Tamerlis. Both Ferrara and Keitel were nominated for Spirit Awards and despite its controversial content, the film was lauded by critics. Director Martin Scorsese
Martin Scorsese
Martin Charles Scorsese is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, actor, and film historian. In 1990 he founded The Film Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to film preservation, and in 2007 he founded the World Cinema Foundation...
also named it one of his top 10 films of the 1990s.
Ferrara was then hired for two Hollywood studio
Movie studio
A movie studio is a term used to describe a major entertainment company or production company that has its own privately owned studio facility or facilities that are used to film movies...
films: a second remake of Invasion of the Body Snatchers, titled Body Snatchers (1993), for Warner Bros.
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...
; and Dangerous Game
Dangerous Game
Dangerous Game is a 1993 film directed by Abel Ferrara starring Madonna, Harvey Keitel and James Russo.-Reception:The film opened in US theaters on November 19, 1993 and was trashed by critics...
(1993), starring Keitel and Madonna
Madonna (entertainer)
Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
, for MGM.
In the mid-1990s, Ferrara returned to independent filmmaking, directing two well-received movies: The Addiction
The Addiction
The Addiction is an unconventional 1995 vampire film by Abel Ferrara, starring Lili Taylor, Edie Falco, Paul Calderón and Christopher Walken...
(1995) and The Funeral
The Funeral (1996 film)
The Funeral is a 1996 American crime-drama film directed by Abel Ferrara and starring Christopher Walken, Chris Penn, Annabella Sciorra, Isabella Rossellini, Vincent Gallo, Benicio del Toro and Gretchen Mol....
(1996). The Addiction, photographed in black-and-white, starred Lili Taylor
Lili Taylor
Lili Anne Taylor is an American actress notable for her appearances in such award-winning indie films as Mystic Pizza, Say Anything..., Short Cuts and I Shot Andy Warhol, and the acclaimed TV show Six Feet Under....
as a New York University
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
student who succumbs to a vampire
Vampire
Vampires are mythological or folkloric beings who subsist by feeding on the life essence of living creatures, regardless of whether they are undead or a living person...
as she studies the problem of evil, represented by the most violent events of the 20th century. The Funeral starred Christopher Walken, Chris Penn
Chris Penn
Christopher Shannon "Chris" Penn was an American film and television actor known for his roles in such films as The Wild Life, Reservoir Dogs, Footloose, Rush Hour, True Romance, All the Right Moves and Pale Rider.-Early life:Penn was born in Los Angeles, California, the youngest son of Leo Penn,...
, Isabella Rossellini
Isabella Rossellini
Isabella Fiorella Elettra Giovanna Rossellini is an Italian actress, filmmaker, author, philanthropist, and model. Rossellini is noted for her 14-year tenure as a Lancôme model, and for her roles in films such as Blue Velvet and Death Becomes Her.-Background and early life:Rossellini is a...
, Benicio del Toro
Benicio del Toro
Benicio Monserrate Rafael del Toro Sánchez is a Puerto Rican and Spanish actor and film producer. He won an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award, and a BAFTA Award for his role as Javier Rodríguez in Traffic . He is also known for his roles as Fred Fenster in The Usual...
, Vincent Gallo
Vincent Gallo
Vincent Gallo is an Italian-American film director and actor. Though he has had minor roles in mainstream films such as Goodfellas, he is most associated with independent movies, including Buffalo '66, which he wrote, directed, did the music for and starred in; The Brown Bunny, which he also...
and others.
Later career
After making The BlackoutThe Blackout (1997 film)
The Blackout is a 1997 American drama film directed by Abel Ferrara. It was screened out of competition at the 1997 Cannes Film Festival.-Cast:* Matthew Modine - Matty* Claudia Schiffer - Susan* Béatrice Dalle - Annie 1* Sarah Lassez - Annie 2...
(1997) with Matthew Modine
Matthew Modine
Matthew Avery Modine is an award-winning American actor. His film roles include Private Joker in Stanley Kubrick's Full Metal Jacket, the title character in Alan Parker's Birdy, high school wrestler Louden Swain in Vision Quest, football star turned spy Alec McCall in Funky Monkey and the...
and Dennis Hopper
Dennis Hopper
Dennis Lee Hopper was an American actor, filmmaker and artist. As a young man, Hopper became interested in acting and eventually became a student of the Actors' Studio. He made his first television appearance in 1954 and appeared in two films featuring James Dean, Rebel Without a Cause and Giant...
, he contributed to the omnibus
Anthology
An anthology is a collection of literary works chosen by the compiler. It may be a collection of poems, short stories, plays, songs, or excerpts...
HBO–television movie
Television movie
A television film is a feature film that is a television program produced for and originally distributed by a television network, in contrast to...
Subway Stories. Ferrara then made New Rose Hotel
New Rose Hotel
"New Rose Hotel" is a short story by William Gibson, first published in 1984 in Omni and later included in his 1986 collection Burning Chrome.-Plot:...
(1998), which reunited him with Christopher Walken.
'R Xmas
'R Xmas is a 2001 American crime film directed by Abel Ferrara. It was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2001 Cannes Film Festival. Its release was delayed by StudioCanal but it was eventually released on DVD...
(2001), which starred Drea de Matteo
Drea de Matteo
Drea de Matteo is an American television actress, perhaps best known for her roles Joey Tribbiani's sister Gina on the NBC sitcom Joey, as Angie Bolen on ABC's Desperate Housewives, and as Adriana La Cerva on the acclaimed HBO TV series The Sopranos, a role for which she won the Primetime Emmy...
and Ice-T
ICE-T
* Ice-T, an American rapper and actor* ICE T , a tilting model of the German InterCityExpress series of high-speed trains...
. After recording two commentaries for Driller Killer and King of New York, he made Mary
Mary (2005 film)
Mary is a 2005 drama thriller film, written and directed by American director Abel Ferrara. The film stars Juliette Binoche, Forest Whitaker, Marion Cotillard, Matthew Modine and Heather Graham....
(2005), the religious-themed film starring Forrest Whitaker, Marion Cotillard
Marion Cotillard
Marion Cotillard is a French actress and singer. She garnered critical acclaim for her roles in films such as La Vie en Rose, My Sex Life... or How I Got Into an Argument, Taxi, Furia and Jeux d'enfants...
, Juliette Binoche
Juliette Binoche
Juliette Binoche is a French actress, artist and dancer. She has appeared in more than 40 feature films, been recipient of numerous international accolades, is a published author and has appeared on stage across the world. Coming from an artistic background, she began taking acting lessons during...
, Heather Graham, Stefania Rocca
Stefania Rocca
Stefania Rocca is an Italian actress.Rocca is best known for her roles in the films Nirvana , The Talented Mr. Ripley and Dracula . She also was the lead in Dario Argento's The Card Player. Her most recent appearance was in the Italian movie, Commediasexi where she played the main character,...
and Matthew Modine
Matthew Modine
Matthew Avery Modine is an award-winning American actor. His film roles include Private Joker in Stanley Kubrick's Full Metal Jacket, the title character in Alan Parker's Birdy, high school wrestler Louden Swain in Vision Quest, football star turned spy Alec McCall in Funky Monkey and the...
. The multi-plot film concerns an actress (Binoche) who stars in a Passion of the Christ-like movie about Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
, where she plays Mary Magdalene
Mary Magdalene
Mary Magdalene was one of Jesus' most celebrated disciples, and the most important woman disciple in the movement of Jesus. Jesus cleansed her of "seven demons", conventionally interpreted as referring to complex illnesses...
, with whom she subsequently becomes obsessed. Mary premiered at the Venice Film Festival in 2005. It swept the awards ceremony, garnering the Grand Jury Prize, SIGNIS Award and two others. It was also seen at the Toronto Film Festival. In 2007, he directed a comedy with Modine, Bob Hoskins
Bob Hoskins
Robert William "Bob" Hoskins, Jr. is an English actor known for playing Cockney rough diamonds, psychopaths and gangsters, in films such as The Long Good Friday , and Mona Lisa , and lighter roles in family films such as Who Framed Roger Rabbit and Hook .- Early life :Hoskins was born in Bury St...
and Willem Dafoe
Willem Dafoe
Willem Dafoe is an American film, stage, and voice actor, and a founding member of the experimental theatre company The Wooster Group...
, Go Go Tales
Go Go Tales
Go Go Tales is an independent 2007 film by Abel Ferrara. It was screened out of competition at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival.It stars Willem Dafoe as a strip club owner and co-stars Bob Hoskins...
. It premiered at the Cannes Film Festival and was either highly acclaimed or vehemently disliked. Ferrara began preparations for Jekyll and Hyde in 2009, which was to star Forrest Whitaker and 50 Cent. After disagreements with Warner Bros. the film was indefinitely shelved in 2010.
A Ferrara film, the docudrama
Docudrama
In film, television programming and staged theatre, docudrama is a documentary-style genre that features dramatized re-enactments of actual historical events. As a neologism, the term is often confused with docufiction....
called Napoli Napoli Napoli
Napoli Napoli Napoli
Napoli, Napoli, Napoli is a 2009 documentary film directed by Abel Ferrara about the problems in early 21st century Naples.-Synopsis:Napoli, Napoli, Napoli depicts the city Naples, filmed as a documentary with intersected episodes of fiction....
, is scheduled to premiere at the Rome Film Festival. Ferrara plays a small role as a mugger in the independent film Daddy Longlegs
Daddy Longlegs (2009 film)
Daddy Longlegs is a 2009 American independent film directed by the New York based brothers Josh Safdie and Benny Safdie. It premiered at the 2009 Directors' Fortnight section of the 61st Annual Cannes Film Festival, under the title Go Get Some Rosemary. It premiered in the United States at the...
(2010).
In April 2011, Ferrara began shooting his first feature in four years, 4:44 - Last Day on Earth, starring Willem Dafoe
Willem Dafoe
Willem Dafoe is an American film, stage, and voice actor, and a founding member of the experimental theatre company The Wooster Group...
and Ferrara's long time companion Shanyn Leigh. This is Dafoe's third collaboration with Ferrara after 1998's New Rose Hotel and his last feature film, 2007's Go Go Tales
Go Go Tales
Go Go Tales is an independent 2007 film by Abel Ferrara. It was screened out of competition at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival.It stars Willem Dafoe as a strip club owner and co-stars Bob Hoskins...
. During Montclair State University's film forum event in February 2011, Abel spoke about his latest project. Ethan Hawke was slated to star originally yet he is no longer involved. The film will be shot in one location, an apartment, during the course of the last 24 hours before the biblical apocalypse. Ferrara's longtime cinematographer Ken Kelsch will be shooting the film. The film is scheduled to compete in competition at the 68th Venice International Film Festival
68th Venice International Film Festival
The 68th annual Venice Film Festival, held in Venice, Italy, took place from 31 August to 10 September 2011. American film director Darren Aronofsky was announced as the Head of the Jury. American actor and film director Al Pacino was presented with the Glory to the Film-maker award on 4 September,...
in September.
Filmography
- 9 Lives of a Wet Pussy (1976)
- The Driller KillerThe Driller KillerThe Driller Killer is a 1979 slasher film directed by and starring Abel Ferrara. It was on a list of banned so-called video nasties in the United Kingdom...
(1979) - Ms. 45Ms. 45Ms. 45, also known as Angel of Vengeance, is a 1981 American low-budget exploitation film directed by Abel Ferrara and starring Zoë Tamerlis Lund...
(1981) - Fear CityFear CityFear City is a 1984 American action-thriller directed by Abel Ferrara. The lead roles are played by Billy Dee Williams and Tom Berenger.-Plot:...
(1984) - Crime StoryCrime Story (TV series)Crime Story is an NBC TV drama created by Gustave Reininger and Chuck Adamson. The executive producer was Michael Mann, who had left Miami Vice to oversee Crime Story and direct the film Manhunter. The show premiered with a two hour pilot — a movie which had been exhibited theatrically —...
(1986) TV series pilot - China GirlChina Girl (1987 film)China Girl is a 1987 film directed by independent filmmaker Abel Ferrara, and written by his longtime partner Nicholas St. John.-Story:China Girl is a modern take on the classic tale of Romeo and Juliet...
(1987) - Cat ChaserCat ChaserCat Chaser is a 1989 film directed by Abel Ferrara and starring Peter Weller and Kelly McGillis, based on the novel of the same name by Elmore Leonard. It was adapted from the novel by Leonard and James Borelli....
(1989) - King of New YorkKing of New YorkKing of New York is a 1990 American crime drama film, starring Christopher Walken, Laurence Fishburne, David Caruso, Wesley Snipes, Victor Argo, and Giancarlo Esposito. It was directed by independent filmmaker Abel Ferrara and written by Nicholas St...
(1990) - Bad Lieutenant (1992)
- Body SnatchersBody Snatchers (1993 film)Body Snatchers is a 1993 American science fiction horror film and loosely based on the 1955 novel The Body Snatchers by Jack Finney. The film was directed by Abel Ferrara, starring Gabrielle Anwar, Billy Wirth, Terry Kinney, Meg Tilly, R...
(1993) - Dangerous GameDangerous GameDangerous Game is a 1993 film directed by Abel Ferrara starring Madonna, Harvey Keitel and James Russo.-Reception:The film opened in US theaters on November 19, 1993 and was trashed by critics...
(1993) - The AddictionThe AddictionThe Addiction is an unconventional 1995 vampire film by Abel Ferrara, starring Lili Taylor, Edie Falco, Paul Calderón and Christopher Walken...
(1995) - CaliforniaCalifornia (Mylène Farmer song)"California" is a 1995 song recorded by the French artist Mylène Farmer. It was the third single from her fourth studio album, Anamorphosée, and was released on 26 March 1996. The song marked the only collaboration with American movie screenwriter and director Abel Ferrara who directed the very...
(1996) (videoclip for Mylène FarmerMylène FarmerMylène Farmer, , born Marie-Hélène Jeanne Gautier, , , is a French singer, songwriter, occasional actress and author....
) - The FuneralThe Funeral (1996 film)The Funeral is a 1996 American crime-drama film directed by Abel Ferrara and starring Christopher Walken, Chris Penn, Annabella Sciorra, Isabella Rossellini, Vincent Gallo, Benicio del Toro and Gretchen Mol....
(1996) - The BlackoutThe Blackout (1997 film)The Blackout is a 1997 American drama film directed by Abel Ferrara. It was screened out of competition at the 1997 Cannes Film Festival.-Cast:* Matthew Modine - Matty* Claudia Schiffer - Susan* Béatrice Dalle - Annie 1* Sarah Lassez - Annie 2...
(1997) - New Rose Hotel (1998)
- 'R Xmas'R Xmas'R Xmas is a 2001 American crime film directed by Abel Ferrara. It was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2001 Cannes Film Festival. Its release was delayed by StudioCanal but it was eventually released on DVD...
(2001) - Mary (2005)
- Go Go TalesGo Go TalesGo Go Tales is an independent 2007 film by Abel Ferrara. It was screened out of competition at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival.It stars Willem Dafoe as a strip club owner and co-stars Bob Hoskins...
(2007) - Chelsea on the RocksChelsea on the RocksChelsea on the Rocks is a documentary film directed by Abel Ferrara about the Hotel Chelsea. It premiered out of competition at the 2008 Cannes Film Festival. The film features Ferrara interviewing people who have and had lived at the hotel and intercutting that dramatized footage of some famous...
(2008) - Napoli Napoli NapoliNapoli Napoli NapoliNapoli, Napoli, Napoli is a 2009 documentary film directed by Abel Ferrara about the problems in early 21st century Naples.-Synopsis:Napoli, Napoli, Napoli depicts the city Naples, filmed as a documentary with intersected episodes of fiction....
(2009) - Mulberry St. (2009)
- 4:44 - Last Day on Earth (2011)
Recurring collaborators
(1981) !! Fear CityFear City
Fear City is a 1984 American action-thriller directed by Abel Ferrara. The lead roles are played by Billy Dee Williams and Tom Berenger.-Plot:...
(1984) !! Crime Story
Crime Story (TV series)
Crime Story is an NBC TV drama created by Gustave Reininger and Chuck Adamson. The executive producer was Michael Mann, who had left Miami Vice to oversee Crime Story and direct the film Manhunter. The show premiered with a two hour pilot — a movie which had been exhibited theatrically —...
(1986) !! China Girl
China Girl (1987 film)
China Girl is a 1987 film directed by independent filmmaker Abel Ferrara, and written by his longtime partner Nicholas St. John.-Story:China Girl is a modern take on the classic tale of Romeo and Juliet...
(1987) !! Cat Chaser
Cat Chaser
Cat Chaser is a 1989 film directed by Abel Ferrara and starring Peter Weller and Kelly McGillis, based on the novel of the same name by Elmore Leonard. It was adapted from the novel by Leonard and James Borelli....
(1989) !! King of New York
King of New York
King of New York is a 1990 American crime drama film, starring Christopher Walken, Laurence Fishburne, David Caruso, Wesley Snipes, Victor Argo, and Giancarlo Esposito. It was directed by independent filmmaker Abel Ferrara and written by Nicholas St...
(1990) !! Bad Lieutenant
(1992) !! Body Snatchers
Body Snatchers (1993 film)
Body Snatchers is a 1993 American science fiction horror film and loosely based on the 1955 novel The Body Snatchers by Jack Finney. The film was directed by Abel Ferrara, starring Gabrielle Anwar, Billy Wirth, Terry Kinney, Meg Tilly, R...
(1993) !! Dangerous Game
Dangerous Game
Dangerous Game is a 1993 film directed by Abel Ferrara starring Madonna, Harvey Keitel and James Russo.-Reception:The film opened in US theaters on November 19, 1993 and was trashed by critics...
(1993) !! The Addiction
The Addiction
The Addiction is an unconventional 1995 vampire film by Abel Ferrara, starring Lili Taylor, Edie Falco, Paul Calderón and Christopher Walken...
(1995) !! The Funeral
The Funeral (1996 film)
The Funeral is a 1996 American crime-drama film directed by Abel Ferrara and starring Christopher Walken, Chris Penn, Annabella Sciorra, Isabella Rossellini, Vincent Gallo, Benicio del Toro and Gretchen Mol....
(1996) !! The Blackout
The Blackout (1997 film)
The Blackout is a 1997 American drama film directed by Abel Ferrara. It was screened out of competition at the 1997 Cannes Film Festival.-Cast:* Matthew Modine - Matty* Claudia Schiffer - Susan* Béatrice Dalle - Annie 1* Sarah Lassez - Annie 2...
(1997) !! New Rose Hotel
(1998) !! 'R Xmas
'R Xmas
'R Xmas is a 2001 American crime film directed by Abel Ferrara. It was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2001 Cannes Film Festival. Its release was delayed by StudioCanal but it was eventually released on DVD...
(2001) !! Mary
(2005) !! Go Go Tales
Go Go Tales
Go Go Tales is an independent 2007 film by Abel Ferrara. It was screened out of competition at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival.It stars Willem Dafoe as a strip club owner and co-stars Bob Hoskins...
(2007) !! Chelsea on the Rocks
Chelsea on the Rocks
Chelsea on the Rocks is a documentary film directed by Abel Ferrara about the Hotel Chelsea. It premiered out of competition at the 2008 Cannes Film Festival. The film features Ferrara interviewing people who have and had lived at the hotel and intercutting that dramatized footage of some famous...
(2008) !! Napoli Napoli Napoli
Napoli Napoli Napoli
Napoli, Napoli, Napoli is a 2009 documentary film directed by Abel Ferrara about the problems in early 21st century Naples.-Synopsis:Napoli, Napoli, Napoli depicts the city Naples, filmed as a documentary with intersected episodes of fiction....
(2009) !! 4:44 Last Day on Earth
4:44 Last Day on Earth
4:44 Last Day on Earth is a 2011 American drama film directed by Abel Ferrara. The film competed in competition at the 68th Venice International Film Festival in September....
(2011)
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! Asia Argento
Asia Argento
Aria Asia Anna Maria Vittoria Rossa Argento is an Italian actress, singer, model and director.-Family and early life:...
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! Victor Argo
Victor Argo
Victor Argo was a Puerto Rican - American actor who usually played the part of a tough bad guy in his movies.-Early years:...
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! Paul Calderón
Paul Calderon
Paul Calderón is an American actor.He was born in Puerto Rico. Calderón moved to New York with his family at the age of six, where he grew up on the streets of the Lower East Side and Spanish Harlem...
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! David Caruso
David Caruso
David Stephen Caruso is an American film and television actor and producer, best known for his role of Lieutenant Horatio Caine on the TV series CSI: Miami. The role that gained him initial significant recognition was the role of Det...
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! Willem Dafoe
Willem Dafoe
Willem Dafoe is an American film, stage, and voice actor, and a founding member of the experimental theatre company The Wooster Group...
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! Giancarlo Esposito
Giancarlo Esposito
Giancarlo Giuseppe Alessandro Esposito is a Danish-born American film and television actor and director.-Early life:Esposito was born in Copenhagen, Denmark to an Italian father and African-American mother. His mother was an opera and nightclub singer from Alabama, who once appeared on the same...
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! Paul Hipp
Paul Hipp
-Early years:Paul Hipp was born and raised in the suburbs of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Hipp left Pennsylvania for New York City immediately after high school, starting his career playing for tips on the streets of Greenwich Village while studying acting with Mira Rostova and at HB Studio with...
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! Dennis Hopper
Dennis Hopper
Dennis Lee Hopper was an American actor, filmmaker and artist. As a young man, Hopper became interested in acting and eventually became a student of the Actors' Studio. He made his first television appearance in 1954 and appeared in two films featuring James Dean, Rebel Without a Cause and Giant...
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! Harvey Keitel
Harvey Keitel
Harvey Keitel is an American actor. Some of his most notable starring roles were in Martin Scorsese's Mean Streets and Taxi Driver, Ridley Scott's The Duellists and Thelma and Louise, Ettore Scola's That Night in Varennes, Quentin Tarantino's Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction, Jane Campion's The...
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! Shanyn Leigh
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! Zoë Lund
Zoë Tamerlis Lund
Zoë Tamerlis Lund , also known as Zoë Tamerlis and Zoë Tamerlaine, was a former American musician turned model, actress, and screenwriter. She was best known for her association with Abel Ferrara, in whose movie Ms. 45 she starred...
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! Matthew Modine
Matthew Modine
Matthew Avery Modine is an award-winning American actor. His film roles include Private Joker in Stanley Kubrick's Full Metal Jacket, the title character in Alan Parker's Birdy, high school wrestler Louden Swain in Vision Quest, football star turned spy Alec McCall in Funky Monkey and the...
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! Gretchen Mol
Gretchen Mol
Gretchen Mol is an American actress and former model. She is known for her roles in films like Rounders, Celebrity, 3:10 to Yuma, The Thirteenth Floor,and The Notorious Bettie Page, where she played the title character...
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! Annabella Sciorra
Annabella Sciorra
Annabella Sciorra is an American film, television, and stage actress. Sciorra received an Independent Spirit Award nomination for Best Female Lead for the 1989 film True Love, and came to widespread attention in her co-lead role in Spike Lee's 1991 film Jungle Fever...
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! Christopher Walken
Christopher Walken
Christopher Walken is an American stage and screen actor. He has appeared in more than 100 movies and television shows, including Joe Dirt, Annie Hall, The Deer Hunter, The Prophecy trilogy, The Dogs of War, Sleepy Hollow, Brainstorm, The Dead Zone, A View to a Kill, At Close Range, King of New...
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! Forest Whitaker
Forest Whitaker
Forest Steven Whitaker is an American actor, producer, and director. He has earned a reputation for intensive character study work for films such as Bird and Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai, and for his recurring role as ex-LAPD Lieutenant Jon Kavanaugh on the gritty, award-winning television...
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