Robert Fuest
Encyclopedia
Robert Fuest is an English
film director
, screenwriter
, and production designer
who has worked mostly in the horror
, fantasy
and suspense
genre
s.
Fuest's most highly praised and popular films, which feature strong black comedy
undertones, include perennial cult
favorites The Abominable Dr. Phibes
(1971), Dr. Phibes Rises Again
(1972), and The Final Programme (aka The Last Days of Man on Earth) (1973). Other films include And Soon the Darkness
(1970), a straightforward suspense thriller which received considerable critical acclaim but little commercial success, and The Devil's Rain
(1975), a horror film shot in the U.S. The latter movie received such scathing reviews it may arguably have killed off his once promising career, as Fuest immediately thereafter found himself relegated to directing fairly anonymous television
work. His only subsequent theatrical release to date has been Aphrodite
(1982), a soft-core sex movie filmed in Greece
.
His television work included Revenge of the Stepford Wives
and three episodes of The New Avengers.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
film 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:...
, screenwriter
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 production designer
Production designer
In film and television, a production designer is the person responsible for the overall look of a filmed event such as films, TV programs, music videos or adverts. Production designers have one of the key creative roles in the creation of motion pictures and television. Working directly with the...
who has worked mostly in the horror
Horror film
Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...
, fantasy
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
and suspense
Suspense
Suspense is a feeling of uncertainty and anxiety about the outcome of certain actions, most often referring to an audience's perceptions in a dramatic work. Suspense is not exclusive to fiction, though. Suspense may operate in any situation where there is a lead-up to a big event or dramatic...
genre
Genre
Genre , Greek: genos, γένος) is the term for any category of literature or other forms of art or culture, e.g. music, and in general, any type of discourse, whether written or spoken, audial or visual, based on some set of stylistic criteria. Genres are formed by conventions that change over time...
s.
Fuest's most highly praised and popular films, which feature strong black comedy
Black comedy
A black comedy, or dark comedy, is a comic work that employs black humor or gallows humor. The definition of black humor is problematic; it has been argued that it corresponds to the earlier concept of gallows humor; and that, as humor has been defined since Freud as a comedic act that anesthetizes...
undertones, include perennial cult
Cult film
A cult film, also commonly referred to as a cult classic, is a film that has acquired a highly devoted but specific group of fans. Often, cult movies have failed to achieve fame outside the small fanbases; however, there have been exceptions that have managed to gain fame among mainstream audiences...
favorites The Abominable Dr. Phibes
The Abominable Dr. Phibes
The Abominable Dr. Phibes is a 1971 horror film starring Vincent Price. Its art deco sets, dark humor and performance by Price has made the film and its sequel Dr. Phibes Rises Again classics.-Plot:...
(1971), Dr. Phibes Rises Again
Dr. Phibes Rises Again
Dr. Phibes Rises Again! is a sequel to The Abominable Dr. Phibes. It was directed by Robert Fuest, and stars Vincent Price as Dr. Anton Phibes.-Plot:...
(1972), and The Final Programme (aka The Last Days of Man on Earth) (1973). Other films include And Soon the Darkness
And Soon the Darkness
And Soon the Darkness is a 1970 British thriller film. Starring Pamela Franklin, Michele Dotrice and Sandor Elès, it tells the story of two young English women on a cycling holiday in France, who run into difficulties.-Plot:...
(1970), a straightforward suspense thriller which received considerable critical acclaim but little commercial success, and The Devil's Rain
The Devil's Rain
The Devil's Rain is a 1975 low-budget horror film, directed by Robert Fuest. The film is remembered primarily for its ending, in which most of the cast melts. It was one of several B-films in which William Shatner starred in the hiatus between the original Star Trek television series and Star Trek:...
(1975), a horror film shot in the U.S. The latter movie received such scathing reviews it may arguably have killed off his once promising career, as Fuest immediately thereafter found himself relegated to directing fairly anonymous television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
work. His only subsequent theatrical release to date has been Aphrodite
Aphrodite (film)
Aphrodite is a 1982 French soft-core exploitation film inspired by a novel by Pierre Louÿs, directed by Robert Fuest with Valérie Kaprisky and Horst Buchholz.- Principal cast :* Horst Buchholz as Harry Laird* Valérie Kaprisky as Pauline...
(1982), a soft-core sex movie filmed in Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
.
His television work included Revenge of the Stepford Wives
Revenge of the Stepford Wives
Revenge of the Stepford Wives is a 1980 made-for-television sci-fi/horror film inspired by the Ira Levin novel The Stepford Wives. It was directed by Robert Fuest with a screenplay by David Wiltse. Sharon Gless, Julie Kavner, Don Johnson, Arthur Hill, and Audra Lindley starred in the film...
and three episodes of The New Avengers.
Selected filmography
- Just Like a WomanJust Like a Woman (1967 film)Just Like a Woman is a 1967 British comedy film written and directed by Robert Fuest and starring Wendy Craig, Francis Matthews, Dennis Price and Clive Dunn...
(1967) - Wuthering HeightsWuthering Heights (1970 film)Wuthering Heights is a 1970 film directed by Robert Fuest. It is based on the classic Emily Bronte novel of the same name. Like the 1939 version, this film depicts only the first sixteen chapters concluding with Catherine Earnshaw Linton's death and omits the trials of her daughter, Hindley's son,...
(1970) - And Soon the DarknessAnd Soon the DarknessAnd Soon the Darkness is a 1970 British thriller film. Starring Pamela Franklin, Michele Dotrice and Sandor Elès, it tells the story of two young English women on a cycling holiday in France, who run into difficulties.-Plot:...
(1970) - Three Dangerous Ladies (1977)
- Revenge of the Stepford WivesRevenge of the Stepford WivesRevenge of the Stepford Wives is a 1980 made-for-television sci-fi/horror film inspired by the Ira Levin novel The Stepford Wives. It was directed by Robert Fuest with a screenplay by David Wiltse. Sharon Gless, Julie Kavner, Don Johnson, Arthur Hill, and Audra Lindley starred in the film...
(1980)