Víctor García (Spanish director)
Encyclopedia
Víctor García is a Spanish
-born film director
best known for his award-winning short film El ciclo and the 2007 American
horror film
Return to House on Haunted Hill
.
, Spain
, in December 1974 and spent most of his early life there. His first job in the motion picture industry was as a special effects technician, working on Brian Yuzna
's 2001 horror film Faust: Love of the Damned
. He later was employed by DDT Efectos Especiales, a special effects company based in Spain. Although he worked primarily on television commercials and television programs, he also continued to do effects for motion pictures. He worked on effects for Pedro Almodovar
's 2002 film Talk to Her
, and Guillermo del Toro
's Pan's Labyrinth
, The Devil's Backbone
, and Hellboy
.
His first directorial effort (as well as first screenplay) was for his own 2004 short film, El ciclo ("The Cycle"). When the film won the Best Horror Short award at the Screamfest Horror Film Festival
in Los Angeles, California
, García learned that he had a chance to meet one of his idols, noted special effects artist Stan Winston
. He paid his own way to Los Angeles (expending nearly all his own personal savings) to accept the award in person and meet Winston.
García was tapped to helm the horror film Smoke for Gold Circle Films
in 2005, but the picture went into development hell
and was never produced. In October 2007, García was tapped to direct "scream queen" actress Dominique Swain
in a horror film tentatively titled Slaughter. However, the film never went forward. Within a month, García was hired by After Dark Films
to make his feature film directorial debut helming Return to House on Haunted Hill (a sequel
to the 1999 remake of House on Haunted Hill
). Return to House on Haunted Hill was a straight-to-DVD release, after which García directed several short webisode
s for Sam Raimi
’s Ghost House Pictures. In 2009, he was hired to direct Mirrors 2
, a straight-to-DVD sequel to the 2008 horror film Mirrors
.
In August 2010, García began directing the straight-to-DVD horror film Hellraiser: Revelations
for The Weinstein Company
.
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
-born 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:...
best known for his award-winning short film El ciclo and the 2007 American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
horror film
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...
Return to House on Haunted Hill
Return to House on Haunted Hill
Return to House on Haunted Hill is a 2007 horror film and sequel to the 1999 remake of House on Haunted Hill. Directed by Víctor García, the film depicts a group of people searching for a mysterious idol hidden inside a haunted psychiatric asylum...
.
Career
García was born in BarcelonaBarcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, in December 1974 and spent most of his early life there. His first job in the motion picture industry was as a special effects technician, working on Brian Yuzna
Brian Yuzna
Brian Yuzna is a director, writer and producer of films.- Life :Yuzna grew up in Nicaragua, Puerto Rico and Panama before moving to the United States in the 1960s.- Career :...
's 2001 horror film Faust: Love of the Damned
Faust: Love of the Damned
Faust: Love of the Damned is an American-Spanish R-rated 2001 horror/gore film directed by Brian Yuzna. It is based on the comic book of the same name by Tim Vigil and David Quinn...
. He later was employed by DDT Efectos Especiales, a special effects company based in Spain. Although he worked primarily on television commercials and television programs, he also continued to do effects for motion pictures. He worked on effects for Pedro Almodovar
Pedro Almodóvar
Pedro Almodóvar Caballero is a Spanish film director, screenwriter and producer.Almodóvar is arguably the most successful and internationally known Spanish filmmaker of his generation. His films, marked by complex narratives, employ the codes of melodrama and use elements of pop culture, popular...
's 2002 film Talk to Her
Talk to Her
Talk to Her is a 2002 Spanish comedy-drama film written and directed by Pedro Almodóvar, starring Javier Cámara, Darío Grandinetti, Leonor Watling, Geraldine Chaplin, and Rosario Flores...
, and Guillermo del Toro
Guillermo del Toro
Guillermo del Toro is a Mexican director, producer, screenwriter, novelist and designer. He is mostly known for his acclaimed films, Blade II, Pan's Labyrinth and the Hellboy film franchise. He is a frequent collaborator with Ron Perlman, Federico Luppi and Doug Jones...
's Pan's Labyrinth
Pan's Labyrinth
Pan's Labyrinth is a 2006 Spanish Spanish-language dark fantasy film, written and directed by Mexican film-maker Guillermo del Toro. It was produced and distributed by the Mexican film company Esperanto Films...
, The Devil's Backbone
The Devil's Backbone
The Devil's Backbone is a 2001 Spanish-Mexican gothic thriller film written by Guillermo del Toro, Antonio Trashorras and David Muñoz, and directed by Guillermo del Toro. It was independently produced by Pedro Almodóvar....
, and Hellboy
Hellboy (film)
Hellboy is a 2004 supernatural superhero film, starring Ron Perlman, John Hurt and Selma Blair, directed by Guillermo del Toro. The film is based on the Dark Horse Comics work Hellboy: Seed of Destruction by Mike Mignola. It was produced by Revolution Studios, and distributed by Columbia Pictures...
.
His first directorial effort (as well as first screenplay) was for his own 2004 short film, El ciclo ("The Cycle"). When the film won the Best Horror Short award at the Screamfest Horror Film Festival
Screamfest Horror Film Festival
Screamfest Horror Film Festival is the largest horror film festival in the United States. Some of the largest horror online publications have called it the "Sundance of Horror". Previously held at Loews Universal Studios Cinemas, Universal CityWalk, the festival is now held annually at the...
in Los Angeles, California
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, García learned that he had a chance to meet one of his idols, noted special effects artist Stan Winston
Stan Winston
Stanley Winston was an American visual effects supervisor, makeup artist, and film director. He was best known for his work in the Terminator series, the Jurassic Park series, Aliens, the Predator series, Iron Man, Edward Scissorhands, and Avatar...
. He paid his own way to Los Angeles (expending nearly all his own personal savings) to accept the award in person and meet Winston.
García was tapped to helm the horror film Smoke for Gold Circle Films
Gold Circle Films
Gold Circle Films is an American independent film production company, mainly focusing on horror and romance films, founded in 2000. Titles released by Gold Circle include White Noise, My Big Fat Greek Wedding, The Wedding Date, and The Man From Elysian Fields.-Films:*Double Whammy *The Man From...
in 2005, but the picture went into development hell
Development hell
In the jargon of the media-industry, "development hell" is a period during which a film or other project is trapped in development...
and was never produced. In October 2007, García was tapped to direct "scream queen" actress Dominique Swain
Dominique Swain
Dominique Ariane Swain is an American actress. She is best known for her roles as the title character in the 1997 film adaptation of Vladimir Nabokov's novel Lolita, and as Jamie Archer in the film Face/Off.- Early life :...
in a horror film tentatively titled Slaughter. However, the film never went forward. Within a month, García was hired by After Dark Films
After Dark Films
After Dark Films is a horror film production company and distributor founded by Courtney Solomon.-History:The company is the organizer for the annual independent horror film festival After Dark Horrorfest, also known as 8 Films to Die For, which is currently in its fourth year...
to make his feature film directorial debut helming Return to House on Haunted Hill (a sequel
Sequel
A sequel is a narrative, documental, or other work of literature, film, theatre, or music that continues the story of or expands upon issues presented in some previous work...
to the 1999 remake of House on Haunted Hill
House on Haunted Hill (1999 film)
House on Haunted Hill is a 1999 American horror film, directed by William Malone and starring Geoffrey Rush, Famke Janssen, Taye Diggs, Ali Larter and Jeffrey Combs. It also includes a cameo appearance by Peter Graves...
). Return to House on Haunted Hill was a straight-to-DVD release, after which García directed several short webisode
Webisode
A webisode is a short episode which airs initially as Internet television, either download or stream as opposed to first airing on broadcast or cable television. The format can be used as a preview, a promotion, as part of a collection of shorts, or a commercial.A webisode can be an episode...
s for Sam Raimi
Sam Raimi
Samuel Marshall "Sam" Raimi is an American film director, producer, actor and writer. He is best known for directing cult horror films like the Evil Dead series, Darkman and Drag Me to Hell, as well as the blockbuster Spider-Man films and the producer of the successful TV series Hercules: The...
’s Ghost House Pictures. In 2009, he was hired to direct Mirrors 2
Mirrors 2
Mirrors 2 is a 2010 straight-to-DVD horror film. It is a sequel to the 2008 film Mirrors.-Plot:One year before the film begins Max is involved in a car accident that kills his fiancee Kayla. He becomes emotionally disturbed due to the incident. He has been under going psychological treatment with Dr...
, a straight-to-DVD sequel to the 2008 horror film Mirrors
Mirrors (film)
Mirrors is a 2008 horror film directed by Alexandre Aja, and stars Kiefer Sutherland. The film was first titled Into the Mirror, but the name was later changed to Mirrors...
.
In August 2010, García began directing the straight-to-DVD horror film Hellraiser: Revelations
Hellraiser: Revelations
Hellraiser: Revelations is a horror film written by Gary Tunnicliffe and directed by Víctor García. It is the ninth film in the Hellraiser film series, and the first entry in the series since Hellraiser: Bloodline to be based on an original script, instead of incorporating series antagonist Pinhead...
for The Weinstein Company
The Weinstein Company
The Weinstein Company is an American film studio founded by Bob and Harvey Weinstein in 2005 after the brothers left the then-Disney-owned Miramax Films, which they had co-founded in 1979...
.