January 14 - Joseph Losey

Happy Birthday, Joseph Losey! Born today in 1909 as Joseph Walton Losey III, this American theatre and film director, born in Wisconsin, studied years later in Germany with German theatre practitioner, playwright, and poet Bertolt Brecht and then returned to the United States. 

Blacklisted by Hollywood in the 1950s, he moved to Europe where he made the remainder of his films, mostly in the United Kingdom.

Among the most critically and commercially successful were three films with screenplays by British playwright, screenwriter, director and actor Harold Pinter. These included the 1963 British black and white drama/romance film 'The Servant', the 1967 British Eastmancolor drama/romance adaptation film 'Accident' and the 1971 British drama/romance film 'The Go-Between'. 

Losey had been active from 1933–1984. 

#borntodirect 

@tcm 

@SensesofCinema 

January 14 - Stan Brakhage

Happy Birthday, Stan Brakhage! Born today in 1933 as James Stanley Brakhage, this American non-narrative filmmaker is considered to be one of the most important figures in 20th-century experimental film. 

Over the course of five decades, he created a large and diverse body of work, exploring a variety of formats, approaches and techniques that included handheld camerawork, painting directly onto celluloid, fast cutting, in-camera editing, scratching on film, collage film and the use of multiple exposures. 

Interested in mythology and inspired by music, poetry, and visual phenomena, Brakhage sought to reveal the universal, in particular exploring themes of birth, mortality, sexuality, and innocence. His films are often noted for their expressiveness and lyricism. 

Brakhage had been active from 1952–2003. 

#borntodirect 

#StanBrakhage 

@StanBrakhage 

January 14 - Lawrence Kasdan

Happy 71st Birthday, Lawrence Kasdan! Born today in 1949 as Lawrence Edward Kasdan, this American screenwriter, producer and director is best known as having a hand in a few of the blockbusters from the early 1980s.

These included the 1980 American epic fantasy/sci-fi space opera film 'The Empire Strikes Back' (also known as 'Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back'), the 1981 American adventure fantasy/action film 'Raiders of the Lost Ark' and the 1983 American epic fantasy/mystery space-opera film 'Return of the Jedi' (also known as 'Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi'). 

He was also best known as the writer-director of the 1980 American neo-noir erotic thriller drama/crime film 'Body Heat', the 1983 American drama/comedy-drama film 'The Big Chill' and the 1988 American drama/romance film 'The Accidental Tourist'. 

Kasdan has been active from 1980–present. 

#borntodirect 

#LawrenceKasdan 

@Criterion 

@tcm 

January 14 - Steven Soderbergh

Happy 57th Birthday, Steven Soderbergh! Born today in 1963 as Steven Andrew Soderbergh, this American actor, screenwriter, film producer and film director is an early pioneer of independent cinema. 

Soderbergh's directorial breakthrough—the 1989 American independent drama/comedy-drama film 'Sex, Lies, and Videotape'—lifted him into the public spotlight as a notable presence in the film industry. He is also best known for directing the 2000 American drama/crime film 'Traffic'.

Uniquely, he often serves as his own director of photography and editor under the respective pseudonyms Peter Andrews and Mary Ann Bernard. 

Soderbergh has been active from 1981–present.

#borntodirect

@Bitchuation 

@Criterion 

#StevenSoderbergh