BIOGRAPHY

Born on October 22nd, 1943 in Eindhoven, Noord-Brabant, Netherlands, Dutch cameraman Jan de Bont built his career out of crafting the look of stylish action pieces and slick adventures; in the process, he became associated with some of the most profitable movies in Hollywood. He went to film school in Amsterdam during the 1960s, making several shorts and documentaries. He shot Wat Zien Ik? in 1971 for director Paul Verhoeven (also from The Netherlands) and the two continued working together over the next two decades until Basic Instinct in 1992). In the early 1980s, de Bont built his extensive cinematography resume with horror movies (Cujo), dramas (I'm Dancing As Far As I Can), and teen movies (All the Right Moves). He eventually developed a quick style that incorporated handheld cameras and constant movement. Perhaps the most prolific period of his career was in the mid-80s, when he directed the photography for such large-scale adventures as Jewel of the Nile and The Clan of the Cave Bear (both 1985). He then shot the flashy comedy Ruthless People (1986) before he made himself known for his work with the 1988 action classic Die Hard (1988). It appeared as if de Bont's style was setting the standards for the look of action segas, and he stayed with the genre with The Hunt for Red October (1990) and Lethal Weapon 3 (1992); but he also managed thrillers such as Flatliners (1990) and Shining Through (1992).      Making his directorial debut in 1994 with Speed, he maintained his flashy visual style but proved he could handle characters, as well. After directing the action-packed, but less-successful Twister (1996) and Speed 2: Cruise Control (1997), he moved on to producing with SLC Punk! (1999) and The Haunting (1999) (which he also directed). The filmmaker continued producing with the sci-fi action flicks Minority Report and Equilibrium (both 2002) before returning to the director's chair for Lara Croft: Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life (2003), the sequel to the popular 2001 box office hit starring Angelina Jolie. (This biography was taken from Yahoo! Movies.)

FILMOGRAPHY

THOUGHT CRIMES (2003), LARA CROFT: TOMB RAIDER: THE CRADLE OF LIFE (2003), EQUILIBRIUM (2002), MINORITY REPORT (2002), THE HAUNTING (1999), SLC PUNK! (1999), SPEED 2: CRUISE CONTROL (1997), TWISTER (1996), SPEED (1994). Additional Credits as Cinematographer: LETHAL WEAPON 3 (1992), BASIC INSTINCT (1992), SHINING THROUGH (1992), PARKER KANE (1990), FLATLINERS (1990), THE HUNT FOR RED OCTOBER (1990), BLACK RAIN (1989), BERT RIGBY, YOU'RE A FOOL (1989), DIE HARD (1988), LEONARD PART 6 (1987), RUTHLESS PEOPLE (1986), THE CLAN OF THE CAVE BEAR (1986), THE JEWEL OF THE NILE (1985), FLESH & BLOOD (1985), HEART OF A CHAMPION: THE RAY MANCINI STORY (1985), MISCHIEF (1985), AMERICAN DREAMER (1984), SADAT (1983), ALL THE RIGHT MOVES (1983), CUJO (1983), THE FOURTH MAN (1982), BREACH OF CONTRACT (1982), I'M DANCING AS FAST AS I CAN (1982), NIGHT WARNING (1981), ROAR (1981), PRIVATE LESSONS (1981), SPEED FEVER (1978), MAX HAVELAAR (1976), THE LAST TRAIN (1975), KEETJE TIPPEL (1975), DAKOTA (1974), THE FAMILY (1974), PAS DE DEUX (1974), DA BLINDE FOTOGRAAF (1973), TURKISH DELIGHT (1973), JOAO (1972), ANY SPECIAL WAY (1971), DIARY OF A HOOKER (1971), BLUE MOVIE (1971), EEN WINTERLIEFDE (1970), THE WRESTLER (1970), THE BABY IN THE TREE (1969), DROP-OUT (1969), THE WHITE SLAVE (1969), PARANOIA (1967), BODY AND SOUL (1966), IK KOM WAT LATER NAAR MADRA (1965).

TRIVIA

SPOUSE: Monique van de Ven (divorced). - Was scalped by a lion on the set of Roar (1981). - George Lucas' Industrial Light and Magic frequently handles the special effects for his films. - One of 14 children born into a Roman Catholic Dutch family. - After the huge success of his directorial debut, Speed (1994), Tri-Star Pictures offered him their American version of Godzilla (1998). He obtained a script and worked on a budget. Tri-Star rejected the submitted budget (reportedly over $160 million) and de Bont left the project which was then temporarily shelved. - His visual style is characterised by a constantly moving camera, and (The Haunting excluded) the use of handheld cameras. - Frequently references Stanley Kubrick movies.