Dennis Feldman | |
|---|---|
| Born | Dennis Jeffrey Feldman 1946 (age 78–79) |
| Occupation(s) | Screenwriter, producer, director, photographer |
Dennis Jeffrey Feldman (born 1946) is an American screenwriter, photographer, film producer and director.
Feldman is the son of Phil Feldman, an attorney who became a Hollywood producer and executive. He has three brothers, Ken, Gary and Randy.[1] Dennis even worked on Phil's best known, 1969'sThe Wild Bunch, with a small appearance on the opening Texas town sequence.[2]
Feldman graduated fromHarvard University, where he became interested in photography and design, partly due to his upbringing close to the film industry. He worked a while as a documentary photographer, then studied graphic design at theYale School of Art andArchitecture. Feldman went on to earn acclaim as a still photographer, teaching photography for ten years atSan Francisco City College,Boston University andUCLA.[2][3] He has released two photography books:American Images (1977), the result of an eleven-month travel on 49 of the 50 United States; andHollywood Boulevard, 1969–1972 (2015), which he described as "a '70s version of whatRobert Frank andWalker Evans" did in the '50s", registering the people who wandered throughHollywood Boulevard – which Feldman frequently visited as his wife has a store there.[4]
Feldman then decided to work in the film industry, first with the help of fellow writer brother Randy, with both doingscript doctoring.[2] Feldman's first film credit wasJust One of the Guys (1985), co-written withJeff Franklin.[5] Afterwards his screenplayThe Golden Child attracted a bidding war that was won byParamount Pictures. Feldman was paid about $330,000 up front for the script and had the option to direct,[6] but eventually the studio pickedMichael Ritchie for the task. Originally titledThe Rose of Tibet, it was planned to be "aRaymond Chandler movie with supernatural elements", but the eventual film, released in 1986, became a comedy starringEddie Murphy. Feldman then had his directing debut adapting his scriptReal Men (1987) and producedDead Again (1991), which he also developed the story withScott Frank. In 1995 Feldman wrote and co-producedSpecies, based on a script idea he had in 1985. He also penned a comic book adaptation of the film byDark Horse Comics and helpedYvonne Navarro write the film'snovelization.[2] His latest screenwriter credit isVirus (1999), which Feldman contributed some drafts after the ones made byChuck Pfarrer, author ofthe original comic.[7]
Feldman has also been part of theWriters Guild of America, West board from 1998 to 2003,[8][9] being part of the Screenwriters Council, Public Presence Subcommittee,[10] and heading the WGAW Awards Committee andshow.[11]
| Year | Title | Director | Producer | Writer | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | Just One of the Guys | No | Co-producer | Yes | |
| 1986 | The Golden Child | No | Co-producer | Yes | |
| 1987 | Real Men | Yes | No | Yes | |
| 1991 | Dead Again | No | Co-producer | No | |
| 1995 | Species | No | Yes | Yes | |
| 1998 | Species II | No | Executive | Yes | |
| 1999 | Virus | No | No | Yes | |
| 2004 | Species III | No | No | Yes | TV movie |
| 2007 | Species – The Awakening | No | No | Yes |
Acting roles
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1969 | The Wild Bunch | Townsperson | Uncredited |
| 2017 | Broken Chains | Night Club Patron |
Other credits
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | The New Kids | Production executive |
| 2011 | Ticking Clock | Special thanks |
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