Terry Zwigoff | |
|---|---|
_UNC_715x861.jpg) Zwigoff in 2012 | |
| Born | (1949-05-18)May 18, 1949 (age 75) Appleton, Wisconsin, U.S. |
| Alma mater | UW–Madison[1] |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 1979–present |
| Spouse | Melissa Axelrod[2] |
Terry Zwigoff (born May 18, 1949)[citation needed] is an American film director whose work often deals with misfits,antiheroes, and themes ofalienation. He first garnered attention for his work in documentary filmmaking withLouie Bluie (1985) andCrumb (1995). AfterCrumb, Zwigoff moved on to write and direct fiction feature films, including theAcademy Award-nominatedGhost World (2001) andBad Santa (2003).
Zwigoff was born inAppleton, Wisconsin, to aJewish family of dairy farmers.[3] He was raised inChicago.
Zwigoff moved toSan Francisco in the 1970s and met cartoonistRobert Crumb, who shared his interest in pre-warAmerican roots music. Zwigoff, who plays cello and mandolin (as well as the saw, and theStroh violin), joined Crumb's string bandR. Crumb & His Cheap Suit Serenaders, with whom he recorded several records.
Zwigoff's friendship with Crumb led to his involvement in theunderground comix scene. He initially edited the one-shotFunny Aminals #1 (Apex Novelties, 1972), the groundbreaking comic in whichArt Spiegelman first introduced the characters and themes that would becomeMaus. In 1972–1973, Zwigoff operated Golden Gate, a small retailer and underground comix publisher[4][5] (located at 429 Brazil Street in San Francisco).[6]Golden Gate Publishing released three comics during this period, all of which heavily featured Crumb's work:
Zwigoff later sold Golden Gate's publishing rights toKitchen Sink Press.[5]
From 1981 to 1984, Zwigoff helmed theletter column ofWeirdo, a comics anthology edited by Crumb. "Weirdo's Advice to the Lovelorn" was written by Zwigoff, operating under thenom de plume of "Prof. T. E. Zwigoff".
Zwigoff began his film career makingdocumentary films, starting with 1985'sLouie Bluie, a one-hour documentary about the blues and string band musicianHoward Armstrong. Zwigoff had been inspired to locate and interview him after listening to a 30s recording, "State Street Rag", on which Armstrong played the mandolin.
Zwigoff worked on a documentary about R. Crumb and his two brothers for nine years, during which Zwigoff said he was "averaging an income of about $200 a month and living with back pain so intense that I spent three years with a loaded gun on the pillow next to my bed, trying to get up the nerve to kill myself".[7] He completedCrumb in 1994; the critically acclaimed film won the Grand Jury Prize at theSundance Film Festival,[8] theDGA award,[9] theNY Film Critics Circle Award,[10] theLA Film Critics Award,[11] and theNational Society of Film Critics Award.[12] Additionally, criticGene Siskel namedCrumb the best film of 1995[13] as did over ten other major film critics.[14] It appeared on over 150 Ten Best Lists of important critics.[15] WhenCrumb failed to receive anOscar nomination, there was an outcry from the media which forced theAcademy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to revamp their documentary nomination process that previously had been dominated by the distributors of documentary films.[15][16][17]
Zwigoff's first fiction feature film was the comedy-dramaGhost World, based onDaniel Clowes'graphic novelof the same name. For this, Zwigoff and co-writer Clowes were nominated for anAcademy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay[18] and won theIndependent Spirit Award.[19]Ghost World was also nominated for twoGolden Globe Awards[20] and twoAFI awards.[21]USA Today andThe Washington Post called it the best film of the year.[22][23]Ghost World appeared on over 150 Ten Best Lists.[15]
Zwigoff's next film was the 2003 black comedyBad Santa whose star,Billy Bob Thornton, was nominated for a Golden Globe award.[24] The film cost $23 million to make and grossed over $76 million worldwide.[25]
His latest feature film wasArt School Confidential, whose best-known stars areJohn Malkovich,Jim Broadbent, andAnjelica Huston.[26]Art School Confidential was Zwigoff's second collaboration with writer Daniel Clowes.
In 2009, Zwigoff signed a petition in support of film directorRoman Polanski, calling for his release after Polanski was arrested in Switzerland in relation to his1977 charge for drugging and raping a then 13-year-old girl.[27]
| Year | Title | Director | Producer | Writer | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | Louie Bluie | Yes | Yes | No | Documentary |
| 1995 | Crumb | Yes | Yes | No | |
| 2001 | Ghost World | Yes | No | Yes | Nominated −Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay |
| 2003 | Bad Santa | Yes | No | No | |
| 2006 | Art School Confidential | Yes | No | No | |
| 2017 | Budding Prospects | Yes | Yes | No | Amazon pilot |
