Fred Dekker | |
|---|---|
 Dekker in 2024 | |
| Born | (1959-04-09)April 9, 1959 (age 66) San Francisco,California, U.S. |
| Occupations |
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| Awards | Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival Silver Raven Award |
Fred Dekker (born April 9, 1959) is an Americanscreenwriter andfilm director best known for hiscult classichorror comedy filmsNight of the Creeps andThe Monster Squad (written withShane Black).[1][2] He contributed the story ideas forHouse (1985) andRicochet (1991), and also directed and co-wroteRoboCop 3 withFrank Miller.
One of his earliest movies was a short film he made in college titledStarcruisers, directed in the early 1980s.[3]
Dekker was born on April 9, 1959, inSan Francisco and was raised in theBay Area. He attended theUCLA School of Theater, Film and Television in the mid-1980s.[4]
In 1983, film directorSteve Miner hired Dekker to write the script forGodzilla: King of the Monsters in 3D, a project which went unproduced.[5] Dekker's first success came in 1985: a 15-page Twilight Zone-inspired script and an original story that was expanded into a full screenplay by writerEthan Wiley for what would become the comedy horror filmHouse. The film was nominated for the International Fantasy Film Award at theFantasporto Film Festival, and earned its directorSteve Miner the Critics' Award at theAvoriaz Fantastic Film Festival. The next year, Dekker made his directorial debut withNight of the Creeps, the script for which was written in only a week.[6] The film, an homage toB-movies of the 1950s and 60s, has since become acult classic.[7][8]
His next filmThe Monster Squad was co-written with his friend and long-time collaboratorShane Black. It is an homage to theUniversal "monster cycle" of films produced between the early 1930s and mid-1950s.[9] Like his previous film, it has since become a cult classic. Dekker subsequently wrote five episodes of theTales from the Crypt television series, and directed one. He co-wrote theneo-noirRicochet and thespy comedyIf Looks Could Kill. His return to the director's chair came in 1992 when he directed thethird installment in theRoboCop series, co-writing the screenplay with comic book writerFrank Miller. The film, which had its release delayed by a year due to the bankruptcy ofOrion Pictures, received negative reviews from critics and audiences. Dekker has since gone on to accept blame for the film's negative reception.[10]
Dekker worked as ascript doctor, making uncredited contributions to films includingTitan A.E. andLethal Weapon 4.[4] He also wrote three episodes ofStar Trek: Enterprise in the early 2000s. In 2015, after a lengthy hiatus, he returned to filmmaking by co-writing atelevision pilot,Edge, forAmazon Studios, with Black. He co-wrote the 2018 filmThe Predator with Black, who also directed the film.
| Year | Title | Director | Writer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | House | No | story |
| 1986 | Night of the Creeps | Yes | Yes |
| 1987 | The Monster Squad | Yes | Yes |
| House II: The Second Story | No | story | |
| 1991 | Ricochet | No | story |
| If Looks Could Kill | No | story | |
| 1993 | RoboCop 3 | Yes | Yes |
| 2018 | The Predator | No | Yes |
Uncredited works
Unproduced works
| Year | Title | Director | Writer | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989–92 | Tales from the Crypt | Yes | Yes | Wrote 4 episodes Directed episode "The Thing From the Grave" |
| 2001–02 | Star Trek: Enterprise | No | Yes | Also consulting producer Wrote 3 episodes |
| 2015 | Edge | No | Yes | TV movie |
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