Roger Christian (filmmaker)
English director
Roger Christian
Roger Christian (April 2011)
Born (1944-02-25 ) 25 February 1944 (age 80) [1] London, England, United Kingdom
Occupation(s) Film director, production designer, set decorator Years active 1968–present Spouse Lina Dhingra Website www.rogerjchristian.com at the Wayback Machine (archived 15 July 2011)
Roger John Christian (born 25 February 1944)[1] is an English set decorator , production designer and feature film director. He won an Academy Award for his work on the original Star Wars and was Oscar-nominated for his work on Alien . Christian directed the second unit on both Return of the Jedi [2] and Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace as well as feature films including The Sender and Nostradamus . He also directed the 2000 film Battlefield Earth .
Career
He began his career as an assistant art director on several UK productions including the Hammer Studios film And Soon the Darkness (1970). He won an Academy Award for set decoration on the science fiction classic Star Wars (1977).[3] (Christian claims to be the third crew member hired for the project.)[4] Two years later, Christian received his second Oscar nomination for his work as the production designer on Ridley Scott 's Alien (1979).[5] Christian's use of aircraft scrap and other machinery to dress the set interiors of these films and creation of weapons using old working guns adapted by adding junk revolutionized the look of science fiction films.[4] [6] Christian maintained his working relationship with George Lucas over the years, having worked on Return of the Jedi (1983) and being the second unit director on Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (1999). He later briefly met with the Episode VII art department and Star Wars Rebels crew, although not in an official capacity.[7]
Christian began his directing career with the shorts Black Angel (1980) and the Oscar-winning The Dollar Bottom (1981).[8] [9] Black Angel , filmed at locations in Scotland, was mentored by George Lucas who tied the film as a programme with The Empire Strikes Back in UK, Australia, and Scandinavia.[10] The 25-minute film is a retelling of the hero's journey in classical mythology, and it influenced several major directors.[10] He made his feature film debut with the horror film The Sender (1982). Chosen as the opening film at the Avoriaz Film Festival , the film has become a cult classic. Quentin Tarantino has described The Sender as his favorite horror film of 1982.[11] Christian directed the music video "Election Day " by the band Arcadia in Paris, France in 1985.[12] His 1994 feature film Nostradamus , about the life of the famous French prophet , has received worldwide recognition.[10]
His biggest project to date was the big budget L. Ron Hubbard science fiction adaptation Battlefield Earth (2000)[13] starring John Travolta and Barry Pepper , which The Guardian considered a commercial and critical disaster, and as one of the "worst films ever made ".[14] [15] [16] In 2009, NPR declared the film "the worst science fiction film of the decade".[17] Christian does not consider Battlefield Earth to be a "Scientology movie" as he intended it as a throwback to regular science fiction.[18] He also won the Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Director .
In 2006, he directed an action/adventure/mystery movie, Prisoners of the Sun , starring John Rhys-Davies , David Charvet , Carmen Chaplin , and Gulshan Grover . It was unreleased until 2014 when it had geographically limited release in Nordic countries.
Personal life
Christian is a Buddhist . He is an admirer of filmmakers Peter Jackson and Quentin Tarantino .[18] [19]
Filmography
Short film
Feature film
Music video
Television
Year
Title
Director
Writer
Notes
2013
Dangerous Intuition
Yes
No
TV movie
TBA
Replicants on Atlantia
Yes
Yes
Other credits
Set dresser
Assistant art director
Art director
Set decorator
2nd unit director
Other
Awards and nominations
References
^ a b "Roger Christian" . British Film Institute . Archived from the original on 4 August 2012. Retrieved 26 November 2013 .
^ Revenge of the Jedi call sheet
^ 1978|Oscars.org
^ a b Singer, Jeremy (4 May 2014). "The Man Who Literally Built 'Star Wars' " . Esquire . Retrieved 13 June 2014 .
^ 1980|Oscars.org
^ Martin Anderson (2 September 2009). "In praise of the sci-fi corridor" . Den of Geek.
^ Szostak, Phil (2015). The Art of 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' . Abrams Books . p. 124. ISBN 978-1-4197-1780-2 .
^ Short Film Winners: 1981 Oscars
^ 1981|Oscars.org
^ a b c Anderson, Martin (9 March 2010). "Exclusive interview: The worlds of Roger Christian" . Shadowlocked . Archived from the original on 16 December 2010. Retrieved 23 July 2010 .
^ Cole, Andrew (14 January 2008). "Every film mentioned by Edgar Wright and Quentin Tarantino in their Hot Fuzz commentary track" . Tysto. Retrieved 22 August 2010 .
^ Arcadia – Making of....Election Day Video on YouTube
^ 25 MOVIES SO BAD THEY'RE UNMISSABLE < < Rotten Tomatoes
^ Campbell, Duncan (31 May 2000). "Cult classic" . Guardian Unlimited . Guardian Newspapers Limited. Retrieved 29 July 2006 . [...] Battlefield Earth has opened to spectacularly bad notices, many of which have suggested that the film is the worst of the year, the decade, the millennium or whatever exotic time-frame the alien Psychlos recognise.
^ Farache, Emily (18 October 2000). "Travolta Sets Sights on "Battlefield Earth 2" " . E! Online . Retrieved 26 March 2007 .
^ Christian, Roger (4 June 2000). "How dare they call my film a turkey; The director of the new John Travolta epic defends himself against his many critics" . The Observer . Retrieved 23 July 2010 .
^ Raz, Guy (27 December 2009). "Movies That Should Die with the Decade" . All Things Considered . National Public Radio. Retrieved 23 July 2010 .
^ a b Anderson, Martin (21 March 2012). "Roger Christian Talks Zombies, Prometheus & Battlefield Earth" . Shadowlocked . Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 13 June 2014 .
^ 11. Academy award-winner Roger Christian on the making of Battlefield Earth , retrieved 6 May 2022
^ "Galaxy Built On Hope" . Galaxy Built On Hope. Retrieved 4 August 2022 .
^ Star Wars Wins Art Direction: 1978 Oscars
^ "All That Jazz" winning the Oscar® for Art Direction-Oscars on YouTube
External links
Awards for Roger Christian
1927–1939 Interior Decoration 1940–1946 Black & White / Color separate
1940 (bw): Cedric Gibbons , Paul Groesse / (c): Vincent Korda
1941 (bw): Richard Day , Nathan Juran , Thomas Little / (c): Cedric Gibbons , Urie McCleary , Edwin B. Willis
1942 (bw): Richard Day , Joseph C. Wright , Thomas Little / (c): Richard Day , Joseph C. Wright , Thomas Little
1943 (bw): James Basevi , William S. Darling , Thomas Little / (c): Alexander Golitzen , John B. Goodman , Russell A. Gausman , Ira S. Webb
1944 (bw): Cedric Gibbons , William Ferrari , Paul Huldschinsky , Edwin B. Willis / (c): Wiard Ihnen , Thomas Little
1945 (bw): Wiard Ihnen , A. Roland Fields / (c): Hans Dreier , Ernst Fegté , Samuel M. Comer
1946 (bw): William S. Darling , Lyle R. Wheeler , Thomas Little , Frank E. Hughes / (c): Cedric Gibbons , Paul Groesse , Edwin B. Willis
1947–1956 renamed Art Direction - Set Decoration Black & White / Color separate
1947 (bw): John Bryan , Wilfred Shingleton / (c): Alfred Junge
1948 (bw): Roger K. Furse , Carmen Dillon / (c): Hein Heckroth , Arthur Lawson
1949 (bw): Harry Horner , John Meehan , Emile Kuri / (c): Cedric Gibbons , Paul Groesse , Edwin B. Willis , Jack D. Moore
1950 (bw): Hans Dreier , John Meehan , Samuel M. Comer , Ray Moyer / (c): Hans Dreier , Walter Tyler , Samuel M. Comer , Ray Moyer
1951 (bw): Richard Day , George James Hopkins / (c): Cedric Gibbons , E. Preston Ames , Edwin B. Willis , F. Keogh Gleason
1952 (bw): Cedric Gibbons , Edward Carfagno , Edwin B. Willis , F. Keogh Gleason /(c): Paul Sheriff , Marcel Vertès
1953 (bw): Cedric Gibbons , Edward Carfagno , Edwin B. Willis , Hugh Hunt / (c): Lyle R. Wheeler , George Davis , Walter M. Scott , Paul S. Fox
1954 (bw): Richard Day / (c): John Meehan , Emile Kuri
1955 (bw): Hal Pereira , Tambi Larsen , Samuel M. Comer , Arthur Krams / (c): William Flannery , Jo Mielziner , Robert Priestley
1956 (bw): Cedric Gibbons , Malcolm F. Brown , Edwin B. Willis , F. Keogh Gleason / (c): Lyle R. Wheeler , John DeCuir , Walter M. Scott , Paul S. Fox
1957–1958 1959–1966 Black & White / Color separate
1959 (bw): Lyle R. Wheeler , George Davis , Walter M. Scott , Stuart A. Reiss / (c): William A. Horning (posthumous award ), Edward Carfagno , Hugh Hunt
1960 (bw): Alexandre Trauner , Edward G. Boyle /(c): Alexander Golitzen , Eric Orbom (posthumous award ), Russell A. Gausman , Julia Heron
1961 (bw): Harry Horner , Gene Callahan / (c): Boris Leven , Victor A. Gangelin
1962 (bw): Alexander Golitzen , Henry Bumstead , Oliver Emert /(c): John Box , John Stoll , Dario Simoni
1963 (bw): Gene Callahan / (c): John DeCuir , Jack Martin Smith , Hilyard M. Brown , Herman A. Blumenthal , Elven Webb , Maurice Pelling , Boris Juraga , Walter M. Scott , Paul S. Fox , Ray Moyer
1964 (bw): Vassilis Photopoulos /(c): Gene Allen , Cecil Beaton , George James Hopkins
1965 (bw): Robert Clatworthy , Joseph Kish /(c): John Box , Terence Marsh , Dario Simoni
1966 (bw): Richard Sylbert , George James Hopkins / (c): Jack Martin Smith , Dale Hennesy , Walter M. Scott , Stuart A. Reiss
1967–1980
1967: John Truscott , Edward Carrere , John W. Brown
1968: John Box , Terence Marsh , Vernon Dixon , Ken Muggleston
1969: John DeCuir , Jack Martin Smith , Herman A. Blumenthal , Walter M. Scott , George James Hopkins , Raphaël Bretton
1970: Urie McCleary , Gil Parrondo , Antonio Mateos , Pierre-Louis Thévenet
1971: John Box , Ernest Archer , Jack Maxsted , Gil Parrondo , Vernon Dixon
1972: Rolf Zehetbauer , Jurgen Kiebach , Herbert Strabel
1973: Henry Bumstead , James W. Payne
1974: Dean Tavoularis , Angelo P. Graham , George R. Nelson
1975: Ken Adam , Roy Walker , Vernon Dixon
1976: George C. Jenkins , George Gaines
1977: John Barry , Norman Reynolds , Leslie Dilley , Roger Christian
1978: Paul Sylbert , Edwin O'Donovan , George Gaines
1979: Philip Rosenberg , Tony Walton , Edward Stewart , Gary J. Brink
1980: Pierre Guffroy , Jack Stephens
1981–2000 2001–present
1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s
M. Night Shyamalan – The Last Airbender (2010)
Dennis Dugan – Jack and Jill and Just Go with It (2011)
Bill Condon – The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2 (2012)
Elizabeth Banks , Steven Brill , Steve Carr , Rusty Cundieff , James Duffy, Griffin Dunne , Peter Farrelly , Patrik Forsberg, Will Graham, James Gunn , Bob Odenkirk , Brett Ratner , and Jonathan van Tulleken – Movie 43 (2013)
Michael Bay – Transformers: Age of Extinction (2014)
Josh Trank – Fantastic Four (2015)
Dinesh D'Souza and Bruce Schooley – Hillary's America: The Secret History of the Democratic Party (2016)
Tony Leondis – The Emoji Movie (2017)
Etan Cohen – Holmes & Watson (2018)
Tom Hooper – Cats (2019)
2020s
International National Artists People Other