Curtis Hanson

Directing

Curtis Hanson

Born — Died

1945-03-24 — 2016-09-20

Place of birth

Reno, Nevada, USA

Known for

Directing

Credits

54 titles

Curtis Lee Hanson (March 24, 1945 – September 20, 2016) was an American film director, screenwriter, and producer. Born in Reno, Nevada, Hanson grew up in Los Angeles. After dropping out of high school, Hanson worked as photographer and editor for Cinema magazine. In the 1970s, Hanson participated as a writer for the horror film The Dunwich Horror (1970) and made his directorial debut the B-Movie Sweet Kill (1973), where he lacked creative control to fulfill his vision. While Hanson continued directing, he rose to prominence screenwriting critically acclaimed films such as The Silent Partner (1978), White Dog (1982), and Never Cry Wolf (1983). After working on projects that kept him unsatis…

Known for

American Masters poster
7.0

American Masters is a PBS television series which produces biographies on enduring writers, musicians, visual and performing artists, dramatists, filmmakers, and others who have left an indelible impression on the cultural landscape of the United States.

American Masters

1986

L.A. Confidential poster
7.8

Three detectives in the corrupt and brutal L.A. police force of the 1950s use differing methods to uncover a conspiracy behind the shotgun slayings of the patrons at an all-night diner.

L.A. Confidential

1997

8 Mile poster
7.1

For Jimmy Smith, Jr., life is a daily fight just to keep hope alive. Feeding his dreams in Detroit's vibrant music scene, Jimmy wages an extraordinary personal struggle to find his own voice - and earn a place in a world where rhymes rule, legends are born and every moment… is another chance.

8 Mile

2002

The Hand That Rocks the Cradle poster
6.9

A suburban family chooses seemingly sweet Peyton Flanders as their newborn's nanny. Only much later does the infant's mother, Claire Bartel, realize Peyton's true intentions -- to destroy Claire and replace her in the family. The nail-biting suspense builds quickly in this chilling psychological thriller about deception and bitter revenge.

The Hand That Rocks the Cradle

1992

In Her Shoes poster
6.2

Irresponsible party girl Maggie is kicked out of her father's and stepmother's home—where she lives for free—and is taken in by her hard-working sister, Philadelphia lawyer Rose. After Maggie's disruptive ways ruin her sister's love life, Rose turns her out as well. But when their grandmother, who they never knew existed, comes into their lives, the sisters face some complicated truths about themselves and their family.

In Her Shoes

2005

The Big Year poster
6.0

Three fanatical bird-watchers spend an entire year competing to spot the highest number of species as El Nino sends an extraordinary variety of rare breeds flying up into the U.S., but they quickly discover that there are more important things than coming out on top of the competition.

The Big Year

2011

Film credits

2000s · 15 titles

Adaptation. poster
7.3

Charlie Kaufman is a confused L.A. screenwriter overwhelmed by feelings of inadequacy, sexual frustration, self-loathing, and by the screenwriting ambitions of his freeloading twin brother Donald. While struggling to adapt "The Orchid Thief," by Susan Orlean, Kaufman's life spins from pathetic to bizarre. The lives of Kaufman and Orlean's book become strangely intertwined as each one's search for passion collides with the other's.

Adaptation.

2002

The Legacy of 'Some Like It Hot' poster
8.5

A look back at the impact Billy Wilder's comedy classic "Some Like It Hot" has left since it's release in 1959.

The Legacy of 'Some Like It Hot'

2006

Clint Eastwood: Out of the Shadows poster
7.2

Hollywood careers are full of make-or-break moments. For Clint Eastwood, one such moment came when studio powers agreed to let him make his directing debut. That story and others comprise this portrait of the famed Hollywood icon. His career is explored via an array of film clips, interviews and more.

Clint Eastwood: Out of the Shadows

2000

You Must Remember This: The Warner Bros. Story poster
8.5

Jack L. Warner, Harry Warner, Albert Warner and Sam Warner were siblings who were born in Poland and emigrated to Canada near the turn of the century. In 1903, the brothers entered the budding motion picture business. In time, the Warner Brothers moved into film production and would open their own studio in 1923.

You Must Remember This: The Warner Bros. Story

2008

The Master's Touch: Hitchcock's Signature Style poster
6.8

Documentary that features interviews with Martin Scorsese, Curtis Hanson, Francis Lawrence, William Friedkin, Guillermo Del Toro, John Carpenter and others as they discuss the films and style of the Master of Suspense.

The Master's Touch: Hitchcock's Signature Style

2009

Critic poster
7.9

Seventy critics and filmmakers discuss cinema around the conflict between the artist and the observer, the creator and the critic. Between 1998 and 2007, Kléber Mendonça Filho recorded testimonies about this relationship in Brazil, the United States and Europe, based on his experience as a critic.

Critic

2008

Revolution! The Making of 'Bonnie and Clyde' poster
4.6

The making-of documentary of Bonnie and Clyde.

Revolution! The Making of 'Bonnie and Clyde'

2008

Whatever You Desire: Making 'L.A. Confidential' poster
8.0

Director Curtis Hanson and his cast and crew discuss the arduous but rewarding process of creating a modern classic.

Whatever You Desire: Making 'L.A. Confidential'

2008

'In a Lonely Place' Revisited poster
10.0

Documentary about Nicholas Ray's film "In a Lonely Place" (1950).

'In a Lonely Place' Revisited

2003

The Making of '8 Mile' poster
8.0

Director Curtis Hanson and star Eminem talk about their ideas and views on the film 8 Mile (2002).

The Making of '8 Mile'

2003

'Rear Window' Ethics: Remembering and Restoring a Hitchcock Classic poster
7.5

A documentary about Alfred Hitchcock's classic 1954 film Rear Window.

'Rear Window' Ethics: Remembering and Restoring a Hitchcock Classic

2001

The Searchers: An Appreciation poster
NR

Three directors (Curtis Hanson, Martin Scorsese and John Milius) discuss the movie "The Searchers."

The Searchers: An Appreciation

2006

North by Northwest: One for the Ages poster
6.8

A discussion of "North by Northwest" and its influence.

North by Northwest: One for the Ages

2009

No artwork available
5.0

Curtis Hanson and his behind-the-scenes collaborators reveal the secrets of bringing 1950s Los Angeles to life in unforgettable style.

Sunlight and Shadow: The Visual Style of 'L.A. Confidential'

2008

No artwork available
9.0

Film noir, which enjoyed particular success in the 1930s and 1940s, is probably the most profound genre of classic Hollywood cinema. Eckhart Schmidt tries to show the background and developments and speaks, among others, with directors such as Richard Fleischer and Robert Wise as well as with "femme fatale" actresses. Filmmakers of the following generations explain how the style and themes of noir continue to shape cinema today.

Männer im Trenchcoat, Frauen im Pelz

2004

1990s · 4 titles

Series credits

Behind the camera

L.A. Confidential poster
7.8

Three detectives in the corrupt and brutal L.A. police force of the 1950s use differing methods to uncover a conspiracy behind the shotgun slayings of the patrons at an all-night diner.

L.A. Confidential

1997

L.A. Confidential poster
7.8

Three detectives in the corrupt and brutal L.A. police force of the 1950s use differing methods to uncover a conspiracy behind the shotgun slayings of the patrons at an all-night diner.

L.A. Confidential

1997

L.A. Confidential poster
7.8

Three detectives in the corrupt and brutal L.A. police force of the 1950s use differing methods to uncover a conspiracy behind the shotgun slayings of the patrons at an all-night diner.

L.A. Confidential

1997

8 Mile poster
7.1

For Jimmy Smith, Jr., life is a daily fight just to keep hope alive. Feeding his dreams in Detroit's vibrant music scene, Jimmy wages an extraordinary personal struggle to find his own voice - and earn a place in a world where rhymes rule, legends are born and every moment… is another chance.

8 Mile

2002

8 Mile poster
7.1

For Jimmy Smith, Jr., life is a daily fight just to keep hope alive. Feeding his dreams in Detroit's vibrant music scene, Jimmy wages an extraordinary personal struggle to find his own voice - and earn a place in a world where rhymes rule, legends are born and every moment… is another chance.

8 Mile

2002

The Hand That Rocks the Cradle poster
6.9

A suburban family chooses seemingly sweet Peyton Flanders as their newborn's nanny. Only much later does the infant's mother, Claire Bartel, realize Peyton's true intentions -- to destroy Claire and replace her in the family. The nail-biting suspense builds quickly in this chilling psychological thriller about deception and bitter revenge.

The Hand That Rocks the Cradle

1992

In Her Shoes poster
6.2

Irresponsible party girl Maggie is kicked out of her father's and stepmother's home—where she lives for free—and is taken in by her hard-working sister, Philadelphia lawyer Rose. After Maggie's disruptive ways ruin her sister's love life, Rose turns her out as well. But when their grandmother, who they never knew existed, comes into their lives, the sisters face some complicated truths about themselves and their family.

In Her Shoes

2005

In Her Shoes poster
6.2

Irresponsible party girl Maggie is kicked out of her father's and stepmother's home—where she lives for free—and is taken in by her hard-working sister, Philadelphia lawyer Rose. After Maggie's disruptive ways ruin her sister's love life, Rose turns her out as well. But when their grandmother, who they never knew existed, comes into their lives, the sisters face some complicated truths about themselves and their family.

In Her Shoes

2005

The Big Year poster
6.0

Three fanatical bird-watchers spend an entire year competing to spot the highest number of species as El Nino sends an extraordinary variety of rare breeds flying up into the U.S., but they quickly discover that there are more important things than coming out on top of the competition.

The Big Year

2011

The River Wild poster
6.5

Gail and Tom Hartman are struggling to stay together and decide to take a white-water rafting holiday adventure in Montana for their son Roarke's 10th birthday, only to meet up with a pair of mysterious men whose desperation grows, turning their vacation into a nightmare.

The River Wild

1994

Bad Influence poster
6.0

Wimpy young executive Michael is about to get pulverized by a jealous boyfriend in a bar when a handsome, mysterious stranger steps in—and then disappears. Later that night, Michael runs into a stranger on a pier, who wheedles his way into Michael's life and turns it upside down.

Bad Influence

1990

Lucky You poster
5.7

A professional poker player whose astounding luck at the table fails to translate into his lonesome love life attempts to win the World Series of Poker while simultaneously earning the affections of a beautiful Las Vegas singer.

Lucky You

2007

Lucky You poster
5.7

A professional poker player whose astounding luck at the table fails to translate into his lonesome love life attempts to win the World Series of Poker while simultaneously earning the affections of a beautiful Las Vegas singer.

Lucky You

2007

Lucky You poster
5.7

A professional poker player whose astounding luck at the table fails to translate into his lonesome love life attempts to win the World Series of Poker while simultaneously earning the affections of a beautiful Las Vegas singer.

Lucky You

2007

Too Big to Fail poster
6.9

An intimate look at the epochal financial crisis of 2008 and the powerful men and women who decided the fate of the world's economy in a matter of a few weeks.

Too Big to Fail

2011

Wonder Boys poster
6.8

Grady is a 50-ish English professor who hasn't had a thing published in years—not since he wrote his award winning 'Great American Novel' 7 years ago. This weekend proves even worse than he could imagine as he finds himself reeling from one misadventure to another in the company of a new wonder boy author.

Wonder Boys

2000

Wonder Boys poster
6.8

Grady is a 50-ish English professor who hasn't had a thing published in years—not since he wrote his award winning 'Great American Novel' 7 years ago. This weekend proves even worse than he could imagine as he finds himself reeling from one misadventure to another in the company of a new wonder boy author.

Wonder Boys

2000

The Bedroom Window poster
6.3

Baltimore, Maryland. Sylvia sees a girl being attacked from her lover Terry's bedroom window. The assailant flees and his victim is saved. But that same night another girl is found murdered.

The Bedroom Window

1987

The Bedroom Window poster
6.3

Baltimore, Maryland. Sylvia sees a girl being attacked from her lover Terry's bedroom window. The assailant flees and his victim is saved. But that same night another girl is found murdered.

The Bedroom Window

1987

The Silent Partner poster
7.1

Toronto, Canada. A few days before Christmas, Miles Cullen, a bored teller working at a bank branch located in a shopping mall, accidentally learns that the place is about to be robbed when he finds a disconcerting note on one of the counters.

The Silent Partner

1978

Chasing Mavericks poster
7.0

Surfer Jay Moriarity sets out to ride the Northern California break known as Mavericks.

Chasing Mavericks

2012

Chasing Mavericks poster
7.0

Surfer Jay Moriarity sets out to ride the Northern California break known as Mavericks.

Chasing Mavericks

2012

The Dunwich Horror poster
5.3

Dr. Henry Armitage, an expert in the occult, goes to the old Whateley manor in Dunwich looking for Nancy Wagner, a student who went missing the previous night. He is turned away by Wilbur, the family's insidious heir, who has plans for the young girl. But Armitage won't be deterred. Through conversations with the locals, he soon unearths the Whateleys' darkest secret — as well as a great evil.

The Dunwich Horror

1970

White Dog poster
6.6

Samuel Fuller’s throat-grabbing exposé on American racism was misunderstood and withheld from release when it was made in the early eighties.Today, the notorious film is lauded for its daring metaphor and gripping pulp filmmaking. Kristy McNichol stars as a young actress who adopts a lost German shepherd, only to discover through a series of horrifying incidents that the dog has been trained to attack black people, and Paul Winfield plays the animal trainer who tries to cure him. A snarling, uncompromising vision, White Dog is a tragic portrait of the evil done by that most corruptible of all animals; the human being.

White Dog

1982

Sweet Kill poster
4.1

Horror and suspense in the story of a psychotic maniac who literally "loves" women to death.

Sweet Kill

1972

Sweet Kill poster
4.1

Horror and suspense in the story of a psychotic maniac who literally "loves" women to death.

Sweet Kill

1972

Sweet Kill poster
4.1

Horror and suspense in the story of a psychotic maniac who literally "loves" women to death.

Sweet Kill

1972

Losin' It poster
5.0

In 1965, four Los Angeles school friends -- Woody, Dave, Spider and Wendell -- go on a series of misadventures when they head to Tijuana, Mexico, for a night of cruisin', causing trouble, and to lose their virginity.

Losin' It

1983

Never Cry Wolf poster
7.0

A scientific researcher, sent on a government study: The Lupus Project, must investigate the possible "menace" of wolves in the north. To do so, he must survive in the wilderness for six months on his own. In the course of these events, he learns about the true beneficial and positive nature of the wolf species.

Never Cry Wolf

1983

Evil Town poster
3.8

A mad scientist seeks eternal youth by developing a drug derived from human pituitary glands, aided by the local townsfolk, who help abduct visitors to their town for his experiments.

Evil Town

1987

The Children of Times Square poster
6.3

An alienated teenage boy runs away from home and ventures to New York City where he falls in with a gang of juvenile delinquents working as drug dealers and pickpockets for a shady crime boss.

The Children of Times Square

1986

The Children of Times Square poster
6.3

An alienated teenage boy runs away from home and ventures to New York City where he falls in with a gang of juvenile delinquents working as drug dealers and pickpockets for a shady crime boss.

The Children of Times Square

1986

The Little Dragons poster
5.1

Karate experts attempt to rescue a girl who was kidnapped by a mother and her two psycho sons.

The Little Dragons

1980