Brian De Palma

Director Brian De Palma focused his creative efforts on making viscerally disturbing thrillers that were both stylish and violent. After emerging onto the scene with small independents like "Greetings" (1968) and "The Wedding Party" (1969), De Palma touched on Hitchcock's "Vertigo" (1958) as inspiration for the thriller "Obsession" (1976). But he had one of his most lasting successes with "Carrie" (1976), an adaptation of Stephen King's first novel and a graphic horror thriller about teen cruelty that featured one of the most memorable uses of fake blood in cinema history. Following "The Fury" (1978) and "Dressed to Kill" (1980), wherein he honed his signature stylistic flourishes, De Palma directed John Travolta in "Blow Out" (1981), one of his most critically regarded films. De Palma returned with renewed vigor and directed the film "Scarface" (1983), which originally earned an X-rating for its graphic violence, while later becoming a favorite among many filmgoers. He followed with what many considered his best film, "The Untouchables" (1987), which was a successful blend of his usual cinematic styling with strong performances from its leading actors. The beginning of the decade saw him helm the challenging adaptation of Tom Wolfe's "The Bonfire of the Vanities" (1990), while later directing the mega-successful "Mission: Impossible" (1996), perhaps his most straightforward studio film. Though he triumphed with the critically lauded, but underappreciated "Carlito's Way" (1993), De Palma had less success with the likes of "Snake Eyes" (1998), "Mission to Mars" (2000) and "The Black Dahlia" (2006), all of which demonstrated his ability to combine great cinematic triumphs with lesser, but always intriguing, films.