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Joel Schumacher

Highest Rated: 86% Car Wash (1976)

Lowest Rated: 3% Twelve (2010)

Birthday: Aug 29, 1939

Birthplace: New York, New York, USA

Joel Schumacher's first passion was fashion. Growing up in New York City led him to attend The New School and The Fashion Institute of Technology, which guided him right to a career in the field. That wasn't enough, though, and as he went through his 20s, Schumacher realized he wanted to work in film. Leaving New York City, he went west to California, getting his start in the industry as a costume designer first with "Play It As It Lays" (1972) and then with the Woody Allen movies "Sleeper" (1973) and "Interiors" (1978). He worked his way into screenwriting with "Sparkle" (1976) and "The Wiz" (1978). After a decade working his way into the world of film, Schumacher landed his first feature director role, working with star Lily Tomlin in "The Incredible Shrinking Woman" (1981). His work in the '80s was defined mostly by his biggest hits of the decade, the Brat Pack-starring "St. Elmo's Fire" (1985) and the cult horror flick "The Lost Boys" (1987). Schumacher's '90s work was filled with variety, making everything from cult thrillers like "Flatliners" (1990) to John Grisham adaptations "The Client" (1994) and "A Time to Kill" (1996). Most notably, he took over the Batman mantle from Tim Burton, directing the successful Batman Forever (1995) and infamous series-stunting bomb "Batman & Robin" (1997). After the critical drubbing his Batman work took, Schumacher worked on smaller, low budget films such as the Nicholas Cage-starring "8MM" (1999). He slowly worked his way back to bigger budgets, with highlights being the musical "The Phantom of the Opera" (2004) and the Colin Farrell-starring "Phone Booth" (2002). He slowed down his pace as he got into his 70s, with his biggest work being the Nicholas Cage and Nicole Kidman-starring "Trespass" (2011) and a few episodes of "House of Cards" (Netflix 2013- ). Joel Schumacher died on June 22, 2020 in New York, NY at the age of 80, a year after being diagnosed with cancer.

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Highest rated movies

86% 59% Car Wash
Watchlist
80% 68% The Client
Watchlist
78% 79% Interiors
Watchlist
77% 88% Halston Watchlist
77% 71% Tigerland
Watchlist
75% 84% Falling Down
Watchlist
75% 85% The Lost Boys
Watchlist
72% 64% Phone Booth Watchlist
70% 53% Blume in Love
Watchlist
67% 85% A Time to Kill
Watchlist

Filmography

Movies

Credit
77% 88% Halston Self $147.7K 2019
9% 22% Trespass Director $16.8K 2011
3% 32% Twelve Director $181.6K 2010
50% 30% Town Creek Director - 2009
No Score Yet 38% Bloodsucking Cinema Unknown (Character) - 2007
7% 56% The Number 23 Director $35.1M 2007
33% 84% The Phantom of the Opera Director $51.2M 2004
53% 69% Veronica Guerin Director $1.6M 2003
72% 64% Phone Booth Director $46.6M 2002
10% 35% Bad Company Director $30.2M 2002
77% 71% Tigerland Director $139.3K 2000
28% 47% Gossip Executive Producer $5.1M 2000
40% 54% Flawless Director,
Writer,
Producer
$4.5M 1999
24% 52% 8MM Director,
Producer
$36.3M 1999
12% 16% Batman & Robin Director $107.3M 1997
67% 85% A Time to Kill Director $108.7M 1996
41% 33% Batman Forever Director $182.5M 1995
80% 68% The Client Director $90.8M 1994
75% 84% Falling Down Director $40.4M 1993
No Score Yet No Score Yet 2000 Malibu Road Director - 1992
25% 65% Dying Young Director $32.3M 1991
50% 59% Flatliners Director $58.7M 1990
56% 68% Cousins Director $21.7M 1989
75% 85% The Lost Boys Director $31.7M 1987
No Score Yet 67% Slow Burn Executive Producer - 1986
43% 67% St. Elmo's Fire Director,
Writer
- 1985
18% 52% D.C. Cab Director,
Screenwriter
- 1983
27% 51% The Incredible Shrinking Woman Director - 1981
No Score Yet No Score Yet Amateur Night at the Dixie Bar and Grill Director - 1979
47% 65% The Wiz Screenwriter - 1978
78% 79% Interiors Costume Design - 1978
86% 59% Car Wash Writer - 1976
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Virginia Hill Story Director - 1974
70% 53% Blume in Love Costume Design - 1973

TV

Credit
No Score Yet 60% Nightcap Unknown (Guest Star) 2017
77% 76% House of Cards Director 2013