Influential filmmaker Joel Schumacher has passed away at the age of 80 after a yearlong battle with cancer. The filmmaker’s credits include Falling Down, The Lost Boys, Tigerland, and Batman Forever. Throughout his career, he expressed a remarkable range as a director.
The Beginning of an Incredible Career
Born in 1939, Schumacher began his career as a costume designer. In the ‘70s, he turned to screenwriting, starting with his first produced credit, Car Wash. From there, he wrote The Wiz and made his directorial debut with two TV movies in the 1970s. It was in the 1980s when Schumacher broke out and became one of the most reliable and well-liked filmmakers for studios.
The ‘80s Run
Schumacher has made movies that continue to endure and inspire. People still talk about St. Elmo’s Fire, and even more people still talk about one of the greatest horror-comedies of all time, The Lost Boys. It’s a movie with big laughs and scares that leaves such a strong impression on movie fans at a young age. I’ll never forget as a teenager seeing that iconic poster, renting the movie at blockbuster, hearing that soundtrack for the first time, and revisiting it time and time again. Schumacher not only made some great movies, but he also made great memories for movie fans.
The 1990s
It’s impressive how prolific Schumacher was in the ‘90s. Schumacher had a movie come out almost every year in the ‘90s, starting the decade off with Flatliners. Admittedly, the filmmaker’s ‘90s pictures were hit and miss, including Batman Forever and Batman & Robin (which he famously apologized for). To Schumacher’s credit, when he missed it wasn’t for a lack of ambition. When Schumacher made a real hit, though, the results were often spectacular.
The Great Films of Joel Schumacher
Schumacher knew how to surprise audiences time and time again. A movie like Falling Down, for example, was shocking and intense for its time, showing Michael Douglas in a new light. Now, that angry white man with a gun movie is arguably scarier and more relevant than ever now.
After that commercial and critical hit, Schumacher became one of the most successful directors in Hollywood. He went on to direct The Client, A Time to Kill, and two Batman pictures. Schumacher’s thrillers, in particular, were defined by the strong performances he got out of A-list actors.
After that very commercial run, Schumacher began making the most intimate movies of his career, including Flawless and one of his best films, Tigerland, which introduced audiences to Colin Farrell. It’s an incredible war drama dripped in authenticity and intensity. It’s a high point of his career, revealing greater depths to Schumacher as an artist and a human being.
Years later, Schumacher would reunite with Farrell for another knockout movie, Phone Booth, which is an airtight and character-driven popcorn thriller. Once again, Schumacher made a commercial hit with artistic integrity and emotion. For most of Schumacher’s career in the 2000s, he continued to balance studio movies and indies, such as Phantom of the Opera and Trespass.
Joel Schumacher: A True Artist.
Schumacher seldomly made the same movie twice. He was always trying his hand at different movies and was an adaptable filmmaker. With over 40 years in the business, Schumacher rarely repeated himself. Even towards the end of his career, which involved a handful of episodes of House of Cards, he kept pushing himself.
Joel Schumacher was a one-of-a-kind filmmaker, beloved by his collaborators and known for his sense of humor, kindness, and wonderful gossip. According to his collaborators, he was a good man as well as a good director. Rest in peace, Joel Schumacher, and thank you for all the great entertainment and memories.
