John Landis celebrates his 69th birthday on August 3, 2019. Despite his many career ups and downs, the director has created a number of classics across several different genres. In honor of his birthday, let’s take a look back at 10 of his greatest films, ranked worst to best.
Born in 1950, Landis made his filmmaking debut with the micro-budget creature feature “Schlock” (1973), in which he also starred as an apeman terrorizing a Southern California suburb. It was the first collaboration between him and makeup maestro Rick Baker, who went on to win the first Academy Award for Best Makeup for the director’s “An American Werewolf in London” (1981).
Landis had his greatest successes with comedies, starting with the sketch compilation “The Kentucky Fried Movie” (1977), written by the “Airplane!” trio of Jim Abrahams, David Zucker and Jerry Zucker. He went on to helm the box office smashes “National Lampoon’s Animal House” (1978), “The Blues Brothers...
Born in 1950, Landis made his filmmaking debut with the micro-budget creature feature “Schlock” (1973), in which he also starred as an apeman terrorizing a Southern California suburb. It was the first collaboration between him and makeup maestro Rick Baker, who went on to win the first Academy Award for Best Makeup for the director’s “An American Werewolf in London” (1981).
Landis had his greatest successes with comedies, starting with the sketch compilation “The Kentucky Fried Movie” (1977), written by the “Airplane!” trio of Jim Abrahams, David Zucker and Jerry Zucker. He went on to helm the box office smashes “National Lampoon’s Animal House” (1978), “The Blues Brothers...
- 8/3/2019
- by Zach Laws and Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
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