Clive Barker filmmaker biography
Published 2009-03-02
Personal life
Barker was born in Liverpool, England, the son of Joan Rubie (née Revill), a painter and school welfare officer, and Leonard Barker, a personnel director for an industrial relations firm.[1][2] Educated at the same schools as John Lennon: Dovedale County Primary and Quarrybank, he studied English and philosophy at Liverpool University. Barker lives in Los Angeles, California with his partner of 17 years, photographer David Emilian Armstrong and Armstrong's daughter Nicole from a previous relationship.
In 2003, Clive Barker received The Davidson/Valentini Award at the 15th Annual GLAAD Media Awards. This award is presented "to an openly lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender individual who has made a significant difference in promoting equal rights for any of those communities".[3] While Barker is critical of organized religion, he has stated that he is a believer in both God and the Bible, and that the Christian message influences his work.[4]
Clive Barker had said, "I want to be remembered as an imaginer, someone who used his imagination as a way to journey beyond the limits of self, beyond the limits of flesh and blood, beyond the limits of even perhaps life itself, in order to discover some sense of order in what appears to be a disordered universe. I'm using my imagination to find meaning, both for myself and, I hope, for my readers."
Film work
Barker has a keen interest in movie production, although his films have received mixed receptions. He wrote the screenplays for Underworld (aka Transmutations - 1985) and Rawhead Rex (1986), both directed by George Pavlou and matched with little critical success.[6]. Displeased by how his material was handled, he moved to directing with Hellraiser (1987), based on his novella The Hellbound Heart. His early movies, the shorts The Forbidden and Salome, are experimental art movies with surrealist elements, which have been re-released together to moderate critical acclaim. After his film Nightbreed (Cabal), which was widely considered to be a flop, Barker returned to write and direct Lord of Illusions. Barker was an executive producer of the film Gods and Monsters, which received major critical acclaim. He had been working on a series of movie adaptations of his The Abarat Quintet books under Disney's management, but has admitted that because of creative differences, this project will not go ahead. He is also developing a film based on his Tortured Souls line of toys from McFarlane Toys.
In October 2006, Barker announced through his official website that he will be writing the script to a forthcoming remake of the original Hellraiser movie.[7][8]
A short story titled "The Forbidden", from Barker's Books of Blood, provided the basis for the film Candyman and its two sequels.
Japanese director Ryuhei Kitamura directed the 2008 film Midnight Meat Train from Jeff Buhler's screenplay based on Barker's short story of the same name for Lakeshore Entertainment and Lionsgate.
A movie is planned of his 'Book of Blood' short story, to be filmed in 2007.[9] Also he will write and produce upcoming films Born, The Thief of Always and other future projects.
Directed
* (1973) Salome
* (1978) The Forbidden
* (1987) Hellraiser
* (1990) Nightbreed
* (1995) Lord of Illusions
* (2009) Tortured Souls: Animae Damnatae
Produced
* (1988) Hellbound: Hellraiser II
* (1992) Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth
* (1992) Candyman
* (1998) Gods and Monsters
* (2006) The Plague
* (2008) The Midnight Meat Train
* (2008) Born (pre-production)
* (2009) Clive Barker Presents Hellraiser (pre-production)
* (2009) Dread
Written
* (1986) Rawhead Rex
* (1987) Transmutations
* (2008) Book of Blood (post-production)
* (2008) Born (pre-production)
Clive Barker on Youtube:
Hellraiser, Nightbreed, Interviews
Barker was born in Liverpool, England, the son of Joan Rubie (née Revill), a painter and school welfare officer, and Leonard Barker, a personnel director for an industrial relations firm.[1][2] Educated at the same schools as John Lennon: Dovedale County Primary and Quarrybank, he studied English and philosophy at Liverpool University. Barker lives in Los Angeles, California with his partner of 17 years, photographer David Emilian Armstrong and Armstrong's daughter Nicole from a previous relationship.
In 2003, Clive Barker received The Davidson/Valentini Award at the 15th Annual GLAAD Media Awards. This award is presented "to an openly lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender individual who has made a significant difference in promoting equal rights for any of those communities".[3] While Barker is critical of organized religion, he has stated that he is a believer in both God and the Bible, and that the Christian message influences his work.[4]
Clive Barker had said, "I want to be remembered as an imaginer, someone who used his imagination as a way to journey beyond the limits of self, beyond the limits of flesh and blood, beyond the limits of even perhaps life itself, in order to discover some sense of order in what appears to be a disordered universe. I'm using my imagination to find meaning, both for myself and, I hope, for my readers."
Film work
Barker has a keen interest in movie production, although his films have received mixed receptions. He wrote the screenplays for Underworld (aka Transmutations - 1985) and Rawhead Rex (1986), both directed by George Pavlou and matched with little critical success.[6]. Displeased by how his material was handled, he moved to directing with Hellraiser (1987), based on his novella The Hellbound Heart. His early movies, the shorts The Forbidden and Salome, are experimental art movies with surrealist elements, which have been re-released together to moderate critical acclaim. After his film Nightbreed (Cabal), which was widely considered to be a flop, Barker returned to write and direct Lord of Illusions. Barker was an executive producer of the film Gods and Monsters, which received major critical acclaim. He had been working on a series of movie adaptations of his The Abarat Quintet books under Disney's management, but has admitted that because of creative differences, this project will not go ahead. He is also developing a film based on his Tortured Souls line of toys from McFarlane Toys.
In October 2006, Barker announced through his official website that he will be writing the script to a forthcoming remake of the original Hellraiser movie.[7][8]
A short story titled "The Forbidden", from Barker's Books of Blood, provided the basis for the film Candyman and its two sequels.
Japanese director Ryuhei Kitamura directed the 2008 film Midnight Meat Train from Jeff Buhler's screenplay based on Barker's short story of the same name for Lakeshore Entertainment and Lionsgate.
A movie is planned of his 'Book of Blood' short story, to be filmed in 2007.[9] Also he will write and produce upcoming films Born, The Thief of Always and other future projects.
Directed
* (1973) Salome
* (1978) The Forbidden
* (1987) Hellraiser
* (1990) Nightbreed
* (1995) Lord of Illusions
* (2009) Tortured Souls: Animae Damnatae
Produced
* (1988) Hellbound: Hellraiser II
* (1992) Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth
* (1992) Candyman
* (1998) Gods and Monsters
* (2006) The Plague
* (2008) The Midnight Meat Train
* (2008) Born (pre-production)
* (2009) Clive Barker Presents Hellraiser (pre-production)
* (2009) Dread
Written
* (1986) Rawhead Rex
* (1987) Transmutations
* (2008) Book of Blood (post-production)
* (2008) Born (pre-production)
Clive Barker on Youtube:
Hellraiser, Nightbreed, Interviews