E. Elias Merhige
Encyclopedia
Edmund Elias Merhige, known as E. Elias Merhige, (born June 14th, 1964) is an American film director born in Brooklyn
.
Merhige is best known to mainstream audiences for the 2000
film Shadow of the Vampire
, and to underground audiences for the cult-classic 1991
film Begotten
.
As he says in his audio commentary to the Shadow of the Vampire DVD, Merhige views cinema
as the only meaningful art form of the present era. He regards literature
and drama
as once-needed forms which are past their time and which have been superseded by film. He is also very interested in the occult
and the paranormal
, and images and themes derived from these traditions suffuse his films.
Merhige currently lives in Los Angeles
, California
.
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
.
Merhige is best known to mainstream audiences for the 2000
2000 in film
The year 2000 in film involved some significant events.The top grosser worldwide was Mission: Impossible II. Domestically in North America, Gladiator won the Academy Awards for Best Picture and Best Actor ....
film Shadow of the Vampire
Shadow of the Vampire
Shadow of the Vampire is a 2000 horror film directed by E. Elias Merhige and written by Steven Katz, and starring John Malkovich, Willem Dafoe, and Udo Kier. The film is a fictionalized account of the making of the classic vampire film Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens, directed by F. W....
, and to underground audiences for the cult-classic 1991
1991 in film
The year 1991 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*April 28 - Bonnie Raitt marries actor Michael O'Keefe in New York* Terminator 2: Judgment Day, became one of the landmarks for science fiction action films with its groundbreaking visual effects from Industrial Light & Magic.*November...
film Begotten
Begotten
Begotten is a 1991 experimental/horror film, directed and written by E. Elias Merhige.The film deals with the story of Genesis. But as Merhige revealed during Q&A sessions, its primary inspiration was a near death experience he had when he was 19, after a car crash. The film features no dialogue,...
.
As he says in his audio commentary to the Shadow of the Vampire DVD, Merhige views cinema
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
as the only meaningful art form of the present era. He regards literature
Literature
Literature is the art of written works, and is not bound to published sources...
and drama
Drama
Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance. The term comes from a Greek word meaning "action" , which is derived from "to do","to act" . The enactment of drama in theatre, performed by actors on a stage before an audience, presupposes collaborative modes of production and a...
as once-needed forms which are past their time and which have been superseded by film. He is also very interested in the occult
Occult
The word occult comes from the Latin word occultus , referring to "knowledge of the hidden". In the medical sense it is used to refer to a structure or process that is hidden, e.g...
and the paranormal
Paranormal
Paranormal is a general term that designates experiences that lie outside "the range of normal experience or scientific explanation" or that indicates phenomena understood to be outside of science's current ability to explain or measure...
, and images and themes derived from these traditions suffuse his films.
Merhige currently lives in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
.
Filmography
- Implosion (1983)
- Spring Reign (1984)
- A Taste of Youth (1985)
- BegottenBegottenBegotten is a 1991 experimental/horror film, directed and written by E. Elias Merhige.The film deals with the story of Genesis. But as Merhige revealed during Q&A sessions, its primary inspiration was a near death experience he had when he was 19, after a car crash. The film features no dialogue,...
(1991) - Shadow of the VampireShadow of the VampireShadow of the Vampire is a 2000 horror film directed by E. Elias Merhige and written by Steven Katz, and starring John Malkovich, Willem Dafoe, and Udo Kier. The film is a fictionalized account of the making of the classic vampire film Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens, directed by F. W....
(2000) - Suspect ZeroSuspect ZeroSuspect Zero is a 2004 thriller film directed by E. Elias Merhige. It opened to decidedly mixed reviews, and failed to earn back half of its estimated $27 million production costs at the box office.-Plot:...
(2004) - Din of Celestial BirdsDin of Celestial BirdsDin of Celestial Birds is an experimental short film written and directed by E. Elias Merhige in cooperation with the Q6 production group....
(2006)
Music videos
- "Live At The World's End" – Neuraztenik Class Struggle (live)
- "CryptorchidCryptorchid (song)Cryptorchid is a song from Marilyn Manson's third full length album, Antichrist Superstar. It is the sixth track and while it was not a single for the band, "Cryptorchid" did reach No. 20 on the German music charts and a music video was produced for the song...
" – Marilyn MansonMarilyn Manson (band)Marilyn Manson is an American metal band from Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Formed in 1989 by Brian Warner and Scott Putesky, the group was originally named Marilyn Manson & the Spooky Kids with their uniquely theatrical performances gathering a local cult following in the early '90s. This attention... - "Antichrist SuperstarAntichrist Superstar (song)"Antichrist Superstar" is a promotional-only single from Marilyn Manson's second studio album of the same name. The song itself is symbolic of the climax of the concept album's story, the point where the abused and wretched victim at the center of the tale takes on the identity of the nihilistic...
" – Marilyn Manson - "The Heinrich ManeuverThe Heinrich Maneuver"The Heinrich Maneuver" is a song on New York-based post-punk revival band Interpol's third album, Our Love to Admire. It is the first single from the album...
" – InterpolInterpol (band)Interpol is an American indie rock and post-punk revival band from New York City. Formed in 1997, the band's original line-up consisted of Paul Banks , Daniel Kessler , Carlos Dengler and Greg Drudy . Drudy left the band in 2000 and was replaced by Sam Fogarino... - "SerpentiaBlackacidevilDanzig 5: Blackacidevil is the fifth full-length album from Danzig. It was released in 1996 on Hollywood Records, and was reissued on E-Magine Records in 2000 with three extra tracks.-Background:...
" – DanzigDanzig (band)Danzig is an American heavy metal band, formed in 1987 in Lodi, New Jersey. The band serves as a musical outlet for the singer/songwriter Glenn Danzig. Danzig can be seen as the third stage in Glenn Danzig's musical career, preceded by the horror punk bands The Misfits and Samhain...