Neil Burger
Encyclopedia
Neil Burger is an American film director
who has filmed the pseudo-documentary
, Interview with the Assassin
(2002), the period drama, The Illusionist, and the 2011 thriller Limitless
.
and Brunswick School in Greenwich CT, Burger graduated from Yale University
with a degree in fine arts and later became involved with experimental film
in the 1980s. He then went on to direct music videos for such alternative artists as the Meat Puppets
and used his renown and connections to approached MTV
in 1991 with the idea to create and direct a series of promotional spots for what would be the MTV "Books: Feed Your Head
" campaign against aliteracy. In an interview with Shave Magazine
Neil described his work as "almost like PSA’s but they weren’t really; they were like music videos for literature and language."
Burger, who directed and wrote Interview with an Assassin, won Best Feature for the film at the Woodstock Film Festival
. Interview with the Assassin was also been nominated for three Independent Spirit Awards, including best First Feature.
Burger filmed The Illusionist, which he adapted for the big screen from the Steven Millhauser
short story, "Eisenheim the Illusionist." The Illusionist premiered at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival
. The film also opened the 2006 Seattle International Film Festival
and had a limited release in theaters on August 18, 2006.
Burger has said that he is working on adapting "The Big Knockover," a short story by Dashiell Hammett
.
Burger is set to direct a drama for Universal that follows criminals in New York City who band together to search and take out terrorists themselves, when the police searches begin interfering with their business.
In June, 2009, The Hollywood Reporter
's Risky Biz Blog reported that Universal and Imagine Entertainment
were in talks with Neil Burger to write and direct a remake of Bride of Frankenstein
.
In July, 2011, Variety
reported that Burger was to direct the film adaptation of the video game Uncharted: Drake's Fortune.
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
who has filmed the pseudo-documentary
Mockumentary
A mockumentary , is a type of film or television show in which fictitious events are presented in documentary format. These productions are often used to analyze or comment on current events and issues by using a fictitious setting, or to parody the documentary form itself...
, Interview with the Assassin
Interview with the Assassin
Interview with the Assassin is a 2002 drama/"mockumentary" starring Raymond J. Barry and Dylan Haggerty.-Plot:An unemployed cameraman, Ron Kobeleski , is asked by his reclusive neighbor, a retired Marine named Walter Ohlinger who has been diagnosed with terminal cancer, to document a startling...
(2002), the period drama, The Illusionist, and the 2011 thriller Limitless
Limitless
Limitless is one of the world's largest private superyachts. She was built in 1997 by German shipmaker Lürssen, designed under the direction of Jon Bannenberg. The overall length is 96,25 m , the width 12,50 m...
.
Life and career
After attending the Greenwich Country Day SchoolGreenwich Country Day School
The Greenwich Country Day School is a co-educational, independent day school in Greenwich, Connecticut, founded in 1926. As of 2005, it has some 840 students from nursery to the 9th grade level....
and Brunswick School in Greenwich CT, Burger graduated from Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
with a degree in fine arts and later became involved with experimental film
Experimental film
Experimental film or experimental cinema is a type of cinema. Experimental film is an artistic practice relieving both of visual arts and cinema. Its origins can be found in European avant-garde movements of the twenties. Experimental cinema has built its history through the texts of theoreticians...
in the 1980s. He then went on to direct music videos for such alternative artists as the Meat Puppets
Meat Puppets
The Meat Puppets are an American rock band formed in January 1980, in Phoenix, Arizona. The group's original lineup was Curt Kirkwood , his brother Cris Kirkwood , and Derrick Bostrom . The Kirkwood brothers met Bostrom while attending Brophy Prep High School in Phoenix...
and used his renown and connections to approached MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
in 1991 with the idea to create and direct a series of promotional spots for what would be the MTV "Books: Feed Your Head
Books: Feed Your Head
Books: Feed Your Head was an award winning campaign to promote reading MTV aired in 1991.It consisted of a series of three 60 second PSA's in which contemporary actors read out snippets of literary works in order to entice the MTV audience into reading books...
" campaign against aliteracy. In an interview with Shave Magazine
Shave (magazine)
Shave is both a print and online men's-lifestyle magazine created by Shave Media Group. Shave also syndicates content through news portals, such as MSN....
Neil described his work as "almost like PSA’s but they weren’t really; they were like music videos for literature and language."
Burger, who directed and wrote Interview with an Assassin, won Best Feature for the film at the Woodstock Film Festival
Woodstock Film Festival
The Woodstock Film Festival is an American film festival that was begun in 1999. The festival was first conceived as a part of the Woodstock '99 Music and Arts Festival, with movies being screened as part of that event.-History:...
. Interview with the Assassin was also been nominated for three Independent Spirit Awards, including best First Feature.
Burger filmed The Illusionist, which he adapted for the big screen from the Steven Millhauser
Steven Millhauser
Steven Millhauser is an American novelist and short story writer. He won the 1997 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for his novel Martin Dressler. The prize brought many of his older books back into print.-Life and career:...
short story, "Eisenheim the Illusionist." The Illusionist premiered at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival
2006 Sundance Film Festival
The 2006 Sundance Film Festival was held from 19 January to 29 January 2006. It was held in Park City, Utah with screenings in Salt Lake City, Utah; Ogden, Utah; and the Sundance Resort. It was the 22nd iteration of the Sundance Film Festival, and the celebration of the 25th anniversary of the...
. The film also opened the 2006 Seattle International Film Festival
Seattle International Film Festival
The Seattle International Film Festival , held annually in Seattle, Washington since 1976, is among the top film festivals in North America. Audiences have grown steadily; the 2006 festival had 160,000 attendees...
and had a limited release in theaters on August 18, 2006.
Burger has said that he is working on adapting "The Big Knockover," a short story by Dashiell Hammett
Dashiell Hammett
Samuel Dashiell Hammett was an American author of hard-boiled detective novels and short stories, and political activist. Among the enduring characters he created are Sam Spade , Nick and Nora Charles , and the Continental Op .In addition to the significant influence his novels and stories had on...
.
Burger is set to direct a drama for Universal that follows criminals in New York City who band together to search and take out terrorists themselves, when the police searches begin interfering with their business.
In June, 2009, The Hollywood Reporter
The Hollywood Reporter
Formerly a daily trade magazine, The Hollywood Reporter re-launched in late 2010 as a unique hybrid publication serving the entertainment industry and a consumer audience...
's Risky Biz Blog reported that Universal and Imagine Entertainment
Imagine Entertainment
Imagine Entertainment is a film and television production company founded in 1986 by director Ron Howard and producer Brian Grazer.Its productions include the television series 24 and Arrested Development and the films Apollo 13 , A Beautiful Mind and The Da Vinci Code .-Organization:Karen...
were in talks with Neil Burger to write and direct a remake of Bride of Frankenstein
Bride of Frankenstein
Bride of Frankenstein is a 1935 American horror film, the first sequel to Frankenstein...
.
In July, 2011, Variety
Variety (magazine)
Variety is an American weekly entertainment-trade magazine founded in New York City, New York, in 1905 by Sime Silverman. With the rise of the importance of the motion-picture industry, Daily Variety, a daily edition based in Los Angeles, California, was founded by Silverman in 1933. In 1998, the...
reported that Burger was to direct the film adaptation of the video game Uncharted: Drake's Fortune.
Director
- Interview with the AssassinInterview with the AssassinInterview with the Assassin is a 2002 drama/"mockumentary" starring Raymond J. Barry and Dylan Haggerty.-Plot:An unemployed cameraman, Ron Kobeleski , is asked by his reclusive neighbor, a retired Marine named Walter Ohlinger who has been diagnosed with terminal cancer, to document a startling...
(2002) - The Illusionist (2006)
- The Lucky OnesThe Lucky Ones (film)The Lucky Ones is a 2008 American dramedy film with a road movie plot directed by Neil Burger. The screenplay by Burger and Dirk Wittenborn focuses on three United States Army soldiers who find themselves drawn together by unforeseen circumstances.-Plot:...
(2008) - LimitlessLimitlessLimitless is one of the world's largest private superyachts. She was built in 1997 by German shipmaker Lürssen, designed under the direction of Jon Bannenberg. The overall length is 96,25 m , the width 12,50 m...
(2011) - Uncharted: Drake's Fortune (2012)
- Bride Of Frankenstein (2012)
Writer
- Interview With the AssassinInterview with the AssassinInterview with the Assassin is a 2002 drama/"mockumentary" starring Raymond J. Barry and Dylan Haggerty.-Plot:An unemployed cameraman, Ron Kobeleski , is asked by his reclusive neighbor, a retired Marine named Walter Ohlinger who has been diagnosed with terminal cancer, to document a startling...
(2002) - The Illusionist (2006) (adapted)
- The Lucky OnesThe Lucky Ones (film)The Lucky Ones is a 2008 American dramedy film with a road movie plot directed by Neil Burger. The screenplay by Burger and Dirk Wittenborn focuses on three United States Army soldiers who find themselves drawn together by unforeseen circumstances.-Plot:...
(2007) - Uncharted: Drake's Fortune (2012)
External links
- Variety Interview with Neil Burger
- Interview September 2008 The Lucky Ones http://sarahsbackstagepass.com/pages/interviews/neilBurger.html