John Dahl (born June 15, 1956) is an American

film A film, also known as a movie or motion picture, is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, emotions, or atmosphere through the use of moving images that are generally, sinc ...

and

television director A television director is in charge of the activities involved in making a television program or section of a program. They are generally responsible for decisions about the editorial content and creative style of a program, and ensuring the prod ...

and

writer A writer is a person who uses written words in different writing styles, genres and techniques to communicate ideas, to inspire feelings and emotions, or to entertain. Writers may develop different forms of writing such as novels, short sto ...

, best known for his work in the

neo-noir Neo-noir is a film genre that adapts the visual style and themes of 1940s and 1950s American film noir for contemporary audiences, often with more graphic depictions of violence and sexuality. During the late 1970s and the early 1980s, the term ...

genre.

Early life

John Dahl was born and raised in

Billings, Montana Billings is the most populous Lists of populated places in the United States, city in the U.S. state of Montana, with a population of 117,116 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Located in the south-central portion of the state, i ...

, the second of four children (his brother is filmmaker Rick Dahl). His father worked as an insurance salesman, and his mother was a homemaker. He graduated from Billings Senior High School in 1974. His interest in film began at the age of seventeen, when he first saw ''A Clockwork Orange'' at a Billings

drive-in theater A drive-in theater/theatre or drive-in cinema is a form of movie theater, cinema structure consisting of a large outdoor movie screen, a projection booth, a concession stand, and a large parking area for automobiles. Within this enclosed area, c ...

, as told to Robert K. Elder in an interview for '' The Film That Changed My Life''. He first attended the Montana State University, and then transferred to Montana State University'
School of Film and Photography
where he received a degree in film. While at MSU, Dahl was a student of

Bill Pullman William Pullman (born December 17, 1953) is an American actor. After graduating with a Master of Fine Arts degree in theater, he was an adjunct professor at Montana State University before deciding to pursue acting. Pullman made his film debut i ...

. His first feature film at MSU was titled ''The Death Mutants'' made for $12,000. While at Montana State he played guitar in the punk rock band "The Pugs". He also met his wife, Beth Friedberg at MSU, and after graduation they both left Montana to attend the AFI Conservatory in

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

. He entered the directors program and she entered the cinematography program.

Career

Dahl started his career as a

storyboard artist A storyboard artist (sometimes called a story artist or visualizer) creates storyboards for advertising agencies and film productions. Work A storyboard artist visualizes stories and sketches frames of the story. Quick pencil drawings and mar ...

and

assistant director The role of an assistant director (AD) on a film includes tracking daily progress against the filming production schedule, arranging logistics, preparing daily call sheets, checking cast and crew, and maintaining order on the set. They also have ...

. He continued through the eighties making short films and directing

music videos A music video is a video that integrates a song or an album with imagery that is produced for promotion (marketing), promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing device intended to ...

for Kool & the Gang and

Joe Satriani Joseph Satriani (born July 15, 1956)Prato, Greg"Joe Satriani – Music Biography, Credits and Discography". ''AllMusic''. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved May 28, 2014. is an American rock music, rock guitarist, composer, and songwriter. Early in hi ...

. Dahl's first two films were ''Kill Me Again'' and ''Red Rock West''. His third feature film was the crime thriller, '' The Last Seduction'' starring Linda Fiorentino. Fiorentino's performance in the film, although critically acclaimed, was not eligible to receive an Oscar nomination because it aired on cable television before its theatrical release. ''The Last Seduction'' also starred Dahl's former college professor,

Personal life

Dahl and his wife, Beth, have four children. As of 2007, they resided in Los Angeles.

Filmography

Film

Television

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Dahl, John 1956 births American male screenwriters American storyboard artists American television directors Living people Montana State University alumni AFI Conservatory alumni Writers from Billings, Montana University of Montana alumni Film directors from Montana Screenwriters from Montana