John Dahl (born December 11, 1956) is an American
film and
television director and
writer, best known for his work in the
neo-noir genre.
Life and career
John Dahl was born in
Billings, Montana, the second of four children (his brother is filmmaker Rick Dahl).
Dahl spent his young life in and around Montana all the way up through his college years. His interest in film began at the age of seventeen, when he first saw
''A Clockwork Orange'', as told to
Robert K. Elder
Robert K. Elder (born January 20, 1976) is an American journalist, author, and film columnist. He is currently the President and CEO othe Outrider Foundation He has written more than a dozen books on topics ranging from the death penalty and m ...
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. 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
The AFI Conservatory is a private not-for-profit graduate film school in the Hollywood Hills district of Los Angeles. Students (called "Fellows") learn from the masters in a collaborative, hands-on production environment with an emphasis on ...
in
Los Angeles. He entered the directors program and she entered the cinematography program.
Dahl started his career as a
storyboard artist and
assistant director. He continued through the eighties making short films and directing
music videos for
Kool & the Gang and
Joe Satriani. Dahl's first two films were ''Kill Me Again'' and ''Red Rock West''.
His third feature film was the crime thriller, ''
The Last Seduction
''The Last Seduction'' is a 1994 American neo-noir erotic thriller film directed by John Dahl, and features Linda Fiorentino, Peter Berg, and Bill Pullman. The film was produced by ITC Entertainment and distributed by October Films. Fiorenti ...
'' 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, Bill Pullman.][
]
Filmography
As Director
Film
Television
As Writer
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