Stephen C. Miner (born June 18, 1951) is an American director of film and

television Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or the medium of television transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertisin ...

, film producer, and a member of the

Motion Picture Academy of Arts and Sciences The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS, often pronounced ; also known as simply the Academy or the Motion Picture Academy) is a professional honorary organization with the stated goal of advancing the arts and sciences of motion ...

. He is notable for his work in the horror genre, including '' Friday the 13th Part 2'', ''

Friday the 13th Part III ''Friday the 13th Part III'' is a 1982 American slasher film directed by Steve Miner, produced by Frank Mancuso Jr., and starring Dana Kimmell, Paul Kratka, and Richard Brooker. It is the third installment in the ''Friday the 13th'' franchise. ...

'', '' House'', ''

Warlock A warlock is a male practitioner of witchcraft. Etymology and terminology The most commonly accepted etymology derives '' warlock'' from the Old English '' wǣrloga'', which meant "breaker of oaths" or "deceiver" and was given special applicati ...

'', '' Halloween H20: 20 Years Later'', '' Lake Placid'', and ''

Day of the Dead The Day of the Dead ( es, Día de Muertos or ''Día de los Muertos'') is a holiday traditionally celebrated on November 1 and 2, though other days, such as October 31 or November 6, may be included depending on the locality. It is widely obser ...

''. He has also directed numerous comedy and drama films, as well as episodes of notable television series including ''

The Wonder Years ''The Wonder Years'' is an American coming-of-age comedy/drama television series created by Neal Marlens and Carol Black. It ran on ABC from January 31, 1988, until May 12, 1993. The series premiered immediately after ABC's coverage of Super ...

Dawson's Creek ''Dawson's Creek'' is an American teen drama television series about the lives of a close-knit group of friends in the fictional town of Capeside, Massachusetts, beginning in high school and continuing into college that ran from 1998 to 2003. T ...

'', and '' Smallville.''

Life and career

Miner was born in

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolitan areas include, Peoria and Rockf ...

.Miner, Steve 1951- (Stephen Miner) , Encyclopedia.com
/ref> He began work in the

film industry The film industry or motion picture industry comprises the technological and commercial institutions of filmmaking, i.e., film production companies, film studios, cinematography, animation, film production, screenwriting, pre-production, p ...

as a recurring collaborator of producer-director Sean S. Cunningham, filling in for various behind the scenes roles on films such as ''The Last House on the Left'' and ''Friday the 13th''. His directorial debut was the latter film's first sequel, and he directed the third entry less than a year later. In 1983, Miner acquired the rights from

Toho is a Japanese film, theatre production and distribution company. It has its headquarters in Chiyoda, Tokyo, and is one of the core companies of the Osaka-based Hankyu Hanshin Toho Group. Outside of Japan, it is best known as the producer ...

to develop an American ''Godzilla'' film titled '' Godzilla: King of the Monsters in 3D'', with Miner attached as the director. Miner hired Fred Dekker to write the script and

William Stout William Stout (born September 18, 1949) is an American fantasy artist and illustrator with a specialization in paleontological art. His paintings have been shown in over seventy exhibitions, including twelve one-man shows. He has worked on over ...

for storyboards and concept art. Miner generated some interest in Hollywood but was unable to secure financing and let the rights revert to Toho. Miner went on to direct other horror films such as ''Warlock'', '' Halloween H20: 20 Years Later'', and '' Lake Placid.'' Miner first crossed over into the comedy genre with his 1985 cult horror-comedy ''House'', and has since gone on to direct other films in the genre including ''Soul Man'' and ''Big Bully''. Miner is the only director to have crossed over and directed more than one of the horror "Big 3" ('' Halloween''/ Michael Myers, '' Friday the 13th''/

Jason Voorhees Jason Voorhees () is a character from the ''Friday the 13th'' series. He first appeared in '' Friday the 13th'' (1980) as the young son of camp-cook-turned-killer Mrs. Voorhees, in which he was portrayed by Ari Lehman. Created by Victor Mi ...

and ''

Nightmare on Elm Street ''A Nightmare on Elm Street'' is a 1984 American supernatural slasher film written and directed by Wes Craven and produced by Robert Shaye. It is the first installment in the ''A Nightmare on Elm Street'' franchise and stars Heather Langenk ...

''/

Freddy Krueger Freddy Krueger () is a fictional character and the primary antagonist in the ''A Nightmare on Elm Street'' film series. He was created by Wes Craven and made his debut in Craven's '' A Nightmare on Elm Street'' (1984) as the malevolent spirit ...

). Miner has since become a notable television director on shows like '' Smallville, Psych, Felicity,

'' (including the pilot and four of the other episodes of the first season), and '' Diagnosis: Murder''. His work on ''

'' earned him a Primetime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Comedy Series and a DGA Award for Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series.

Filmography

Films

Director *'' Friday the 13th Part 2'' (1981) (Also producer) *''

'' (1982) *'' House'' (1985) *'' Soul Man'' (1986) *''

'' (1989) (Also producer) *'' Wild Hearts Can't Be Broken'' (1991) *'' Forever Young'' (1992) *'' My Father the Hero'' (1994) *'' Big Bully'' (1996) *'' Halloween H20: 20 Years Later'' (1998) *'' Lake Placid'' (1999) *'' Texas Rangers'' (2001) *''

'' (2008) *'' Private Valentine: Blonde & Dangerous'' (2008) Other credits

Television

TV movies TV series

References

Bibliography

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Miner, Steve 1951 births American male film actors American television directors Film directors from Illinois Horror film directors Living people People from Westport, Connecticut Artists from Chicago 20th-century American male actors Directors Guild of America Award winners Male actors from Chicago Film directors from Connecticut