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Mick GarrisAmerican film director and screenwriter
Date of Birth: 04.12.1951
Country:  USA |
Content:
- Early Life and Influences
- Career in Hollywood
- Screenwriting and Directing
- Adaptations of King's Novels
- Later Career and Collaborations
- Personal Life
Early Life and Influences
Mick Garris was born on December 4, 1951, in Santa Monica, California. His parents divorced when he was 12, and he grew up with his mother in the San Fernando Valley, near Van Nuys. Garris claims to have shot his first 8mm amateur film around the time of his parents' divorce, and later became a freelance writer, reviewing films and music acts.
Throughout the 1970s, he wrote articles on various bands and films for publications such as "The San Diego Door," "L.A. Herald Examiner," "Cinefantastique," and "Starlog."
Career in Hollywood
In 1977, Garris was hired as a receptionist for George Lucas' newly formed Star Wars Corporation. There, he became the writer-host of "Fastasy Film Festival," a late-night show on the Z-Channel that featured guests like John Landis, Joe Dante, John Carpenter, Steven Spielberg, William Shatner, and Christopher Lee.
In the 1980s, Garris became a press agent for the re-formed Pickwick-Maslansky-Koeninsberg agency. He made a name for himself working on films such as "Scanners," "The Howling," "The Howling II," "The Thing," and "Videodrome."
Screenwriting and Directing
In 1982, Garris co-wrote the screenplay for John Landis' horror mockumentary "Coming Soon," starring Jamie Lee Curtis. His collaboration with Spielberg continued in 1987, where Garris served as an editor on "Batteries Not Included."
He penned scripts for "A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors" and the television series "Tales from the Crypt." Garris also co-wrote the screenplays for horror films "The Fly II" and Stephen Sommers' "The Mummy."
Directing television horror, Garris wrote and directed "Psycho IV: The Beginning" (1990), a prequel to Alfred Hitchcock's "Psycho" with Anthony Perkins reprising his role as Norman Bates. That same year, he created "The Werewolf of London," a television series based on the 1981 Oscar-winning film "An American Werewolf in London."
In 1992, Garris directed "Sleepwalkers," a horror film based on a Stephen King novel. The following year, he wrote and produced the comedy horror "Hocus Pocus."
Adaptations of King's Novels
In 1994, Garris took the helm of the miniseries "The Stand," another adaptation of a Stephen King bestseller. The grueling 20-month filming schedule paid off, as the miniseries became the highest-rated event of the year.
Garris and King continued their partnership with the television series "The Shining," in which Garris also appeared as an actor. In 1997, the Santa Monica native directed "Quicksilver Highway," a TV movie based on short stories by Stephen King and Clive Barker.
Later Career and Collaborations
After a brief hiatus from horror, Garris directed the television drama "The Judge," based on Steve Martini's supernatural novel. The successful tandem of Garris and King reunited for the horror film "Riding the Bullet."
In 2005, Garris executive produced and wrote an episode of the horror anthology series "Masters of Horror." He also wrote "Chocolate," based on a short story he had penned two decades earlier.
After directing the television film "Desperation" in 2006, Garris took another break. He plans to collaborate with Stephen King once more in 2011 for the horror film "Bag of Bones."
