Sean S. Cunningham

		Birthdate: 31 Dec 1941 Birthplace: New York, New York, US Like William Girdler, Oliver Hellman or even Ed Wood, Sean S. Cunningham had a successful career of starting films cheap and fast. Originally from New York, Cunningham had a vast knowledge of directing films and came to Hollywood. He started about the same time Wes Craven did. Cunningham meet Craven and decided to make a comedy-romance film called Together (1971). Then they both shocked the world with the rape and ultra-violence of Last House on the Left (1972). Craven directed the flick and Cunningham finaced and produced. However Cunningham wanted to get a mix of comedy and horror and made Case of the Full Moon Murders (1974) and then started other comedy films like Manny's Orphans (1978) and _Here Come the Tigers (1978) (qv). Struggling in Hollywood Cunningham saw John Carpenter's Halloween (1978) and wanted to make a follow up type film but would possibly regret it. Cunningham brought Friday the 13th (1980) into the cinema in 1980, a year of many other horror films. Friday the 13th (1980) was a shocking, gory and violent film about camp counselors being slashed by a killer and had Betsy Palmer in the lead role. Little did Cunningham know that Friday the 13th would have never ending sequels. Cunningham gladly avoided all of them and Friday the 13th remains one of the most popular horror films in history. Instead Cunningham wanted to make it big when he brought a best-selling novel to the screen, Stranger Is Watching, A (1982) with Rip Torn, but it was a disappointment. Cunningham went downhill with the over sexed teen comedy Spring Break (1983) and New Kids, The (1985). Cunningham then produced House (1986) and several of its sequels. Cunningham next entered the world of underwater terrors after Abyss, The (1989) was released. Cunningham did a follow up called DeepStar Six (1989), but it was a flop, however it beat another 1989 underwater thriller Leviathan (1989) at box office recipts. Cunningham was finished with directing and moved on to producing films and teaching. He produced Horror Show, The (1989), My Boyfriend's Back (1993) and Friday the 13th's last sequel Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday (1993). Cunningham then did yet another follow up to Friday the 13th with Jason X (2002).
Dario Argento | Mario Bava | Tod Browning | John Carl Buechler | John Carpenter | Larry Cohen Roger Corman | Wes Craven | David Cronenberg | Sean S. Cunningham | Joe Dante | Terence Fisher Mick Garris | Alan Gibson | Anthony Hickox | Tom Holland | Tobe Hooper | Peter Jackson John Landis | William Lustig | Steve Miner | Sam Raimi | George A. Romero

2001	XCU: Extreme Close Up
1989	Deep Star Six
1985	The New Kids
1983	Spring Break
1982	A Stranger Is Watching
1980	Friday The 13th
1978	Here Come The Tigers
1978	Manny's Orphans
1971	Case Of The Full Moon Murders
1971	Together

Ratings Key
	GENERAL AUDIENCES: All ages admitted.
	PARENTAL GUIDANCE SUGGESTED: Some material may not be suitable for children.
	PARENTS STRONGLY CAUTIONED: Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.
	RESTRICTED: Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.
	NO ONE 17 YEARS OR YOUNGER ADMITTED.
	NOT RATED: The film has not been rated by the MPAA.
	TO BE ANNOUNCED: The film is currently in production or planning.
	TV SERIES or MOVIE: Project made for TV. Individual episode titles (if known) will be given in blue.
	STUDENT FILM: The film was a project in college/film school and is not available to the public.

return to Britannia Film Archives: Directors

Page Last Updated: 24 Mar 2024 at 18:17 UTC
You are visitor since 29 Apr 2002

page design & content copyright © 2002 Andrew S Harris
return to britannia.org