John Gallagher
JOHN GALLAGHER - PRODUCER/DIRECTOR
John Gallagher, the director-producer of the improvisational romantic comedy CUPIDITY, is an award-winning filmmaker based in New York City. He recently directed and co-wrote the TV pilot ACTING CLASS, starring many of the CUPIDITY cast.
John wrote and directed the feature romantic fable BLUE MOON, released theatrically through Castle Hill. It is available on video and DVD from Winstar/Fox Lorber, and airs regularly on Showtime and The Movie Channel. BLUE MOON stars Ben Gazzara, Rita Moreno, Alanna Ubach and Brian Vincent, with Heather Matarazzo, Vincent Pastore, Burt Young, Lillo Brancato, Victor Argo, Zach Braff, and David Thornton.
The movie won Best American Feature at the Avignon/New York Film Festival, and Best Fantasy Film at Worldfest Houston.
John also directed and co-wrote the cult comedy
THE DELI (Castle Hill), with a cast including Mike Starr, Matt Keeslar,
Gretchen Mol, Ice T, Heather Matarazzo, Brian Vincent, Judith Malina,
Debi Mazar, Michael Imperioli, Iman, David Johansen, Burt Young, Chris
Noth, Heavy D, Michael Badalucco, Vincent Pastore and Tony Sirico.
THE DELI won the Spirit of Independents Award at the Ft. Lauderdale International
Film Festival, and was cited for Excellence in Filmmaking by the National
Board of Review. THE DELI is available in a Special Edition DVD from Warner/Ryko.
Other features as writer-director include the comedy MEN LIE (Transatlantic), with Frank Vincent, Aida Turturro, Michael Badalucco, Catherine Scorsese, Victor Argo, Michael Imperioli, and Nicholas Turturro; and the action picture STREET HUNTER (RCA/Columbia), with Steve James, John Leguizamo, Reb Brown, Valerie Pettiford, Richie Havens and Tom Wright.
John’s short films as writer-director include PENANCE (starring Heather Matarazzo); VINNY D (Frank Vincent, Michael Imperioli, Tony Sirico); and Kurt Vonnegut's LONG WALK TO FOREVER (Denis Leary).
John was also an executive producer on the feature film drama THE ANIMAL ROOM (Smart Egg), starring Matthew Lillard, Neil Patrick Harris, Brian Vincent, Gabriel Olds, Dechen Thurman, and Amanda Peet, and the feature comedy POTLUCK, starring Dan Lauria, Sylvia Miles, Frank Gorshin, Frank Adonis, and writer-producer Victor Colicchio.
John is the author of Film Directors on Directing (a collection of his interviews with such filmmakers as Francois Truffaut, Dennis Hopper and Wim Wenders) and an upcoming book on William Wellman, the definitive study of the legendary director.
He also co-authored the book Gregory LaCava, commissioned by the Filmoteca Espanol and the San Sebastian Film Festival for a retrospective on the veteran Hollywood filmmaker; the foreword to the book featured John’s interview with Katharine Hepburn. His articles on films and filmmaking have appeared in many magazines, including Rolling Stone, American Cinematographer, and Millimeter.
For Ira Gallen’s BIOGRAPH DAYS, BIOGRAPH NIGHTS TV show, John interviewed dozens of filmmakers, including Dennis Hopper, Lee Marvin, Paul Schrader, Ralph Bellamy, Sam Raimi, James Toback, Alan Parker, Don Ameche, Max von Sydow, and Anne Francis.
John has also written seven annual National Board of Review Awards events at Manhattan’s Tavern on the Green, writing speeches for such actors as Al Pacino, Meryl Streep, Robert DeNiro. Chazz Palminteri, Christopher Walken, John Turturro, Dan Aykroyd, Laura Linney, Lena Olin, James Woods, Kevin Bacon, Peter Riegert, Rita Moreno, Jerry Orbach, Marisa Tomei, Hugh Jackman, Sigourney Weaver and Sir Ian McKellen.
John has appeared on-screen in two feature documentaries, WILD BILL: HOLLYWOOD MAVERICK and JOHN CASSAVETES: A CONSTANT FORGE. He has taught and lectured extensively at schools, seminars and international film festivals on filmmaking, screenwriting, film acting, and film history. His writtings on film are featured in his monthly column BETWEEN ACTION AND CUT on the National Board of Review Website. www.nbrmp.org/features
AWARDS AND FESTIVALS
CUPIDITY
Audience Award Best Feature Film –
New York Independent Film Festival
Best Actress (Michele Coniglio) – New York Independent Film Festival
Best Supporting Actor (Jared Miller) – New York Independent Film
Festival
Best Actor (James Gilmartin) – Queens Film Festival
Festivals: Oldenburg (Germany).
TIMELESS
Best of Fest – NYC Home Film Festival
Best Actress (Natalie Howe) – NYC Home Film Festival
BLUE MOON
21st Century Filmmaker Award, Best American Feature (Audience Award),
Avignon-New York Film Festival;
Gold Award, Best Feature, Fantasy Category, Worldfest Houston;
People's Choice Award/Best Actress (Rita Moreno)/Rising Star Award (Brian
Vincent), Narrowsburg Independent Film Festival.
Festivals: Palm Springs (California), Sedona (Arizona), Worldfest Houston,
Avignon/New York, Avignon/France, Wine Country (California), Narrowsburg
(NY), Oldenburg (Germany), Ft. Lauderdale (Florida), Italian-American
Film Festival (New York).
PENANCE
Festivals: Oldenburg (Germany), Hamptons Summer Shorts, NYC Home Film
Festival.
THE DELI
Spirit of Independents Award, Ft. Lauderdale Intl. Film Festival; Grand
Prize, St. Louis Film Festival; Recognition of Excellence in Filmmaking,
National Board of Review.
Festivals: South by Southwest (Austin), Nantucket, Denver, Mill Valley,
Florida (Orlando), Hudson Valley, St. Louis, Ft. Lauderdale, Oldenburg
(Germany), New York Comedy Film Festival.
MEN LIE
Best Independent Feature, Worldfest Houston; Best Feature, Audience Award,
Florida Film Festival; Special Audience Award, Ft. Lauderdale Intl. Film
Festival; Best Comedy, Charleston Film Festival; Official U.S. Selection
in Competition, Karlovy Vary Film Festival.
Festivals: Montreal, Hamburg, Oldenburg, Sao Paulo, Istanbul, Karlovy
Vary (Czech Republic), Houston, Florida (Orlando), Ft. Lauderdale, Charleston
(SC), Cleveland, Laguna Beach (California).
CRITICS COMMENT ON JOHN GALLAGHER'S FILMS
BLUE MOON
"A touching portrait of a marriage"
-- Stephen Holden, New York Times
"BLUE MOON has charm and wisdom" -- Kevin Thomas, Los Angeles
Times
"Sweet and intimate ... poignant and unusual ... the acting is compelling"
-- Jeffrey Lyons, WNBC-TV
"Heartfelt, passionate and touching ... shines with wit, charm and
tenderness"
-- Bill Diehl, ABC Radio
"Sublime! Two great performances from Ben Gazzara and Rita Moreno"
-- Rex Reed, New York Observer
"A magnificent and beautifully crafted masterpiece ... Gallagher
has shown his great talent for thoughtful and inspired human stories again
and again"
-- Diabolo (Germany)
"A brilliant blend of Truffaut and Fellini, with a little Cassavetes
and a sprinkling of Woody Allen, yet at the same time it is a unique and
highly original film"
-- Nordwest (Germany)
THE DELI
"If you love THE SOPRANOS, you'll love THE DELI" -- Joe Kane,
NY Daily News
"An engaging and funny romp" -- Jeffrey Lyons, WNBC-TV
"Vivid and authentic" -- Frank Scheck, Hollywood Reporter
"A charmer ... boasting not a false move, the comedy scores with
its offbeat likeability and perfect pacing" -- Lloyd Sachs, Chicago
Sun-Times
"A refreshing, delightful comedy" -- Kris DeForest, Austin Chronicle
"An hilarious, original screwball comedy" -- D. Carson, St.
Louis Post-Dispatch
"A comedy jewel" -- Mox (Germany)
"Magical ... delicious" -- Nordwest Zeitung (Germany)
"Gallagher proves a sure hand" -- Weiser Kurier (Germany)
"Compelling... humorously directed" -- Neues Deutschland (Germany)
MEN LIE
"Smartly written and cleverly constructed ... informed observations
on the war between the sexes" -- Joe Leydon, Variety
"Sharp insights and caustic wit ... Both sexes will love this provocative,
good-natured comedy, which makes for a perfect date movie ... It also
leaves you looking for more from this obviously talented filmmaker"
-- Rene Rodriguez, Miami Herald
"Fast, funny, biting ... a sharp-edged satire of intolerance"
-- Houston Chronicle
"An hilarious, fast-paced comedy with a fresh point of view"
-- Prague Telegraf
"See this movie if you're a woman and have been lied to by men, or
if you're a man who's ever lied to a woman. That should cover everyone"
-- A.J. Benza, New York Daily News
STREET HUNTER
"A must for action buffs" --
Phantom of the Movies, New York Daily News
"Well-paced direction from Gallagher" -- Larry Cohn, Variety
"A relentless, high-powered thriller" -- Video Event
"Gallagher knows how to pack a movie with off-the-wall people and
lends the proceedings a flair and humor that jack things up a notch or
two"
-- Frank Thompson, Apprise
LONG WALK TO FOREVER
"Faithful adaptation of the Vonnegut story, beautifully filmed, stylishly
directed"
-- American Classic Screen
BEACH HOUSE
"The least obnoxious jiggle caper of the decade" -- New York
Daily News
"A classic" -- Joe Bob Briggs
SCREENWRITING CREDITS (Produced)
TIMELESS Gallagher Howe Productions
CUPIDITY Cupidity LLC
BLUE MOON Paradise Pictures/Castle Hill
PENANCE Sandy Dog Productions/Caminer Gallagher Productions.
NAIL TO THE HEART Caminer Gallagher Productions.
THE DELI Golden Monkey Pictures/Caminer Gallagher Productions/Castle Hill.
MEN LIE Lexington Pictures/Caminer Gallagher Productions.
VINNY D The Vinny Company.
STREET HUNTER Columbia/TriStar.
FRIDAY THE 13TH: THE PRISONER Paramount TV.
RICH GIRL Studio Three.
RELATIONSHIPS Films Around the World.
POSED FOR MURDER Double Helix/Academy Entertainment.
JUMPERS. ESPN.
OTHER MEN'S WIVES Freedom Films.
KURT VONNEGUT'S LONG WALK TO FOREVER. A & E.
BEACH HOUSE New Line Cinema.
COMMISSIONED SCRIPTS
COP. Treatment. Stanulis/Gallagher Entertainment
SKIN DEEP. Screenplay. Burns Entertainment.
IMAGINE YOU’RE DEAD. Rewrite. Stanulis/Gallagher Entertainment.
JUST LIKE MAGIC. Rewrite. Sheldon Barris.
HURRICANE MONEY. Rewrite. Heinfling/Feiner.
STICK UP KIDS. Rewrite. Golden Monkey Pictures.
CYCLONE. Screenplay. Hollywood Productions.
LAWLESS. Screenplay. The Syms Company.
ANDREW. Screenplay. CGV Entertainment.
HARVEST MOON. Rewrite. Harvest Moon Productions.
FEELS LIKE LOVE. Screenplay. Renew Entertainment.
DREAM THIEF. TV Pilot. Fangoria Films.
A BROOKLYN MUMMY. Screenplay. Fangoria/Columbia TriStar.
DAY OF THE DEMON. Screenplay. Fangoria/Columbia TriStar.
STREET HUNTER II. Treatment. Columbia TriStar.
DYSFUNCTIONAL. Rewrite. Functional Films.
THE SISTERHOOD. Screenplay. Freedom Films.
SCREWDRIVER. Screenplay. J. Boyce Harman Productions.
THE KILLER INSTINCT. Screenplay. Flamingo Films.
BLUE HIGHWAYS. Screenplay. Tribeca Productions.
NIGHTFIGHT. Screenplay. Transcon Entertainment.
TIME CAPSULE. Screenplay. Lewis Allen/Peter Newman.
OR I'LL DRESS YOU IN MOURNING. Arnon Milchan/Rafi Shauli.
SOMEWHERE IN THE MEDITERRANEAN. Arnon Milchan/Rafi Shauli.
THE CHAUFFEUR. Arnon Milchan/Rafi Shauli.
F. SCOTT FITZGERALD'S GRETCHEN'S 40 WINKS, Screenplay. Freedom Films.
DASHIELL HAMMETT'S CORKSCREW. ALSA Productions.
ERNEST HEMINGWAY'S FIFTY GRAND. Mayer Entertainment.
SPEC SCREENPLAYS (selected)
VICTOR
FRONTIER
MYSTERIOUS WAYS
TRACKDOWN
REBEL HILL
THE REVENGE FACTOR
FIREWOLF
NIGHT EAGLE
ROUGHNECKS