Alan Parker

Alan Parker

Birth : 1944-02-14, Islington, London, England, UK

Death : 2020-07-31

History

Sir Alan Parker was a director, writer and producer. His feature films have won nineteen BAFTA awards, ten Golden Globes and ten Oscars. His films include Bugsy Malone, Midnight Express, Mississippi Burning, The Commitments, Evita, Fame, Birdy, Angel Heart and Angela’s Ashes. He was founding chairman of the UK Film Council, a position he held for five years, and prior to that was chairman of the BFI. Sir Alan received the CBE in 1995 and a knighthood in 2002. He was also an Officier Des Arts et Lettres (France).

Profile

Alan Parker
Alan Parker

Movies

Evita: The Making of a Superstar
Suzy Klein travels deep into the world of musical theatre, and the colourful landscapes of Argentina, to discover the story of one of the West End's most celebrated characters. Intertwining the stories of Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber's creation with the true story of Eva Peron, she celebrates the extraordinary show in the 40th year after its creation. Meeting musical stars including Elaine Paige, Hal Prince and Tim Rice, she hears how the show came into being, all inspired by a face on a postage stamp. She then travels to Argentina, meeting politicians, performers and Eva fans to hear how this intensely divisive figure - loved by the poor, loathed by the rich - became one of the enduring icons of our time.
Who Killed British Cinema?
Himself
A feature length documentary about the real state of the British film industry in relation to UK structures past, present and currently for the future. This film exposes the shocking truths about the UK Governments' will to grow an indigenous British film industry, the legacy and testament of the now closed UK Film Council (UKFC), the current British Film Institute and the new Creative England.
Versus: The Life and Films of Ken Loach
Self
A surprisingly candid behind-the-scenes account of the career of Ken Loach, one of Britain’s most celebrated and controversial filmmakers, as he prepares to release his final major film I, Daniel Blake.
Versus: The Life and Films of Ken Loach
Himself
A surprisingly candid behind-the-scenes account of the career of Ken Loach, one of Britain’s most celebrated and controversial filmmakers, as he prepares to release his final major film I, Daniel Blake.
Dad's Army
Executive Producer
A cinema remake of the classic sitcom Dad's Army (1968). The Walmington-on-Sea Home Guard platoon deal with a visiting female journalist and a German spy as World War II draws to its conclusion.
Richard Attenborough: A Life in Film
Self
The life story of the film director, movie star and industry figure who furthered the cause of cinema: Lord Richard Attenborough.
Cameraman: The Life and Work of Jack Cardiff
Self – Interviewee
In 2001 Jack Cardiff (1914-2009) became the first director of photography in the history of the Academy Awards to win an Honorary Oscar. But the first time he clasped the famous statuette in his hand was a half-century earlier when his Technicolor camerawork was awarded for Powell and Pressburger's Black Narcissus. Beyond John Huston's The African Queen and King Vidor's War and Peace, the films of the British-Hungarian creative duo (The Red Shoes and A Matter of Life and Death too) guaranteed immortality for the renowned cameraman whose career spanned seventy years.
Pink Floyd's The Wall: The Ultimate Critical Review
It is now over 25 years since the launch of The Wall. Conceived by Roger Waters as an ambitious double album, a spectacular live show and a ground breaking feature film. The Wall has gone on to achieve iconic status in the history of popular music. This program draws on live performance footage of Pink Floyd and highlights from the film. Also includes extracts from archive interviews with Gerald Scarfe and Alan Parker, the director of The Wall, along with the views of a team of leading musicians and musicologists. This is the independent critical review of a milestone in popular culture, which strips away the prejudice to produce the ultimate retrospective on one of the most important and iconoclastic popular works of the twentieth century. Featuring Highlights From: • Another Brick in The Wall Part 2 • Comfortably Numb • One Of My Turns • Plus Many More!
100 Films and a Funeral
Self
This documentary covers the life and death of London-based Polygram Filmed Entertainment.
The Life of David Gale
Partygoer (uncredited)
A man against capital punishment is accused of murdering a fellow activist and is sent to death row.
The Life of David Gale
Producer
A man against capital punishment is accused of murdering a fellow activist and is sent to death row.
The Life of David Gale
Director
A man against capital punishment is accused of murdering a fellow activist and is sent to death row.
It's Black Entertainment
Self
A star-studded tribute (from the creators of That's Entertainment) to the contributions of Afro-Americans in film over the last century. Vanessa Williams traces the struggles and triumphs of the superstars of music and film. Among the many artists featured are: Whitney Houston, Ella Fitzgerald, Sammy Davis Jr., Diana Ross, Michael Jackson, Cab Calloway, Bill "Bojangles" Robinson, Ella Fitzgerald, and Little Richard, Also included are today's contemporary superstars: Snoop Dogg, Ice T, Quincy Jones, Spike Lee, Russell Simmons, and many, more! 80 minutes plus DVD bonus features.
Stanley Kubrick: A Life in Pictures
Self
With commentary from Hollywood stars, outtakes from his movies and footage from his youth, this documentary looks at Stanley Kubrick's life and films. Director Jan Harlan, Kubrick's brother-in-law and sometime collaborator, interviews heavyweights like Jack Nicholson, Woody Allen and Sydney Pollack, who explain the influence of Kubrick classics like "Dr. Strangelove" and "2001: A Space Odyssey," and how he absorbed visual clues from disposable culture such as television commercials.
Angela's Ashes
Screenplay
Based on the best selling autobiography by Irish expat Frank McCourt, Angela's Ashes follows the experiences of young Frankie and his family as they try against all odds to escape the poverty endemic in the slums of pre-war Limerick. The film opens with the family in Brooklyn, but following the death of one of Frankie's siblings, they return home, only to find the situation there even worse. Prejudice against Frankie's Northern Irish father makes his search for employment in the Republic difficult despite his having fought for the IRA, and when he does find money, he spends the money on drink.
Angela's Ashes
Producer
Based on the best selling autobiography by Irish expat Frank McCourt, Angela's Ashes follows the experiences of young Frankie and his family as they try against all odds to escape the poverty endemic in the slums of pre-war Limerick. The film opens with the family in Brooklyn, but following the death of one of Frankie's siblings, they return home, only to find the situation there even worse. Prejudice against Frankie's Northern Irish father makes his search for employment in the Republic difficult despite his having fought for the IRA, and when he does find money, he spends the money on drink.
Angela's Ashes
Dr. Campbell
Based on the best selling autobiography by Irish expat Frank McCourt, Angela's Ashes follows the experiences of young Frankie and his family as they try against all odds to escape the poverty endemic in the slums of pre-war Limerick. The film opens with the family in Brooklyn, but following the death of one of Frankie's siblings, they return home, only to find the situation there even worse. Prejudice against Frankie's Northern Irish father makes his search for employment in the Republic difficult despite his having fought for the IRA, and when he does find money, he spends the money on drink.
Angela's Ashes
Director
Based on the best selling autobiography by Irish expat Frank McCourt, Angela's Ashes follows the experiences of young Frankie and his family as they try against all odds to escape the poverty endemic in the slums of pre-war Limerick. The film opens with the family in Brooklyn, but following the death of one of Frankie's siblings, they return home, only to find the situation there even worse. Prejudice against Frankie's Northern Irish father makes his search for employment in the Republic difficult despite his having fought for the IRA, and when he does find money, he spends the money on drink.
Retrospective: Looking Back at the Wall
Interviews on the making of Pink Floyd: The Wall (1982). Included as a 2-Part special feature on the 1999 and 2005 DVD editions.
Evita
Tormented Film Director
The hit musical based on the life of Evita Duarte, a B-movie Argentinian actress who eventually became the wife of Argentinian president and dictator Juan Perón, and the most beloved and hated woman in Argentina.
Evita
Producer
The hit musical based on the life of Evita Duarte, a B-movie Argentinian actress who eventually became the wife of Argentinian president and dictator Juan Perón, and the most beloved and hated woman in Argentina.
Evita
Director
The hit musical based on the life of Evita Duarte, a B-movie Argentinian actress who eventually became the wife of Argentinian president and dictator Juan Perón, and the most beloved and hated woman in Argentina.
Evita
Screenplay
The hit musical based on the life of Evita Duarte, a B-movie Argentinian actress who eventually became the wife of Argentinian president and dictator Juan Perón, and the most beloved and hated woman in Argentina.
The Fine Art of Separating People from Their Money
Himself
An examination of the evolution of commercials as an artistic medium, featuring interviews with media luminaries who relate how the in-your-face stylistic conventions of commercials have influenced feature films and the visual arts. A documentary film talking about art and advertising divided in three parts: 1. Crossing Over - from cinema to ads from ads to cinema 2. Humour - How humour affects us in advertising 3. Shock - The way shock is used to sell
A New Madonna: The Making of 'Evita'
Self
Documentary about the making of Alan Parker's film adaptation of the stage musical EVITA.
Typically British: A Personal History of British Cinema
Stephen Frears and a quartet of film industry notables - representing different cinematic periods - drink tea and discuss ups and downs of British cinema.
The Road to Wellville
Producer
An unhappy young couple visit the infamous Kellogg spa in Battle Creek, Michigan while a young hustler tries get into the breakfast-cereal business and compete against John Kellogg's corn flakes.
The Road to Wellville
Screenplay
An unhappy young couple visit the infamous Kellogg spa in Battle Creek, Michigan while a young hustler tries get into the breakfast-cereal business and compete against John Kellogg's corn flakes.
The Road to Wellville
Director
An unhappy young couple visit the infamous Kellogg spa in Battle Creek, Michigan while a young hustler tries get into the breakfast-cereal business and compete against John Kellogg's corn flakes.
The Commitments
Eejit Record Producer
Jimmy Rabbitte, just a tick out of school, gets a brilliant idea: to put a soul band together in Barrytown, his slum home in north Dublin. First he needs musicians and singers: things slowly start to click when he finds three fine-voiced females virtually in his back yard, a lead singer (Deco) at a wedding, and, responding to his ad, an aging trumpet player, Joey "The Lips" Fagan.
The Commitments
Director
Jimmy Rabbitte, just a tick out of school, gets a brilliant idea: to put a soul band together in Barrytown, his slum home in north Dublin. First he needs musicians and singers: things slowly start to click when he finds three fine-voiced females virtually in his back yard, a lead singer (Deco) at a wedding, and, responding to his ad, an aging trumpet player, Joey "The Lips" Fagan.
Come See the Paradise
Writer
Come See The Paradise is a deeply touching love story set against the backdrop of a dramatic and controversial period in American history, It follows the romance and eventual marriage of Jack McGurn (Dennis Quad), a hot blooded Irish American, and a beautiful Japanese American Lily Dawanura (Tamlyn Tomita), at the outset of World War II. The clash of cultures, at once painful for the two lovers, becomes insurmountable after the Japanese bomb Pearl Harbor. Lily and the Kawamuras are relocated To a bleak, outdoor internment camp in California, Jack is drafted into the Army, powerless to help the woman he loves abandoning all hope of ever winning her family's approval.
Come See the Paradise
Director
Come See The Paradise is a deeply touching love story set against the backdrop of a dramatic and controversial period in American history, It follows the romance and eventual marriage of Jack McGurn (Dennis Quad), a hot blooded Irish American, and a beautiful Japanese American Lily Dawanura (Tamlyn Tomita), at the outset of World War II. The clash of cultures, at once painful for the two lovers, becomes insurmountable after the Japanese bomb Pearl Harbor. Lily and the Kawamuras are relocated To a bleak, outdoor internment camp in California, Jack is drafted into the Army, powerless to help the woman he loves abandoning all hope of ever winning her family's approval.
Mississippi Burning
Director
Two FBI agents investigating the murder of civil rights workers during the 60s seek to breach the conspiracy of silence in a small Southern town where segregation divides black and white. The younger agent trained in FBI school runs up against the small town ways of his partner, a former sheriff.
Angel Heart
Director
Down-and-out private detective Harry Angel is ordered by the mysterious Louis Cyphre to go on a mission to find a missing person. His routine failure soon leads to a bloody spar with himself, as he goes on a supernatural journey into his own soul.
Angel Heart
Screenplay
Down-and-out private detective Harry Angel is ordered by the mysterious Louis Cyphre to go on a mission to find a missing person. His routine failure soon leads to a bloody spar with himself, as he goes on a supernatural journey into his own soul.
Birdy
Director
Two young men are seriously affected by the Vietnam war. One of them has always been obsessed with birds - but now believes he really is a bird, and has been sent to a mental hospital. Can his friend help him pull through?
Pink Floyd: The Wall
Director
A troubled rock star descends into madness in the midst of his physical and social isolation from everyone.
Shoot the Moon
Director
After fifteen years of marriage, an affluent couple divorce and take up with new partners.
The Other Side of the Wall
A behind-the-scenes look at Roger Waters and Alan Parker’s 1982 film, “The Wall”
Fame
Director
A chronicle of the lives of several teenagers who attend a New York high school for students gifted in the performing arts.
Midnight Express
Director
Billy Hayes is caught attempting to smuggle drugs out of Turkey. The Turkish courts decide to make an example of him, sentencing him to more than 30 years in prison. Hayes has two opportunities for release: the appeals made by his lawyer, his family, and the American government, or the "Midnight Express".
Bugsy Malone
Writer
New York, 1929, a war rages between two rival gangsters, Fat Sam and Dandy Dan. Dan is in possession of a new and deadly weapon, the dreaded "splurge gun". As the custard pies fly, Bugsy Malone, an all-round nice guy, falls for Blousey Brown, a singer at Fat Sam's speakeasy. His designs on her are disrupted by the seductive songstress Tallulah who wants Bugsy for herself.
Bugsy Malone
Director
New York, 1929, a war rages between two rival gangsters, Fat Sam and Dandy Dan. Dan is in possession of a new and deadly weapon, the dreaded "splurge gun". As the custard pies fly, Bugsy Malone, an all-round nice guy, falls for Blousey Brown, a singer at Fat Sam's speakeasy. His designs on her are disrupted by the seductive songstress Tallulah who wants Bugsy for herself.
No Hard Feelings
Writer
This short feature, an early directing credit for Alan Parker, shows the reality of life during the WWII air raids with none of the traditional 'Blitz spirit' so often portrayed. Eric spends the nights crammed into a brick shelter with his dad, sister and her screaming kids, and every bombardment brings tears over the loss of his mother in an earlier raid. When he learns his sweetheart is to be evacuated, he finally buckles under the stress.
No Hard Feelings
Director
This short feature, an early directing credit for Alan Parker, shows the reality of life during the WWII air raids with none of the traditional 'Blitz spirit' so often portrayed. Eric spends the nights crammed into a brick shelter with his dad, sister and her screaming kids, and every bombardment brings tears over the loss of his mother in an earlier raid. When he learns his sweetheart is to be evacuated, he finally buckles under the stress.
The Evacuees
Director
The experiences of two young Jewish boys evacuated from Manchester to Blackpool during the Blitz.
Our Cissy
Writer
An old man travels to London from the North Country, accompanied by his son, in order to find the truth about his daughter's suicide.
Our Cissy
Director
An old man travels to London from the North Country, accompanied by his son, in order to find the truth about his daughter's suicide.
Melody
Screenplay
Two youngsters declare to their parents that they want to get married. Not sometime in the future but as soon as possible.
Melody
Original Story
Two youngsters declare to their parents that they want to get married. Not sometime in the future but as soon as possible.
British Cinema: Personal View — A Turnip Head’s Guide To The British Cinema
Director
Documentary presenting Parker’s view of British cinema with comments from Richard Lester and others and location report from King’s Lynn on the making of Hugh Hudson’s Revolution, starring Al Pacino, Donald Sutherland, and Nastassja Kinski.