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Brett Leonard is a Actor, Director, Scriptwriter and Editor American born on 14 may 1959 at Toledo (USA)
Brett Leonard (born May 14, 1959) is an American film director, producer and music video director specializing in the science fiction and horror genres. A few of his films such as The Lawnmower Man (1992) and Virtuosity (1995) feature groundbreaking computer animation and visual effects. The Lawnmower Man is considered the first, seminal film to feature "virtual reality" as a cautionary tale becoming the number one commercially successful independent film of 1992, budgeted at just under $6 million and eventually earning over $150 million worldwide.
Virtuosity became the first major film to feature nanotechnology set in a cyberpunk-based future with Brett Leonard casting Russell Crowe and Denzel Washington together, a full 12 years before they would again co-star, and many Oscar nominations later in a 2007 project.
His work with the IMAX 3D process set him apart from most directors having gained early experience with this cutting-edge presentation medium directing T-Rex: Back to the Cretaceous in IMAX 3D. The film became the first number-one hit 3D movie to gross over $100 million worldwide (on IMAX screens alone).
He created a sensation when he took his Swarm Cam-Fusion Station onto The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and, with guest Billy Idol, implemented one of the first live web-casts ever from the House of Blues in Los Angeles.
Creative Artists Agency and Intel Corporation hired him to direct a state-of-the-art "interactive show" for CAA/Intel Media Lab to introduce the Hollywood community to the "future of entertainment", digitizing actor Danny DeVito, and using live performance animation to create the interactive animated character "Mr. Head", who guided the audience/participants through the experience.
In the music video genre, Brett directed Peter Gabriel's: "Kiss That Frog", the first all-computer graphic (CGI) music video/motion simulator ride film to tour the world, becoming the wildly popular themed entertainment attraction to win him a 1994 MTV Music Video Award.
In 2009, Brett directed the documentary Hole in the Head: A Life Revealed. This feature-length documentary tells the story of Vertus Hardiman and nine other young children, attending the same elementary school in Lyles Station, Indiana who, in 1927 were severely irradiated during a medical experiment conducted at the local county hospital. The experiment was misrepresented as a newly developed cure for the scalp fungus known as ringworm. In reality the ringworm fungus was merely the lure used to gain access to innocent children whose unsuspecting parents blindly signed permission slips for the treatment. Vertus was five years old and the youngest; after 20 years of friendship with writer/producer Wilbert Smith through their church choir, Vertus tells Wilbert his story, exposing the severe physical complications caused by the experiments. This crime had severe physical complications for Vertus—namely a harshly irradiated and malformed head, with an actual hole in his skull.
In 2012 Brett formed a new concept in musical cinema, called PopFictionLife. Seeing the proliferation of small high-definition screens on smart phones, tablets, and laptops, PopfictionLife "FragFilms" are full-length feature movies with existing artists, that have multiple free "Frags" (fragments) of the movie which are watchable, shareable, and embeddable in social media, blogs, and webpages. Brett's latest film is a PopFictionLife FragFilm called The Other Country – Starring Burlap to Cashmere. The film also stars Samantha Lockwood and America's Next Top Model winner Nicole Fox.
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Brett Leonard
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Virtuosity became the first major film to feature nanotechnology set in a cyberpunk-based future with Brett Leonard casting Russell Crowe and Denzel Washington together, a full 12 years before they would again co-star, and many Oscar nominations later in a 2007 project.
His work with the IMAX 3D process set him apart from most directors having gained early experience with this cutting-edge presentation medium directing T-Rex: Back to the Cretaceous in IMAX 3D. The film became the first number-one hit 3D movie to gross over $100 million worldwide (on IMAX screens alone).
He created a sensation when he took his Swarm Cam-Fusion Station onto The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and, with guest Billy Idol, implemented one of the first live web-casts ever from the House of Blues in Los Angeles.
Creative Artists Agency and Intel Corporation hired him to direct a state-of-the-art "interactive show" for CAA/Intel Media Lab to introduce the Hollywood community to the "future of entertainment", digitizing actor Danny DeVito, and using live performance animation to create the interactive animated character "Mr. Head", who guided the audience/participants through the experience.
In the music video genre, Brett directed Peter Gabriel's: "Kiss That Frog", the first all-computer graphic (CGI) music video/motion simulator ride film to tour the world, becoming the wildly popular themed entertainment attraction to win him a 1994 MTV Music Video Award.
In 2009, Brett directed the documentary Hole in the Head: A Life Revealed. This feature-length documentary tells the story of Vertus Hardiman and nine other young children, attending the same elementary school in Lyles Station, Indiana who, in 1927 were severely irradiated during a medical experiment conducted at the local county hospital. The experiment was misrepresented as a newly developed cure for the scalp fungus known as ringworm. In reality the ringworm fungus was merely the lure used to gain access to innocent children whose unsuspecting parents blindly signed permission slips for the treatment. Vertus was five years old and the youngest; after 20 years of friendship with writer/producer Wilbert Smith through their church choir, Vertus tells Wilbert his story, exposing the severe physical complications caused by the experiments. This crime had severe physical complications for Vertus—namely a harshly irradiated and malformed head, with an actual hole in his skull.
In 2012 Brett formed a new concept in musical cinema, called PopFictionLife. Seeing the proliferation of small high-definition screens on smart phones, tablets, and laptops, PopfictionLife "FragFilms" are full-length feature movies with existing artists, that have multiple free "Frags" (fragments) of the movie which are watchable, shareable, and embeddable in social media, blogs, and webpages. Brett's latest film is a PopFictionLife FragFilm called The Other Country – Starring Burlap to Cashmere. The film also stars Samantha Lockwood and America's Next Top Model winner Nicole Fox.
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Filmography of Brett Leonard (11 films)
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Man-Thing (2005)
, 1h37Directed by Brett Leonard
Origin USA
Genres Science fiction, Fantastic, Fantasy, Action, Horror
Themes Films about animals, Films about education, Environmental films, Films about racism, Natural horror films, Giant monster films, Superhero films, Super-héros inspiré de comics, Disaster films
Actors Matthew Le Nevez, Rachael Taylor, Jack Thompson, Conan Stevens, Rawiri Paratene, Alex O'Loughlin
Roles Val Mayerick
Rating41%
At Dark Waters, a Native American sacred land containing an enigmatic swamp spirit, a teenager is murdered by a plant-like monster. The following day, young replacement sheriff Kyle Williams reaches Bywater and meets with deputy sheriff Fraser, who tells him the previous sheriff is among 47 missing persons since oil tycoon Fred Schist bought the ancient tribal lands from shaman and Seminole chieftain Ted Sallis, the first to disappear. Schist claimed Sallis had sold legally and escaped with the money, and asked the sheriff for help: Local protestors opposed his perfectly legal activities, and mestizo scoundrel Renee Laroque was sabotaging his facilities. Williams investigated this while trying to find an explanation for the missing people, some of which were found brutally murdered with plants growing from inside their bodies. Photographer Mike Ploog and shaman Pete Horn tell Williams local legends about the guardian spirit, suggesting that it could be real.
The Dead Pit (1989)
, 1h35Directed by Brett Leonard
Origin USA
Genres Horror
Themes Medical-themed films, Zombie films, Films about viral outbreaks, Disaster films
Actors Jeremy Slate, Brett Leonard
Roles Bearded Mental Patient (uncredited)
Rating53%
The Dead Pit opens with Dr. Ramzi, a deviant who enjoys torturing his patients, being killed and buried in the basement of a mental health facility. Twenty years later, the hospital is running again and Jane Doe arrives at the institute. Upon her arrival, a major earthquake rocks the building and unearths the now undead Dr. Ramzi and his legion of zombie patients.
Director
Highlander: The Source (2007)
, 1h26Directed by Brett Leonard
Origin USA
Genres Science fiction, Fantastic, Fantasy, Action, Adventure
Themes Time travel films, Films set in the future
Actors Adrian Paul, Peter Wingfield, Jim Byrnes, Thekla Reuten, Cristian Solimeno, Stephen Rahman-Hughes
Rating30%
A group of Immortals quest to locate the mysterious "Source" of immortal power in the near future. One member of the group, Zai Jie, breaks into a communications tower in Eastern Europe and contacts his associates to give them the location of the Source. The Guardian of the Source, who has supernatural speed, confronts and decapitates him. Reggie, another group member, discovers that the planets are moving from their orbits into a cosmic alignment.
Dinosaurs Alive (2007)
, 40minutesDirected by Brett Leonard
Genres Documentary
Themes Films about animals, Dinosaur films, La préhistoire, Documentary films about nature
Actors Michael Douglas
Rating57%
Les paléontologues du Musée américain d'histoire naturelle partent à la rencontrent des dinosaures du Triassique, du Jurassique et du Crétacé, du désert de Gobi en Mongolie aux spectaculaires paysages de grès du Nouveau Mexique. La magie de l'image numérique permet aux spectateurs de voir, à partir de ces récentes découvertes, des dinosaures... vivants !
Feed (2005)
, 1h41Directed by Brett Leonard
Origin Australie
Genres Thriller
Themes Cooking films, Seafaring films, Transport films, Serial killer films
Actors Alex O'Loughlin, Jack Thompson, Matthew Le Nevez, David Field, David No, Imogen Bailey
Rating53%
Australian cop Phillip (Patrick Thompson) works as a Cybercrime investigator for Interpol. Phillip finds himself shaken after investigating a case in Hamburg, Germany, in which a man consents to have his penis cut off and eaten by his lover. Phillip's own relationship is troubled due to his frequent travel and difficulties with romantic intimacy, and he finds himself unable to respond positively to his beautiful girlfriend's sexual overtures. The two have rough sex that gets out of hand, and she leaves him after writing "pig" on his chest with lipstick.
Man-Thing (2005)
, 1h37Directed by Brett Leonard
Origin USA
Genres Science fiction, Fantastic, Fantasy, Action, Horror
Themes Films about animals, Films about education, Environmental films, Films about racism, Natural horror films, Giant monster films, Superhero films, Super-héros inspiré de comics, Disaster films
Actors Matthew Le Nevez, Rachael Taylor, Jack Thompson, Conan Stevens, Rawiri Paratene, Alex O'Loughlin
Rating41%
At Dark Waters, a Native American sacred land containing an enigmatic swamp spirit, a teenager is murdered by a plant-like monster. The following day, young replacement sheriff Kyle Williams reaches Bywater and meets with deputy sheriff Fraser, who tells him the previous sheriff is among 47 missing persons since oil tycoon Fred Schist bought the ancient tribal lands from shaman and Seminole chieftain Ted Sallis, the first to disappear. Schist claimed Sallis had sold legally and escaped with the money, and asked the sheriff for help: Local protestors opposed his perfectly legal activities, and mestizo scoundrel Renee Laroque was sabotaging his facilities. Williams investigated this while trying to find an explanation for the missing people, some of which were found brutally murdered with plants growing from inside their bodies. Photographer Mike Ploog and shaman Pete Horn tell Williams local legends about the guardian spirit, suggesting that it could be real.
Jailbait (2004)
, 1h29Directed by Brett Leonard
Origin USA
Genres Drama
Themes Prison films
Actors Michael Pitt, Stephen Adly Guirgis, David Zayas, Laila Robins
Rating56%
Randy (Pitt), a 20-year-old convict, is taken to his cell. He is greeted by his new cellmate, Jake (Guirgis), a veteran prisoner serving a life sentence. Randy explains that he is serving 25 years for spray painting his neighbor's Mercedes-Benz.
, 45minutesDirected by Brett Leonard
Origin USA
Genres Adventure
Themes Films about animals, Dinosaur films, La préhistoire, Time travel films
Actors Peter Horton, Liz Stauber
Rating48%
The plot revolves around 16-year-old Ally Hayden (Liz Stauber), the daughter of Dr. Donald Hayden (Peter Horton), a world-famous paleontologist and museum curator. She loves dinosaurs and longs to be able to accompany him to one of the nearby paleontological digs, but her father thinks this is too dangerous and she has to settle for giving museum tours instead.
Virtuosity (1995)
, 1h46Directed by Brett Leonard
Genres Science fiction, Thriller, Action, Crime
Themes Films about computing, Transport films, Films about automobiles, Political films, Road movies, Cyberpunk films, Dystopian films, Chase films
Actors Denzel Washington, Russell Crowe, Kelly Lynch, Stephen Pinella, William Forsythe, Louise Fletcher
Rating55%
In Los Angeles, Lt. Parker Barnes and John Donovan are tracking down a serial killer named SID 6.7 at a restaurant in virtual reality. SID (short for Sadistic, Intelligent, Dangerous - a VR amalgam of the most violent serial killers throughout history) puts Donovan into shock, killing him. The director overseeing the project, before Commissioner Elizabeth Deane and her associate, William Wallace, order the programmer in charge of creating SID, Dr. Darrel Lindenmeyer, to shut down the project. Barnes is a former police officer imprisoned for killing political terrorist Matthew Grimes, who killed Parker's wife and daughter and innocent bystanders. This caused Barnes to become a convicted killer and serve 17 years to life.
Hideaway (1995)
, 1h41Directed by Brett Leonard
Genres Drama, Thriller, Horror
Themes Serial killer films
Actors Jeff Goldblum, Christine Lahti, Alicia Silverstone, Alfred Molina, Jeremy Sisto, Rae Dawn Chong
Rating52%
After killing two women and ritualistically arranging their bodies as a sacrifice to Satan, a Devil worshipper (Sisto) invokes a Satanic verse in a room filled with candles and Satanic imagery. He then commits suicide by throwing himself onto an athame in order to damn his soul.
The Lawnmower Man (1992)
, 1h47Directed by Brett Leonard
Origin USA
Genres Drama, Science fiction, Thriller, Action, Horror
Themes Films about computing, Political films, Cyberpunk films, Dystopian films
Actors Jeff Fahey, Pierce Brosnan, Jenny Wright, Geoffrey Lewis, Jeremy Slate, Dean Norris
Rating54%
Dr. Lawrence Angelo works for Virtual Space Industries, running experiments in increasing the intelligence of chimpanzees using drugs and virtual reality. One of the chimps escapes using the warfare tactics he was being trained for. Dr. Angelo is generally a pacifist, who would rather explore the intelligence-enhancing potential of his research without applying it for military purposes.
The Dead Pit (1989)
, 1h35Directed by Brett Leonard
Origin USA
Genres Horror
Themes Medical-themed films, Zombie films, Films about viral outbreaks, Disaster films
Actors Jeremy Slate, Brett Leonard
Rating53%
The Dead Pit opens with Dr. Ramzi, a deviant who enjoys torturing his patients, being killed and buried in the basement of a mental health facility. Twenty years later, the hospital is running again and Jane Doe arrives at the institute. Upon her arrival, a major earthquake rocks the building and unearths the now undead Dr. Ramzi and his legion of zombie patients.
Scriptwriter
, 1h32Directed by Farhad Mann
Origin USA
Genres Science fiction, Thriller, Action, Horror
Themes Films about computing, Cyberpunk films, Anticipation
Actors Patrick Bergin, Matt Frewer, Austin O'Brien, Ely Pouget, Kevin Conway, Crystal Celeste Grant
Rating25%
The founder of virtual reality, Dr. Benjamin Trace (Patrick Bergin), has lost a legal battle to secure a patent on the most powerful worldwide communications chip ever invented. Touted as the one operating system to control all others, in the wrong hands the "Chiron Chip" has the potential to dominate a society dependent on computers.
The Lawnmower Man (1992)
, 1h47Directed by Brett Leonard
Origin USA
Genres Drama, Science fiction, Thriller, Action, Horror
Themes Films about computing, Political films, Cyberpunk films, Dystopian films
Actors Jeff Fahey, Pierce Brosnan, Jenny Wright, Geoffrey Lewis, Jeremy Slate, Dean Norris
Rating54%
Dr. Lawrence Angelo works for Virtual Space Industries, running experiments in increasing the intelligence of chimpanzees using drugs and virtual reality. One of the chimps escapes using the warfare tactics he was being trained for. Dr. Angelo is generally a pacifist, who would rather explore the intelligence-enhancing potential of his research without applying it for military purposes.
The Dead Pit (1989)
, 1h35Directed by Brett Leonard
Origin USA
Genres Horror
Themes Medical-themed films, Zombie films, Films about viral outbreaks, Disaster films
Actors Jeremy Slate, Brett Leonard
Roles Writer
Rating53%
The Dead Pit opens with Dr. Ramzi, a deviant who enjoys torturing his patients, being killed and buried in the basement of a mental health facility. Twenty years later, the hospital is running again and Jane Doe arrives at the institute. Upon her arrival, a major earthquake rocks the building and unearths the now undead Dr. Ramzi and his legion of zombie patients.