John R. Leonetti

Last updated
John R. Leonetti
Born
John Robert Leonetti

(1956-07-04) July 4, 1956 (age 67)
California, U.S.
Occupations
Years active1984–present
Relatives Matthew F. Leonetti (brother)

John Robert Leonetti, ASC (born July 4, 1956) is an American cinematographer [1] and film director. [2] He is known for his collaborative work with director James Wan, with whom he has acted as cinematographer on five films. He is the younger brother of cinematographer Matthew F. Leonetti, who was the cinematographer for John's first feature-length film as director, Mortal Kombat Annihilation .

Contents

Career

Leonetti began his career as a teenager working for his family's motion picture equipment business that was started by his father Frank Leonetti, known for his gaffing work on films such as The Wizard of Oz and Singin' in the Rain . [3] Leonetti was a cinematographer on feature films such as Child's Play 3 , The Mask, and Mortal Kombat. He began his filmmaking career with Mortal Kombat Annihilation , and has gone on to direct The Butterfly Effect 2 , Annabelle, and Wish Upon .

Filmography

Feature films

TitleYearCredited asNotesRef(s)
DirectorCinematographerOther
Songwriter 1984Yes1st assistant camera [4]
Fast Forward 1985Yes1st assistant camera operator [5]
Weird Science Yes1st assistant camera operator [6]
Commando Yes1st assistant camera operator [7]
Jagged Edge YesFocus [8]
Jumpin' Jack Flash 1986YesCamera assistant [9]
The New Adventures of Pippi Longstocking 1988YesCamera operator [10]
Another 48 Hrs. 1990YesCamera operator [11]
Child's Play 3 1991Yes [12]
Hot Shots! Part Deux 1993Yes [13]
The Mask 1994Yes [14]
Mortal Kombat 1995Yes [15]
Spy Hard 1996Yes [16]
Mortal Kombat Annihilation 1997Yes [17]
Detroit Rock City 1999Yes [18]
Joe Dirt 2001Yes [19]
The Scorpion King 2002Yes [20]
Honey 2003Yes [21]
Raise Your Voice 2004Yes [22]
The Perfect Man 2005Yes [23]
The Woods 2006Yes [24] [25] = [26]
The Butterfly Effect 2 Yes [27]
Dead Silence 2007Yes [28]
I Know Who Killed Me Yes [29]
Death Sentence Yes [30]
Welcome to the Jungle YesYesEditor [31] [32]
Ca$h 2010Yes [33] [34]
Piranha 3D Yes [35]
Super Hybrid Yes [32]
Insidious Yes [36]
Soul Surfer 2011Yes [37]
The Conjuring 2013Yes [38]
Insidious: Chapter 2 Yes [39]
Annabelle 2014Yes [40]
Wolves at the Door 2016Yes [41]
Wish Upon 2017Yes [42] [43]
The Silence 2019Yes [44]
Lullaby2022Yes

Related Research Articles

<i>Mortal Kombat Annihilation</i> 1997 martial arts fantasy film

Mortal Kombat Annihilation is a 1997 American martial arts fantasy film directed by John R. Leonetti in his directorial debut. Based on the Mortal Kombat video game franchise, it is the second installment in the Mortal Kombat film series and a sequel to the original 1995 film, on which Leonetti served as cinematographer. Largely adapted from the 1995 video game Mortal Kombat 3, Annihilation follows Liu Kang and his allies as they attempt to prevent the malevolent Shao Kahn from conquering Earthrealm. It stars Robin Shou as Liu Kang, Talisa Soto as Kitana, James Remar as Raiden, Sandra Hess as Sonya Blade, Lynn “Red” Williams as Jax and Brian Thompson as Shao Kahn. Only Shou and Soto reprisd their roles, with the other characters from the previous film being recast.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jason Scott Lee</span> American actor and martial artist

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Johnny Cage</span> Mortal Kombat character

Johnny Cage is a character in the Mortal Kombat fighting game franchise by Midway Games and NetherRealm Studios. Introduced in the original 1992 game, he is an action movie star with an extensive martial arts background. The series depicts Cage as one of the primary heroes defending Earthrealm from various threats, as well as the comic foil. In the rebooted timeline, Cage is also the love interest to Special Forces officer Sonya Blade and the father of their daughter Cassie. He is inspired by martial arts star Jean-Claude Van Damme, particularly Van Damme's character, Frank Dux, in the 1988 film Bloodsport. A staple of the franchise, Cage has appeared in various media outside of the games. Reception to the character has been generally positive for his role in the series, character development, gameplay, and Fatality finishing moves.

Ermac Mortal Kombat character

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Jax (<i>Mortal Kombat</i>) Mortal Kombat character

Jackson "Jax" Briggs is a fictional character in the Mortal Kombat fighting game franchise by Midway Games and NetherRealm Studios. Introduced in Mortal Kombat II (1993) as the leader of a Special Forces unit, he became a mainstay of the series, including as the protagonist of the action-adventure spin-off Mortal Kombat: Special Forces (2000). The character is distinguished by his metal bionic arms, which he first received in Mortal Kombat 3 (1995), and his abilities are based around his upper-body strength.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kitana</span> Mortal Kombat character

Kitana is a character in the Mortal Kombat fighting game franchise by Midway Games and NetherRealm Studios. Debuting in Mortal Kombat II (1993), she is a royal from the fictional realm of Edenia. She uses steel fans as her primary weapon.

<i>Mortal Kombat</i> (1995 film) 1995 film by Paul W. S. Anderson

Mortal Kombat is a 1995 American fantasy action film directed by Paul W. S. Anderson and written by Kevin Droney. Based on the video game franchise of the same name, it is the first installment in the Mortal Kombat film series. Starring Linden Ashby, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, Robin Shou, Bridgette Wilson, Talisa Soto, and Christopher Lambert, the film follows a group of heroes who participate in the eponymous Mortal Kombat tournament to protect Earth from being conquered by malevolent forces. Its story primarily adapts the original 1992 game, while also using elements from the game Mortal Kombat II (1993).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sonya Blade</span> Mortal Kombat character

Sonya Blade is a fictional character in the Mortal Kombat fighting game franchise by Midway Games and NetherRealm Studios. She debuted in the original 1992 game as the roster's sole female fighter, a military officer with the Special Forces. In the storyline of the games, Sonya becomes involved with the eponymous Mortal Kombat tournament through pursuit of her archenemy, the criminal leader Kano. She subsequently joins the warriors defending Earthrealm and establishes a government agency dedicated to battling otherworldly threats. The series' rebooted timeline also depicts her as the love interest to martial arts actor Johnny Cage and the mother of their daughter Cassie. A mainstay of the franchise, Sonya has also appeared in various media outside of the games. Reception to the character has been generally positive, with respect to her role as one of Mortal Kombat's primary female fighters. Though, some of her outfits in the games has received criticism.

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<i>Mortal Kombat</i> Video game series and multimedia franchise

Mortal Kombat is an American media franchise centered on a series of fighting video games originally developed by Midway Games in 1992.

Matthew Frank Leonetti A.S.C. is an American cinematographer. Accomplished and highly prolific, he has worked on dozens of well-known and acclaimed films spanning numerous genres, including Poltergeist, Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Weird Science, Jagged Edge, Strange Days, and Star Trek: First Contact. He has collaborated with directors such as Tobe Hooper, Walter Hill, John Hughes, Kenneth Branagh, Kathryn Bigelow, Zack Snyder, and The Farrelly Brothers.

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Joseph Bishara is an American composer, music producer, and actor, best known for his work scoring films such as Insidious, 11-11-11, Dark Skies, and The Conjuring. Although his career began with the 1998 Biblical drama Joseph's Gift, he composes music for mainly horror and thriller films, and has collaborated several times with director James Wan. Projects by directors John Carpenter and Joseph Zito, and musicians Ray Manzarek and Diamanda Galás have incorporated his work. In addition to composing, he frequently appears in films he is involved in, usually made up as a demon or other supernatural creature. He has also been a producer on Repo! The Genetic Opera and other projects.

<i>Annabelle</i> (film) 2014 American supernatural horror film

Annabelle is a 2014 American supernatural horror film directed by John R. Leonetti, written by Gary Dauberman and produced by Peter Safran and James Wan. It stars Annabelle Wallis, Ward Horton, and Alfre Woodard. Principal photography began in January 2014 in Los Angeles. It premiered at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles on September 29, 2014, and was theatrically released in the United States on October 3, 2014, by Warner Bros. Pictures and New Line Cinema.

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References

  1. Leydon, Joe (27 July 2007). "Variety Reviews - I Know Who Killed Me". Variety . Retrieved 6 March 2011.
  2. Grant, Edmond (August 1998). The Motion Picture Guide, 1998 Annual: The Films of 1997. CineBooks. p. 288. ISBN   978-0-933997-41-7 . Retrieved 6 March 2011. The look of the film is quite spectacular, though, for a relatively low-budget martial-arts fantasy; perhaps this is because John R. Leonetti, cinematographer of the first KOMBAT, here assumed the task of director.
  3. Armstrong, Stephen (2013). John Frankenheimer: Interviews, Essays, and Profiles. Plymouth, United Kingdom: Scarecrow Press. p. 247. ISBN   9780810890572.
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  5. "Fast Forward". American Film Institute. Retrieved 21 August 2018.
  6. "Weird Science". American Film Institute. Retrieved 21 August 2018.
  7. "Commando". American Film Institute. Retrieved 21 August 2018.
  8. "Jagged Edge". American Film Institute. Retrieved 21 August 2018.
  9. "Jumpin' Jack Flash". American Film Institute. Retrieved 21 August 2018.
  10. "The New Adventures of Pippi Longstocking". American Film Institute. Retrieved 21 August 2018.
  11. "Another 48 Hrs". American Film Institute. Retrieved 21 August 2018.
  12. "Child's Play 3". American Film Institute. Retrieved 21 August 2018.
  13. "Hot Shots! Part Deux". American Film Institute. Retrieved 21 August 2018.
  14. "The Mask". American Film Institute. Retrieved 21 August 2018.
  15. "Mortal Kombat". American Film Institute. Retrieved 21 August 2018.
  16. "Spy Hard". American Film Institute. Retrieved 21 August 2018.
  17. "Mortal Kombat Annihilation". American Film Institute. Retrieved 21 August 2018.
  18. "Detroit Rock City". American Film Institute. Retrieved 21 August 2018.
  19. "Joe Dirt". American Film Institute. Retrieved 21 August 2018.
  20. "The Scorpion King". American Film Institute. Retrieved 21 August 2018.
  21. "Honey". American Film Institute. Retrieved 21 August 2018.
  22. "Raise Your Voice". American Film Institute. Retrieved 21 August 2018.
  23. "The Perfect Man". American Film Institute. Retrieved 21 August 2018.
  24. "The Woods (2004)". British Film Institute . Archived from the original on March 16, 2018. Retrieved March 16, 2018.
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  34. "Cash". AllMovie. Archived from the original on October 2, 2015. Retrieved February 7, 2020.
  35. "Piranha 3D". American Film Institute. Retrieved 22 August 2018.
  36. "Insidious". American Film Institute. Retrieved 22 August 2018.
  37. "Soul Surfer". American Film Institute. Retrieved 22 August 2018.
  38. "The Conjuring". American Film Institute. Retrieved 22 August 2018.
  39. "Insidious: Chapter 2". American Film Institute. Retrieved 22 August 2018.
  40. "Annabelle". American Film Institute. Retrieved 22 August 2018.
  41. Caranicas, Peter (14 May 2015). "Bookings and Signings: WPA, Mirisch, Dattner Dispoto, Innovative Artists and APA Keep Busy". Variety. Retrieved 22 August 2018.
  42. Scheck, Frank (13 July 2017). "'Wish Upon': Film Review". Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 22 August 2018.
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