Roger Christian | |
---|---|
Born | [1] London, England, United Kingdom | 25 February 1944
Occupation(s) | Film director, production designer, set decorator |
Years active | 1968–present |
Spouse | Lina Dhingra |
Website | www.rogerjchristian.com at the Wayback Machine (archived 15 July 2011) |
Roger John Christian (born 25 February 1944) [1] is an English set decorator, production designer and feature film director. He won an Academy Award for his work on the original Star Wars and was Oscar-nominated for his work on Alien . Christian directed the second unit on both Return of the Jedi [2] and Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace as well as feature films including The Sender and Nostradamus . He also directed the 2000 film Battlefield Earth .
He began his career as an assistant art director on several UK productions including the Hammer Studios film And Soon the Darkness (1970). He won an Academy Award for set decoration on the science fiction classic Star Wars (1977). [3] (Christian claims to be the third crew member hired for the project.) [4] Two years later, Christian received his second Oscar nomination for his work as the production designer on Ridley Scott's Alien (1979). [5] Christian's use of aircraft scrap and other machinery to dress the set interiors of these films and creation of weapons using old working guns adapted by adding junk revolutionized the look of science fiction films. [4] [6] Christian maintained his working relationship with George Lucas over the years, having worked on Return of the Jedi (1983) and being the second unit director on Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (1999). He later briefly met with the Episode VII art department and Star Wars Rebels crew, although not in an official capacity. [7]
Christian began his directing career with the shorts Black Angel (1980) and the Oscar-winning The Dollar Bottom (1981). [8] [9] Black Angel, filmed at locations in Scotland, was mentored by George Lucas who tied the film as a programme with The Empire Strikes Back in UK, Australia, and Scandinavia. [10] The 25-minute film is a retelling of the hero's journey in classical mythology, and it influenced several major directors. [10] He made his feature film debut with the horror film The Sender (1982). Chosen as the opening film at the Avoriaz Film Festival, the film has become a cult classic. Quentin Tarantino has described The Sender as his favorite horror film of 1982. [11] Christian directed the music video "Election Day" by the band Arcadia in Paris, France in 1985. [12] His 1994 feature film Nostradamus , about the life of the famous French prophet, has received worldwide recognition. [10]
His biggest project to date was the big budget L. Ron Hubbard science fiction adaptation Battlefield Earth (2000) [13] starring John Travolta and Barry Pepper, which The Guardian considered a commercial and critical disaster, and as one of the "worst films ever made". [14] [15] [16] In 2009, NPR declared the film "the worst science fiction film of the decade". [17] Christian does not consider Battlefield Earth to be a "Scientology movie" as he intended it as a throwback to regular science fiction. [18] He also won the Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Director.
In 2006, he directed an action/adventure/mystery movie, Prisoners of the Sun , starring John Rhys-Davies, David Charvet, Carmen Chaplin, and Gulshan Grover. It was unreleased until 2014 when it had geographically limited release in Nordic countries.
Christian is a Buddhist. He is an admirer of filmmakers Peter Jackson and Quentin Tarantino. [18] [19]
Year | Name | Notes |
---|---|---|
1980 | Black Angel | Also screenwriter and producer Short film |
1981 | The Dollar Bottom | Short film; Oscar winner |
1982 | The Sender | Directorial debut |
1984 | Starship | Also screenwriter |
1985 | "Election Day" | Music video for Arcadia |
1986 | ''Fire on the Water" | Music video for Chris de Burgh |
1994 | Nostradamus | Also story writer |
1995 | The Final Cut | |
1996 | Underworld | Also wrote lyrics for the song My Pop |
1997 | Masterminds | |
2000 | Battlefield Earth | Razzie winner |
2004 | American Daylight | |
Bandido | Also producer and production designer | |
2013 | Dangerous Intuition | TV film |
Stranded | Also screenwriter | |
Prisoners of the Sun | ||
2016 | Joseph & Mary | |
Bear Clan Station | ||
2022 | Galaxy Built On Hope | Also screenwriter and producer Documentary film [20] |
TBA | Black Angel | Also screenwriter and producer Feature remake short film |
Year | Name | Director | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2012 | Riddle of the Black Cat | Jonathan Rinzler | Short film |
2013 | 13 Eerie | Lowell Dean | Executive producer |
2017 | The Black Prince | Kavi Raz | Consulting producer |
Year | Name | Credit | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1968 | Oliver! | Art department assistant | Uncredited |
1969–1970 | Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased) | Set dresser | TV series, 8 episodes |
1970 | And Soon the Darkness | Assistant art director | |
1971–1972 | Jason King | Set dresser | TV series, 25 episodes |
1973 | The 14 | Assistant art director | |
The Final Programme | Assistant art director | ||
1974 | Mahler | Associate art director | |
Akenfield | Art director | ||
1975 | Lucky Lady | Assistant art director | Uncredited |
1977 | Star Wars | Set decorator | Oscar winner |
The Last Remake of Beau Geste | Set decorator | ||
1979 | Alien | Art director | Oscar nominee |
Monty Python's Life of Brian | Art director | ||
1983 | Return of the Jedi | Second unit director | Uncredited |
1999 | Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace | Second unit director | |
2000 | The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: My First Adventure | Second unit director | Uncredited, TV film |
Fim | Awards and nomation(s) |
---|---|
Star Wars | Academy Award for Best Art Direction Shared with John Barry, Norman Reynolds & Leslie Dilley [21] Nominated – Saturn Award for Outstanding Set Decoration |
Alien | Nominated – Academy Award for Best Art Direction Shared with Michael Seymour, Leslie Dilley & Ian Whittaker [22] |
The Dollar Bottom | Nominated – BAFTA Film Award for Best Short Film |
Starship | Nominated – International Fantasy Film Award for Best Film |
Battlefield Earth | Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Director Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Picture Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Picture of the Decade Golden Raspberry Award for Worst 'Drama' of Our First 25 Years |
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