Alex Cox

Alexander Cox (born December 15, 1954) is a British film director and sometime actor, notable for his idiosyncratic style and approach to scripts. Cox has previously cited Luis Buñuel and Akira Kurosawa as influences. [ [http://www.alexcox.com/dir_lastemperor.htm Alex Cox - Kurosawa: The Last Emperor ] ] His film "Repo Man" is often credited as one of the first modern independent movies. It was this film that brought him critical attention.

Biography

Alex Cox was born in Bebington, Wirral, Nr. Liverpool, Merseyside. Cox studied at Wirral Grammar School and later at Worcester College, Oxford, then embarked upon a course in film studies at Bristol University and UCLA in California.

As well as directing films, Cox helped pen a rejected screenplay for the film version of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (first draft only). He has also written on the subject of film for publications such as "Sight and Sound", "The Guardian", "The Independent", and "Film Comment". From 1988 to 1994, he presented the television series "Moviedrome" on BBC Two, providing introductions to a series of alternative or obscure films that would otherwise be unknown to the general public. As a film aficionado, Cox also lent his opinions to numerous film documentaries, and provided introductions for ITV4's Spaghetti Western series made by Free@Last TV and directed by Katie Kinnaird. He has also provided introductions to DVDs such as the BFI edition of Kurosawa's "Red Beard" and Eureka Video's release of Kaneto Shindo's "Onibaba". In June 2008 he introduced the films in BBC Four's Western Weekend.

During his career, Cox has turned down offers to direct the films "Robocop", "Three Amigos", and "The Running Man" [ [http://www.avclub.com/content/node/22824 Alex Cox Interview with The Onion] ] . Following his success with "Repo Man", Cox had planned to direct a semi-sequel in the mid-90s, entitled "Waldo's Hawaiian Holiday", in which he intended to star Emilio Estevez, Harry Dean Stanton, Rebecca De Mornay, and Willem Dafoe. However, funding was never established, but in April 2008 it was released as a graphic novel. [ [http://www.waldoshawaiianholiday.com/ Waldo's Hawaiian Holiday] ] The script is available for download at [http://www.alexcox.com alexcox.com] . In 1996, De Mornay co-produced "The Winner", with results Cox disowns, referring to the released version as his Alan Smithee film. [See http://www.alexcox.com/dir_winner.htm]

In the documentary, Breakfast With Hunter, we learn of Cox's misinterpreretation of Hunter S.Thompon's vision for his book, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.

Cox is married to Tod Davies, who wrote and produced "Three Businessmen" and produced "Revengers Tragedy". Their production company is called Exterminating Angel, named after the Luis Buñuel film.

Partial filmography

Feature films

* "Sleep Is for Sissies" (1980)
* "Repo Man" (1984)
* "Sid & Nancy" (1986)
* "Straight to Hell" (1987)
* "Walker" (1987)
* "El Patrullero" (1992)
* "The Winner" (1996)
* "Death and the Compass" (1996)
* "Three Businessmen" (1998)
* "Revengers Tragedy" (2002)
* "The Searchers 2.0" (2007)

Documentaries

* "" (1999)
* "" (2000)

Television

* "Mike Hama Must Die!" (2002)
* "I'm A Juvenile Delinquent - Jail Me!" (2003)
* The election broadcasts for the three (2005)

References

External links

* [http://www.alexcox.com/ Alex Cox website]
* [http://www.avclub.com/content/node/22824 Alex Cox interview] , from The Onion - September 20, 2000
* [http://www.avclub.com/content/interview/alex_cox Interview] from The Onion - March 14, 2008
* [http://brooklynrail.org/2008/04/film/wilentz The Brooklyn Rail interview]
* [http://www.searchmytrash.com/articles/alexcox(6-08).shtml Biography on (re)Search my Trash]