Robert Rodriguez

Infobox Actor
name = Robert Rodríguez

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imagesize =
caption = Rodriguez at the premiere of "Grindhouse", Austin, Texas
birthdate = birth date and age|mf=yes|1968|6|20
birthplace = San Antonio, Texas, U.S.
birthname = Robert Anthony Rodriguez
othername = The Wizard
occupation = Film director, producer, screenwriter, editor, cinematographer & musician
spouse = Elizabeth Avellán (divorced)
website = http://www.troublemakerstudios.com/

Robert Anthony Rodriguez (born June 20, 1968) [ [http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1093629,00.html Robert Rodriguez - TIME ] ] is an American director, writer, producer, cinematographer, editor and musician perhaps best known for making profitable, crowd-pleasing independent and studio films with fairly low budgets and fast schedules by Hollywood standards. He shoots and produces many of his films in Texas and Mexico.

Biography

Early life

Rodríguez was born in San Antonio, Texas, the son of Rebecca, a nurse, and Cecilio G. Rodríguez, a sales manager. [ [http://www.filmreference.com/film/37/Robert-Rodriguez.html Robert Rodriguez Biography (1968?-) ] ] He began his interest in film at age 7 when his father bought one of the first VCRs, which came with a camera. He took the camera and started to make short films with his brothers and sisters participating as the cast and crew. It helped that there were ten of them (including Robert), and these early stages provided the crucial groundwork that would lead to Rodriguez's development as a filmmaker.

While attending St. Anthony High School Seminary, he was commissioned to videotape the school's football games. According to his sister he was fired soon after for shooting them with a cinematic style; getting shots of parents reactions and the ball traveling through the air instead of shooting the whole play. After graduating Rodriguez went to the College of Communication at the University of Texas where he also developed a love of cartooning. His grades were not good enough to get into the school's film program, so he invented a daily comic strip entitled "Los Hooligans" with many of the characters based on his siblings – in particular, one of his sisters, Maricarmen. The comic proved to be quite successful, running for three years in the student newspaper "The Daily Texan" while Rodríguez continued to make short films.

Rodríguez grew up shooting action and horror short films on video, and editing on two VCRs. Finally, in the fall of 1990, his entry in a local film contest earned him a spot in the university's film program where he made the award-winning 16 mm short, "Bedhead", which is available for viewing [http://youtube.com/watch?v=NlDhaGY9X4g online] . The film chronicles the amusing misadventures of a young girl whose older brother sports an incredibly tangled mess of hair that she cannot tolerate. The rest of the short film is a humorous account of how the young girl tries to fix her brother's follicle monstrosity when she discovers her telekinetic abilities. Even at this early stage, Rodríguez's trademark style began to emerge: quick cuts, intense zooms, and fast camera movements deployed with a sense of humor that offsets the action.

Career

This short film attracted enough attention to encourage him to seriously attempt a career as a filmmaker. He went on to shoot the action flick "El Mariachi" in Spanish. "El Mariachi", which was shot for around $7,000 with money partially raised by volunteering in medical research studies, won the Audience Award at the Sundance Film Festival in 1992. The film, originally intended for the Spanish-language low-budget home-video market, was "cleaned up" with several hundred thousand dollars before being distributed by Columbia Pictures in the United States, still being promoted as "the movie made for $7,000". Rodríguez described his experiences making the film in his book "Rebel Without a Crew". The book and film inspired legions of hopeful filmmakers to pick up cameras and make no-budget movies. The film and the book are widely considered important touchstones of the independent film movement of the 1990s. Many people realized for the first time that with only a little money and a lot of hard work and talent, it was possible to make a successful and popular film.

His next feature film was "Desperado", a sequel to "El Mariachi" starring Antonio Banderas. The film introduced Salma Hayek to American audiences. Rodríguez went on to collaborate with Quentin Tarantino on the vampire thriller, "From Dusk Till Dawn" (he co-produced two sequels), and with Kevin Williamson on the horror film "The Faculty".

In 1999 Kevin Smith offered directorial duties on the film "Dogma" to Rodríguez, yet he passed insisting that Kevin should direct the film himself. [ [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120655/trivia Dogma (1999) - Trivia ] ] In 2001, Rodríguez enjoyed his first $100,000,000 (USD) Hollywood hit with "Spy Kids", which went on to become a trilogy, with the last film released in a crude form of 3D. A third "mariachi" film also appeared in late 2003, "Once Upon a Time in Mexico" which completed the Mariachi Trilogy. He operates a production company called Troublemaker Studios, formerly Los Hooligans Productions.

Rodríguez co-directed "Sin City" (2005), an adaptation of the Frank Miller "Sin City" comic books; Quentin Tarantino guest-directed a scene. During production in 2004, Rodríguez insisted that Miller direct the film with him because he considered the visual style of Miller's comic art to be just as important as his own in the film. However, the Directors Guild of America would not allow it, citing that only "legitimate teams" could share the director's credit (e.g. the Wachowski Brothers). Rodríguez chose to resign from the DGA, stating, "It was easier for me to quietly resign before shooting because otherwise I'd be forced to make compromises I was unwilling to make or set a precedent that might hurt the guild later on." By resigning from the DGA, Rodríguez was forced to relinquish his director's seat on the film "John Carter of Mars" (in development) for Paramount Pictures. Rodríguez had already signed on and had been announced as director of that film, planning to begin filming soon after completing "Sin City".

"Sin City" was a critical hit in 2005 as well as a box office success, particularly for a hyperviolent comic book adaptation that did not have name recognition comparable to the "X-Men" or "Spider-Man". Rodríguez is currently in pre-production for a sequel, "Sin City 2", which will be based on the "Sin City" story "A Dame To Kill For" and is scheduled for release in 2008Fact|date=August 2008. He has stated that he is interested in eventually adapting all of Miller's "Sin City" comic books.

Rodríguez released "The Adventures of Shark Boy and Lava Girl" in 2005, a superhero-kid movie intended for the same younger audiences as his "Spy Kids" series. "Shark Boy & Lava Girl" was based on a story conceived by Rodríguez's 7 year-old son, Racer, who was given credit for the screenplay. The film was not a major success, having grossed 39 million dollars at the box office. No new 3D projects have been announced by the Troublemaker group, even though a mini-boom in polarized digital 3D films is coming from major studios in 2006.

Since 1998, he has owned the film rights to Mike Allred's off-beat comic "Madman". The two have hinted at the project being close to beginning on several occasions without anything coming of it. However, other projects have been completed first (Allred was instrumental in connecting Rodríguez with Frank Miller, leading to the production of "Sin City"). In 2004, Allred, while promoting his comic book, "The Golden Plates", announced [ [http://newsarama.com/forums/showthread.php?s=threadid=13379 Newsarama ] ] that a screenplay by George Huang was near completion. In March 2006, it was announced that production on "Sin City 2" would be postponed. Allred announced at the 2006 WonderCon that production would likely commence on "Madman the Movie" in 2006. Huang is actually friends with Rodriguez, who advised him to pursue filmmaking as a career when Rodriguez landed a deal with Columbia Pictures where Huang was an employee.

Rodriguez wrote and directed the film "Planet Terror" for the collaboration with Quentin Tarantino in their double feature "Grindhouse" (released in 2007). This film was a throwback to the "Grindhouse" exploitative cinema of the past.

He also has a series of "Ten Minute Film School" segments on several of his DVD releases, showing aspiring filmmakers how to make good, profitable movies using inexpensive tactics. Starting with the "Once Upon a Time in Mexico" DVD, Rodríguez began creating a series called, "Ten Minute Cooking School". where he revealed his recipe for "Puerco Pilbil" (based on Cochinita Pibil, an old dish from Yucatan), the same food Johnny Depp's character, "Agent Sands" ate in the film. The popularity of this series lead to the inclusion of another "Cooking School" on the 2-Disc version of the "Sin City" DVD where Rodríguez teaches the viewer how to make "Sin City Breakfast Tacos", a dish (made for his cast and crew during late-night shoots) utilizing his grandmother's tortilla recipe and different egg mixes for the filling. He had initially planned to release a third "Cooking School" with the October 16 DVD release of "Planet Terror" but then announced on the "Film School" segment of the DVD that he would put it on the upcoming Grindhouse Theatrical DVD set instead. The Cooking School, entitled, "Texas Barbecue...from the GRAVE!", is a dish based on the "secret barbecue recipe" of "JT Hague", Jeff Fahey's character in the film. [ [http://www.slashfilm.com/2007/04/03/grindhouse-dvd-details-revealed/ Grindhouse DVD Details Revealed | /Film ] ]

A strong supporter of digital film making, Rodríguez was introduced to this by director George Lucas, who personally invited Rodríguez to use the digital cameras at Lucas' headquarters. ["Once Upon a Time in Mexico" DVD feature "Film is Dead"]

In May 2007 it was announced that Rodríguez had signed on to direct a remake of "Barbarella" for a 2008 release. [ [http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3i3e0cd5c8b61cf5dd1910e92c972e7e99?imw=Y Rodriguez to direct 'Barbarella' ] ] At the 2007 Comic-Con convention, actress Rosario Dawson announced that because of "Barbarella", production of "Sin City 2" would be put on hold. She also announced that she would be playing an amazon in the Barbarella film. [ [http://www.g4tv.com/thefeed/blog/post/677874/Dawson_Talks_Occult_on_ComicCon_LIVE.html G4 - The Feed - Dawson Talks 'Occult' on Comic-Con LIVE ] ]

In May 2008 Rodriguez is said to be shopping around a prison drama television series called Woman in Chains! With Rose McGowan being a possibility of a lead role [ [http://www.collider.com/entertainment/news/article.asp/aid/8033/tcid/Rodriguez shopping around Woman in Chains! ] ]

As of June 2008, plans to remake the film Barbarella with Rose McGowan as the lead have been delayed; the actress and director are instead remaking the film Red Sonja. [ [http://www.superherohype.com/news/topnews.php?id=7407 Rodriguez and McGowan Team for Red Sonja - Superhero Hype! ] ]

Personal life

Rodriguez officially announced in April 2006 that he and his wife Elizabeth Avellán separated after 16 years of marriage. [ [http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/sfgate/detail?blogid=7&entry_id=4169 SFGate: Daily Dish : Rodriguez Splits With Wife ] ] They have five children: sons Rocket Valentin, Racer Maximilliano, Rebel Antonio, Rogue and daughter Rhiannon Elizabeth.

The media reported that Rodríguez had a "dalliance" [ [http://hollywood-elsewhere.com/archives/2007/04/rodriguezmcgowa.php • Hollywood Elsewhere • ] ] with actress Rose McGowan during the shooting of "Grindhouse", [ [http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117962150.html?categoryid=2508&cs=1 Weinsteins ready for 'Grindhouse' - Entertainment News, Anne Thompson, Media - Variety ] ] [ [http://www.nypost.com/seven/04032007/gossip/pagesix/pagesix.htm Fling Ground Up 'Grindhouse' - New York Post ] ] with speculation that his hiatus during production may have been due to his wife finding out.In response to the speculation, a spokesperson for Troublemaker Studios released the following statement: [ [http://sev.prnewswire.com/film-motion-picture/20070406/NYF04006042007-1.html Troublemaker Studios :: Statement from Troublemaker Studios Regarding Robert Rodriguez and Elizabeth Avellan ] ]

In May 2007, it was reported that he confirmed his relationship with McGowan when they appeared hand-in-hand at the 60th Annual Cannes Film Festival. In October 2007, Elle Magazine revealed that Rodríguez cast McGowan as the title role in his remake of "Barbarella". [ [http://fashion.elle.com/blog/2007/09/september-30-20.html ELLE Tell All : September 30, 2007 ] ] On October 12, 2007 it was announced by Zap2it.com that the two are engaged. On July 2 it was reported that Rose McGowan dumped Rodriguez, partly over issues due to the financing of the Barbarella remake. [ [http://www.nypost.com/seven/07022008/gossip/pagesix/hwood_split_good_for_jessica_118089.htm Rose McGowan Dumps Robert Rodriguez] ] However, on July 3, PEOPLE Magazine posted an article with a quote from McGowan's rep stating that the two were still together. [ [http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20210190,00.html Rep: Rose McGowan & Robert Rodriguez Projects Still on Track - Couples, Robert Rodriguez, Rose McGowan : People.com ] ]

The "one-man film crew" and "Mariachi-style"

Rodríguez not only has the usual credits of producing, directing and writing his films, he also frequently serves as editor, director of photography, camera operator, steadicam operator, composer, production designer, visual effects supervisor, and sound editor on his films. This has earned him the nickname of "the one-man film crew."

He calls his style of making movies "Mariachi-style" (in reference to his first feature film "El Mariachi") in which (according to the back cover of his book "Rebel Without a Crew")"creativity, not money, is used to solve problems". Stu Maschwitz coined the term "Robert Rodriguez list", i.e. you make a list of things you have access to like cool cars, apartments, horses, samurai swords and so on you and people you know own or have access to and then write the script based on that. ["The DV Rebel's Guide: An All-Digital Approach to Making Killer Action Movies on the Cheap", Stu Maschwitz (2007)]

Collaborations

Rodríguez has a storied history of collaboration with Quentin Tarantino:
* Tarantino has a cameo in Rodríguez's film "Desperado".
* Both filmmakers directed segments in the film "Four Rooms".
* He directed Tarantino's screenplay "From Dusk Till Dawn", which Tarantino acted in. They both served as executive producers for that film and its two sequels.
* Tarantino came up with the title for (and was initially going to act in) Rodríguez's film "Once Upon a Time in Mexico".
* Rodríguez wrote some original music that was used in Tarantino's film "" and was reported to only have been paid one dollar for doing so. [ [http://filmforce.ign.com/articles/527/527099p1.html IGN: Tarantino Confirmed for Sin City ] ]
* Tarantino directed a scene in Rodriguez's film "Sin City" (also reported to be paid one dollar in return) and loaned him some swords from "Kill Bill" to use for the Miho character.
* They collaborated together on the 2007 double-feature "Grindhouse".

He has also worked with actor Antonio Banderas and actress Salma Hayek on a number of films:
* Banderas and Hayek were cast as the lead roles in "Desperado" and "Once Upon a Time in Mexico" of the "El Mariachi" trilogy.
* Both make appearances in Rodríguez's segment in "Four Rooms".
*Banderas and Rodríguez collaborated for the "Spy Kids" trilogy. Hayek had a role in the final installment, ""
* Hayek also had major roles in three of Rodriguez's films: "Roadracers", "From Dusk Till Dawn", and "The Faculty"

He also collaborated with actor Danny Trejo and Cheech Marin in "Desperado", "Once Upon a Time in Mexico", "From Dusk Till Dawn", "Spy Kids" trilogy and the "Grindhouse" spinoff "Machete".

Rodríguez collaborated with Kevin Williamson, filming the film-within-a-film "Stab" in "Scream 2" (written by Williamson) and directed "The Faculty" based on his screenplay.

Rodríguez composed the track "Avenging Angel" for the soundtrack of Edgar Wright's "Hot Fuzz"; Wright also directed a faux trailer for "Grindhouse".

Robert had a special appearance in the sitcom "George Lopez", starring the comedian of the same name, in the episode "George Buys a Vow" as part of the band in the wedding ceremony. Lopez also starred in Rodriguez's film "Sharkboy and Lavagirl".

Filmography

ee also

* Chingon

References

External links

*
* [http://www.troublemakerpublishing.com/ Rodriguez's Company Official Website]
* [http://www.cinescape.com/0/editorial.asp?aff_id=0&this_cat=Movies&action=page&obj_id=50493 Cinescape - Directors Who Matter]
* [http://www.godamongdirectors.com/rodriguez/index.shtml Robert Rodriguez - The Independents]
* [http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=8920808219270015571#30m05s Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino discuss their double feature, "Grindhouse" with Charlie Rose on April 5, 2007]

Persondata
NAME = Rodríguez, Robert
ALTERNATIVE NAMES =
SHORT DESCRIPTION = American film director and producer
DATE OF BIRTH = June 20, 1968
PLACE OF BIRTH = San Antonio, Texas, United States
DATE OF DEATH =
PLACE OF DEATH =