David Cronenberg: Veteran Director of Eastern Promises Finally Gets His Due

"I think of horror films as art, as films of confrontations. Films that make you confront aspects of your own life that are difficult to face. Just because you're making a horror film doesn't mean you can't make an artful film."

"As a filmmaker I ask questions but don't have answers. Moviemaking is a philosophical exploration. I invite the audience to come on the journey and discover what they think and feel."

"My dentist once said to me: 'I have enough problems in my life, so why should I see your films?"

Director David Cronenberg - On his career making unusual and violent movies (IMDB.com)

For over thirty years director David Cronenberg has been making films that people talk about. Many of them are as much loved as they are loathed. He began as a horror film director whose fan base was ranked as highly as those for John Carpenter, Wes Craven and George Romero. He then graduated to the A list of directors but never compromised his own visions and "went Hollywood." The Canadian-born director has always chosen to direct films he writes or direct the scripts of others whose vision he shares. While he has amassed some impressive film credits he chose not to direct such films as Return of the Jedi, Top Gun and Total Recall. And he has now graduated into one of the most respected directors currently working.

A David Cronenberg film now promises more then hard core violence (though that remains), but an honest thought provoking look at everyday life and its oddities. Cronenberg moved away from horror films in the traditional sense but still directs stories that have personal horrors for the characters in them. And he is able to slip in his unique trademark violence and images that linger. When you see a David Cronenberg film you are likely to discuss it for days afterward.