Martin Brest

Martin Brest (born August 8, 1951) is an American filmmaker, producer, screenwriter, film editor, and actor.

Education

Brest graduated from Stuyvesant High School in 1969, from New York University's School of the Arts in 1973^[3] and from the AFI Conservatory with an M.F.A. degree in 1977.

Career

His film debut as a director/writer was with 1979's Going in Style, which starred George Burns, Art Carney and Lee Strasberg. Brest was next hired to direct the film WarGames but was fired during production.^[1]

Brest's first major hit film was 1984's Beverly Hills Cop, starring Eddie Murphy. The film earned well over $200 million at the North American box office and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay.

Brest's next film was 1988's Midnight Run, starring Robert De Niro and Charles Grodin. The film became a huge hit, earning Golden Globe nominations for Best Actor - Motion Picture Musical or Comedy for De Niro and Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy for Brest.

His work on 1992's Scent of a Woman earned him a Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture - Drama, and the film was nominated several Academy Awards. While he lost the Best Picture and Best Director Oscars to Clint Eastwood (Unforgiven), the film gave Al Pacino an Oscar for Best Actor, twenty years after Pacino's first nomination for Supporting Actor in The Godfather.

Six years later, Brest directed Meet Joe Black, a remake of Death Takes a Holiday, starring Brad Pitt and Anthony Hopkins. Meet Joe Black received mixed reviews^[2] and no awards nominations.

Five years later, Brest wrote and directed the box-office bomb Gigli, starring Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez. He has not directed another movie since.

Filmography

Director

• Hot Dogs for Gauguin (1972)
• Hot Tomorrows (1977)
• Going in Style (1979)
• WarGames (1983) (some scenes)
• Beverly Hills Cop (1984)
• Midnight Run (1988)
• Scent of a Woman (1992)
• Meet Joe Black (1998)
• Gigli (2003)

Producer

• Hot Tomorrows (1977)
• Midnight Run (1988)
• Scent of a Woman (1992)
• Josh and S.A.M. (1993)
• Meet Joe Black (1998)
• Gigli (2003)

Actor

• Hot Dogs for Gauguin (1972) - Man on ferry
• Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982) - Dr. Miller
• Beverly Hills Cop (1984) (uncredited) - Hotel Check-out Clerk
• Spies Like Us (1985) - Drive-In Security
• Midnight Run (1988) (uncredited) - Airline Ticket Clerk

Writer

• Hot Dogs for Gauguin (1972)
• Hot Tomorrows (1977)
• Going in Style (1979)
• Gigli (2003)

Editor

• Hot Dogs for Gauguin (1972)
• Hot Tomorrows (1977)

Notes

References

^  "Martin Brest". Universal Studios. 2001. http://www.meetjoeblack.com/martinbrest.html. Retrieved on 2006-01-21. 

External links

• Martin Brest at the Internet Movie Database