John Dahl

JOHN DAHL

Date of Birth: 1956

Born and raised with his brother, producer and writer Rick, in Billings, Montana, Dahl had an early interest in art, music and drama, which led to his fondness for film. He attended Montana State University, where he earned a B.S. in film production. Following completion of his studies, Dahl moved to Washington, DC, to work as an assistant director. The craving for directing then became too great, and he went to the American Film Institute in 1982 where he became a directing fellow. Following his stint at AFI, he worked as a storyboard artist on commercials and music videos.

He later did the storyboard art for the features, Robocop, Something Wild and Married to the Mob. In 1989, he made his directorial debut with Kill Me Again, which he co-wrote. The film developed its own cult following, and led to a second film, Red Rock West - a familiar hard-boiled story: seduction, double-crosses, and murder ensue when a stranger pulls into town and gets confused for a hit man hired to kill the adulterous wife of the local sheriff. Originally acquired for TV distribution, the film received such raves on the festival circuit that it was picked up for theatrical release on a platform basis.

The Last Seduction (1994) starred Linda Fiorentino as a cold-hearted woman who steals drug money from her scum husband (Bill Pullman) and lures a country simpleton into a world of treachery and murder. Named one of the best pictures of the year by many film critics, the film garnered Fiorentino the Best Actress award from the New York Critics circle and an Independent Feature Project's Spirit award. Dahl's follow up films, Unforgettable and Rounders weren't half as successful, being panned by critics and ignored by viewers.

Dahl started off the millennium with another thriller, Joy Ride, followed by a war movie, The Great Raid.

Filmography:

The Great Raid (2005)
Joy Ride (2001)
Striking Back: A Jewish Commando's War Against the Nazis (1998)
Rounders (1998)
Unforgettable (1996)
The Last Seduction (1994)
Red Rock West (1992)
Kill Me Again (1989)