Stephen C. Miner (born June 18, 1951) is an American director of

film A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmosphere ...

and

television Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or the medium of television transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertisin ...

film producer A film producer is a person who oversees film production. Either employed by a production company or working independently, producers plan and coordinate various aspects of film production, such as selecting the script, coordinating writing, di ...

, and a member of the

Motion Picture Academy of Arts and Sciences The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS, often pronounced ; also known as simply the Academy or the Motion Picture Academy) is a professional honorary organization with the stated goal of advancing the arts and sciences of motion ...

. He is notable for his work in the horror genre, including ''

Friday the 13th Part 2 ''Friday the 13th Part 2'' is a 1981 American slasher film produced and directed by Steve Miner in his directorial debut, and written by Ron Kurz. It is the sequel to 1980's '' Friday the 13th'', and the second installment in the franchise. Adri ...

'', ''

Friday the 13th Part III ''Friday the 13th Part III'' is a 1982 American slasher film directed by Steve Miner, produced by Frank Mancuso Jr., and starring Dana Kimmell, Paul Kratka, and Richard Brooker. It is the third installment in the ''Friday the 13th'' franchise. S ...

'', ''

House A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air condi ...

'', ''

Warlock A warlock is a male practitioner of witchcraft. Etymology and terminology The most commonly accepted etymology derives ''warlock'' from the Old English '' wǣrloga'', which meant "breaker of oaths" or "deceiver" and was given special applicatio ...

'', '' Halloween H20: 20 Years Later'', '' Lake Placid'', and ''

Day of the Dead The Day of the Dead ( es, Día de Muertos or ''Día de los Muertos'') is a holiday traditionally celebrated on November 1 and 2, though other days, such as October 31 or November 6, may be included depending on the locality. It is widely obser ...

''. He has also directed numerous comedy and drama films, as well as episodes of notable television series including ''

The Wonder Years ''The Wonder Years'' is an American coming-of-age story, coming-of-age situation comedy, comedy/Drama (film and television), drama television series created by Neal Marlens and Carol L. Black, Carol Black. It ran on American Broadcasting Company ...

Dawson's Creek ''Dawson's Creek'' is an American teen drama television series about the lives of a close-knit group of friends in the fictional town of Capeside, Massachusetts, beginning in high school and continuing into college that ran from 1998 to 2003. T ...

'', and ''

Smallville ''Smallville'' is an American superhero television series developed by writer-producers Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, based on the DC Comics character Superman created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. The series was produced by Millar Gough ...

.''

Life and career

Miner was born in

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolita ...

.Miner, Steve 1951- (Stephen Miner) , Encyclopedia.com
/ref> He began work in the

film industry The film industry or motion picture industry comprises the technological and commercial institutions of filmmaking, i.e., film production companies, film studios, cinematography, animation, film production, screenwriting, pre-production, post ...

as a recurring collaborator of producer-director Sean S. Cunningham, filling in for various behind the scenes roles on films such as ''The Last House on the Left'' and ''Friday the 13th''. His directorial debut was the latter film's first sequel, and he directed the third entry less than a year later. In 1983, Miner acquired the rights from

Toho is a Japanese film, theatre production and distribution company. It has its headquarters in Chiyoda, Tokyo, and is one of the core companies of the Osaka-based Hankyu Hanshin Toho Group. Outside of Japan, it is best known as the producer an ...

to develop an American ''Godzilla'' film titled '' Godzilla: King of the Monsters in 3D'', with Miner attached as the director. Miner hired

Fred Dekker Fred Dekker (born April 9, 1959) is an American screenwriter and film director best known for his cult classic horror comedy films ''Night of the Creeps'' and '' The Monster Squad'' (written with Shane Black). He contributed the story ideas f ...

to write the script and

William Stout William Stout (born September 18, 1949) is an American fantasy artist and illustrator with a specialization in paleoart, paleontological art. His paintings have been shown in over seventy exhibitions, including twelve one-man shows. He has worke ...

for storyboards and concept art. Miner generated some interest in Hollywood but was unable to secure financing and let the rights revert to Toho. Miner went on to direct other horror films such as ''Warlock'', '' Halloween H20: 20 Years Later'', and '' Lake Placid.'' Miner first crossed over into the comedy genre with his 1985 cult horror-comedy ''House'', and has since gone on to direct other films in the genre including ''Soul Man'' and ''Big Bully''. Miner is the only director to have crossed over and directed more than one of the horror "Big 3" (''

Halloween Halloween or Hallowe'en (less commonly known as Allhalloween, All Hallows' Eve, or All Saints' Eve) is a celebration observed in many countries on 31 October, the eve of the Western Christian feast of All Saints' Day. It begins the observanc ...

''/ Michael Myers, '' Friday the 13th''/

Jason Voorhees Jason Voorhees () is a character (arts), character from the Friday the 13th (franchise), ''Friday the 13th'' series. He first appeared in ''Friday the 13th (1980 film), Friday the 13th'' (1980) as the young son of camp-cook-turned-killer Pamel ...

and ''

Nightmare on Elm Street ''A Nightmare on Elm Street'' is a 1984 American supernatural slasher film written and directed by Wes Craven and produced by Robert Shaye. It is the first installment in the ''A Nightmare on Elm Street'' franchise and stars Heather Langenkamp ...

''/

Freddy Krueger Freddy Krueger () is a fictional character and the primary antagonist in the ''A Nightmare on Elm Street'' film series. He was created by Wes Craven and made his debut in Craven's ''A Nightmare on Elm Street'' (1984) as the malevolent spirit ...

). Miner has since become a notable television director on shows like ''

Psych ''Psych'' is an American detective comedy-drama television series created by Steve Franks for USA Network. The series stars James Roday as Shawn Spencer, a young crime consultant for the Santa Barbara Police Department whose "heightened observ ...

, Felicity,

'' (including the pilot and four of the other episodes of the first season), and '' Diagnosis: Murder''. His work on ''

'' earned him a

Primetime Emmy The Primetime Emmy Awards, or Primetime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Bestowed by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), the Primetime ...

nomination for Outstanding Comedy Series and a DGA Award for Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series.

Filmography

Films

Director *''

'' (1981) (Also producer) *''

'' (1982) *''

'' (1985) *'' Soul Man'' (1986) *''

'' (1989) (Also producer) *''

Wild Hearts Can't Be Broken ''Wild Hearts Can't Be Broken'' is a 1991 American drama film directed by Steve Miner. It concerns Sonora Webster Carver, a rider of diving horses. Gabrielle Anwar stars as Carver alongside Michael Schoeffling and Cliff Robertson. It is bas ...

'' (1991) *'' Forever Young'' (1992) *'' My Father the Hero'' (1994) *'' Big Bully'' (1996) *'' Halloween H20: 20 Years Later'' (1998) *'' Lake Placid'' (1999) *'' Texas Rangers'' (2001) *''

'' (2008) *'' Private Valentine: Blonde & Dangerous'' (2008) Other credits

Television

TV movies TV series

References

Bibliography

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Miner, Steve 1951 births American male film actors American television directors Film directors from Illinois Horror film directors Living people People from Westport, Connecticut Artists from Chicago 20th-century American male actors Directors Guild of America Award winners Male actors from Chicago Film directors from Connecticut