Barry Spikings (born 23 November 1939) is a British film producer who worked in Hollywood. Spikings is best known as a producer of the film, ''

The Deer Hunter ''The Deer Hunter'' is a 1978 war drama film co-written and directed by Michael Cimino about a trio of Slavic-American steelworkers whose lives were upended after fighting in the Vietnam War. The three soldiers are played by Robert De Niro, ...

'' (1978), which won five

Academy Awards The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

Biography

Spikings was born in

Boston, Lincolnshire Boston is a market town and inland port in the borough of the same name in the county of Lincolnshire, England. Boston is north of London, north-east of Peterborough, east of Nottingham, south-east of Lincoln, south-southeast of Hul ...

. After leaving

Boston Grammar School The Boston Grammar School is a Grammar school, selective grammar school and sixth form college for boys aged 11 to 18 and girls attending the sixth form aged 16–18 located in Boston, Lincolnshire, England. A recent 2021 Ofsted report assesse ...

he joined the local newspaper, the ''

Lincolnshire Standard The ''Lincolnshire Standard'' was a weekly newspaper published in Boston, England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies north ...

'', as a trainee reporter. Later he joined the '' Farmers' Weekly'', where he won a Golden Ear award for a fifteen-minute film that he produced and directed himself. Spikings then moved to the entertainment world. Initially, he promoted pop music festivals and later films.

British Lion and EMI

In 1972, he became the co-owner of British Lion Films; Spikings later joined

EMI EMI Group Limited (originally an initialism for Electric and Musical Industries, also referred to as EMI Records Ltd. or simply EMI) was a British Transnational corporation, transnational Conglomerate (company), conglomerate founded in March 1 ...

when it took over British Lion. For the film, ''

'' (1978), Spikings won an

Academy Award for Best Picture The Academy Award for Best Picture is one of the Academy Awards presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) since the awards debuted in 1929. This award goes to the producers of the film and is the only category ...

. The film also garnered awards for several of its actors.

Nelson Holdings

In 1985, Spikings formed a Canadian company, Nelson Holdings International, with British financier Richard Northcott, to purchase entertainment firms. Nelson later acquired the home video assets of Embassy Pictures from

Coca-Cola Coca-Cola, or Coke, is a carbonated soft drink manufactured by the Coca-Cola Company. Originally marketed as a temperance drink and intended as a patent medicine, it was invented in the late 19th century by John Stith Pemberton in Atlanta ...

and film production companies Galactic Films and the Spikings Corporation, and formed

Nelson Entertainment Nelson Entertainment was a Los Angeles-based film production and home video distribution company, a subsidiary of Nelson Holdings International Ltd., a Vancouver, Canada, holding company formed in 1985 by British film producer Barry Spikings and ...

. Nelson had the North American home video rights and all international rights to the output from the newly-formed

Castle Rock Entertainment Castle Rock Entertainment is an American film and television production company founded in 1987 by Martin Shafer, director Rob Reiner, Andrew Scheinman, Glenn Padnick and Alan Horn. It is a label of Warner Bros. Entertainment, itself a subsidia ...

. Spikings served as president of Nelson Entertainment through the early 1990s. Afterwards, he formed a production partnership with

Eric Pleskow Eric Pleskow (born Erich Pleskoff; April 24, 1924 – October 1, 2019) was an Austrian-born American film producer and executive. From 1973 through 1978, Pleskow was president of United Artists. Following a protest from Transamerica Corporation, ...

Filmography

*1975: ''

Conduct Unbecoming Conduct unbecoming an officer and a gentleman (or conduct unbecoming for short) is an offense that is subject to court martial in the armed forces of some nations. Use in the United Kingdom The phrase was used as a charge in courts martial of ...

'' (producer with

Michael Deeley Michael Deeley (born 6 August 1932) is an Academy Award-winning British film producer known for such motion pictures as ''The Italian Job'' (1969), ''The Deer Hunter'' (1978), and ''Blade Runner'' (1982). He is also a founding member and Honora ...

and

Andrew Donally Andrew Donally (1924-1991) was a British film producer. He worked for a number of years with Irving Allen. Filmography *'' A Matter of Life and Death'' (1946) - support team *''High Treason'' (1951) - assistant *''Curtain Up'' (1952) -assistant * ...

) *1976: ''

The Man Who Fell to Earth ''The Man Who Fell to Earth'' is a 1976 British science fiction drama film directed by Nicolas Roeg and written by Paul Mayersberg. Based on Walter Tevis's 1963 novel of the same name, the film follows an extraterrestrial (Thomas Jerome Newt ...

'' (producer with

) *1978: ''

Convoy A convoy is a group of vehicles, typically motor vehicles or ships, traveling together for mutual support and protection. Often, a convoy is organized with armed defensive support and can help maintain cohesion within a unit. It may also be used ...

'' (executive producer) *1978: ''

'' (producer with Michael Deeley,

Michael Cimino Michael Antonio Cimino ( ; February 3, 1939 – July 2, 2016) was an American filmmaker. One of the " New Hollywood" directors, Cimino achieved fame with ''The Deer Hunter'' (1978), which won five Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Bes ...

, and John Peverall) **

1978: Best Picture, Supporting Actor ( Christopher Walken), Director (Cimino), Film Editing, and Sound. *1990: ''

Texasville ''Texasville'' is a 1990 American drama film written and directed by Peter Bogdanovich. Based on the 1987 novel ''Texasville'' by Larry McMurtry, it is a sequel to ''The Last Picture Show'' (1971), and features Jeff Bridges, Cybill Shepherd, Clori ...

'' (producer with

Peter Bogdanovich Peter Bogdanovich (July 30, 1939 – January 6, 2022) was an American director, writer, actor, producer, critic, and film historian. One of the "New Hollywood" directors, Bogdanovich started as a film journalist until he was hired to work on R ...

) *1991: '' Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey'' (executive producer) *1991: ''Picture This: The Times of Peter Bogdanovich in Archer City, Texas'' (producer) *1991: ''

The Taking of Beverly Hills ''The Taking of Beverly Hills'' is a 1991 American action film directed by Sidney J. Furie and starring Ken Wahl, Matt Frewer, Harley Jane Kozak and Robert Davi. In the film, football hero Boomer Hayes (Wahl) battles a group of ex-cops, who are ...

'' (executive producer) *1994: '' The Favor'' (executive producer) *1994: '' There Goes My Baby'' — also known as ''The Last Days of Paradise'' (executive producer) *1995: ''

Beyond Rangoon ''Beyond Rangoon'' is a 1995 Drama (film and television), drama film directed by John Boorman about Laura Bowman (played by Patricia Arquette), an United States, American tourist who vacations in the country of Myanmar, Burma (now known as Myanmar ...

'' (producer with John Boorman and

) *2013: ''

Lone Survivor ''Lone Survivor'' is a 2013 American biographical war film based on the 2007 nonfiction book of the same name by Marcus Luttrell with Patrick Robinson. Set during the war in Afghanistan, it dramatizes the unsuccessful United States Navy S ...

'' (producer with

Peter Berg Peter Berg (born March 11, 1964) is an American director, producer, writer, and actor. His directorial film works include the black comedy ''Very Bad Things'' (1998), the action comedy ''The Rundown'' (2003), the sports drama '' Friday Night Lig ...

, Sarah Aubrey, Randall Emmett, Norton Herrick,

Akiva Goldsman Akiva J. Goldsman (born July 7, 1962) is an American filmmaker. He is known for making motion pictures and adaptations of popular novels. Goldsman's filmography as a screenwriter includes '' The Client''; '' Batman Forever'' and its sequel '' ...

Mark Wahlberg Mark Robert Michael Wahlberg (born June 5, 1971), former stage name Marky Mark, is an American actor, businessman, and former rapper. He has received multiple accolades, including a BAFTA Award, and nominations for two Academy Awards, three ...

, Stephen Levinson, Vitaly Grigoriants)

References

External links

Barry Spikings
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Spikings, Barry 1939 births Living people British film producers English film producers Producers who won the Best Picture Academy Award People from Boston, Lincolnshire People educated at Boston Grammar School