Peter Hyams (born July 26, 1943) is an American director, screenwriter and cinematographer, probably best known for directing the 1981 science fiction thriller Outland, Capricorn One, 2010 (the sequel to Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey), the action/comedy Running Scared, the comic book adaptation Timecop, the action film Sudden Death (both starring Jean-Claude Van Damme), and the horror films The Relic and End of Days.
Hunter College Elementary School, Art Students League of New York, Syracuse University
Nationality
American
Spouse
George-Ann Spota (m. 1964)
Children
John Hyams, Chris Hyams, Nick Hyams
Parents
Ruth Hurok, Barry Hyams
Siblings
Nessa Hyams
Awards
Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation
Nominations
Edgar Award for Best Motion Picture Screenplay
Movies
Outland, End of Days, Timecop, 2010, Capricorn One, Sudden Death, Enemies Closer, A Sound of Thunder, The Relic, Beyond a Reasonable Doubt, The Musketeer, Narrow Margin, The Presidio, Running Scared, Hanover Street, The Star Chamber, Busting, Stay Tuned, Peeper, Our Time, T.R. Baskin, Universal Sold...
Star Sign
Leo
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Trademark
1
Likes to shoot his movies on soundstages, where none of the light is natural and all of it can be controlled.
2
All his movies have a character (usually a minor one) named "Spota."
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Quote
1
There's a really wretched invention called a zoom lens, which is the most abused, single abused, thing in filmmaking. It's more abused by young filmmakers than anybody. It's just a vile piece of equipment. As for tricky scene transitions, I know directors who sit down and literally look for those things as ways to get from scene to scene. I mean, what is the point of starting on a blade of grass with a blur behind you and racking focus then to the lady? I mean, what is so critical about that? I mean, why are you doing that? And then, the zoom lens thing does something that I don't think people understand. When you zoom in to something, you are not bringing the audience to the subject. You are bringing the subject to the audience. Major emotional difference. People do not realize that. You zoom back, you are not moving away from that subject. You are pushing the subject away from the audience. It's a tremendous difference.
2
I've never done anything that's totally worked for me. It has always been very painful to watch what I've done. Filmmaking, by definition, is a process of failure and because of that I always seem to be looking for the blemishes in my work.
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Fact
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His son Nicholas is a rapper named Lush One. He Was one of the CEO's of the rap battle league Grindtime and has gone onto to be the head of King Of The Dot's Fresh coast division.
2
Was the first director of major films to be admitted into the cinematographers' union.
Claims that he has never been invited to join the American Society of Cinematographers (ASC) because they "don't like" him and are biased against directors who shoot their own films. In 1997, he said this to Conrad L. Hall, who didn't believe him. After Hall and Haskell Wexler offered to sign recommendations on an application letter for him, the ASC summoned him for a 90-minute interview. Several days later he received a rejection letter in the mail. He keeps it framed on his office wall.
"Spota" (the name used in most Hyams movies) is his wife's maiden name. His love for her and her family makes the fact that most of the "Spotas" in his movies are villains ironic.
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One of the few writer/directors of major films who also serves as his own cinematographer.
$14 Million
