David Cronenberg

Highest Rated: 92% The Fly (1986)

Lowest Rated: 20% Jason X (2002)

Birthday: Mar 15, 1943

Birthplace: Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Hailed as one of the most original and sophisticated horror filmmakers that came to prominence during the 1970s, David Cronenberg transcended the limitations of his somewhat disreputable genre to become one of the most respected directors of his generation. Cronenberg first gained notice for audacious sci-fi horror thrillers like "Shivers" (1975), "The Brood" (1979) and "Scanners" (1981), before scoring critical and commercial hits with "The Dead Zone" (1983) and his remake of "The Fly" (1986), starring Jeff Goldblum. Following the critically lauded "Dead Ringers" (1988), Cronenberg began branching out beyond horror to direct the adaptation of William S. Burrough's "Naked Lunch" (1991) and courted a great deal of controversy for "Crash" (1996), which focused on a group of people who derived sexual pleasure from car crashes. After years of earning a reputation - perhaps unfairly - as an exploitation director, Cronenberg gained wider respect for his Academy Award-winning thriller "A History of Violence" (2005) and his excellent crime drama, "Eastern Promises" (2007), both of which starred favored actor Viggo Mortensen. Having gone through many permutations throughout his career, Cronenberg attained the status of being one of the most intelligent and interesting contemporary auteurs working in English language films.