Shane Carruth
Shane Carruth (born 1972) is an American filmmaker, screenwriter, composer, and actor.[1][2] He is the writer, director, and co-star of the prize-winning science-fiction film Primer (2004), which was his debut feature. His second film, Upstream Color (2013), was an experimental science-fiction film which he wrote, directed, produced, edited, designed, and starred in. He also composed the scores for both films. In recognition of Carruth's idiosyncratic and, at times, bizarre filmmaking technique, director Steven Soderbergh told Entertainment Weekly, "I view Shane as the illegitimate offspring of David Lynch and James Cameron."[3]
Shane Carruth | |
|---|---|
Carruth at South by Southwest 2013 | |
| Born | 1972 (age 51–52) |
| Alma mater | Stephen F. Austin State University |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 2004–present |
Early life edit
Carruth was born in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina in 1972. He attended Stephen F. Austin State University as a mathematics major.[4] Before becoming a filmmaker, he worked as a developer of flight-simulation software.[3]
Career edit
Primer edit
For his independent film Primer, Carruth wrote, directed, produced, and performed one of the two main roles; he also composed the score. The film was honored at the 2004 Sundance Film Festival with the Grand Jury Prize and the Alfred P. Sloan Award. Carruth, a former software engineer with an undergraduate degree in mathematics,[3] used his technical knowledge extensively on the project.
Upstream Color edit
On January 21, 2013, Carruth premiered his film Upstream Color at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival in the U.S. Dramatic Competition category.[5] Carruth, Johnny Marshall, and Pete Horner won the U.S. Dramatic Special Jury Award for Sound Design for the film.[6] Keith Kimbell wrote that it was the "most anticipated (and most difficult to describe) film in competition", and "most critics couldn't stop talking about it".[7] The film was released via VHX on April 5, 2013.[7] Some of Carruth's music from Upstream Color was featured in the 2016 documentary Tickled.
Unrealized or upcoming work edit
In 2009, David Sullivan, one of the leads in Primer, tweeted that "Shane Carruth's next project, A Topiary, is in the early stages of pre-production".[8] Filmmaker Rian Johnson tweeted that it would feature a "mind-blowing sci-fi script."[9] In 2010, several news sources reported that A Topiary was in the works and that the script had been written. There was already a website for the movie[10] which, according to Carruth in an interview to io9, "The website for now is just a place mark as financing has yet to be completed. I'm cautiously optimistic that this can happen soon and couldn't be happier with the filmmakers that have committed to the project so far."[11] However, the film (which Entertainment Weekly described as "a sci-fi epic about a group of kids who build a giant, animal-like creature") stalled, and in early 2013, Carruth told EW that it was "the thing I basically wasted my whole life on."[3] Carruth no longer pursues the project; some VFX test footage of the film is visible in Upstream Color in a scene when a character is examining the video for technical flaws.[12]
In 2014, Carruth announced a new film, The Modern Ocean, based on international shipping and the lives of those involved.[13] On August 12, 2015, it was reported that the film was in pre-production,[14] and its ensemble cast was announced in November 2015; it would include Jeff Goldblum, Anne Hathaway, Keanu Reeves, Tom Holland, Daniel Radcliffe, Chloë Grace Moretz, Asa Butterfield, and Abraham Attah.[15] In an interview in 2018, Carruth noted that the film is "not gonna happen anytime soon".[16] Irrfan Khan was also scheduled to star as the lead captain of the ship, before his death on April 29, 2020. On June 17, 2020, Carruth posted the entire script for The Modern Ocean on Twitter, along with some of the original score.[17][18]
In 2019, in an interview Carruth claimed he was working on "a massive thing" and would leave the film industry once that project concludes.[19][20]
Consulting edit
Carruth was rumored to have consulted on time-travel sequences for filmmaker Rian Johnson's Looper, though it was later revealed that those sequences were deemed too expensive to shoot.[21][22]
Acting edit
In 2018, Carruth starred in the psychological thriller The Dead Center about a hospital psychiatrist whose own sanity is pushed to the edge when a frightened amnesiac patient insists that he has died and brought something terrible back from the other side.[citation needed]
Personal life edit
In 2019, when asked about his religious beliefs, he stated that he was raised Christian, but fell away from it, before later saying that he still prays from time to time and finds some comfort from the Bible.[23]
Legal issues edit
From 2011 to 2018, Carruth was in a relationship with Amy Seimetz. The couple became engaged in 2013.[24][25][26] Seimetz obtained temporary restraining orders against Carruth in 2018 and 2020 and a permanent restraining order in 2020, citing years of domestic and emotional abuse and harassment.[27][28] Carruth has denied these allegations.[29]
On January 13, 2022, Carruth was arrested at the home of another ex-girlfriend on allegations of domestic assault and vandalism. He was released four days later on a $50,000 bond.[30]
Filmography edit
| Year | Title | Director | Producer | Writer | Composer | Editor | Actor | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Primer | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Also production designer, sound designer and casting director |
| 2013 | Upstream Color | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Also cinematographer and camera operator |
| 2018 | The Dead Center | No | Yes | No | No | No | Yes |
Television edit
| Year | Title | Director | Composer | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | The Girlfriend Experience | No | Yes | 13 episodes |
| 2017 | Breakthrough | Yes | No | Episode "Predicting the Future" |
Acting roles edit
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Primer | Aaron | |
| 2013 | Upstream Color | Jeff | |
| 2014 | Everything & Everything & Everything | Morgan | Short film |
| 2015 | We'll Find Something | Steve | Short film |
| Memory Box | The Man | Short film | |
| 2016 | The Girlfriend Experience | Sam | TV series (1 episode) |
| Swiss Army Man | Coroner | Cameo | |
| 2018 | The Dead Center | Daniel Forrester | |
| 2020 | Tales from the Loop | Cole | TV series (2 episodes) |
Other credits edit
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | The Divergent Series: Allegiant | Consultant |
| 2017 | A Ghost Story | Additional editor |
| 2020 | The Wanting Mare | Carruth was removed as executive producer after allegations of domestic violence surfaced.[31] |
Awards and nominations edit
| Year | Award | Category | Film | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Sundance Film Festival | Grand Jury Prize | Primer | Won |
| Alfred P. Sloan Prize | Won | |||
| Nantucket Film Festival | Best Writer/Director | Won | ||
| Gotham Awards | Best Feature | Nominated | ||
| Sitges Film Festival | Best Film | Nominated | ||
| 2005 | London International Festival of Science Fiction and Fantastic Film | Best Feature | Won | |
| Independent Spirit Awards | Best Feature | Nominated | ||
| Best Director | Nominated | |||
| Best First Screenplay | Nominated | |||
| Best Actor in a Debut Performance (David Sullivan) | Nominated | |||
| Fantasporto | International Fantasy Film Award | Nominated | ||
| 2013 | Sundance Film Festival | U.S. Dramatic Special Jury Award for Sound Design | Upstream Color | Won |
| Grand Jury Prize – Dramatic | Nominated | |||
| Sitges Film Festival | Best Directorial Revelation | Won | ||
| Best Motion Picture | Nominated | |||
| Los Angeles Film Critics Association | Best Editing | Second place | ||
| Independent Spirit Awards | Best Director | Nominated | ||
| Best Editing | Nominated | |||
| Gotham Awards | Best Film | Nominated | ||
| Best Actress (Amy Seimetz) | Nominated | |||
| Camerimage | Best Cinematography Debut | Nominated | ||
| Chicago Film Critics Association | Best Editing | Nominated | ||
| Dublin Film Critics' Circle | Best Director | Nominated | ||
| Village Voice Film Poll | Best Film | Nominated | ||
| Best Director | Nominated | |||
| SXSW Film Festival | Festival Favorites | Nominated | ||
| 2014 | Australian Film Critics Association | Best International Film (English Language) | Nominated | |
| Central Ohio Film Critics Association | Best Picture | Nominated | ||
| Best Cinematography | Nominated | |||
| Chlotrudis Award | Best Cinematography | Nominated | ||
| Lost Weekend | Best Visuals | Nominated | ||
| Georgia Film Critics Association | Breakthrough (Amy Seimetz) | Nominated | ||
| Best Picture | Nominated | |||
| Best Original Score | Nominated | |||
| Best Director | Nominated | |||
| Best Actress (Amy Seimetz) | Nominated | |||
| Best Original Screenplay | Nominated | |||
| Best Cinematography | Nominated | |||
| London Film Critics' Circle | Technical Achievement of the Year (Johnny Marshall) | Nominated |
References edit
- ^ Murray, Rebecca (October 22, 2004). . About.com. New York Times. Archived from the original on October 23, 2005. Retrieved May 16, 2008.
- ^ Moring, Mark (October 22, 2004). "A Primer on Filmmaking". Christianity Today. from the original on June 5, 2011. Retrieved November 6, 2009.
- ^ a b c d Maerz, Melissa (April 5, 2013). "A Mysterious Director Returns, in Living Color". Entertainment Weekly. No. 1253. p. 50. from the original on July 2, 2013. Retrieved June 19, 2014.
- ^ . Archived from the original on October 5, 2017.
- ^ "Upstream Color – Movie Trailers – iTunes". trailers.apple.com. Retrieved December 16, 2020.
- ^ "2013 Sundance Film Festival Announces Feature Film Awards". sundance.org. January 26, 2013. from the original on May 11, 2013. Retrieved January 31, 2013.
- ^ a b Kimbell, Keith (January 28, 2013). "2013 Sundance Film Festival Recap". Metacritic. Retrieved January 31, 2013.
- ^ Sullivan, David [@davidsullivan] (November 4, 2010). "Shane Carruth's next project, A Topiary, is in the early stages of pre-production. Let's hope that I can be a part of that one too!" (Tweet). Retrieved December 16, 2020 – via Twitter.
- ^ "Twitter / Rian Johnson: to all who asked". Retrieved September 16, 2009.[dead link]
- ^ . www.atopiary.com. March 11, 2010. Archived from the original on March 11, 2010.
- ^ Anders, Charlie Jane (June 22, 2010). "More details about Shane Carruth's next mind-bending film!". io9.gizmodo.com. Retrieved December 16, 2020.
- ^ "UPSTREAM COLOR w/ Shane Carruth of PRIMER (B-Movies Interview". YouTube. April 11, 2013. Archived from the original on December 19, 2021. Retrieved December 16, 2020.
- ^ Wise, Damon (January 5, 2014). "Shane Carruth Interview: Upstream Color". Empire Magazine. Retrieved June 19, 2014.
- ^ Nguyen, Clinton (August 12, 2015). "We Talked to Shane Carruth About the Human Drama Behind 'The Modern Ocean'". Motherboard. Vice Media. from the original on January 2, 2017. Retrieved January 2, 2016.
- ^ Borys Kit, Pamela (November 3, 2015). "Anne Hathaway, Keanu Reeves, Daniel Radcliffe to Star in 'The Modern Ocean'". The Hollywood Reporter. from the original on November 5, 2015. Retrieved November 3, 2015.
- ^ Nordine, Michael (October 1, 2018). "Shane Carruth on Why He Won't Direct a Superhero Movie and Acting in 'The Dead Center'". IndieWire. from the original on June 16, 2019. Retrieved December 16, 2020.
- ^ Raup, Jordan (June 17, 2020). "Shane Carruth Shares Full Script & Concept Trailer for The Modern Ocean". from the original on February 7, 2021. Retrieved June 20, 2020.
- ^ @UpstreamColor (June 17, 2020). "[link] That's the script for The Modern Ocean. I kept it quiet for a long time because...I don't like scripts because they are not movies and movies are not film and I just didn't want to be embarrassed. But now I think it might be fun. It's all good, now" (Tweet). Retrieved December 16, 2020 – via Twitter.
- ^ "Shane Carruth on The Dead Center – and why he's quitting film for good". The HotCorn. October 10, 2019. from the original on January 17, 2021. Retrieved November 8, 2019.
- ^ Pape, Stefan (October 10, 2019). "EXCLUSIVE – Shane Carruth on The Dead Center and why he's quitting film for good". The Hot Corn. from the original on January 17, 2021. Retrieved November 20, 2019.
- ^ Bettinger, Brendan (January 18, 2011). "PRIMER Director Shane Carruth Working on the Time Travel Effects in Rian Johnson's LOOPER". Collider. Retrieved December 16, 2020.
- ^ Raftery, Brian (April 17, 2013). "Buckle Your Brainpan: The Primer Director Is Back With a New Film". Wired.com. Retrieved May 23, 2013.
- ^ "Shane Carruth on The Dead Center – and why he's quitting film for good". The HotCorn. October 10, 2019. Retrieved February 9, 2022.
- ^ "Amy Seimetz Accuses Ex Shane Carruth of Strangling, Threatening Her". The Wrap. July 28, 2020. Retrieved December 16, 2020.
- ^ Erbland, Kate (January 26, 2016). "Sundance: Amy Seimetz Explains the Most Feminist Decision She Made When Crafting 'The Girlfriend Experience'". IndieWire. Retrieved August 23, 2016.
- ^ Kohn, Eric (April 13, 2019). "Amy Seimetz Conquers Hollywood By Saying No to Marvel and Yes to 'Pet Sematary'". IndieWire. Retrieved September 17, 2019.
- ^ Maddaus, Gene (July 27, 2020). "'Upstream Color' Director Shane Carruth Accused of Abusing Ex-Girlfriend". Variety. Retrieved July 28, 2020.
- ^ Fernández, Alexia (July 28, 2020). "Alien: Covenant and Pet Sematary's Amy Seimetz Accuses Director Ex of Mental, Physical Abuse". PEOPLE.com. Retrieved December 16, 2020.
- ^ Brody, Richard (August 7, 2020). ""She Dies Tomorrow," Reviewed: An Apocalyptic Drama of Emotional Crises". The New Yorker. Retrieved August 21, 2020.
- ^ Maddaus, Gene (January 19, 2022). "Shane Carruth, 'Primer' and 'Upstream Color' Director, Arrested on Domestic Violence Allegations". Variety. Retrieved August 13, 2022.
- ^ Feldberg, Isaac (August 24, 2020). "Nine Film Festival Favorites That Deserve a Home | Festivals & Awards | Roger Ebert". rogerebert.com. from the original on March 20, 2021. Retrieved December 16, 2020.
External links edit
- Shane Carruth at IMDb
- Interviews
- A Primer Primer July 6, 2008, at the Wayback Machine, By Dennis Lim Tuesday, October 5, 2004, New York – Village Voice
- Interview with Primer director Shane Carruth June 16, 2008, at the Wayback Machine, October 3, 2004, sffworld.com