Michael Cimino

Michael Cimino (February 3, 1939 to July 2, 2016) was an American film director, screenwriter, producer and author known for an obsessive, perfectionist approach to filmmaking. He co-wrote the scripts for Silent Running in 1972 and Magnum Force in 1973 before making his directorial debut with the box office success Thunderbolt and Lightfoot in 1974. He achieved widespread fame with The Deer Hunter in 1978, which won five Academy Awards including Best Picture and Best Director. His next film, the Western epic Heaven's Gate in 1980, was a costly commercial failure on release but has since undergone significant critical reappraisal. Later films included Year of the Dragon in 1985, The Sicilian in 1987, and Desperate Hours in 1990. He was known for leaving numerous other projects unfinished and claimed to have written at least fifty scripts over his career.