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My Take
John Landis represents a filmmaking confidence we have nearly lost: the belief that entertaining an audience is a noble end in itself. The Blues Brothers, Animal House, and Trading Places are comedies built like freight trains, then he pivots to An American Werewolf in London and practically invents the modern horror-comedy, then directs the Thriller video, the most influential music film ever made. That range is not dabbling; it is a unified theory of showmanship. His career has its shadows and I do not ignore them, but as pure craft, his run from the late seventies through the eighties is staggering. Few directors gave popular cinema that much joy.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- John Landis
- Name (Japanese)
- ジョン・ランディス
- Reading
- じょん・らんでぃす
- Born
- August 3, 1950 (age 75)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Leo / Tiger
- Origin
- Chicago, Illinois, United States
- Occupation
- film director / screenwriter / film producer / actor / film actor
2. Background
Awards & achievements
- 2004 Time Machine Award
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
Frequently asked questions
When was John Landis born?
Born August 3, 1950 (age 75).
Where is John Landis from?
John Landis is from Chicago, Illinois, United States.
What does John Landis do?
John Landis works as film director, screenwriter, film producer, actor, film actor.
Film director — see all → · Screenwriter — see all → · More people from United States →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-11
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.