Adrian BIDDLE

* 20.07.1952, Woolwich / London, England, GB † 07.12.2005, London, England, GB

Chefkameramann (BSC) * 1968-70 Kameraassistent von Egil Woxholt (Spezialist für Unterwasseraufnahmen) * 1970 beginnt seine Karriere bei Ridley Scott Associates - zunächst als clapper bzw. loader und ab 1980 als director of photography von Werbespots * 1976-78 sammelt Spielfilmerfahrungen im Kamerateam der ersten beiden Ridley Scott-Produktionen (The Duellists; Alien) * 1985/86 debütiert als Chefkameramann mit James Camerons Fortsetzung der Alien-Saga (Aliens) - in den nächsten 20 Jahren arbeitet ausschließlich fürs Kino und filmt insgesamt 25 amerikanische und britische hochqualitative Produktionen (high profile mainstream projects | "thinking person's blockbusters") * mit 53 Jahren erliegt einem Herzinfarkt || A greengrocer's son, he was born in Woolwich, southeast London, in 1952 and swam for Kent as a schoolboy. His cousin's husband worked in the film industry as a focus-puller. Biddle left school in his mid-teens, and his relative's contacts, plus his swimming proficiency, helped to secure work as an assistant to the underwater photographer Egil Woxholt on the Bond film On Her Majesty's Secret Service and on the adventure film Captain Nemo and the Underwater City (both 1969). He served in a similar capacity on Murphy's War and For Whom the Bell Tolls (both 1971), before joining Ridley Scott's commercials company RSA. When Scott moved on to directing feature films Biddle went with him, serving as focus-puller on his debut The Duellists (1977) and on Alien (1979). Biddle continued to work on commercials, graduating to director of photography. His most notable productions include the 1984 advert introducing the new Apple Mac computer (directed by Scott). The Alien sequel Aliens (1986) was the first of 25 feature films on which he served as cinematographer. He followed it with the fantasies The Princess Bride (1987) and Willow (1988) and was nominated for an Oscar and a BAFTA for his work on Scott's female buddy movie Thelma and Louise (1991). He continued to build a reputation as one of Britain's foremost cinematographers with Judge Dredd (1995), 101 Dalmatians (1996) and won the European Film Award for best cinematographer for the Neil Jordan comedy drama The Butcher Boy (1997). In V for Vendetta, completed shortly before his death from a heart attack on December 7, he undertook what is probably the biggest urban night shoot ever attempted. Biddle possessed an outstanding technical skill, a deep understanding of cinema and a wickedly dry sense of humour. A man of few words, he exuded a large and positive presence on the set, and he produced a perfectly exposed negative. Despite the attractions of Hollywood, Biddle was a very private man. His greatest pleasure was walking with his wife, Mo, in the wild, open spaces of England. [from various British obituaries > The Times & Telegraph]
FILMS

Aliens (1985/86-USA * James Cameron) (8607)

The Princess Bride (1986-USA * Rob Reiner) (Buch von William Goldman) (8709)

Willow (1987-USA * Ron Howard) (04-08; 8805)

The Dawning (Der Fremde am Strand, 1987-GB; R: Robert Knights, B: Moira Williams, K: AB, M: Simon May, D: Anthony Hopkins, Jean Simmons & Trevor Howard, Hugh Grant & Rebecca Pidgeon) 97m-Drama (Roman The Old Jest von Jennifer Johnston, 1979) (08-?; 8811-IRL)

The Tall Guy (Das lange Elend, 1988-GB; R: Mel Smith, B: Richard Curtis, K: AB, M: Peter Brewis, D: Jeff Goldblum, Emma Thompson, Rowan Atkinson) 92m-Komödie (08-10; 8904)

Thelma & Louise (1990-USA * Ridley Scott) (06-08; 9105)

1492: Conquest of Paradise / 1492, Christophe Colomb / 1492: la conquista del paraíso (1492 - Die Eroberung des Paradieses, 1991/92-GB/F/E; R: Ridley Scott, B: Roselyne Bosch, K: AB, M: Vangelis, D: Gerard Depardieu, Armand Assante, Sigourney Weaver) 145/55m-Historienabenteuer (12-03; 9210)

City Slickers II: The Legend of Curly's Gold (Die goldenen Jungs, 1993-USA; R: Paul Weiland, B: Billy Crystal, Lowell Ganz, Babaloo Mandel, K: AB, M: Marc Shaiman, D: Billy Crystal * Daniel Stern * Jon Lovitz * Jack Palance) 116m-Westernkomödie (07-11; 9406)

Judge Dredd (1994-USA * Danny Cannon) (08-11; 9506)

Fierce Creatures (1995-96-GB/USA * Robert Young, Fred Schepisi) (05-08; 9701)

101 Dalmatians (1995/96-USA * Stephen Herek) (Roman von Dodie Smith) (10?11-01; 9611)

The Butcher Boy (Butcher Boy - Der Schlächterbursche, 1996-USA; R: Neil Jordan, B: Neil Jordan, Patrick McCabe, K: AB, M: Elliot Goldenthal, D: Stephen Rea, Fiona Shaw, Eamonn Owens) 110m-Kindheitsdrama (Roman von Patrick McCabe, 1992) (07-09; 9804)

Event Horizon (1996/97-USA/GB * Paul W.S. Anderson) (11-03; 9708)

Holy Man (Der Guru, 1997-USA; R: Stephen Herek, B: Tom Schulman, K: AB, M: Alan Silvestri, D: Eddie Murphy, Jeff Goldblum, Kelly Preston, Robert Loggia, Jon Cryer) 114m-Medienkomödie (09-12; 9810)

The Mummy (Die Mumie, 1998-USA; R+B: Stephen Sommers, K: AB, M: Jerry Goldsmith, D: Brendan Fraser, Rachel Weisz, John Hannah) 125m-Abenteuerkomödie (05-08; 9905)

The World Is Not Enough (James Bond 007 - Die Welt ist nicht genug, 1999-GB/USA; R: Michael Apted, B: Neal Purvis, Robert Wade, Bruce Feirstein, K: AB, M: David Arnold, D: Pierce Brosnan, Sophie Marceau, Robert Carlyle, Denise Richards, Robbie Coltrane & Judi Dench) 125m-Actionthriller (01-06; 9911)

The Weight of Water (Das Gewicht des Wassers, 1999-USA; R: Kathryn Bigelow, B: Alice Arlen, Christopher Kyle, K: AB, M: David Hirschfelder, D: Elizabeth Hurley * Catherine McCormack * Sean Penn * Sarah Polley) 113m-Thriller (Roman von Anita Shreve, 1997) (09-?; 0211)

102 Dalmatians (102 Dalmatiner, 1999/00-USA; R: Kevin Lima, B: Kristen Buckley, Brian Regan, Bob Tzudiker, Noni White, K: AB, M: David Newman, D: Glenn Close, Ioan Gruffudd, Alice Evans, Tim McInnerny & Gerard Depardieu) 100m-Komödie (Roman The One Hundred and One Dalmatians von Dodie Smith, 1956) (11-04; 0011)

The Mummy Returns (Die Mumie kehrt zurück, 2000-USA; R+B: Stephen Sommers, K: AB, M: Alan Silvestri, D: Brendan Fraser, Rachel Weisz, John Hannah) 129m-Abenteuerkomödie (05-09; 0105)

Reign of Fire (2001-USA/GB/IRL * Rob Bowman) (0207)

Shanghai Knights (2002-USA/Hongkong * David Dobkin) (0302)

Laws of Attraction (2003-GB/IRL * Peter Howitt) (06-08; 0405)

Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason / Bridget Jones: L'âge de raison (Bridget Jones - Am Rande des Wahnsinns, 2003/04-GB/USA/F; R: Beeban Kidron, B: Andrew Davies, Helen Fielding, Richard Curtis, Adam Brooks, K: AB, M: Harry Gregson-Williams, D: Renee Zellweger * Hugh Grant * Colin Firth) 108m-Liebeskomödie (Roman von Helen Fielding, 1999) (10-02; 0411)

An American Haunting (2004/05-GB/CDN/RO * Courtney Solomon) (Roman von Brent Monahan) (08-02; 0604)

V for Vendetta (2005-GB/D * James McTeigue) (03-06; 0603)
AWARD

Europäischer Filmpreis (beste Kamera) für The Butcher Boy (1998)
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