John Milius

Where to watch John Milius

• Apocalypse NowMovie · 1979

Biography

John Frederick Milius is an American filmmaker. He was one of the writers for the first two Dirty Harry films, received an Academy Award nomination as screenwriter of Apocalypse Now, and wrote and directed The Wind and the Lion, Conan the Barbarian and Red Dawn. He wrote a number of iconic film lines such as "Charlie don't surf" and "I love the smell of napalm in the morning," from Apocalypse Now, and the famous Dirty Harry one-liners delivered by Clint Eastwood, including "Go ahead, make my day" and "Ask yourself one question, 'do I feel lucky?' Well, do you, punk?". Milius also wrote the USS Indianapolis monologue in the film Jaws; the sequence performed by Robert Shaw. After his work on Rough Riders (1997), Milius became an instrumental force in lobbying Congress to award President Theodore Roosevelt the Medal of Honor (posthumously), for acts of conspicuous gallantry while in combat on San Juan Hill. Milius made two films featuring Roosevelt: The Wind and the Lion (where he was played by Brian Keith) and the made-for-TV film Rough Riders (where Tom Berenger took the role). The character of John Milner from the 1973 George Lucas film American Graffiti was inspired by Milius, who was a good friend of Lucas while they were at USC film school. Likewise, the character Walter Sobchak in the 1998 film The Big Lebowski, made by his friends the Coen Brothers, was partly based on Milius. The novella "Blind Jozef Pronek and Dead Souls" by Aleksandar Hemon features an episode with Milius, who is described as "sitting at a desk sucking on a cigar as long as a walking stick." In 2013 a documentary about his life, titled Milius, was released. Writer Nat Segaloff called Milius: "The best writer of the so-called USC Mafia, a tight-knit group that resuscitated—some say homogenised American cinema in the 1970s... Raised on Ford, Hawks, Lean and Kurosawa, shaped by filmmakers as disparate as Fellini and Delmer Daves, Milius favours history books over comic books, character over special effects, and heroes with roots in reality, time, place and customs. Milius' stories reflect his own deeply held ethic, which embraces the values of tradition, adventure, spiritualism, honour and an intense loyalty to friends... Although he privately chafes at his public image as a gun-toting, liberal baiting provocateur, he allows himself to be painted as such, at times even holding the brush. He plays the Hollywood game like a pro, yet sticks to his own rules; he is a romantic filmmaker who avoids love scenes; his movies contain violence, yet no death in them is without meaning." Milius himself once said: "Never compromise excellence. To write for someone else is the biggest mistake that any writer makes. You should be your biggest competitor, your biggest critic, your biggest fan, because you don’t know what anybody else thinks. How arrogant it is to assume that you know the market, that you know what’s popular today [...] Write what you want to see. Because if you don’t, you’re not going to have any true passion in it, and it’s not going to be done with any true artistry."

Filmography

1. 2019A Riddle of Steel: The Definitive History of Conan the Barbarianas Self (archive footage)
2. 2019Sword-and-Sandal: The Story of the Period Epicas Self - Filmmaker
3. 2013Miliusas Self
4. 2010Jaws: The Inside Storyas Self
5. 2008The Long Shadow of Dirty Harryas Self
6. 2008A Moral Right: The Politics of Dirty Harryas Self
7. 2008The Business End: Violence in Cinemaas Self
8. 2008The Evolution of Clint Eastwoodas Self
9. 2008The Craft of Dirty Harryas Self
10. 2005RomeWriter · Executive producer · Creator
11. 2004A Legacy of Filmmakers: The Early Years of American Zoetropeas Self
12. 2004Riding Giantsas John Milius
13. 2003An Opera of Violenceas Self - Filmmaker
14. 2003The Wages of Sinas Self - Filmmaker
15. 2003Something to Do with Deathas Self - Filmmaker
16. 2003Discovering Treasure: The Story of 'The Treasure of the Sierra Madre'as Narrator (voice)
17. 2003Frazetta: Painting with Fireas Self
18. 2003Easy Riders, Raging Bulls: How the Sex 'n' Drugs 'n' Rock 'n' Roll Generation Saved Hollywoodas Self
19. 2002Iron and Beyondas Self - Director
20. 2001Dirty Harry: The Originalas Self - Screenwriter
21. 2001Dino De Laurentiis: The Last Movie Mogulas Self
22. 2000The Bridge on the River Kwai: An Appreciation by Filmmaker John Miliusas Self
23. 2000Conan Unchained: The Making of 'Conan'as Self
24. 1999Hell Hath No Fury: The Making of The Outlaw Josey Walesas Narrator
25. 1998A Turning of the Earth: John Ford, John Wayne and 'The Searchers'as Self (voice)
26. 1997Rough RidersDirector · Writer · Creator
27. 1997In the Teeth of Jawsas Self
28. 1996The Making of '1941'as Self
29. 1995Shotgun Freeway: Drives Through Lost L.A.as self
30. 1994Motorcycle GangDirector
31. 1994Clear and Present DangerScreenplay
32. 1994Rebel HighwayDirector
33. 1993Geronimo: An American LegendStory · Screenplay
34. 1991Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypseas Self
35. 1991Flight of the IntruderDirector
36. 1989First Worksas Self
37. 1989Farewell to the KingScreenplay · Director
38. 1987Extreme PrejudiceStory
39. 1985The Twilight ZoneDirector
40. 1984Miami ViceStory
41. 1984Red DawnScreenplay · Director
42. 1983Uncommon ValorProducer
43. 1982Conan the Barbarianas Foodseller in Old City (uncredited) · Director · Writer
44. 1980Used CarsExecutive producer
45. 19791941Executive producer · Story
46. 1979Apocalypse NowWriter
47. 1979HardcoreExecutive producer
48. 1978Big WednesdayDirector · Writer
49. 1975Crazy Mamaas Cop (uncredited)
50. 1975The Wind and the LionDirector · Writer
51. 1975Melvin Purvis G-ManStory
52. 1975The Lion Roars Againas Self
53. 1973Magnum ForceScreenplay
54. 1973DillingerDirector · Writer
55. 1972The Life and Times of Judge Roy BeanWriter
56. 1972Jeremiah JohnsonScreenplay
57. 1972Deadhead Milesas State Trooper
58. 1971Evel KnievelScreenplay
59. 1969The Devil's EightScreenplay
60. 1967The Emperoras Self · Writer