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Jim Jarmusch (born January 22 1953 in Akron, Ohio) is a noted American independent film director.

Before graduating from New York University's school of film, Jarmusch decided to drop out of the program and funnel his scholarship funds into his first feature. His advisor at the time, Thaddeus Sebena, helped to support the release. This resulted in his first film, Permanent Vacation, which introduced audiences to the deadpan style that he would later develop in Stranger Than Paradise and Down By Law.

Jarmusch's first major release, Stranger Than Paradise, was released to much critical acclaim. Recounting a strange journey of three disillusioned youths from New York to Cleveland to Florida, the film broke many conventions of traditional Hollywood moviemaking, and to this day is still considered a landmark work in modern independent film.

Following artistic success and critical acclaim in the American independent film community, he achieved mainstream renown with his far-East philosophy-themed Western movie set in New Jersey, Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai, starring Forest Whitaker, which also featured a soundtrack by the Wu-Tang Clan's RZA.

One of his major projects is an ongoing series of short films called Coffee and Cigarettes. The original six-minute film appeared on Saturday Night Live in 1986, featuring filmmaker Roberto Benigni and comedian Steven Wright. Three years later, he released Coffee and Cigarettes: Memphis Version, with actor Steve Buscemi, which was eight minutes long. The next 12-minute installment was in 1993, Coffee and Cigarettes: Somewhere in California, featuring musicians Tom Waits and Iggy Pop.

In 1993, Jarmusch said, "I've shot two more which are waiting to be edited, and I've scripted two or three more. Although the intention is for them to work separately as short films, I plan to shoot around 12 to 14 and put them together for a video release." [1]. These were released in 2004 as Coffee and Cigarettes. The movie consists of 11 installments (the 1986 Coffee and Cigarettes, Memphis Version and Somewhere in California being segments 1, 2 and 3), featuring, among others, Jack and Meg of The White Stripes, Cate Blanchett, RZA, GZA, Bill Murray, Steve Coogan and Alfred Molina.

The Sons of Lee Marvin

Jarmusch is the founder of The Sons of Lee Marvin, a humorous 'semi-secret society'. Members of the society reportedly include musician Tom Waits and actor John Lurie, both of whom have worked with Jarmusch on several occasions. Richard Bose, Nick Cave, Iggy Pop (who has also worked with Jarmusch), Thurston Moore, Mickey Rooney and Neil Young are also rumored to be members.

The entry criterion for the club is that the person must have some physical resemblance or plausibly look like a son of the actor Lee Marvin — as such, women are not allowed to join. Most current members also share what seems to be a beat mentality in that they represent and express the lives of the down and out.

The club supposedly meets occasionally to watch Lee Marvin movies together. Its members perpetuate the joke in the media.

"I'm not at liberty to divulge information about the organization, other than to tell you that it does exist. I can identify three other members of the organization: Tom Waits, John Lurie, and Richard Bose. You have to have a facial structure such that you could be related to, or be a son of, Lee Marvin. There are no women, obviously, in the organization. We have communiques and secret meetings. Other than that, I can't talk about it."

—Jim Jarmusch: Interview: Vol. XIX - No. 11, 1989: pp 146-150.

The real son of Lee Marvin objected to the existence of the organization when he encountered Waits in a bar.Film Comment 28:3, June 1992 [2]

Filmography

• Broken Flowers (2005) - Director/Writer
• Coffee and Cigarettes (2003) - Director/Writer/Editor
  • Coffee and Cigarettes: Somewhere in California (1993) - Director/Editor
  • Coffee and Cigarettes: Memphis Version (1989) - Director/Writer
  • Coffee and Cigarettes (1986) - Director/Co-Writer
• Ten Minutes Older: The Trumpet (2002) - Director/Writer
• Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai (1999) - Director/Writer/Producer
• Year of the Horse (1997) - Director/Cinematographer
• Dead Man (1995) - Director/Writer
• Night on Earth (1991) - Director/Writer/Producer
• Mystery Train (1989) - Director/Writer
• Down by Law (1986) - Director/Writer
• Stranger Than Paradise (1984) - Director/Writer/Editor
• Permanent Vacation (1980) - Director/Writer/Producer/Editor/Composer
• Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room (2005) (special thanks)
• Clerks (1994) (special thanks)
• When Pigs Fly (1993) - Executive Producer
• Sleepwalk (1986) - Camera Operator/Cinematographer
• Burroughs (1984) - Sound Recordist
• Der Stand Der Ding (The State of Things) Portugal (1982) - Composer
• You Are Not I (1981) - Producer/Cinematographer
• Lightning Over Water (1980) - Observer
• Sling Blade (1996) ... Frostee Cream guy
• Cannes Man (1996) ... Cameo
• Blue in the Face (1995) ... Bob
• Iron Horseman (1995) ... Silver Rider
• In the Soup (1992) ... Monty
• The Golden Boat (1990) ... Stranger
• Leningrad Cowboys Go America (1989) ... New York Car Dealer
• Candy Mountain (1988)
• Helsinki Napoli All Night Long (1987) ... Barkeeper #2
• Straight to Hell (1987) .... Amos Dade
• American Autobahn (1984) .... Movie Producer
• Underground U.S.A. (1980) - Sound recordist

Appearances As Himself

• Magacine 2005 (2005) TV
• Punk: Attitude (2005) TV
• Excavating Taylor Mead (2005)
• Cinema Mil (2005) TV
• Z Channel: A Magnificent Obsession (2004) TV
• Rockets Redglare! (2003)
• Hollywood High (2003) TV
• Chaplin Today: A King in New York (2003) TV
• Focus on Jim Jarmusch (2002) TV
• ¿Quién es Alejandro Chomski? (2002)
• V.I.P. (2001) TV
• Screamin' Jay Hawkins: I Put a Spell on Me (2001)
• SpongeBob SquarePants (2000) TV
• Lee Marvin: A Personal Portrait by John Boorman (1998) TV
• Space Ghost Coast to Coast (1998) TV
• Divine Trash (1998)
• Pop Odyssee 2 - House of the Rising Punk (1998) TV
• Year of the Horse (1997)
• We're Outta Here! aka The Ramones (1997) Video
• R.I.P., Rest in Pieces (1997)
• The Typewriter, the Rifle & the Movie Camera (1996)
• American Cinema (1995) TV
• Tigrero: A Film That Was Never Made (1994)
• Fishing with John (1991) TV
• Fräulein Berlin (1983)

References

Further reading

External links

• The Jim Jarmusch Resource Page
• Senses of Cinema: Great Directors Critical Database
• An analysis of Coffee and Cigarettes
• A Jim Jarmusch interview
• Interview at The Onion A.V. Club
• Another interview at The Onion A.V. Club
• Coffee and Cigarettes official site
• Jim Jarmusch's Golden Rules
• "The 'Quirky' New Wave" at Alternate Takes
• NNDB Bio-Info
• Interview with The Guardian

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