Damian Lee
{{Short description|Canadian film director, producer and screenwriter}}
{{For|the American basketball player|Damion Lee}}
{{Infobox person
|name = Damian Lee
|image =
|alt =
|caption =
|birth_name =
|birth_date = {{birth year and age|1950}}
|birth_place =
|death_date =
|death_place =
|nationality = Canadian
|alma_mater = University of Guelph
|occupation = Film director and producer
|years_active = 1976–present
|spouse = Lara Daans
|awards =
|footnotes = }}
Damian Lee (born 1950) is a Canadian film director and producer. A former competitive skier, he transitioned to televised sports events, and later to feature films. A fixture of low-budget genre movies during much of the 1980s and 1990s, Lee re-emerged as a director of more dramatic fare in the mid-2000s.
Sports
=Competitive=
Lee was a competitive skier at the national and continental level. A product of the Don Valley Racers program in Toronto,{{cite news |author= |date=January 17, 1967 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/726944106/ |title=Area skiers named to Zone 'A' team |newspaper=The Owen Sound Sun-Times |page=12 {{subscription required|via=newspapers.com}}}} he won the 1968 Southern Ontario Junior Championship in the giant slalom category.{{cite news |last=Kernaghan |first=Jim |date=January 22, 1968 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/945213236/ |title=Pair find road to skiing success is painful |newspaper=The Toronto Daily Star |page=11 {{subscription required|via=newspapers.com}}}} He later turned pro and spent the 1974–75 season on the World Pro Skiing tour, a primarily U.S.-based competition that was independent from the FIS Alpine Ski World Cup, as part of a team representing Blue Mountain.{{cite news |author= |date=January 18, 1975 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/946387854 |title=Monday |newspaper=The Toronto Star |page=32 {{subscription required|via=newspapers.com}}}}{{cite news |last1=Coates |first1=Len |date=November 27, 1975 | url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/946269487/ | title=Skiing cutbacks confirmed |newspaper=The Toronto Star |page=C5 {{subscription required|via=newspapers.com}}}} He appeared in the 1975 World Professional Skiing Championship, but did not advance past the qualifications.{{cite news |author= |date=March 10, 1975 | url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/733819736/ | title=Odermatt leads in skiing |newspaper=The Expositor |location=Brandford |agency=The Canadian Press |page=13 {{subscription required|via=newspapers.com}}}}
Lee also discovered a love for boxing at a young age, and claims to have shared the ring with several talented fighters, most notably future world champion Trevor Berbick in his native Jamaica. He also tried his hand at bare knuckle combat. However, by his own admission, his prospects as a prize fighter were limited.{{cite web | url =https://www.rizayreviews.com/2013/09/exclusive-interview-damian-lee-director.html | title =Exclusive Interview: Damian Lee, Director of Breakout | last1 =Izay | first1 =Ryan | date =2017 | website =rizayreviews.com | access-date =May 29, 2023}}
=Sports promotion and television=
Lee transitioned to event organizing with 1976's Great Canadian Race, a cross country challenge opened to everyone and every type of vehicles, with some of the proceeds given to charity.{{cite news |last=McNenly |first=Pat |date=June 11, 1976 | url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/946295144/ | title=Big money behind all the fun of the Great Canadian Race |newspaper=The Toronto Star |page=E13 {{subscription required|via=newspapers.com}}}} The format that was originally developed with a film adaptation in mind. Although that did not immediately happen, Lee's sports promotions continued and he created the company Rose & Ruby Productions in 1977, under the banner of which he would produce most of his work until 1993. In 1978, he was named Canadian scout the novelty "World Walk-On Heavyweight Boxing Championship", an everyman boxing tournament inspired by Rocky, although the event's U.S. promoter later failed to come up with the requisite financial guarantees.{{cite news |last=Waters |first=Bob |date=March 16, 1978 | url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/719725604/ | title=Making Rocky's dream come true |newspaper=Newsday |page=181 {{subscription required|via=newspapers.com}}}}{{cite news |last=Goldstein |first=Alan |date=April 25, 1978 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/224055804/ |title=Another Day |newspaper=The Sun |location=Baltimore |page=C7, C10 {{subscription required|via=newspapers.com}}}} Also that year, Lee was named as a founding partner in the Toronto Grizzlies, a minor league gridiron football team that played in the Mid-Atlantic Football Conference.{{cite news |last=Keller |first=Arlie |date=10 June 1978 | url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/946787917/ | title=Grizzlies will graduate to pro loop next year |newspaper=The Toronto Star |page=B4 {{subscription required|via=newspapers.com}}}}
With fellow producer/director David Mitchell, who would remain his partner for much of Rose & Ruby's history, Lee quickly managed to turn his small-time sports events into a television commodity. His programming proved financially attractive to commercial network CTV thanks to its anonymous participants and aggressive integration of corporate sponsors, whose product was sometimes the centerpoint of the competition.{{cite news |last=Laverty |first=Gene |date=13 June 1980 | url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/482658996 | title=Another 'ordinary people' event |newspaper=Calgary Herald/TV Times |page=50 {{subscription required|via=newspapers.com}}}} He also produced segments for Yesterday in the CFL, a half-time retrospective program hosted by Johnny Esaw that reconnected with the league's former stars. Lee claims credit for some 300 episodes of sports television programming over his career.{{Citation | date=July 10, 2020 |url=https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1811091/000121390020017304/ea124068-253g2_auditionshow.htm | title=Offering Circular Supplement: Audition Showdown |type=Form 253G2 | publisher=United States Securities and Exchange Commission | publication-place=Washington}} He also dabbled in radio, producing the audio documentary Zen and the Art of Skiing.{{cite news |author= |date=April 24, 1976 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/740568880/ |title=FM: Saturday |newspaper=The Montreal Star |page=C-16 {{subscription required|via=newspapers.com}}}} In 1981, Lee applied for a Canadian pay TV licence to launch a sports specialty channel under the auspices of CBR Sports Communications, a company backed by Comstock International's Charles Rathgeb.{{cite magazine |author= |date=September 1981 |title=Pay TV on stream, call for comment |url=https://cinemacanada.athabascau.ca/index.php/cinema/article/view/1161/1231 |magazine=Cinema Canada |location=Montreal |publisher=Canadian Society of Cinematographers |issue=77 |pages=3, 17}}{{cite web | url =https://federalcorporation.ca/director/charles-rathgeb | title =Charles Rathgeb | author= | website =federalcorporation.ca | access-date =April 28, 2024}} His name was touted for another bid two years later, but the project did not materialize.{{cite news |last=McKee |first=Ken |date=8 May 1983 | url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/945837619/ | title=Sportsline hosts bids for pay TV |newspaper=The Toronto Star |page=E3 {{subscription required|via=newspapers.com}}}}
Feature films
In parallel with his early TV career, Lee briefly moonlighted in adult films.{{cite web | url =https://www.therialtoreport.com/2016/11/13/zachary-strong/ | title =The Ballad of Zachary and Molly: The Untold Story of Zachary Strong/Youngblood | last1 =West | first1 =Ashley | date =November 13, 2016 | website =therialtoreport.com | access-date =May 29, 2023}} He moved into mainstream fiction in 1983 with the support of Citytv boss Moses Znaimer, who pitched in some money for his first television film, Copper Mountain, best known for boasting an early Jim Carrey leading role.{{cite book |last1=Knelman |first1=Martin |date=2000 |url=https://archive.org/details/jimcarreyjokeris00mart/page/66/mode/2up |title=Jim Carrey : The Joker is Wild |location=Buffalo |publisher=Firefly Books |pages=66–68 |isbn=1552095355}} This inconsequential effort paved the way for a career as one of Canada's main purveyors of low budget genre films. Perhaps the best regarded of these are a trilogy of underground boxing films, the second of which he directed, and which garnered a modicum of respect in some critical circles.{{cite book |author=Lor. |title=Variety's Film Reviews 1987–1988 | url=https://archive.org/details/varietysfilmrevi0000unse/page/n537/mode/2up |location=New Providence |publisher=R.R. Bowker |page=n/a |date=1991 |orig-date=July 6, 1988 |volume=20 |isbn=0835226670}} Rose & Ruby also produced two horror features outsourced from the U.S. in collaboration with Roger Corman and Carolco.{{cite magazine |last1=Brunet |first1=Robin |date=January 1989 |title=Watchers: Universal releases northwoods monster saga by Dean R. Koontz |url=https://archive.org/details/cinefantastique_1970-2002/Cinefantastique%20Vol%2019%20No%201-2%20(1989)/page/n29/mode/2up |magazine=CineFantastique |location=Forest Park |publisher=Clarke, Frederick S. |volume=19 |issue=1–2 |page=30 |ISSN=01456032}} In the first half of the 1990s, Lee also entered a brief partnership with Menahem Golan's financially shaky 21st Century Film Corporation.{{cite news |last=Honeycutt |first=Kirk |date=14 February 1993 | url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/822390445/ | title='Death Wish V', fantasies in 21st Century's plans |newspaper=The Hollywood Reporter | via=The Oakland Tribune |page=C-2 {{subscription required|via=newspapers.com}}}}
Around 1993, he abandoned the Rose & Ruby imprint to focus on a newer entity called Richmond House, aligning himself with U.S.-based Indian producer Ashok Amritraj's Amritraj Entertainment.{{Citation | date=July 15, 2000 |url=https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1065859/000104973100000049/0001049731-00-000049-0001.txt | title=General Form for Registration of Securities: New Cinema Partners |type=Form 10SB12G | publisher=United States Securities and Exchange Commission | publication-place=Washington}} Among Lee's productions with Amritraj was a series of vehicles for Canadian martial artist/actor Jeff Wincott which, while severely criticized for their lack of polish, earned some notice for tackling real world issues that foreshadowed the director's more recent efforts.{{cite magazine |last1=Kermode |first1=Mark |date=February 1995 |title=Killing Machine |url=https://archive.org/details/Sight_and_Sound_1995_02_BFI_GB/page/n59/mode/2up |magazine=Sight and Sound |location=London |publisher=British Film Institute |volume=5 (new series) |issue=2 |pages=59}}{{cite web | url =https://www.tvguide.com/movies/when-the-bullet-hits-the-bone/review/2030113580/ | title =Review: When the Bullet Hits the bone | author= | website =TV Guide | access-date =May 29, 2023}} In 1996, Lee merged Richmond House with Canadian distributor United Multimedia to form the publicly traded Noble House Communications.{{cite web | url =https://playbackonline.ca/1996/10/21/5718-19961021/ | title =Noble House hits the TSE | last1 =Armstrong | first1 =Mary Ellen | date =October 21, 1996 | work =Playback | access-date =May 29, 2023}} He made just one film and in 1997 left the company, which proved underfunded and soon fell into limbo.{{cite web | url =https://playbackonline.ca/1997/11/03/19865-19971103/ | title =Independent, Noble spawn Mission | last1 =Hoffman | first1 =Andy | date =November 3, 1997 | work =Playback | access-date =May 29, 2023}}{{cite web | url =https://playbackonline.ca/2005/03/28/noble-20050328/ | title =Reformed Noble House aims for $15M Chopin pic | author= | date =March 28, 2005 | work =Playback | access-date =May 29, 2023}}
In 1997, Lee founded another company called Stone Canyon to promote a batch of higher budgeted films for such stars as Dolph Lundgren and Steven Seagal. In 1998, he also joined the short-lived Annex Entertainment, a new Toronto company started by former Paragon Entertainment boss Richard Borchiver and real estate mogul Paul Wynn.{{cite web | url =https://playbackonline.ca/1998/07/13/22523-19980713/ | title =Paragon's Borchiver opens Annex Ent. | last1 =Hoffman | first1 =Andy | date =July 13, 1998 | work =Playback | access-date =May 29, 2023}} At Annex, Lee maintained his association with Amritraj and his partner Andrew Stevens, providing production services for the pair's Phoenician Entertainment label. However, that relationship was damaged when Lee lobbied to direct 2000's Agent Red, and delivered a cut that was deemed unreleasable, requiring substantial reshoots.{{cite web | url =https://www.dolph-ultimate.com/dolph-in/agent.html | title =Agent Red |author= | website =dolph-ultimate.com | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230718082353/www.dolph-ultimate.com/dolph-in/agent.html |archive-date=July 18, 2023}} Lee seemingly rebounded when New Cinema Partners, a Nevada-based corporation with Canadian ties, announced its acquisition of Stone Canyon in 2000. He was named president of NCP but was unsuccessful in raising funding for the embattled company, and departed within the next year.{{cite news |author= |date=June 13, 2000 | url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/514129166/ | title=New Cinema Partners Names Lee Chairman |newspaper=National Post |page=C2 {{subscription required|via=newspapers.com}}}}{{cite web | url =http://www.dolph-ultimate.com/dolph-in/legion2.html | title ='Legion' press releases | author=various | via =dolph-ultimate.com | access-date =April 28, 2024}} Further attempts to align with Ami Artzi's Milestone Media Group did not pan out either.{{cite magazine |last1=Tavares |first1=Elspeth |date=October 2002 |title=MIFED Product Guide 2002 |url=https://www.yumpu.com/en/document/read/7963646/mifed2002product-guide-the-business-of-film |magazine=The Business of Film |location=London |page=113 | access-date=May 7, 2024}}
Following a multiyear release hiatus, Lee resurfaced for good around 2005 with a new version of his old company Noble House, now called Noble House Entertainment, operated with Lowell Conn and Canadian industry veteran Julian Grant. Lee professed his willingness to stick to more prestigious and artistically oriented projects from then on.{{Citation | date=November 24, 2005 |url=https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1168981/000116898105000019/f112905mda1q06.htm | title=Management Discussion and Analysis |type=6-K Exhibit | location=Washington | publisher=United States Securities and Exchange Commission}} He also formed a partnership with Paul Wynn, his former backer at Annex, and controversial American producer Julius Nasso, overseeing the construction of Nasso's Staten Island film studio while the latter was serving time for his extortion attempt on Steven Seagal.{{cite news |last=Humphreys |first=Adrian |date=September 26, 2008 | url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/514915604/ | title=Producer hopes for Hollywood ending |newspaper=National Post |page=A3 {{subscription required|via=newspapers.com}}}}{{cite web | url =https://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/29/business/media/a-producer-is-back-on-location-and-ready-to-celebrate.html | title =A Producer Is Back on Location and Ready to Celebrate | last1 =Robertson | first1 =Campbell | date =August 29, 2008 | work =New York Times | access-date =May 29, 2023}} A trio of early 2010s pictures were produced by longtime Canadian acquaintances Gary Howsam and Bill Marks, the latter of which had worked for him in the 1990s.{{cite press release | url =https://www.magpictures.com/resources/presskits/darktruth/adarktruthfinalnotes.doc | author= | date=November 13, 2012 |title=A Dark Truth – Final Press Notes |location=Los Angeles |publisher=Magnolia Pictures |agency=GS Marketing Group |access-date=April 2, 2023}}{{cite web | url =https://playbackonline.ca/2013/02/13/damian-lee-gary-howsam-and-bill-marks-reteam-on-a-fighting-man/ | title =Damian Lee, Gary Howsam and Bill Marks reteam on A Fighting Man |last1=Vlessing |first1=Etan |date =February 13, 2013 | work =Playback | access-date =April 22, 2024}}
Personal life
Lee attended the University of Guelph in Ontario, and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science in 1970.
The director met Canadian actress Lara Daans during the 1997 American Film Market, and the two were married later in the same year.{{cite magazine |last1=Schiff |first1=Laura |date=May 1998 |title=Attractions Fatale |url=https://archive.org/details/Femme_Fatales_v06n12/page/n5/mode/2up |magazine=Femme Fatales |location=Forest Park |publisher=Clarke, Frederick S. |volume=6 |issue=12 |page=7 }} He had a daughter with Daans in 2002.{{cite news |author= |date=November 8, 2002 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/951212767 |title=Births |newspaper=The Toronto Star |page=B15 {{subscription required|via=newspapers.com}}}} Zion Forrest Lee, a son from a previous relationship, has been active in experimental music and film, sometimes teaming up with his father.{{cite news |last=Bielski |first=Zosia |date=August 25, 2007 | url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/514182804/ | title=BoyTech flexing their muscles |newspaper=National Post |page=A15 {{subscription required|via=newspapers.com}}}}
During his competitive skiing years, Lee was director of the Inner City Adventures program, which offered mountain sports trips for underprivileged inner city youths.{{cite news |last=Coates |first=Len |date=November 11, 1975 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/946202798/ |title=Hotdoggers favor new skiing movie |newspaper=The Toronto Star |page=C4 {{subscription required|via=newspapers.com}}}} Lee has supported some philanthropic causes, including Kids, Cops and Computers, a computer literacy program started by the Merry Go Round Police Foundation and directed at underprivileged children of the Toronto area.{{cite news |author= |date=November 8, 2014 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/514305029/ |title=Inspiration Night 2014 |newspaper=National Post |page=A16 {{subscription required|via=newspapers.com}}}} As of 2024, he sat on the foundation's board of directors.{{cite web | url =https://comkids.ca/about-us/ | title =Board of Directors | author= | website =comkids.ca | access-date =May 29, 2023}}
Filmography
=Film=
| class="wikitable" |
| style="background:#ccc; text-align:center;"
! rowspan="2" style="width:33px;"|Year ! rowspan="2"|Title ! colspan="3"|Credited as ! rowspan="2"|Notes |
| width=65| Director
!width=65| Writer !width=65| Producer |
|---|
| 1978
| Hot Assets | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | |
| 1979
| Baby Love and Beau | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | |
| 1984
| {{no}} | {{yes}} | {{no}} | |
| 1985
| {{no}} | {{no}} | {{yes}} | Associate producer |
| rowspan="2" |1986
| Loose Ends | {{no}} | {{no}} | {{yes}} | Also known as Screwball Academy |
| Busted Up
| {{no}} | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | |
| rowspan="2" |1987
| {{yes}} | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | Also known as Last Man Standing |
| City of Shadows
| {{no}} | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | |
| 1988
| Watchers | {{no}} | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | |
| rowspan="2" |1989
| {{yes}} | {{no}} | {{yes}} | Also known as Gnaw: Food of the Gods II |
| Thunderground
| {{no}} | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | |
| rowspan="3" |1990
| The Miles Ahead | {{no}} | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | Also known as Hot Sneakers |
| Abraxas, Guardian of the Universe
| {{yes}} | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | |
| Ski School
| {{yes}} | {{no}} | {{yes}} | |
| 1991
| Deadly Descent | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | |
| 1992
| Baby on Board | {{no}} | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | |
| rowspan="2" |1993
| {{no}} | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | |
| Scorned
| {{no}} | {{no}} | {{yes}} | Also known as A Woman Scorned |
| rowspan="4" |1994
| {{no}} | {{no}} | {{yes}} | |
| Fun
| {{no}} | {{no}} | {{yes}} | Co-producer |
| National Lampoon's Last Resort
| {{no}} | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | |
| The Killing Machine
| {{no}} | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | Also known as The Killing Man |
| rowspan="3" |1995
| {{yes}} | {{no}} | {{yes}} | |
| Law of the Jungle
| {{yes}} | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | |
| No Exit
| {{yes}} | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | |
| rowspan="5" |1996
| Electra | {{no}} | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | Executive producer |
| When the Bullet Hits the Bone
| {{yes}} | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | |
| Specimen
| {{no}} | {{no}} | {{yes}} | |
| Terminal Rush
| {{yes}} | {{no}} | {{yes}} | |
| Moving Target
| {{yes}} | {{no}} | {{yes}} | |
| rowspan="2" |1997
| Virus | {{no}} | {{no}} | {{yes}} | |
| Inner Action
| {{yes}} | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | |
| rowspan="2" |1998
| {{yes}} | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | |
| Jungle Boy
| {{no}} | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | |
| rowspan="2" |1999
| {{no}} | {{no}} | {{yes}} | |
| Meet Prince Charming
| {{no}} | {{no}} | {{yes}} | |
| rowspan="3" |2000
| {{no}} | {{no}} | {{yes}} | |
| Mercy
| {{no}} | {{no}} | {{yes}} | |
| Agent Red
| {{yes}} | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | |
| 2001
| {{no}} | {{no}} | {{yes}} | |
| 2007
| The Poet | {{yes}} | {{no}} | {{yes}} | Also known as Hearts of War |
| 2008
| {{no}} | {{yes|Script consultant}} | {{no}} | |
| 2011
| {{yes}} | {{yes}} | {{no}} | |
| 2012
| {{yes}} | {{yes}} | {{no}} | |
| rowspan="2" |2013
| Hit It | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | {{no}} | |
| Breakout
| {{yes}} | {{yes}} | {{no}} | |
| 2014
| {{yes}} | {{yes}} | {{no}} | |
| 2016
| {{no}} | {{no}} | {{yes}} | |
=Television=
| class="wikitable" |
| style="background:#ccc; text-align:center;"
! rowspan="2" style="width:33px;"|Year ! rowspan="2"|Title ! colspan="3"|Credited as ! rowspan="2"|Notes |
| width=65| Director
!width=65| Writer !width=65| Producer |
|---|
| 1983
| {{no}} | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | Also known as |
| 1998
| {{no}} | {{no}} | {{yes}} | |
| 2007
| {{yes}} | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | |
| 2014–15
| {{no}} | {{no}} | {{yes}} | Supervising producer |
| rowspan="2" |2016
|Flower Shop Mysteries: Mum's The Word | {{no}} | {{no}} | {{yes}} | Executive producer |
| Ice Girls
| {{yes}} | {{yes}} | {{no}} | |
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{IMDb name|0006860}}
{{Damian Lee}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lee, Damian}}
Category:Canadian horror film directors
Category:Canadian film production company founders
Category:Canadian male screenwriters
Category:20th-century Canadian screenwriters