Robert K. Weiss

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Robert K. Weiss is an American film producer , director , screenwriter, and actor .

Life

Weiss studied Carbondale at Southern Illinois University . In 1977 Kentucky Fried Movie started his long and successful collaboration with Jim Abrahams and the brothers David Zucker and Jerry Zucker ( ZAZ for short ). Together with the director of the film, John Landis , he produced a cult film in 1980 with the Blues Brothers . ZAZ , who had in the meantime landed another hit with The unbelievable journey in a crazy plane , brought him back in 1982 for the television series The Naked Pistole with Leslie Nielsen in the lead role as producer. The series was unsuccessful despite enormous potential, and after six episodes it was already discontinued. Initially, ZAZ and Weiss parted ways .

Weiss also began working as a director in the mid-1980s. He made several music videos for Weird Al Yankovic , which he also wrote and produced. In 1987, alongside John Landis and Joe Dante, he was one of the directors of the film Amazons on the Moon or Why the Americans have the channel full and produced the comedy Bulls don't bite with Tom Hanks and Dan Aykroyd .

In 1988 the cooperation with ZAZ started again . Based on the 1982 television series, The Naked Cannon became a worldwide hit and resulted in two sequels. Weiss appeared in supporting roles in all three films, as well as in 1989 in UHF - Broadcasters with Limited Hope with Weird Al Yankovic, for whom he in turn made cameo appearances in the Naked Cannon films. In 1991 he produced the film Valkenvania , in which he also played a small role, starring John Candy , Chevy Chase and Dan Aykroyd with top comedians . This, however, went to an absolute flop at the box office and was nominated for six Golden Raspberries (including Weiss as the worst producer). Parts two and three of Die Nackte Kanone were again highly successful in 1991 and 1994, respectively.

In 1995 he developed the Emmy- nominated television series Sliders - The Gateway to an Alien Dimension and produced the pilot episode . Since 2003 he has been working again with David Zucker as a producer, Scary Movie 3 and Scary Movie 4 followed in 2008 by Superhero Movie .

Filmography (selection)

as a producer

as a director

  • 1985: The Compleat Al
  • 1987: Amazons on the moon or why the Americans have the channel full (Amazon Women on the Moon)
  • 1988: The Naked Gun ( Second Unit Director)
  • 1990: Nothing is more insane than the truth (Crazy People) (Second Unit Director)
  • 1991: The Naked Cannon 2½ (Second Unit Director)
  • 1994: The Naked Cannon 33⅓ (Second Unit Director)
  • 1995: Sliders - the gateway to a foreign dimension

as an actor

  • 1977: Kentucky Fried Movie
  • 1988: The naked cannon
  • 1989: UHF station with limited hope
  • 1990: Nothing is crazier than the truth
  • 1991: Valkenvania - The wonderful world of madness
  • 1991: The naked cannon 2½
  • 1994: The naked cannon 33⅓

Awards (selection)

  • 1992: Golden Raspberry nomination for Valkenvania - The wonderful world of madness
  • 1995: CableACE nomination for Dream On

Web links