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Victor Salva

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Victor Salva
Salva in 2000
Born (1958-03-29) March 29, 1958 (age 66)
Martinez, California, U.S.
Occupations
  • Film director
  • screenwriter
Years active1986–present

Victor Ronald Salva (born March 29, 1958) is an American film director, screenwriter, and convicted sex offender. The self-described protégé of Francis Ford Coppola, he is best known for writing and directing the horror films Jeepers Creepers (2001), Jeepers Creepers 2 (2003), and Jeepers Creepers 3 (2017).

Salva's career has been controversial due to his 1988 conviction for sexually abusing Nathan Forrest Winters, the 12-year-old star of his debut feature film Clownhouse (1989), during its production; he also videotaped one of the encounters and was found to possess child pornography, though this was not publicized until 2006. Protests against his films soon followed, including boycotts organized by Winters. Despite this, he has continued to work in the industry and has made the films Powder (1995), Peaceful Warrior (2006), Rosewood Lane (2011), and Dark House (2014).

Early life

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Victor Ronald Salva was born in Martinez, California, on March 29, 1958.[1] He was raised Catholic.[2] His biological father abandoned the family, and he has said that his stepfather was a physically abusive alcoholic.[2] Salva was interested in horror and science fiction as a youngster; his favorite monster movie was Creature from the Black Lagoon, and the local newspaper reported in 1975 that the 17-year-old Salva had gone to the cinema to see Jaws 55 times.[3] His family disowned him when he came out as gay at age 18.[2] He was a childcare worker before becoming a filmmaker.[4]

Career

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By the time Salva graduated from high school, he had written and directed over 20 films, both short and feature-length. To finance his filmmaking hobby, he often held two jobs during the week.[5] His short horror film Something in the Basement (1986), an allegory about a young boy awaiting his brother's return from a bloody war, took first place in the fiction category at that year's Sony/AFI Home Video Competition. The highly acclaimed film went on to win several national awards (including a Bronze Plaque at the Chicago International Film Festival) and brought Salva to the attention of Francis Ford Coppola, who then agreed to produce Clownhouse (1989), the first theatrical feature film Salva wrote and directed. Coppola reportedly saw so much potential in Salva that he gave him the same cameras he had given George Lucas for the production of American Graffiti.[6] Salva would go on to describe himself as Coppola's protégé.[7]

Following his 1988 conviction for sexually abusing Nathan Forrest Winters, the 12-year-old star of Clownhouse, Salva took a hiatus after his release from prison in 1992; he worked as a telemarketer during the week and wrote scripts during the weekend, supposedly delivering them to well-known producers while posing as a delivery boy.[2] His next film came when he wrote and directed the direct-to-video mystery horror film The Nature of the Beast (1995). He reportedly based the film's characters on people he met in prison.[citation needed] He then wrote and directed his first major studio film, the fantasy drama film Powder (1995), about an albino boy with special powers that make him an outcast. At the time of the film's release, Salva's conviction became known to the public when Winters came forward and called for the film's boycott. Disney stated that they had been informed of Salva's crime only after production of Powder had begun.[4] Salva said, "This has followed me around ever since it happened, but once people meet me the phantoms go away and they realize I made a stupid mistake, years ago. [...] My past is going to follow me around for as long as people want to talk about it."[8]

Salva next wrote and directed the coming-of-age thriller film Rites of Passage (1999), which depicts a homophobic father who unwittingly pushes his gay son into the arms of a psychotic killer. He then wrote and directed Jeepers Creepers (2001), which Coppola executive produced; it became a breakout hit and set a record for the largest Labor Day box office ever.[9] He followed it up with Jeepers Creepers 2 (2003), again executive produced by Coppola. His next film was Peaceful Warrior (2006), an adaptation of the semi-autobiographical book Way of the Peaceful Warrior by Dan Millman. The film depicts the emotional and physical trials of a young gymnast and his awakening under the tutelage of a mysterious spiritual guide. He then returned to the horror genre for his films Rosewood Lane (2011) and Dark House (2014).

Salva wrote, directed, and produced Jeepers Creepers 3 (2017), which drew controversy for incorporating a character who was the victim of child sexual abuse.[10] Dialogue that suggested justification for the abuse was later cut from the film.[11][12] Salva has described his films as "atmospheric and macabre, with no happy endings, but not to be taken totally seriously".[8]

Child sexual abuse

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Salva was convicted of sexual misconduct in 1988 for sexually abusing Nathan Forrest Winters, the 12-year-old star of Clownhouse, and videotaping one of the encounters in which he forced Winters to perform oral sex on him.[4] Commercial videotapes and magazines containing child pornography were also found in his home.[4] He pleaded guilty to lewd and lascivious conduct, oral sex with a person under 14, and procuring a child for pornography.[4][13] He was sentenced to three years in state prison, of which he served 15 months, and lifetime registration as a sex offender.[3] He completed his parole in 1992.[13] His mentor, Francis Ford Coppola, reportedly told him that his experience in prison "would have value" and "make [him] a better artist".[14] Winters later picketed Salva's film premieres and released a documentary detailing the abuse by Salva, which began when Winters was seven years old following a year of grooming.[15]

Filmography

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Year Title Director Writer Producer Notes
1986 Something in the Basement Yes Yes Yes Short film
1989 Clownhouse Yes Yes Yes
1995 The Nature of the Beast Yes Yes No
1995 Powder Yes Yes No
1999 Rites of Passage Yes Yes No
2001 Jeepers Creepers Yes Yes No
2003 Jeepers Creepers 2 Yes Yes No
2006 Peaceful Warrior Yes No No
2011 Rosewood Lane Yes Yes Yes
2014 Dark House Yes Yes Yes
2017 Jeepers Creepers 3 Yes Yes Yes

References

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  1. ^ "Sexual Offenders and Predators Search". Florida Department of Law Enforcement. Retrieved October 24, 2023.
  2. ^ a b c d Goldstein, Patrick (June 11, 2006). "Victor Salva's horror stories". Los Angeles Times. p. 3. Retrieved March 6, 2015.
  3. ^ a b Pierce, Nev. "Getting Direct With Directors... No.12: Victor Salva". BBC. Retrieved March 6, 2015.
  4. ^ a b c d e Welkos, Robert (October 25, 1995). "Disney Movie's Director a Convicted Child Molester: Hollywood: He says, 'I paid for my mistakes dearly', but victim of incident several years ago urges boycott of 'Powder'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved March 6, 2015.
  5. ^ "Victor Salva biography". Tribute Entertainment Media Group. Retrieved March 6, 2015.
  6. ^ Kamal, Nathan (August 12, 2022). "A Controversial Jeff Goldblum Sci-Fi Film Is Streaming Now". Giant Freakin Robot. Retrieved August 12, 2022.
  7. ^ Child, Ben (March 29, 2016). "Actors warned to avoid new horror film from convicted paedophile director Victor Salva". TheGuardian.com. Retrieved March 29, 2016.
  8. ^ a b Young, Neil (March 23, 2004). "Neil Young's Film Lounge - Victor Salva Interview". Neil Young's Film Lounge. Retrieved March 6, 2015.
  9. ^ All Time Box Office – Top 4-Day Labor Day Opening Weekends: 1982–Present. Box Office Mojo. Retrieved May 25, 2016.
  10. ^ "Jeepers Creepers 3". IndieWire. 2017.
  11. ^ "Jeepers Creepers 3 Review". IGN. 2017.
  12. ^ Verhoeven, Beatrice (September 29, 2017). "'Jeepers Creepers 3' Director Victor Salva, Convicted Child Molester, Wrote Child Molestation Into New Film". The Wrap. Retrieved March 11, 2024.
  13. ^ a b Gallagher, John (November 28, 1995). "A fairy-tale ending". The Advocate. p. 25. Retrieved March 6, 2015.
  14. ^ Goldstein, Patrick (June 11, 2006). "Victor Salva's horror stories". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved June 11, 2006.
  15. ^ Former Child Actor Nathan Forrest Winters - Full Interview. YouTube. Archived from the original on August 20, 2024.
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