Josh Becker


Joshua Matthew Becker is an American film and television writer and director whose credits include episodes of as well as collaborations with Bruce Campbell and Sam Raimi.

Life and career

Early life and education

Josh Becker was born in Detroit, Michigan in 1958. He became fascinated with cinema after seeing How the West Was Won at age six. As a teenager, he made several Super-8 short films with Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell. He dropped out of high-school at age 16 and completed his GED, then attended several colleges, but did not complete his studies. At the age of 17, he moved to Los Angeles, where he worked several mid-to-low level jobs while trying to enter the film industry. He also hitchhiked to Alaska during his period, and recounted his adventures in Alaska Journal, and his later memoir, Going Hollywood.

Film and television career

Josh Becker worked as a production assistant and sound recordist on The Evil Dead, which he later referred to as the most grueling film shoot he'd ever been on. He later made his first feature film, Stryker's War, at age 25, which co-starred Sam Raimi, after spending several years trying to raise funds for it. Bruce Campbell was originally set to star in the film, and starred in the 45-minute Super-8 demo version of the film, but had to bow out due to Screen Actors Guild union regulations. His second film, ', was produced and released in 1991, and starred Ted Raimi and Deborah Foreman. He also worked as a production assistant during this period, including on one of Mariah Carey's first music videos.
Becker later directed episodes of several TV shows, including Real Stories of the Highway Patrol. He directed the TV film Hercules in the Maze of the Minotaur, which led to a directing gig on ' that he had for several years. He also directed the black-and-white film Running Time with Bruce Campbell, which was edited to look as if it was filmed in a single continuous shot.
In 1999, Becker wrote, produced, and directed the independent film If I Had A Hammer, about the 1960s folk rock scene. The film has never been released in any format, and only briefly appeared on YouTube. Becker later directed the two Sci-Fi Channel films Alien Apocalypse and Stan Lee's Harpies.
Becker most recently produced the YouTube web series Spine Chillers, and is currently directing his next feature, Morning, Noon, and Night which he also wrote, and which reunites him with editor Kaye Davis, who also edited Running Time and Evil Dead II.

Personal life

Becker has never been married. He is an avid film buff and keeps an extensive list of the films he watches, which is available on his website. He currently resides in Michigan.

Writing

Becker has authored The Complete Guide to Low-Budget Feature Filmmaking detailing the ins and outs of independent filmmaking from his own experience. Bruce Campbell penned the introduction.
His second book, Rushes, a collection of essays previously available on his website, was published in 2008.
His third book, Going Hollywood, which details his time in Hollywood upon first arriving in 1976, and his adventures in Alaska, was Released in 2010.
Becker has published a number of essays on his website about the film business and film history, as well as a number of film reviews, which are notable for their acidity and brutal honesty. He has frequently bemoaned the current state of cinema and Hollywood, which he sees as purely being motivated by money and geared towards the lowest common denominator. He is also an avid fan of classic cinema and the Golden Age of Hollywood, and has written that he considers The Bridge on the River Kwai to be the best film ever made.
He has also reviewed old western films for True West Magazine.

Essays

YearFilmDirectorProducerWriterOtherNotes
1981The Evil DeadLighting and effects
1981Torro! Torro! Torro!Short film
1982'Cinematographer and editorShort film
1985Thou Shalt Not Kill... ExceptCinematographer and editor
1991'
1993Real Stories of the Highway PatrolTelevision series
1994Hercules in the Maze of the MinotaurTelevision film
1995MosquitoActor
1996-2001Television series
Directed 9 episodes
Wrote 2 episodes
1997Running Time
1999If I Had a Hammer
2000Jack of All TradesTelevision series
2 episodes
2005Alien ApocalypseTelevision film
2007Stan Lee's HarpiesTelevision film
2008IntentUnreleased
2018Morning, Noon, and Night