Charles de Lauzirika
Directing
Biography
Charles de Lauzirika, of Basque ancestry, grew up in La Crescenta, California. He attended Glendale College, where he served as entertainment editor for "In Focus", the college's weekly public-access TV show. He also contributed to the campus newspaper El Vaquero, earning multiple JACC student journalism awards as an editorial cartoonist, entertainment editor, and editor-in-chief. Lauzirika later attended the USC School of Cinematic Arts, where he wrote and directed a fully funded 16mm sync-sound film in the CNTV 480 Advanced Production Workshop, graduating in 1994. While at USC, Lauzirika worked for companies like Lucasfilm Ltd., Lightstorm Entertainment, Warner Bros., and Scott Free Productions. As a story analyst for directors Ridley and Tony Scott, he was selected by Ridley Scott to produce elaborate DVD special editions of his films. Lauzirika's works have earned Video and DVD Premiere Awards, including a 2003 DVDX Award for the Alien Quadrilogy. He won four Saturn Awards: for Blade Runner (Best DVD Special Edition, 2008), Twin Peaks (Best Retro TV Release, 2008), the Alien Anthology (Best DVD Movie Collection, 2011), and Twin Peaks: The Entire Mystery (Best Blu-ray TV Release, 2015). Lauzirika oversaw restorations and new cuts of films like Alien³, Legend, and Blade Runner: The Final Cut, blending new visual effects and scenes seamlessly with original footage. His work spans DVD/Blu-ray content for directors such as David Lynch, Sam Raimi, James Cameron, the Coen brothers, and Michael Bay. Notably, he directed the music video for Montell Jordan's "When You Get Home" (1998), featuring Billy Dee Williams. He produced the Alien Anthology Blu-ray release, creating new content and overseeing a sound mix for the Alien³ Special Edition, with actors like Sigourney Weaver and Charles Dance re-recording dialogue. By 2011, Lauzirika was producing Blu-ray editions for Transformers: Dark of the Moon, The Amazing Spider-Man, and Prometheus. Lauzirika made his feature directorial debut with the psychological thriller Crave, starring Josh Lawson, Emma Lung, Edward Furlong, and Ron Perlman. Premiering at the Fantasia International Film Festival, the film won the New Flesh Award for Best First Feature. It later screened at Fantastic Fest, where Lauzirika earned Best Director in the Next Wave competition. He also directed the short horror satire Love Bite, starring Carlee Baker and Cuyle Carvin, which premiered at the Sitges Film Festival. In 2023, he wrote and directed the short horror film Honk, starring Zach Galligan and Tyler Mane. Honk premiered at Sitges. The film continued its festival run for over a year, winning Best Short Film - Global at Morbido Film Fest, Best Horror Short at the Atlanta Horror Film Festival, a Special Jury Prize at the Rome International Film Festival, Best Director and Best Cinematography at the Buried Alive Film Festival, and most recently, Best Short - Drama at the Nevermore Film Festival. In May 2024, Lauzirika confirmed he had produced the six-part documentary Torn Asunder: Waging Alex Garland's Civil War for the home entertainment release of Alex Garland’s Civil War.
Known For
During a manned mission to Mars, Astronaut Mark Watney is presumed dead after a fierce storm and left behind by his crew. But Watney has survived and finds himself stranded and alone on the hostile planet. With only meager supplies, he must draw upon his ingenuity, wit and spirit to subsist and find a way to signal to Earth that he is alive.
The Martian
Several aspects of Ridley Scott's masterpiece Hannibal (2001) are examined through interviews with the cast and crew, and behind the scenes footage. We are even taken to two premieres and get to see some of the audience's reactions while they're watching the film.
Breaking the Silence: The Making of Hannibal
The definitive feature-length documentary on the creation of "Transformers: Age of Extinction".
Evolution Within Extinction
Aiden craves a better life. A life away from his gruesome job as a crime scene photographer, working alongside his detective friend Pete. A meaningful life where he can escape the hard streets of Detroit, fall in love with the perfect woman and save the world from evil. As Aiden's dark imagination starts to leak into reality, he meets Virginia, a younger woman with her own dilemmas and desires.
Crave
A documentary on the making of The Amazing Spider-Man (2012), featuring interviews with the cast and crew, as well as behind-the-scenes footage.
Rite of Passage: The Amazing Spider-Man Reborn
Tom and Janet have been happily married for years. But a visit from a mysterious stranger leads to a dead body, a lot of questions, and a tense couples' trip with friends who may not actually be friends at all.
Happily
The definitive feature-length documentary on the creation of "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen".
The Human Factor: Exacting Revenge of the Fallen
A documentary on the making of The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014), featuring interviews with the cast and crew, as well as behind-the-scenes footage.
The Wages of Heroism: Making The Amazing Spider-Man 2
A comprehensive 12-part documentary on the making of "Spider-Man 2," covering everything from pre-production to premiere.
Spider-Man 2: Making the Amazing
A select group of key creative forces involved in the making of Twin Peaks reveals their take on the fascinating creation and journey of the wildly popular show.
Secrets from Another Place: Creating Twin Peaks
The definitive 3½-hour documentary about the troubled creation and enduring legacy of the science fiction classic 'Blade Runner', culled from 80 interviews and hours of never-before-seen outtakes and lost footage.
Dangerous Days: Making Blade Runner
Nearly every major element of making the 1991 film Thelma & Louise is examined here from how the script was written to how Ridley Scott got involved, to how the big tanker explosion was pulled off. Some funny stories are shared and some great trivia as to what was improvised on set and actually left in the film.
Thelma & Louise: The Last Journey
An in-depth documentary on the making of Ridley Scott's "Prometheus," featuring cast and crew interviews, outtakes and behind-the-scenes footage. Released on the 4-disc Collector's Edition Blu-ray set.
The Furious Gods: Making Prometheus
An in-depth look at the entire making of Ridley Scott's Gladiator. Consisting of: Tale Of The Scribes: Story Development, The Heat Of Battle: Production Journals, Attire Of The Realm: Costume Design, Shadow And Dust: Resurrecting Proximo, The Glory Of Rome: Visual Effects, Tools Of War: Weapons, Echoes In Eternity: Release And Impact,and final Production Credits.
Strength and Honor: Creating the World of 'Gladiator'
An in-depth documentary on the making of Ridley Scott's "Exodus: Gods and Kings," featuring interviews with the cast and crew. Featured in the Deluxe Edition Blu-ray set.
Keepers of the Covenant: Making 'Exodus: Gods and Kings'
A documentary on the making of the 2004 film "Man on Fire," mixing movie clips, behind-the-scenes shots and interviews of cast and crew. The program covers the flick’s genesis and very long path to the screen, adaptation concerns and changes from the original story, the choice of Mexico as a location, research into real-life kidnapping and various case studies, training and realism, casting and characters, shooting in Mexico City and location issues, cinematography and the movie’s distinctive look, Scott’s style on the set, and general thoughts.
Vengeance Is Mine: Reinventing 'Man on Fire'
A behind-the-scenes look at the making of “Alien,” the terrifying classic about a spaceship crew trapped with a hideous monster that's hunting them one by one.
The Beast Within: Making Alien
A long form documentary on the making of Ridley Scott's film, "The Martian," featuring interviews with its cast and crew.
The Long Way Home: Making 'The Martian'
This feature-length documentary, made especially for the 2003 Aliens (1986) DVD release, is incredibly informative with all its interviews with both the cast and crew, as well as behind the scenes footage filmed during the making of the film. Every possible element towards what went into making the movie is included here and gives fans an overload of information to fill their brains with.
Superior Firepower: Making 'Aliens'
A 13-segment documentary examining production aspects of "The Counselor."