A prolific, driven writer-director known for his highly atmospheric, stylized portraits of an ultra-violent, crime-ridden New York City, Abel Ferrara works on a metaphorical and allegorical level exploring the battle between good and evil. Aided by his screenwriting partner Nicholas St. John (and other collaborators who comprise his filmmaking family), he depicts essentially an evil world that contains the hope for salvation. Ferrara starred in his first feature, the exploitation flick "Driller Killer" (1979), on which he also served as editor and songwriter under the pseudonym Jimmy Laine. He
