Raised in Philadelphia

Made first film, "Icarus" while at Columbia

Earned MCA writing fellowship to Sarah Lawrence on strength of third student film, "Wotan's Wake"

Began co-directing, co-writing, and co-editing (with Wilford Leach and Cynthia Munroe) first feature, "The Wedding Party" (completed in 1966; released in 1969); also initial collaboration with actor Robert De Niro

Shot "The Responsive Eye," a record of the opening of the 'Op' art show at the Museum of Modern Art in NYC, in four hours

Made documentaries for the US Treasury Department

Directed, wrote and edited his first theatrical feature, "Greetings," featuring De Niro

Directed first Hollywood production "Get To Know Your Rabbit," for Warner Bros.; was fired from the film; reworked by studio before release

Directed "Sisters," his first thriller; also scripted from his story

Commercial breakthrough, "Carrie" based on the Stephen King novel and starring Sissy Spacek as a teenager with psykokinetic powers; first of five movies directing then wife Nancy Allen; also marked initial collaborations with composer Pino Donaggio and actors John Travolta and Amy Irving

Continued his study of psychokinetic powers with "The Fury," starring Kirk Douglas and Amy Irving

Debut as a producer, "Home Movies"; also directed and contributed story; second teaming with Douglas, Allen and Donaggio

Wrote and directed the melodrama "Dressed to Kill," featuring a chilling score by Donaggio and an appearance by Allen

Emulated Michelangelo Antonioni with "Blow Out," which reteamed him with Travolta; last film directing Allen

First pairing with Al Pacino, "Scarface"

Scored huge commercial success with "The Untouchables"; film featured Robert De Niro as Al Capone

Directed compelling Vietnam War tale, "Casualties of War"; first collaboration with Sean Penn

Bombed with "Bonfire of the Vanities"

Returned to the world of the medium budget thriller for "Raising Cain" with little success; sixth and (to date) last collaboration with Donaggio

Reteamed with Pacino and Penn for "Carlito's Way"

Raised stock considerably helming the blockbuster "Mission: Impossible," produced by and starring Tom Cruise

Bombed with "Snake Eyes," despite a promising opening: a 12-minute continuous steadicam shot

Directed the little-seen sci-fi film "Mission to Mars"

Wrote and directed the erotic thriller "Femme Fatale" starring Rebecca Romijn-Stamos and Antonio Banderas

Helmed an adaptation of the James Ellroy crime novel "The Black Dahlia" framed around the infamous Hollywood murder of wannabe actress Elizabeth Short

Wrote and directed "Redacted," a drama based on the Mahmudiyah killings; the rape, murder, and burning of Abeer Qasim Hamza al-Janabi, a 14-year-old Iraqi girl in March 2006 by U.S. soldiers who also killed her parents and younger sister