James Isaac

A director who came to specialize, more or less exclusively, in gore-drenched horror pictures, James Isaac kick-started his career as a special-effects guru on such sci-fi outings as Gremlins (1984), Enemy Mine (1985), and The Fly (1986) before moving into darker waters as an FX technician on New World's House 2: The Second Story (1987). Isaac debuted as a director by helming 1989's The Horror Show (originally slated as the third in the House franchise), a thriller about a homicidal maniac (Brion James) who returns to plague the cop (Lance Henriksen) responsible for putting him away. After various other behind-the-scenes assignments on films ranging from Arachnophobia (1990) to Naked Lunch (1991) and eXistenZ (1999), Isaac resumed his work as a director by turning out the 2002 release Jason X (the tenth installment in the Friday the 13th slasher franchise) and directing the 2007 horror movie Skinwalkers. That film told of a young boy who -- upon reaching his 13th birthday -- suddenly gains awareness of his lycanthropic identity and must contend with other predatory werewolves out to destroy him.

~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide