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Alan Smithee

Director and writer, also actor, cinematographer, producer and editor · Died January 1, 2000, aged 30

Alan Smithee (also Allen Smithee) was an official pseudonym used by film directors who wish to disown a project, coined in 1968. Until its use was formally discontinued in 2000, it was the sole pseudonym used by members of the Directors Guild of America (DGA) when a director dissatisfied with the final product proved to the satisfaction of a guild panel that he or she had not been able to exercise creative control over a film. The director was also required by guild rules not to discuss the circumstances leading to the move or even to acknowledge being the actual director. Description above from the Wikipedia article Alan Smithee, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
April 8, 1969
Died
January 1, 2000 (aged 30)
Works as
Director and writer, also actor, cinematographer, producer and editor
Titles
39 on MovieCove · 104 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 38 days to Oct 27Down 8% in 30 days

What are Alan Smithee's films like?

Across their 32 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Survival.

Genres

Comedy9 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 19th percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Drama7 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 23rd percentile
: browse their Drama movies
Action4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 34th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Action movies
Crime2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 38th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Crime movies
Horror2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 11th percentile
: browse their Horror movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Bonds
26%
Survival
23%
Morality
21%
Self
13%
Society
8%
Power
7%
Ideas
3%
Survival6 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love5 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds6 titles, browse their movies with this themeFriendship5 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice4 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity5 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception5 titles, browse their movies with this themeGrief3 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 30 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Serious: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their serious movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 10 · Serious 8 · Dark 12

Grounded: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their grounded movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 23 · Stylized 6 · Heightened 1

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 8 · Charged 15 · Intense 7

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 13 · Shifting 13 · Whiplash 4

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

A split, not a type: Straight-faced 18 · Some laughs 7 · Funny 5

Slow burn: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their slow burn movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 17 · Even-paced 12 · Relentless 1

Casual: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their casual movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 18 · Engaged 12 · Full focus 0

Affecting: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their affecting movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

A split, not a type: Easy watch 13 · Affecting 8 · Heavy 9

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 25 · Open-ended 5 · Ambiguous 0

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
18
Melancholic
9
Absurd
8
Dread
7
Joyful
5
Other
28

How their films linger

Fun12 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good8 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling8 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet9 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 2 with a twist

  • Happy11
  • Bittersweet10
  • Tragic4
  • Ambiguous6
  • Cyclical1

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Alan Smithee's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 22 of their 39 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (17).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Alan Smithee's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

104 credits, 39 with a MovieCove page.

  • Wash It All Away(2026)

    Show 1 episode · Storyboard Artist

    Midcredits score: 32nd percentile of all shows

  • Fantasmas (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2025)

    as random guy on motorbike

  • Trust (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2025)

    Director

  • Tempo de vingança (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2025)

    as Arvore

  • The Breakup (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2025)

    Writer

  • Thicker Than Blood (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2025)

    Director

  • The Wonders of Space | Live From Blue Oak County (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2024)

    as Spit Johnson

  • A Deer's Deal (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2024)

    as That Thing

  • Pavor Nocturnus (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2024)

    Director

  • Amityville Apocalypse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2023)

    Director

  • Alla ricerca dei fantasmi italiani (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2023)

    Director

  • From Spices With Love (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2023)

    Screenplay

  • Khvicha's Porno (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2023)

    Director

  • Anatar(2023)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 4th percentile of all films

  • All Hallows Eve Trickster(2023)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 4th percentile of all films

  • Eternally Twilight: An AI's Guide to the Twilight Saga (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2023)

    Director · Producer

  • (No)Hope (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2020)

    Director

  • End of the Rope (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2020)

    Director

  • Tamayomi: The Baseball Girls(2020)

    Show Director

    Midcredits score: 8th percentile of all shows

  • ANXIETY (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2019)

    Director

  • Sex & Water (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2018)

    Director · Writer

  • Grindsploitation 3: Video Nasty(2017)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 13th percentile of all films

  • Hot Lead (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2017)

    Director

  • A Girl Who Loves a Girl(2017)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 15th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Kiss of Death (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2016)

    Director

  • Valentine Ever After(2016)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • Old 37(2015)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 5th percentile of all films

  • Il était une fois... Le Havre (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)

    Director · Writer

  • Ego Death (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)

    Director

  • Slender (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)

    Director · Story · Writer

  • Another Night of the Living Dead (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)

    Director · Writer

  • Johnny(2010)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • Tom Toal: On the Scrapheap (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2010)

    Director

  • Al final del camino (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)

    Idea

  • The Elusive David Agnew (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2008)

    Director

  • Winesburg, Ohio (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2008)

    Director

  • Heroes in Chains Vol. 2: Deadly Interrogation (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)

    Director

  • Heroes in Chains Vol. 1: Witness the Interrogation (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)

    Director

  • Fugitives Run (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)

    Director

  • Geki Uma!! Tenkaippin: Densetsu no Okonomiyaki-hen (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)

    Screenplay

  • Team Spirit (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)

    Director

  • Eiken (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

    Show 2 episodes · Series Director

  • An Enraged New World (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)

    Director

  • In the Wrong Hands (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)

    Director

  • Woman Wanted(1999)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 23rd percentile of all films

  • Soul's Ark (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)

    Director

  • The Coroner (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)

    Director

  • An Alan Smithee Film: Burn Hollywood Burn(1997)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 3rd percentile of all films

  • Sub Down (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)

    Director

  • Le zombi de Cap-Rouge (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)

    Director

  • River Made to Drown In(1997)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 20th percentile of all films

  • Dilemma (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)

    Director

  • Exit (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)

    Director

  • Firehouse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)

    Director

  • Hellraiser: Bloodline(1996)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 15th percentile of all films

  • Teacher's Pet (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)

    Director

  • Raging Angels(1995)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 1st percentile of all films

  • The O.J. Simpson Story(1995)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 6th percentile of all films

  • Smoke N Lightnin (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)

    Director

  • While Justice Sleeps (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1994)

    Director

  • The Birds II: Land's End(1994)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 1st percentile of all films

  • Call of the Wild(1992)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films

  • Maniac Cop 3: Badge of Silence(1992)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 13th percentile of all films

  • The Nutt House(1992)

    Screenplay · Story

    Midcredits score: 5th percentile of all films

  • Solar Crisis(1990)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 6th percentile of all films

  • Bay City Story (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)

    Director

  • Elenya(1992)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 19th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • The Owl (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

    Director

  • Bloodsucking Pharaohs in Pittsburgh(1991)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 19th percentile of all films

  • Fatal Charm(1990)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 15th percentile of all films

  • The Shrimp on the Barbie(1990)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films

  • Bodyguard (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)

    Director

  • Gypsy Angels (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)

    Director

  • Catchfire(1990)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 19th percentile of all films

  • Q&A(1990)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 63rd percentile of all films

  • Tiny Toon Adventures(1990)

    Show Director

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all shows

  • House III: The Horror Show(1989)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 17th percentile of all films

  • Blades(1988)

    as Engineer

    Midcredits score: 20th percentile of all films

  • Joan Rivers and Friends Salute Heidi Abromowitz (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)

    Director

  • Karen's Song (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1987)

    Show 1 episode · Director

  • I Love N.Y.(1987)

    Director · Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 8th percentile of all films

  • Ghost Fever(1986)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 3rd percentile of all films

  • Morgan Stewart's Coming Home(1987)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 29th percentile of all films

  • Riviera (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1987)

    Director

  • Let's Get Harry(1986)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 24th percentile of all films

  • Dalton: Code of Vengeance II(1986)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 43rd percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Appointment with Fear (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)

    Director

  • Stitches (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)

    Director

  • Dalton's Code of Vengeance (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)

    Show 2 episodes · Director

  • Paper Dolls (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)

    Show 1 episode · Director

  • The Cosby Show(1984)

    Show 1 episode · Director

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all shows

  • Twilight Zone: The Movie(1983)

    Second Assistant Director

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films

  • Moonlight (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)

    Director

  • McClain's Law (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1981)

    Show 1 episode · Director

  • Fun and Games(1980)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • City in Fear (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1980)

    Director

  • The Barking Dog (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

    Director

  • Fade In (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)

    Director

  • The Challenge(1970)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • Death of a Gunfighter(1969)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films

  • This Is Coffee (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

    Director · Editor · Producer · Writer · as Narrator

  • Ancient Evil (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Director

  • Cinema Insomnia (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Show 4 episodes · Director

  • Once Upon a New York Dream (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Director

Career shape

A full career of 94 titles, 91 of them dated from 1961 to 2026.

Biggest box office

Q&A (1990)

$11M worldwide

Highest rated

Tiny Toon Adventures (1990)

Midcredits 73rd

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting6 of 94: 5 only acting, 1 with another roleDirecting79 of 94: 72 only directing, 7 with another role · typical Midcredits score15thWriting13 of 94: 7 only writing, 6 with another roleProducing3 of 94: 0 only producing, 3 with another roleEditing1 of 94: 0 only editing, 1 with another roleOther crew3 of 94: 3 only other crew, 0 with another role

94 titles, 7 with more than one role — directing and writing overlap on 6 of them.

By decade

1960s2 · 1 acting · 2 crew1970s2 · crew1980s20 · 1 acting · 19 crew1990s28 · crew2000s11 · crew2010s11 · crew2020s17 · 4 acting · 13 crew

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored.

How do Alan Smithee's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 19th percentile, the median of all 35; across their 30 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 25th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

25thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 30

Approval · how many liked their films

17thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 30

Reach · how many have seen their films

47thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 30

Midcredits score across 39 titles, by percentile

  • 50th to 74th9
  • 25th to 49th5
  • Below 25th25

Shape of the crowd

26 of their 39 titles are Mixed.

  • Universally Panned2
  • Divisive4
  • Crowd Pleaser6
  • Broadly Agreed1
  • Mixed26

Most divisive · director

Grindsploitation 3: Video Nasty (2017)

95th percentile spread · 55% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · director

The Challenge (1970)

Midcredits 73rd · 74% liked

Reviewers score the atmosphere 49/100 and the pacing 35/100 in their films, across 23 reviewed titles. The element that speaks to their work as a director.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Alan Smithee's work okay for kids?

Across up to 5 MovieCove titles with content scores, every category sits near the median of all films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Sex & Nudity5 titles23–48 · median 33 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 32

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.

Who does Alan Smithee work with?

People who share at least 2 of Alan Smithee's MovieCove titles; Matt Clark shares the most, 2.