Skip to content
MovieCove
Bill Fishman

Bill Fishman

Director, producer, writer and cinematographer

Bill Fishman, born in 1958, is an American film director and producer known for his distinctive work in both documentary and narrative cinema. With a career spanning several decades, Fishman gained recognition for his groundbreaking documentary "Desperate Teenage Lovedolls" (1984), a cult classic that showcased his unique storytelling style. He continued to make waves with his narrative feature "Tapeheads" (1988), blending music and comedy. Fishman's career expanded into television, contributing to popular series like "Grace Under Fire" and "My Name Is Earl." He won an award at the 1999 New York International Independent Film & Video Festival and has also directed numerous music videos for such artists as They Might Be Giants, George Clinton and Suicidal Tendencies. Known for his eclectic and innovative approach, Bill Fishman remains a notable figure in the world of filmmaking, leaving an enduring impact on both independent and mainstream cinema.

Read more

Biography from TMDB.

Works as
Director, producer, writer and cinematographer
Titles
13 on MovieCove · 16 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 156 days to Oct 27Up 11% in 30 days

What are Bill Fishman's films like?

Across their 13 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Society and Bonds.

Genres

Comedy6 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 11th percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Drama3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 39th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Documentary2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 47th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Documentary 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
Society
24%
Bonds
24%
Morality
21%
Self
20%
Ideas
6%
Survival
4%
Power
2%
Friendship4 titles, browse their movies with this themeFame3 titles, browse their movies with this themeAmbition2 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity2 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice2 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love2 titles, browse their movies with this themePrejudice2 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 13 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Light: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their light movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 10 · Serious 1 · Dark 2

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

Grounded 7 · Stylized 5 · Heightened 1

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

A split, not a type: Gentle 7 · Charged 5 · Intense 1

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

Steady 9 · Shifting 3 · Whiplash 1

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

Straight-faced 4 · Some laughs 5 · Funny 4

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 6 · Even-paced 6 · 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 9 · Engaged 4 · Full focus 0

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

Resolved 10 · Open-ended 3 · Ambiguous 0

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Warm
6
Joyful
5
Tense
4
Absurd
4
Hopeful
4
Other
10

How their films linger

Feel-good6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteRousing2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 1 with a twist

  • Happy7
  • Bittersweet5
  • Ambiguous1

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 Bill Fishman's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 9 of their 13 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (9).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Bill Fishman'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

16 credits, 13 with a MovieCove page.

  • Waltzing with Brando(2024)

    Director · Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films

  • Hollywood Signs(2021)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 7th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Butter Miracle Suite One (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2021)

    Director · Producer · Writer

  • Forgiveness(2015)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 18th percentile of all films

  • Warren(2014)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 12th percentile of all films

  • Underdogs(2013)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films

  • Jessica Simpson: Reality Tour Live(2004)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • My Dinner with Jimi(2003)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films

  • Desperate But Not Serious(1999)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 9th percentile of all films

  • The Beaver Trilogy(2000)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films

  • Hey, Hey, It's the Monkees (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)

    Music Director

  • Floundering (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1994)

    as Insurance Salesman

  • Car 54, Where Are You?(1994)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 1st percentile of all films

  • Posse(1993)

    Co-Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films

  • Tapeheads(1988)

    Director · Screenplay · Story

    Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films

  • Blood Theatre(1984)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 1st percentile of all films

Career shape

A full career of 11 titles from 1984 to 2025.

Biggest box office

Posse (1993)

$18M worldwide

Highest rated

The Beaver Trilogy (2000)

Midcredits 87th

Most popular right now

Posse (1993)

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting1 of 11: 1 only acting, 0 with another roleDirecting7 of 11: 4 only directing, 3 with another role · typical Midcredits score24thWriting3 of 11: 0 only writing, 3 with another roleProducing3 of 11: 1 only producing, 2 with another roleCinematography1 of 11: 1 only cinematography, 0 with another roleOther crew1 of 11: 1 only other crew, 0 with another role

11 titles, 3 with more than one role — directing and producing overlap on 2 of them.

By decade

1980s2 · crew1990s4 · 1 acting · 3 crew2000s2 · crew2020s3 · 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 Bill Fishman's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 33rd percentile, the median of all 13; across their 13 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 30th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

30thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 13

Approval · how many liked their films

29thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 13

Reach · how many have seen their films

48thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 13

Midcredits score across 13 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up1
  • 50th to 74th2
  • 25th to 49th4
  • Below 25th6

Shape of the crowd

8 of their 13 titles are Mixed.

  • Universally Panned1
  • Divisive2
  • Cult Classic1
  • Crowd Pleaser1
  • Mixed8

Most divisive · director

Jessica Simpson: Reality Tour Live (2004)

99th percentile spread · 33% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · cinematographer

The Beaver Trilogy (2000)

Midcredits 87th · 73% liked

Reviewers score the atmosphere 54/100 and the pacing 36/100 in their films, across 10 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.

Who does Bill Fishman work with?

People who share at least 2 of Bill Fishman's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Billy Zane shares the most, 2.

Actors

Producers