He was a legitimate film scholar, and his directorial career got off to a tremendous start, but the combination of his arrogance and some career flops eventually consigned him to a kind of Hollywood oblivion where he was respected for his former achievements, but not frequently sought for collaboration.
One of the oddest elements of his life was his relationship with playmate-turned-actress Dorothy Stratten and her much younger sister, Louise. His affair with the married, 20-year-old Dorothy contributed to her demise at the hands of her jealous estranged husband, then his affair with Louise resulted in their wedding when he was 49, she 20.
Great films he directed: Last Picture Show and Paper Moon.
Good films he directed: Targets, Whats Up, Doc? Mask, and the Cat’s Meow. His documentary on Tom Petty is also highly thought of.
He played Elliot whatever his name was, Dr. Melfi’s own psychiatrist in the Sopranos. So he had that on his resume.