Mike Gray
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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Michael "Mike" Gray (1935 - 1st of May 2013) was a writer, screenwriter, cinematographer, film producer and director.
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Career
Film and TV
In 1965, Mike Gray and Jim Dennett co-founded "Film Group, a Chicago film production company. In 1968, the pair along with Howard Alk produced the award winning, cult classic "American Revolution 2" (1969), followed by the trio's "The Murder of Fred Hampton"(1969). After moving to California, Gray shot "The Gift" (1973), a documentary about the life and art of Marc Chagall. Gray then wrote the screenplay for the 1979 nuclear thriller "The China Syndrome" which opened twelve days before the Three Mile Nuclear Reactor disaster proving his gift for prophecy. He also wrote and directed "Wavelength" (1983), an independent science fiction film starring Robert Carradine, Cherie Currie, and Keenan Wynn and a soundtrack by Tangerine Dream.
Gray next co-created the television series "Starman" (1986-87). Following "Starman", he became series writer/producer for the 1988-89 season of "Star Trek, The Next Generation". Gray was also second unit director on the 1993 film "The Fugitive" as well as writer of 1995's "Chain Reaction." Gray scripted "The Zone" and "Forget about Yesterday" in 2008 and was working with director Andy Davis and legendary film maker, Haskell Wexler on an as yet untitled documentary.
Books
Gray's books include; "The Warning" about the accident at Three Mile Island (1982), "Drug Crazy; how we got into this mess and how we can get out" (1998) "Angle of Attack" the biography of Harrison Storms and the true story of America's race to the moon (1992)"The Death Game; the luck of the draw" (2003). And "Busted" a book about the country's drug war was published in 2004.
Personal life
He lived in Los Angeles with his wife, Carol, a reporter for public radio. His son, Lucas, is a storyboard artist for The Simpsons.
