Mark Mothersbaugh
Born: 18 May 1950, Akron, Ohio.
Biography:
Mark Mothersbaugh first came to prominence in the late 1970s as the lead singer and keyboard player of the progressive new wave/punk band Devo, who released a series of highly eclectic and highly satirical albums, including "Are We Not Men?" and "Freedom of Choice", and achieved a modicum of fame, notably though their one hit single “Whip It”. When Devo disbanded in the mid-80s, he formed the company Mutato Muzika with his brother Bob and fellow musician Bob Casale and began to specialize in film scores, music television, interactive video games and commercials. As a solo composer, Mothersbaugh first came to prominence through his work on the irreverent musical "Slaughterhouse Rock" (1988), and has since gone on to score a number of successful movies, several of them as a result of his long-standing links with members of the Saturday Night Live cast. Popular titles include "Happy Gilmore" (1996), "Bottle Rocket" (1996), "The Birdcage" (1996), "Rushmore" (1998), "Drop Dead Gorgeous" (1999), "The Adventures of Rocky & Bullwinkle" (2000), "The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)", "Welcome to Collinwood" (2002), "A Guy Thing" (2003) and “Herbie: Fully Loaded” (2005). However, by far his most successful and popular work is for the cult cartoon series "Rugrats", which he co-composed with his brother Bob, and which has now comprised several seasons on television, and three animated features. Away from the world of film music, Mothersbaugh is also an internationally recognized artist who cites Andy Warhol as an inspiration, who has had several of his paintings and drawings on display in galleries across America. He has also written a great deal of music for video games, notably the "Crash Bandicoot" series and the ever-popular “Sims 2”. He was awarded the Richard Kirk Lifetime Achievement Award by performing rights agency BMI in 2004.
Reviews:
The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle, Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs, Rushmore and Welcome to Collinwood
Filmography:
Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs (2009), Falling Up (2009), New York I Love You (2009), Courtroom K (2008), Fanboys (2008), Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist (2008), Quid Pro Quo (2008), Mama’s Boy (2007), Nothing But the Truth (2007), Big Love (2006), The Dog Problem (2006), How To Eat Fried Worms (2006), The Big White (2005), Herbie: Fully Loaded (2005), Lords of Dogtown (2005), The Ringer (2005), Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen (2004), Envy (2004), The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004), The Even Stevens Movie (2003), Good Boy! (2003), A Guy Thing (2003), Rugrats Go Wild (2003), Thirteen (2003), Cheats (2002), Second String (2002), Sorority Boys (2002), Welcome to Collinwood (2002), Glass Necktie (2001), The Royal Tenenbaums (2001), Sugar and Spice (2001), The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle (2000), It's the Rage (2000), The Other Me (2000), Rugrats in Paris (2000), 200 Cigarettes (1999), Camouflage (1999), Can of Worms (1999), Drop Dead Gorgeous (1999), Bongwater (1998), Dead Man on Campus (1998), Halloweentown (1998), Last Rites (1998), Principal Takes a Holiday (1998), Rugrats: The Movie (1998), Rushmore (1998), Best Men (1997), Breaking Up (1997), Quicksilver Highway (1997), Men (1997), Unwed Father (1997), The Big Squeeze (1996), The Birdcage (1996), Bottle Rocket (1996), Happy Gilmore (1996), Class Reunion (1996), The Courtyard (1995), Flesh Suitcase (1995), The Last Supper (1995), Edith Ann: A Few Pieces of the Puzzle (1994), It's Pat (1994), The New Age (1994), Down on the Waterfront (1993), Frosty Returns (1993), Rugrats (1991), Slaughterhouse Rock (1988), Revenge of the Nerds II: Nerds in Paradise (1987).
Highest Grossing Films as at end of 2008 (adjusted for inflation):
The Rugrats Movie ($154.3m), Rugrats in Paris ($102.2m), Herbie: Fully Loaded ($74.1m), The Royal Tenenbaums ($66.6m), Happy Gilmore ($63.2m), Revenge of the Nerds II: Nerds in Paradise ($55.4m), Rugrats Go Wild ($48.8m), Good Boy! ($46.7m), The Ringer ($39.3m), The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle ($34.7m)
Awards:
1997 Emmy Awards – Nominee, Outstanding Music Composition for a Mini–Series, Movie, or Special – Quicksilver Highway
Links:
Mutato Muzika Home Page

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