Biography
Editor James Lyons gained greatest recognition in U.S. indie film circles for his multiple onscreen collaborations with director
Todd Haynes. These included the groundbreaking
Poison (1991),
Dottie Gets Spanked (1993),
Safe (1995),
Velvet Goldmine (1998), and
Far From Heaven (2002) -- an Oscar-nominated
Douglas Sirk homage. Lyons' contributions to
Velvet Goldmine -- a tribute to '70s glam rock about the rise and fall of two musicians (
Ewan McGregor,
Christian Bale) also included co-authoring the original screen story with Haynes.
Lyons branched out into work for other directors with the 1996
Ratchet, and teamed up with
Sofia Coppola to cut that director's feature debut, the shocking coming-of-age drama
The Virgin Suicides (1999). In addition to his work at the editing table, Lyons occasionally acted in feature films, such as the aforementioned
Poison,
I Shot Andy Warhol, and
Postcards from America.
Tragically, in April 2007, Lyons died of an HIV-related illness, squamous cell cancer, at age 46. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide