This Movie Guy: Happy Birthday, Michael Mann!

Today we're celebrating the 69th birthday of four-time Academy Award-nominated director and producer Michael Mann. Mann's first directorial effort happened to be a 1968 documentary entitled Insurrection, but it wasn't until 1981 that he created his first theatrically-released, scripted feature film in Thief. From there, Mann was able to helm some of the biggest films of the 1990s, including 1992's The Last of the Mohicans, 1995's Heat and 1999's The Insider. He has worked relatively sparingly as a director throughout his career, and his most recent films have been 2004's Collateral, 2006's Miami Vice and 2009's Public Enemies. Despite his relatively low number of films with which he is associated, Mann has found a way to make a name for himself in the Hollywood community with his multiple Oscar nominations, three of which - including a Best Director nomination - came for The Insider. So, to celebrate his birthday, I've listed my five favorite of Michael Mann's directorial efforts, and I've found videos for your viewing pleasure. Once again, happy birthday, Michael Mann!