Director John Hughes dead at 59

John Hughes, director of movies like National Lampoon’s Vacation, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off and Weird Science, passed away earlier today at the age of 59.

Hughes died suddenly of a heart attack while taking a morning walk in Manhattan, New York.

John Hughes was most famous for directing comedy movies depicting teenagers lives. Some of those movies included (as well as those mentioned above) The Breakfast Club, Sixteen Candles, Pretty in Pink, Planes, Trains and Automobiles, Uncle Buck, Home Alone and its sequel Home Alone 2: Lost in New York. One of the biggest draws for his movies was the music used as the soundtracks. Some viewers even say that the music defined the soundtrack of teenage life at the times the movies were popular.

In an effort to expand away from his earlier comedic work depicting teens and rock music soundtracks, Hughes branched out in 1987, directing Planes, Trains & Automobiles starring Steve Martin and John Candy. His later movies were not so critically acclaimed, but films like Uncle Buck (one of the first films to display the change in teenager’s choice of music from rock to rap) turned out to be very popular.

Hughes biggest success was the ‘Home Alone’ series consisting of Home Alone and its sequel Home Alone 2: Lost in New York.