Born July 15, 1951 in The Bronx, Ferrara started his career in his teens, making amateur films on Super 8. In 1979, he became infamous for The Driller Killer , a violent exploitation film. He followed this in 1981 with Ms. 45 . Good reviews for the latter helped create his cult-film reputation, leading to larger budgets, studio funding and 'name' actors (Christopher Walken, Harvey Keitel), but he still likes taking his camera out onto the meanest streets of New York City, as the ultra-cheap, highly controversial Bad Lieutenant demonstrates. Heavily influenced by Martin Scorsese, Ferrara's films often feature religion, specifically Catholic as a prominent theme.