Let's make this birthday one to remember.

81 years old (Born on October 22, 1943)

Happy birthday, Jan de Bont! You're the guy who taught us all that public transportation can actually be terrifying (thanks to "Speed"), and turned weather forecasts into edge-of-our-seat entertainment with "Twister." Honestly, we haven't looked at buses or tornadoes quite the same since.

From your thrilling directing in the '90s to producing films like Spielberg’s visionary "Minority Report," you've generously provided audiences countless reasons to grip armrests and reach for extra popcorn. Here’s hoping your birthday has fewer runaway buses and rogue cows than your movies offer—though with you around, one never really knows!

Enjoy your blockbuster day!