Darren Stein

Last updated
Darren Stein
Born (1971-12-24) December 24, 1971 (age 52)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Alma mater New York University
Occupation(s) Film director, producer, screenwriter
Years active1988–present

Darren Stein (born December 24, 1971) [1] is an American film director, screenwriter, and film producer who grew up in Los Angeles's San Fernando Valley. Among his works include the documentary Put the Camera on Me, [2] the 2010 horror comedy All About Evil , [3] and the satirical major motion picture Jawbreaker , which was deemed a "cult classic" by the New York Post. [4] [5]

Contents

Early life and education

Stein was born and raised in Encino, California. [6] His father worked with his grandparents at a film lab and post-production company called Crest National in Hollywood. [6] At a young age, Stein started making films with his friends in his neighborhood. He graduated from Harvard School for Boys (now known as Harvard-Westlake) in 1989 and later received his B.A. in film studies from New York University through the Tisch School of the Arts. [7] [8]

Career

Late 1990s

Stein's first feature was Sparkler , a film about a newly single woman in Victorville, California, who crosses paths with three young men on a road trip to Las Vegas. Stein co-wrote and directed the film which featured Park Overall, Jamie Kennedy, Freddie Prinze Jr., Grace Zabriskie, and Veronica Cartwright. [9] The film premiered at the Hamptons Film Festival. [10]

Stein's second feature, Jawbreaker, premiered at the 1999 Sundance Film Festival [11] and was nominated for the MTV Movie Award for “Best Villain”. The dark comedy about three teenage girls who accidentally kill their best friend via a birthday prank gone awry had a wide release in theaters through Tristar Pictures. [12] The film's stars — Rose McGowan, Julie Benz, and Rebecca Gayheart — reunited at 90s Con in March 2023. [13]

2001–2004

Stein's third feature, Put the Camera on Me, premiered at Outfest in July 2003. The documentary takes viewers behind the scenes of the movies Stein made with his neighborhood friends on his Encino cul-de-sac in the 1980s. Stein co-directed and co-produced the film with Adam Shell. [14] The project was released on DVD through Wellspring/Genius Entertainment. [15]

2005–2008

Stein executive-produced Cam Archer’s Wild Tigers I Have Known, which premiered at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival. [16]

2009–2015

In 2010, Stein produced All About Evil , [3] [17] a horror comedy starring Natasha Lyonne, Thomas Dekker, Cassandra Peterson, Noah Segan, and Jack Donner. The film is written and directed by Joshua Grannell (also known as the drag queen Peaches Christ). All About Evil premiered at the San Francisco International Film Festival. [18] It was released on Blu-Ray through Severin in 2022. [19]

Stein wrote the book for Jawbreaker the Musical, [20] with music and lyrics by Jeff Thomson and Jordan Mann. The stage musical had a one-night showing on July 29, 2010, in Los Angeles, featuring Jenna Leigh Green, [21] [22] [23] Eden Espinosa, Shoshana Bean, and Megan Hilty. The show also had a reading in New York City featuring Elizabeth Gillies, Jojo, and Diana Degarmo. [23]

Stein directed and produced the 2013 film G.B.F. (Gay Best Friend), a teen comedy starring Michael J. Willett, Paul Iacono, Sasha Pieterse, Andrea Bowen, Xosha Roquemore, Molly Tarlov, Evanna Lynch, Joanna "JoJo" Levesque, and Megan Mullally. [24] The film premiered at the 2013 Tribeca Film Festival and was released theatrically on January 17, 2014, by Vertical Entertainment. G.B.F. focuses on closeted gay high school students Tanner and Brent. When Tanner is outed, he is picked up by the cool girls and begins to surpass still-closeted Brent in popularity. [24]

Stein's 2013 fashion film for Alexander Wang was voted one of the "Top Ten Fashion Films of the Season" by Business of Fashion. [25]

Stein was the writer of Seeds of Yesterday (2015), based on the book by V.C. Andrews for Lifetime starring Sammi Hanratty, James Maslow, Jason Lewis, and Rachel Carpani. It was directed by Shawn Ku. [26]

2016–present

Stein has appeared as a guest judge on five seasons of The Boulet Brothers’ Dragula . [27]

He has directed music videos for Deap Vally (featuring Trixie Mattel), The Haunt (featuring Vander Von Odd), and '90s electropop band Dirty Sanchez. [28]

Personal life

Stein is openly gay. [29]

Filmography

YearTitleGenreRoleNotes
1988AvielShort filmDirector and writer
1997 Sparkler FilmDirector and writer [10]
1999 Jawbreaker FilmDirector and writer
2003Put the Camera on MeDocumentaryHimselfDirector, cinematographer, editor, producer and writer
2006 Wild Tigers I Have Known FilmExecutive producer
2007 Color Me Olsen Short filmDirector, producer and writer
2010 All About Evil FilmProducer
2013 G.B.F. FilmDirector and producer
2014 Hey Qween! Web seriesHimselfGuest (1 episode: Paul Iacono & Darren Stein)
2016-2023 The Boulet Brothers' Dragula TVHimselfGuest judge (5 episodes: Season 1, episode 1; Season 2, episode 6; Season 3, episode 4; Season 4, episode 1; Season 5, episode 7)
2017Do the VoiceTVDirector and executive producer (1 episode)
2022 The Boulet Brothers' Dragula: Titans TVHimselfProducer (10 episodes)
Guest judge (Episode 3)

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Darren Aronofsky</span> American filmmaker

Darren Aronofsky is an American filmmaker. His films are noted for their surreal, melodramatic, and often disturbing elements, frequently in the form of psychological fiction.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tyler Labine</span> Canadian actor

Tyler Labine is a Canadian-American actor. He is best known for starring in the television series Breaker High, Invasion, Reaper, Deadbeat and as Dr. Iggy Frome, head of psychiatry, in the NBC medical drama New Amsterdam, and the film Tucker & Dale vs Evil.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rebecca Gayheart</span> American actress (born 1971)

Rebecca Gayheart is an American actress and model. She began her career as a teen model in the 1980s and subsequently appeared in a student short film by Brett Ratner, with whom she had an extensive relationship.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Justin Theroux</span> American actor and filmmaker (born 1971)

Justin Paul Theroux is an American actor and filmmaker. He gained recognition for his work with director David Lynch in the mystery film Mulholland Drive (2001) and the horror film Inland Empire (2006). He also appeared in films such as Romy and Michele's High School Reunion (1997), American Psycho (2000), Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle (2003), Strangers with Candy (2005), Miami Vice (2006), Wanderlust (2012), The Girl on the Train (2016), The Spy Who Dumped Me (2018), On the Basis of Sex (2018), Bumblebee (2018), and Lady and the Tramp (2019).

<i>Jawbreaker</i> (film) 1999 film by Darren Stein

Jawbreaker is a 1999 American teen black comedy crime film written and directed by Darren Stein. The film stars Rose McGowan, Rebecca Gayheart, and Julie Benz as girls in an exclusive clique in their high school. Charlotte Ayanna has a non-speaking cameo role as the murdered fourth member of the group. The film was inspired by the 1988 film Heathers, and is often compared to it, particularly the use of bright pastels, the plot involving a popular female clique, and the ostensibly accidental killing of one of its members.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Danny Rubin</span> American screenwriter and playwright

Danny Rubin is an American screenwriter and playwright. He wrote the original story, and then co-wrote with Harold Ramis the screenplay for the 1993 comedy film Groundhog Day, for which the two received a BAFTA Award for Best Screenplay.

Paul Iacono is an American actor. He is best known for portraying RJ Berger in the MTV scripted series The Hard Times of RJ Berger.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roger Ross Williams</span> American film director

Roger Ross Williams is an American director, producer and writer and the first African American director to win an Academy Award (Oscar), with his short film Music by Prudence; this film won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Short Film in 2009.

Molly Tarlov is an American actress. She played the role of Sadie Saxton on MTV's TV series Awkward.

<i>G.B.F.</i> (film) 2013 American teen comedy film

G.B.F. is a 2013 American teen comedy film directed by Darren Stein and produced by School Pictures, Parting Shots Media, and Logolite Entertainment. The film had its first official screening at the 2013 Tribeca Film Festival in April 2013 and was released theatrically on January 17, 2014, by Vertical Entertainment. G.B.F. focuses on closeted gay high school students Tanner and Brent. When Tanner is outed, he is picked up by the cool girls. He begins to surpass still-closeted Brent in popularity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marialy Rivas</span> Chilean screenwriter and film director

Marialy Rivas is a Chilean screenwriter and film director, known for her 2012 film Young and Wild, winner of the World Cinema Screenwriting Award in Sundance Film Festival. She grew up in Chile during a violent dictatorship under Augusto Pinochet. Rivas is openly lesbian and has commented publicly that, "In Chile, it is of good taste not to say that you are gay, even if everybody knows it. People are usually infuriated by your sexuality if you are open. Nobody wants to know, so nobody wants to tell."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael Varrati</span> American screenwriter

Michael Varrati is an American filmmaker, screenwriter, columnist, and actor known primarily for his work within the horror genre and the world of TV movies. Outside of his film work, Varrati writes and speaks about pop culture and the horror genre as it relates to the LGBTQ experience, including at San Diego Comic-Con, and as the host of the queer horror discussion podcast Dead for Filth.

<i>The Boulet Brothers Dragula</i> American reality competition TV series

The Boulet Brothers' Dragula is an American reality competition television series produced by Boulet Brothers Productions, hosted by the Boulet Brothers. The series originally aired on YouTube and has aired on Netflix in the United States, OUTtv in Canada, and Amazon Prime in the United Kingdom and Australia. Starting with season 4, the series moved to Shudder in all territories. The series will become a Shudder exclusive, with all seasons being hosted on the platform.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cathy Yan</span> American filmmaker (born 1986)

Cathy Y. Yan is a Chinese-born American film director, screenwriter, and producer. Her films include the comedy-drama film Dead Pigs (2018) and Birds of Prey (2020), the eighth installment of the DC Extended Universe.

<i>Canadas a Drag</i> Canadian documentary series about drag queens

Canada's a Drag is a Canadian documentary series that premiered on CBC Gem on March 7, 2018. The show was created by Peter Knegt and Mercedes Grundy. Each episode focuses on a drag performer from a different Canadian city, inclusive of drag queens, drag kings and transgender or non-binary performers. It is produced by CBC Arts.

Taylor Frey is an American actor. He is best known for playing Don Hagerty in It Chapter Two (2019).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boulet Brothers</span> American drag artists

The Boulet Brothers are drag artists, television personalities, writers, producers and modern day horror hosts. They were featured on the cover of Fangoria as "Horror's New Icons" in 2022. Their projects have included horror themed television shows, live nightlife productions, books, movies, and comic books. Since 2016 the Boulet Brothers have produced and starred in the reality competition series The Boulet Brothers' Dragula, which features contestants showcasing dark, horror-themed drag looks.

<i>The Boulet Brothers Dragula</i> season 1 First season of The Boulet Brothers Dragula

The first season of The Boulet Brothers' Dragula premiered on the Hey Qween Network streaming service on October 31, 2016, and concluded on February 20, 2017. The series featured nine contestants, from all over California, competing for the title of World's First Drag Supermonster and a cash prize of $10,000. Guest judges included director Darren Stein, and drag performers Peaches Christ and Heklina. It ran for seven episodes, including a special episode incorporating unutilized footage. The season was subsequently remastered, and was distributed by OutTv, Amazon Prime, and SBS Viceland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Caylee Cowan</span> American actress

Catherine Caylee Cowan is an American actress. She is best known for her roles in Sunrise in Heaven (2019), Willy's Wonderland (2021), Spinning Gold (2022), and Frank and Penelope (2022).

Sparkler is a 1997 American comedy drama film written by Catherine Eads and Darren Stein, directed by Stein and starring Park Overall, Jamie Kennedy, Freddie Prinze Jr., Steven Petrarca and Veronica Cartwright. It is Stein's feature directorial debut.

References

  1. ↑ "Darren J Stein was born on December 24, 1971 in Los Angeles County, California". California Birth Index. Retrieved August 22, 2016.
  2. ↑ Gary Morris. "Bright Lights Film Journal :: Interview with Darren Stein". Brightlightsfilm.com. Archived from the original on 2012-07-21. Retrieved 2010-02-23.
  3. 1 2 Paul E. Pratt (January 22, 2009). "Jawbreaker Director Darren Stein Knows All About Evil". San Francisco Bay Times. Sfbaytimes.com. Retrieved 2010-02-23.
  4. ↑ Wieselman, Jarett (2010-03-04). "First Look: Judy Greer on 'Modern Family'". New York Post. Archived from the original on 2010-03-08.
  5. ↑ "Strut Your Shit Down The Hallway | Dlisted". dlisted.com. Archived from the original on 2010-03-15.
  6. 1 2 "Darren Stein". filmbug.com. Retrieved 2023-05-12.
  7. ↑ Kramer, Gary (2014). "Q&A with Darren Stein, Director of G.B.F." sfbaytimes.com.
  8. ↑ "Darren Stein Biography, Wallpapers, Videos". filmbees.com. Retrieved 2023-05-12.
  9. ↑ Brendan Kelly (November 2, 1997). "Sparkler Review – Read Variety's Analysis Of The Movie Sparkler". Variety.com. Retrieved 2010-02-23.
  10. 1 2 "Hamptons 97: Seven Questions For Darren Stein, The Director of "Sparkler"". indieWIRE. 1997-10-16. Retrieved 2010-02-23.
  11. ↑ "Review: Comedy rules among Sundance offerings – February 4, 1999". CNN. 1999-02-04. Retrieved 2010-02-23.
  12. ↑ Jawbreaker (1999) - IMDb , retrieved 2023-05-12
  13. ↑ "Jawbreaker Reunion! Rose McGowan, Rebecca Gayheart and Julie Benz Catch Up Nearly 25 Years Later". Peoplemag. Retrieved 2023-05-12.
  14. ↑ "225: Home Movies". This American Life. 2005-07-15. Retrieved 2010-02-23.
  15. ↑ "Put the Camera on Me 2003 - DVDBay" . Retrieved 2023-05-12.
  16. ↑ http://www.sfbg.com/printable_entry.php?entry_id=3564 [ dead link ]
  17. ↑ "Peaches' slice-'em-up and mental health reimagined and redefined". SF360. 2010-02-19. Archived from the original on May 6, 2009. Retrieved 2010-02-23.
  18. ↑ All About Evil (2010) - IMDb , retrieved 2023-05-12
  19. ↑ Bandsaboutmovies (2022-06-08). "All About Evil (2010)". B&S About Movies. Retrieved 2023-05-12.
  20. ↑ "Wallflower – Univision.com Buscar Videos". Univision.com. Archived from the original on 2013-02-05. Retrieved 2010-02-23.
  21. ↑ "Espinosa, Snyder and Green Join Cast of Jawbreaker Concert in Los Angeles - Playbill.com". www.playbill.com. Archived from the original on 2010-06-30.
  22. ↑ "Espinosa, Bean et al. Lead JAWBREAKER Concert for Show at Barre, 7/29".
  23. 1 2 December 12, Kerensa Cadenas; EST, 2019 at 09:40 PM. "An oral history of the pitch-black '90s comedy 'Jawbreaker'". EW.com. Retrieved 2023-05-12.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  24. 1 2 G.B.F. (2013) - IMDb , retrieved 2023-05-12
  25. ↑ "Watch People Go Crazy Over Free Alexander Wang Clothes – Fashion Gone Rogue". www.fashiongonerogue.com. 2013-08-07. Retrieved 2023-05-12.
  26. ↑ "The Dollanganger Saga" Seeds of Yesterday (TV Episode 2015) - IMDb , retrieved 2023-05-12
  27. ↑ The Boulet Brothers' Dragula (TV Series 2016– ) - IMDb , retrieved 2023-05-12
  28. ↑ Dazed (2016-10-25). "Drag legend Trixie Mattel stars in Deap Vally's new video". Dazed. Retrieved 2023-05-12.
  29. ↑ Osenlund, R. Kurt (January 17, 2014). "G.B.F. Director Darren Stein and Star Michael J. Willet On Whiz-Bang Dialogue, Growing Up Gay, and Why Their Film Was Unfairly Handed an R Rating". Slant Magazine . Retrieved May 3, 2014.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.