David A. Weiner

Last updated
David A. Weiner
David A. Weiner photograph.jpg
NationalityAmerican
Alma mater Ithaca College
Occupations
  • Filmmaker
  • magazine editor
  • journalist
Years active1990–present

David A. Weiner (pronounced Why-ner) is an American filmmaker, magazine editor, and journalist.

Contents

He wrote and directed the In Search of Darkness trilogy, which explores the decade of '80s horror cinema over the course of 14-plus hours: [1] the long-form 2019 documentary film In Search of Darkness , [2] and its sequels In Search of Darkness: Part II (2020) and In Search of Darkness: Part III (2022). [3]

He also wrote and directed the five-hour 2022 documentary on '80s Sci-Fi cinema, In Search of Tomorrow, [4] and executive produced Aliens Expanded (2024), a four-hour doc featuring new interviews with director James Cameron [5] and the cast & crew of Aliens.

Weiner was a writer for The Hollywood Reporter's Heat Vision [6] and LA Weekly , [7] and was a senior editor for Entertainment Tonight Online [8] from 2001 to 2014.

He was the executive editor of Famous Monsters of Filmland from 2015 to 2016, which resulted in him winning the Rondo Hatton Award for Best Interview of the Year in 2015 (for his interview with Mel Brooks for the 40th anniversary of Young Frankenstein ), [9] as well as winning the award for Best Classic Magazine (for Famous Monsters of Filmland) two years in a row. [10] [11]

After graduating from film school at New York's Ithaca College [12] in 1990, Weiner started his entertainment career in Los Angeles working in various on-set production capacities [13] in film, television, commercials, and music videos. He moved on to film development and script coverage/story analyst jobs, and navigated the dot-com boom and bust in the mid-to-late '90s at AOL's Entertainment Asylum, [14] Scour.com, and Hollywood.com before spending over a decade covering film, television, music, and breaking celebrity news at Entertainment Tonight. [15] [16] [17]

On creating long-form genre documentaries:

“These films are like the nostalgia of a sense memory, or an unexpected song that takes you back to one of the best times in your life. Revisiting, discussing, and celebrating these films in a long-form documentary time-capsule format is one of the greatest ways to keep the spark alive for so many beloved films.”

- David Weiner, Forbes, [18] October 12, 2022

Selected filmography

YearTitleNotes
1990Round NumbersAssistant Director
1991 Samantha Assistant Director
1991 Puppet Master III: Toulon's Revenge Production Manager/AD (second unit)
1992 Netherworld Production Manager/AD (second unit)
1992 Demonic Toys Locations (as Dave Weiner)
1993 The Hidden II Production Assistant
1993Project VampireAssistant Director
1994Desert WindsAssistant Director
1994 Don't Do It Assistant Director
1994 Live Wire Production Assistant
1994 Pentathlon Production Assistant
1994 Another Midnight Run Production Assistant
1994 Midnight Runaround Production Assistant
1994 Midnight Run for Your Life Production Assistant
2000 Cast Away Production Assistant
2019 In Search of the Last Action Heroes Producer
2019 In Search of Darkness Director, Writer, Producer
2020 In Search of Darkness: Part II Director, Writer, Producer
2022 In Search of Tomorrow Director, Writer, Producer
2022In Search of Darkness: Part IIIDirector, Writer, Producer
2024Aliens ExpandedExecutive Producer
TBAIn Search of Darkness: 1990-1994Director, Writer, Producer
TBAThe Thing ExpandedExecutive Producer
TBAIn Search of Darkness: 1995-1999Director, Writer, Producer
TBAIn Search of Tomorrow: Part IIDirector, Writer, Producer

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<i>In Search of Darkness</i> 2019 documentary film about horror films from the 1980s

In Search of Darkness is a 2019 documentary film written and directed by David A. Weiner and executive produced by Robin Block of CreatorVC Studios. An international co-production of the United Kingdom and the United States, the film explores the development and lasting impact of the horror film genre during the 1980s, and features interviews with numerous horror icons both from that decade and from the modern era, along with popular horror influencers.

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<i>In Search of Darkness: Part II</i> 2021 documentary film about horror films from the 1980s

In Search of Darkness: Part II is a 2020 documentary film written and directed by David A. Weiner. It is a sequel to Weiner's 2019 documentary In Search of Darkness.

References

  1. ↑ "forbes weiner darkness - Google Search". www.google.com. Retrieved 2023-03-01.
  2. ↑ Taylor, Nick (March 27, 2019). "Horror Business: David Weiner, Director of In Search of Darkness, The Definitive 80's Horror Documentary". Dread Central. Retrieved May 29, 2019.
  3. ↑ Clark, Brandy (2022-10-08). "'In Search of Darkness Part III' Trailer Explores the Best of 80s Horror". Collider. Retrieved 2023-03-01.
  4. ↑ "In search of tomorrows director dishes on what will be the ultimate documentary for 1980s sci fi fans".
  5. ↑ Squires, John (2024-04-09). "Exclusive Trailer: James Cameron Joins 'Aliens Expanded' Documentary With Exclusive New Interview!". Bloody Disgusting!. Retrieved 2024-05-04.
  6. ↑ Weiner, David. "David Weiner". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2023-03-01.
  7. ↑ "David Weiner". LA Weekly. Retrieved 2023-03-01.
  8. ↑ Couch, Aaron (March 12, 2019). "'In Search of Darkness' Trailer Is a Dive Into '80s Horror". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved May 29, 2019.
  9. ↑ Apr 15; Magazine |, 2016 | FM (2016-04-15). "Famous Monsters is Honored with 3 Rondo Awards!". Famous Monsters of Filmland. Retrieved 2019-09-09.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  10. ↑ "ABOUT DAVID WEINER". WordPress. 20 September 2017. Retrieved May 29, 2019.
  11. ↑ Leighton, Susan (March 25, 2019). "David Weiner: The Nostalgia Curator goes In Search of Darkness". 1428Elm.com. FanSided. Retrieved May 29, 2019.
  12. ↑ Swope, Michelle (2019-10-09). "Interview: Director David A. Weiner Talks Creating IN SEARCH OF DARKNESS: THE DEFINITIVE '80S HORROR DOCUMENTARY, A Film For the Fans by the Fans". Dread Central. Retrieved 2023-03-01.
  13. ↑ "David A. Weiner". IMDb. Retrieved 2023-03-01.
  14. ↑ Brown, Janelle. "AOL Lays Off Content Staff With Lightspeed". Wired. ISSN   1059-1028 . Retrieved 2024-05-06.
  15. ↑ Brown, Janelle. "AOL Spends Like Crazy on Asylum". Wired. ISSN   1059-1028 . Retrieved 2023-03-01.
  16. ↑ "Interview with David Weiner | Muck Rack". muckrack.com. Retrieved 2023-03-01.
  17. ↑ "News Post". www.berkshireschool.org. Retrieved 2023-03-01.
  18. ↑ Weiss, Josh. "'In Search Of Darkness Part III' Closes Out David Weiner's Multi-Year Journey Through '80s Horror". Forbes. Retrieved 2023-02-27.
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