Mark Pirro (director)

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Mark Pirro
BornJuly 1956 (age 68–69)
Batavia, New York, U.S. [1]
OccupationsFilm director, writer, editor
EmployerPirromount Pictures [2]
Known for A Polish Vampire in Burbank (1983)

Mark Pirro (born July 1956) is an American director, writer, and editor. [3] [1] [4] After making A Polish Vampire in Burbank (1983) for just $2,500 and seeing it gross more than half a million dollars in sales, Pirro became a major figure in independent cinema. [5] [6] Having written and begun directing the film himself, he would also star in it following the departure from the production of Grease star Eddie Deezen. [7]

Contents

Pirro went on to direct such films as Deathrow Gameshow (1987), [8] Curse of the Queerwolf (1988), [9] [10] Nudist Colony of the Dead (1991), [11] and Buford's Beach Bunnies (1993), the lattermost of which was the film debut of Jim Hanks. [12] He also wrote My Mom's a Werewolf for Crown International Pictures. [13] [14]

A documentary about Pirro's life and career, Hollywood on a Shoestring, [15] premiered at the Raindance Film Festival in London in 2023. [16]

Filmography

YearTitleRoleNotes
1978BunsDirector / WriterShort film
1979The Spy Who Did It BetterDirector / WriterShort film
1983 A Polish Vampire in Burbank [17] Director / Writer / EditorStars as Dupah
1987 Deathrow Gameshow Director / Writer [18]
1988 Curse of the Queerwolf Director / Writer / Editor
1991 Nudist Colony of the Dead Director / Writer
1993 Buford's Beach Bunnies Director / Writer / Editor
1997An Early GraveDirector / WriterTV movie
1998Color-BlindedDirector / Writer / Editor
2000Serena's StirEditor
2001Polish Vampire: Behind the FangsDirector
2003RectumaDirector / Writer / Editor
2005Flaw & OrderEditor
2009The God ComplexDirector / Writer / Editor
2011Chutzpah!Editor
2014The Rage of InnocenceDirector / Writer / Editor
2017Mountain GrrrlDirector / EditorMusic video
2018Celluloid SoulDirector / Writer
2018Millennials of the BlindEditor
2018Speaking Through the SilenceEditor
2021The Deceased Won't Desist!Director / Writer / Editor

References

  1. 1 2 "Mark Pirro". Rotten Tomatoes . Retrieved December 9, 2023.
  2. ↑ "Pirromount". Pirromount Pictures. Retrieved December 9, 2023.
  3. ↑ Robert Firsching. "Curse of the Queerwolf (1987)". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times . Archived from the original on August 8, 2013. Retrieved August 8, 2013.
  4. ↑ "Mark Pirro". Turner Classic Movies . Archived from the original on September 19, 2016. Retrieved December 10, 2023.
  5. ↑ Lindenmuth, Kevin J. (July 1, 1998). "Distribution". Making Movies on Your Own: Practical Talk from Independent Filmmakers. McFarland. p. 157. ISBN   9780786405176 . Retrieved September 26, 2017– via Google Books.
  6. ↑ Quarles, Mike (May 1, 2001). "Super 8". Down and Dirty: Hollywood's Exploitation Filmmakers and Their Movies. McFarland. pp. 92–93. ISBN   9780786462575 . Retrieved September 26, 2017– via Google Books.
  7. ↑ Jones, Stephen (2000). The Essential Monster Movie Guide. Billboard Books. p. 304. ISBN   9780823079360 . Retrieved October 6, 2017– via Google Books.
  8. ↑ "Deathrow Gameshow". The New York Times . Archived from the original on October 16, 2007. Retrieved December 9, 2023.
  9. ↑ Schwartz, Carol; Olenski, Jim (2002). VideoHound's Cult Flicks & Trash Pics. Visible Ink Press. p. 133. ISBN   1-57859-113-9.
  10. ↑ Tyner, Adam (January 26, 2003). "Curse of the Queerwolf". DVD Talk. Retrieved August 7, 2013.
  11. ↑ "Low-budget film company makes 'Nudist Colony of the Dead'". Baltimore Sun . The McClatchy Company. 1991-05-31. Retrieved 2015-02-07.
  12. ↑ Kristie Hassen (2016). "Movie Reviews – The New York Times". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times . Archived from the original on 2016-03-06. Retrieved 2016-05-06.
  13. ↑ Mann, Craig Ian (2020-09-21). Phases of the Moon: A Cultural History of the Werewolf Film. Edinburgh University Press. p. 144. ISBN   978-1-4744-4113-1.
  14. ↑ Senn, Bryan (2017-02-06). The Werewolf Filmography: 300+ Movies. McFarland. pp. 162–163. ISBN   978-0-7864-7910-8.
  15. ↑ Devlen, Matt (2023). "Hollywood on a Shoestring". Mubi . Retrieved December 9, 2023.
  16. ↑ Powell, Ian (2023). "Hollywood on a Shoestring (Industry Screening)". Raindance Film Festival . Retrieved December 9, 2023.
  17. ↑ "Mark Pirro, Indie Filmmaker". iHeartRadio . StoryBeat with Steve Cuden. May 25, 2021. Retrieved December 10, 2023.
  18. ↑ Huls, Jason (July 5, 2018). "INTERVIEW – Mark Pirro". B-Movie Mania. Retrieved December 10, 2023.


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