Richard Schenkman

Last updated

Richard Schenkman
Born
Richard Schenkman

(1958-03-06) March 6, 1958 (age 66)
New York City, New York, U.S.
Alma mater University at Albany, SUNY
Occupation(s)Film director, film producer, screenwriter
Years active1988–present
ChildrenTiger Schenkman
Website www.richardschenkman.com

Richard Schenkman (born March 6, 1958) is an American screenwriter, film producer, film director, and occasional actor. He has also been credited as director under the names George Axmith and R.D. Braunstein.

Contents

Early life and education

Schenkman was born in New York in 1958. He was educated at Roosevelt High School. [1] [2] Later, he attended the University at Albany, SUNY, where he graduated with a bachelor's degree in film in 1981. [3]

Career

Schenkman's debut feature film, The Pompatus of Love, was co-written with Jon Cryer & Adam Oliensis, and directed by him. [4] He then directed films such as October 22, [5] Went to Coney Island on a Mission from God… Be Back by Five, [6] and A Diva's Christmas Carol, for VH1. [7]

Schenkman also developed content for television, including the sitcom pilot Us and Them for 20th Century Fox TV, and an animated series pilot for VH1 centered on Elvis. [8] He also contributed dialogue to EA's video game 007 Racing. [8]

After a hiatus, Schenkman directed more films including And Then Came Love, [9] Abraham Lincoln vs. Zombies, [10] Mischief Night, [11] a sequel to I Spit On Your Grave, [12] and Misfits. [13]

In 2007, Schenkman directed The Man from Earth . [14] [15] The film, widely pirated upon its release that same year, became a success. In 2017, he made a sequel, The Man from Earth: Holocene . Two months prior to its April 3 digital and DVD release, the film was released on The Pirate Bay in resolutions up to 1080p HD, including a message from Schenkman and producer Eric D. Wilkinson, encouraging donations from viewers. [14]

Prior to his involvement in feature films, Schenkman had a career in corporate media. He contributed to the early branding of MTV by creating promos. [16] [17] [18] Schenkman also established a production company, which produced various forms of media content, including commercials for Nickelodeon. [19] Later, he joined Playboy Enterprises, where he was responsible for updating the network's visual presentation and overseeing the production of various programs, eventually serving as Vice President of Production. [8]

Writing

As a writer, Schenkman is the author of the children's book The Girl From Atlantis. [20] He co-wrote the film, Went to Coney Island on a Mission from God… Be Back by Five, with Jon Cryer. [21] He also wrote the screenplay for the TV film, A Diva's Christmas Carol. [22]

Awards and recognition

Schenkman won seven awards at film festivals such as the Austin Film Festival, Oldenburg International Film Festival, Rhode Island International Film Festival and WorldFest Flagstaff. [23]

Filmography

Film

YearFilmDirectorWriterProducerNotesReference(s)
1993Angel IV: Assault with a Deadly WeaponYesNoNoCredited as "George Axmith" [24]
1996 The Pompatus of Love YesYesCo-producerAlso music supervisor
1998 Went to Coney Island on a Mission from God... Be Back by Five YesYesYes
October 22 YesNoNo
2007 And Then Came Love YesNoNo
The Man from Earth YesNoYesAlso song lyrics "Forever"
2012 Abraham Lincoln vs. Zombies YesYesNo
2013 100 Degrees Below Zero YesYesNo
Mischief Night YesYesYes
2015I Spit on Your Grave: Vengeance Is MineYesNoCo-executive
2016Hunt for TruthYesYesNo [25]
2017 The Man from Earth: Holocene YesYesYes
2017Dead on ArrivalYesNoNo [26]
2019MisfitsYesNoYesUnreleased
202118 1/2NoNoExecutive [27]
2023AnanthaNoNoYes [28]
2023WinevilleNoYesNo [28]

Television

YearFilmDirectorWriterProducerNotesReference(s)
19841st Annual MTV Vídeo Music AwardsNoNoYes
1986The SPIN New Music College TourYesNoYes
1987SNAFU: The World's Screwiest Foul Ups!YesYesYesSyndicated TV special
1994Lusty LiaisonsSegment DirectorNoNoTV Anthology movie
Lusty Liaisons IISegment DirectorNoNo
2000 A Diva's Christmas Carol YesYesNoTV movie
2006Muckraker!YesYesNoTV Short
2007Fawlty TowersYesNoNoTV series
Episode A Touch of Class
2009 Flower Girl NoStoryNoTV movie
2012LayoverYesNoNoTV movie [29]
2013 Zombie Night NoStoryNoTV movie
2016A Father's SecretYesYesNo

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References

  1. ↑ "Roosevelt High School - L envoi Yearbook (Yonkers, NY), Class of 1975, Page 117 of 224 | online yearbooks". e-yearbook.com.
  2. ↑ "Roosevelt High School - L envoi Yearbook (Yonkers, NY), Class of 1975, Page 126 of 224 | online yearbooks". e-yearbook.com.
  3. ↑ https://www.wcdb.org/anniversaries/2003/RadioReunion%20dinner%20invite.pdf
  4. ↑ "A day at the 'Con with Jon (Cryer)". www.cnn.com.
  5. ↑ "October 22". prod-www.tcm.com.
  6. ↑ Critic, Preston Barta Film (May 11, 2018). "DVD reviews: Claws come out for this week's rip-roaring home releases". Denton Record-Chronicle.
  7. ↑ "A Diva's Christmas Carol". www.tcm.com.
  8. 1 2 3 "BIO – Portfolio".
  9. ↑ Holden, Stephen (June 14, 2007). "All in the Genes" – via NYTimes.com.
  10. ↑ "Abraham Lincoln vs. Zombies (2012)". Dread Central. June 7, 2012.
  11. ↑ McHargue, Brad (November 4, 2013). "Mischief Night (2013)". Dread Central.
  12. ↑ "I Spit on Your Grave: Vengeance is Mine". prod-www.tcm.com.
  13. ↑ "Misfits" – via The Economic Times - The Times of India.
  14. 1 2 Spangler, Todd (April 6, 2018). "Piracy as Marketing Tool? 'The Man from Earth: Holocene' Producers Have Made $45,000 From Self-Pirating Their Movie".
  15. ↑ Schenkman, Richard (September 16, 2013). "How Piracy Helped 'The Man From Earth' Become A Viral Sensation and Inspired A Sequel".
  16. ↑ Tannenbaum, Craig Marks, Rob (November 17, 2023). "The golden years of MTV" – via www.thetimes.co.uk.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  17. ↑ "A Special Podcast: How to Get Rich in Independent Film With Richard Schenkman News, Podcasts Film Threat". September 30, 2017.
  18. ↑ "When Music Was Still on MTV: The Birth of an Iconic Channel". Vanity Fair. June 4, 2008.
  19. ↑ "Multitronics".
  20. ↑ "The girl from Atlantis | WorldCat.org".
  21. ↑ Thomas, Kevin (September 15, 2000). "'Went to Coney Island" Is a Touching Tale of Friends". Los Angeles Times.
  22. ↑ "A Diva's Christmas Carol - Rotten Tomatoes". November 19, 2002.
  23. ↑ "Went to Coney Island on a Mission from God... the movie". Evenmore.com. Retrieved September 3, 2010.
  24. ↑ "Angel IV: Assault with a Deadly Weapon". March 28, 1996 – via Internet Archive.
  25. ↑ "Hunt for Truth". TVGuide.com.
  26. ↑ "Dead On Arrival: The Punk Documentary That Almost Never Was (2017)". The A.V. Club.
  27. ↑ "18½". TVGuide.com.
  28. 1 2 "WINEVILLE – Fort Lauderdale Film Festival".
  29. ↑ "Layover (2012)". The A.V. Club.


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