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Mark Pirro (director)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Mark Pirro
BornJuly 1956
Batavia, New York, US[1]
Occupation(s)Film director, writer, editor
EmployerPirromount Pictures[2]
Known forA 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]

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

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Year Title Role Notes
1978 Buns Director / Writer Short film
1979 The Spy Who Did It Better Director / Writer Short film
1983 A Polish Vampire in Burbank[17] Director / Writer / Editor Stars 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
1997 An Early Grave Director / Writer TV movie
1998 Color-Blinded Director / Writer / Editor
2000 Serena's Stir Editor
2001 Polish Vampire: Behind the Fangs Director
2003 Rectuma Director / Writer / Editor
2005 Flaw & Order Editor
2009 The God Complex Director / Writer / Editor
2011 Chutzpah! Editor
2014 The Rage of Innocence Director / Writer / Editor
2017 Mountain Grrrl Director / Editor Music video
2018 Celluloid Soul Director / Writer
2018 Millennials of the Blind Editor
2018 Speaking Through the Silence Editor
2021 The Deceased Won't Desist! Director / Writer / Editor

References

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  1. ^ a b "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. 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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