Darren Stein | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1971-12-24)December 24, 1971 (age 53) Los Angeles,California, U.S. |
| Alma mater | New York University |
| Occupation(s) | Film director,producer,screenwriter |
| Years active | 1988–present |
Darren Stein (born December 24, 1971)[1] is an Americanfilm director,screenwriter, andfilm producer who grew up in Los Angeles'sSan Fernando Valley. Among his works include the documentaryPut the Camera on Me,[2] the 2010horror comedyAll About Evil,[3] and thesatiricalmajor motion pictureJawbreaker, which was deemed a "cult classic" by theNew York Post.[4][5]
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 asHarvard-Westlake) in 1989 and later received his B.A. in film studies fromNew York University through theTisch School of the Arts.[7][8]
Stein's first feature wasSparkler, a film about a newly single woman inVictorville, 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 theHamptons Film Festival.[10]
Stein's second feature,Jawbreaker, premiered at the 1999Sundance Film Festival[11] and was nominated for theMTV 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]
Stein's third feature,Put the Camera on Me, premiered atOutfest 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]
Stein executive-producedCam Archer’sWild Tigers I Have Known, which premiered at the 2005Sundance Film Festival.[16]
In 2010, Stein producedAll About Evil,[3][17] ahorror comedy starringNatasha Lyonne,Thomas Dekker,Cassandra Peterson,Noah Segan, andJack Donner. The film is written and directed by Joshua Grannell (also known as the drag queen Peaches Christ).All About Evil premiered at theSan Francisco International Film Festival.[18] It was released on Blu-Ray through Severin in 2022.[19]
Stein wrote the book forJawbreaker 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, featuringJenna Leigh Green,[21][22][23] Eden Espinosa, Shoshana Bean, andMegan 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 filmG.B.F. (Gay Best Friend), ateencomedy starringMichael J. Willett,Paul Iacono,Sasha Pieterse,Andrea Bowen,Xosha Roquemore,Molly Tarlov,Evanna Lynch,Joanna "JoJo" Levesque, andMegan Mullally.[24] The film premiered at the2013 Tribeca Film Festival and was released theatrically on January 17, 2014, byVertical Entertainment.G.B.F. focuses oncloseted gay high school students Tanner and Brent. When Tanner isouted, 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" byBusiness of Fashion.[25]
Stein was the writer ofSeeds of Yesterday (2015), based on the book byV.C. Andrews for Lifetime starringSammi Hanratty,James Maslow,Jason Lewis, andRachel Carpani. It was directed byShawn Ku.[26]
Stein has appeared as a guest judge on five seasons ofThe Boulet Brothers’ Dragula.[27]
He has directed music videos for Deap Vally (featuringTrixie Mattel), The Haunt (featuringVander Von Odd), and '90s electropop bandDirty Sanchez.[28]
| Year | Title | Genre | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | Aviel | Short film | Director and writer | |
| 1997 | Sparkler | Film | Director and writer[10] | |
| 1999 | Jawbreaker | Film | Director and writer | |
| 2003 | Put the Camera on Me | Documentary | Himself | Director, cinematographer, editor, producer and writer |
| 2006 | Wild Tigers I Have Known | Film | Executive producer | |
| 2007 | Color Me Olsen | Short film | Director, producer and writer | |
| 2010 | All About Evil | Film | Producer | |
| 2013 | G.B.F. | Film | Director and producer | |
| 2014 | Hey Qween! | Web series | Himself | Guest (1 episode:Paul Iacono & Darren Stein) |
| 2016-2024 | The Boulet Brothers' Dragula | TV | Himself | Guest judge (6 episodes:Season 1, episode 1;Season 2, episode 6;Season 3, episode 4;Season 4, episode 1;Season 5, episode 7;Season 6, episode 5) |
| 2017 | Do the Voice | TV | Director and executive producer (1 episode) | |
| 2022 | The Boulet Brothers' Dragula: Titans | TV | Himself | Producer (10 episodes) Guest judge (Episode 3) |
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)| International | |
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| National | |
