Explaining Myself

Mark Pirro is a filmmaker who, in my opinion, has not gotten the recognition that he deserves. He may not be known by the masses, but in the eyes of underground movie fans, independent filmmakers, and many other forms of life on this planet, he is a comedic genius. An icon for independent filmmaking. In simple terms, the man makes good movies. Good, offbeat, very weird movies. And he does them with very little money. How little? His first movie, A Polish Vampire in Burbank was filmed for $2,500. Do you know how much the film grossed in the direct to video market? $500,000!!!!!! Not a bad investment if you ask me.

So, this makes Mark Pirro my favorite film director, right? Not really. He's definitely in the top 10, along with Scorsese, Tarantino, Kevin Smith, and John Waters. That being said, I am not doing this web page because he is my favorite. I'm doing this page because I don't see very many, if any web sites about Pirro and his movies. You know how it is when you go to Yahoo and type in, say, "Martin Scorsese?" You get a category that says, "Film Directors>Martin Scorsese." You click it and you get seven to eight high profile pages on Scorsese. Why would I want to do a tribute to a man who already has the acknowledgement he deserves, and probably more than he deserves? So, I chose a man outside the Hollywood system who is still making movies against all odds.

This isn't going to be a typical tribute site where I have Mark's biography, trivia about his movies, etc. If you want that, I suggest you got to Mark's official website. Here you can find all these things. Plus, you can order copies of his movies, find out news about his latest film, get info on future productions, and even read the monthly newsletter, which is penned by the man himself. What you are going to get on this site is the story of how I discovered Mark Pirro, reviews on the Pirro films, essays about his films, and possibly and understanding of how Mark's independent spirit inspires me to keep grabbing for what I want, despite the odds. So, check it out. And to Mark: Thanks for the laughs you've given me. There are many more to be had, so keep the camera rolling.


(left)Mark in 1983 or so as Dupah, the Polish Vampire. (right)Mark today (or recently anyway) just wondering "Why?"
Go back to Pirro Tribute.