Mark Pirro, a trailblazing filmmaker, made Hollywood history with his 1983 feature comedy, A Polish Vampire in Burbank, shot on an astonishingly low budget of $2500. Despite these humble beginnings, the film went on to rake in over a million dollars in home video and cable television distribution, playing on the USA network for two years in the late 80s, thereby earning the distinction of being the most inexpensive feature film to ever play on that network.
Pirro's impressive resume includes producing several other low-budget masterpieces, such as the 1998 comedy Color-Blinded, which won three awards, and the parody Rectuma, which screened at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival. His 2009 satire, The God Complex, a semi-epic that skewers Biblical mythology, was produced on a budget of less than $1000 and has been a popular item at several atheist conventions. The film even comes with its own merchandising, including a talking Jesus head that answers prayers with a twist of its crown.
In 2014, Pirro wrote, produced, and directed Rage of Innocence, his first non-comedy feature, which stars long-time Pirromount associate John McCafferty and Hunger Games: Mockingjay's Annie Cresta-Stef Dawson. The film tells the story of a 15-year-old sociopath named Raven who will stop at nothing to keep a man from dating her single mother.
Pirro's 10th feature film, Celluloid Soul, released in 2017, is the story of a man living in the present who falls in love with an actress from a couple of movies made in the late 1930s, who forces him to doubt his sanity when she shows up on his doorstep looking exactly like she did in those movies made over 75 years ago.
His 11th feature, The Deceased Won't Desist, released in 2021, is about Rudy Barnett, a wealthy man who dies and has several heirs arrive at his secluded mountain cabin to find out what he's left them. As each person is killed, Rudy returns with another video commenting on what just happened, leading to the question, 'is Rudy still alive?'
Throughout his illustrious career, Pirro has been a pioneer in the field of low-budget filmmaking, producing feature films on shoestring budgets, often for less than $500. Despite these challenges, he has maintained his passion for creating feature films without ever having to mortgage his house, a testament to his dedication and creativity.
