Portrait of Shaun Costello

Shaun Costello

Directing

Biography

Shaun Costello began directing for "loops" (10-minute scenes shown in coin-operated viewers in adult theaters) in NYC in the early 1970s, and soon was directing (and acting in) full porn movies and other grindhouse "roughies" shown in Times Square's 42nd Street adult theaters. Costello took work where he could get it, often working for the Mob, who owned many adult theaters and distribution, and working under different aliases for different theaters so that no one (at the time) knew that he was his own competition. Eventually moving on to a mainstream documentary career, Costello written and directed grindhouse movies - rough and violent and reflecting of their times - have seen a resurgence as the 2010's have seen these movies be remastered and re-released and often seen for the first time in decades. Anyone interested in the history of American porn or grindhouse/exploitation theater of the late 1960s and 1970s will likely have encountered Shaun Costello's work, often unknowingly due to his prolific use of aliases.

Born: January 1, 1944

Place of Birth: The Bronx, New York City, New York, USA

Filmography

2021
Hymns from the Abyss

as Self (archive footage)

1990
Enrapture

as Cigar Shop Man

1982
Mistress Electra

as Narrator (voice) (uncredited)

1981
Pandora's Mirror

as Waiter / Man in Audition Line

1979
More Than Sisters

as Martin Randall

1979
1978
Slave of Pleasure

as Richard Anselm / Masked Guy

1978
1977
The Fire in Francesca

as Troy Winston

1977
Joy Of Humiliation

as Biker with Cigarette

1977
Cherry Hustlers

as Company Investigator

1977
1977
Schoolgirl's Reunion

as Football Announcer (voice) / Autograph Seeker / Guy at Party

1977
Dirty Susan

as Bob Gilroy

1976
The Dark Side of Danielle

as Bruce / Betty's Master

1976
Tortured Woman

as El Gringo

1976
Water Power

as Police Station Cop / Man at Car Window

1976
That Lady from Rio

as Sex Slave (uncredited)

1976
The Fury in Alice

as Chip Carson

1976
Girl Scout Cookies

as Mr. O'Malley

1976
The Story of Eloise

as Edgar Frank

1976
Sensuous Fly Girls

as Man in Stable

1976
Midnight Desires

as Chauffeur / Highwayman (uncredited)

1976
Venture Into the Bizzare

as Closing Narration (voice)

1976
She's No Angel

as Dr. Warren Counter

1976
1975
Cheryl's Surrender

as Ray Lavagis

1975
China Doll

as Bert

1975
Baby Oil

as Orgy Guy with Two Girls

1975
1975
The Passions of Carol

as The Spirits

1975
Two Senoritas

as Guy with Glasses

1975
Sin of Lust

as Bob Hartman

1975
The School for Sexual Arts

as Guy in Final Class

1975
Private Practice

as Mr. Barnes

1975
1974
The Love Bus

as George

1974
Come Fly with Us

as Jay Basby

1974
Teenage Nurses

as Joe / TV Reporter

1974
Lady on the Couch

as Poker Buddy (uncredited)

1974
Pen Pals

as Good Samaritan / Man in Black

1974
Lip Service

as Hired Guy

1973
The Tycoon's Daughter

as Newspaper Reader / Radio Newscaster

1973
Go Fly a Kite

as John Spaulding

1973
1973
Sexual Freedom in the Ozarks

as Newscaster / Homer Heaply

1973
1973
Come And Be Purified

as Brother Francis

1973
Teachers and Cream

as Mr. Boynton

1973
Tina Makes a Deal

as Customs Agent

1973
Joe Rock Superstar

as Rock the Guitarist / Voice of Walter Cockite

1973
1973
Forced Entry

as David

1971
Love in the Rain

as Shaun (uncredited)

1971
The Magical Ring

as First Fantasy Lover

1971
1971
Sensuous Vixens

as Photo Model with Mustache