Shaun Costello
Personal Info
Known for
Directing
Gender
Male
Birthday
1944-01-01
Day of Death
2023-07-05 (79 years old)
Place of Birth
The Bronx, New York City, New York, USA
Shaun Costello
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.
Acting
(2021)
Hymns from the Abyss
as Self (archive footage)
(1990)
Enrapture
as Cigar Shop Man
(1982)
Double Pleasure
as (as Russ Carlson)
(1982)
Mistress Electra
as Narrator (voice) (uncredited)
(1981)
Pandora's Mirror
as Waiter / Man in Audition Line
(1980)
(1979)
The Two Lives of Jennifer
as Bob O'Connor
(1979)
More Than Sisters
as Martin Randall
(1978)
Slave of Pleasure
as Richard Anselm / Masked Guy
(1978)
A Taste Of Bette
as S.R.
(1978)
Daughters of Discipline
as Bruno
(1977)
Joy Of Humiliation
as Biker with Cigarette
(1977)
Cherry Hustlers
as Company Investigator
(1977)
Schoolgirl's Reunion
as Football Announcer (voice) / Autograph Seeker / Guy at Party
(1977)
Betrayed Teens
as Bobby
(1977)
The Fire in Francesca
as Troy Winston
(1977)
Dirty Susan
as Bob Gilroy
(1976)
The Untamed Vixens
as Jerry
(1976)
The Fury in Alice
as Chip Carson
(1976)
Venture Into the Bizzare
as Closing Narration (voice)
(1976)
The Summer of Suzanne
as Chip
(1976)
Midnight Desires
as Chauffeur / Highwayman (uncredited)
(1976)
Water Power
as Police Station Cop / Man at Car Window
(1976)
Sensuous Fly Girls
as Man in Stable
(1976)
She's No Angel
as Dr. Warren Counter
(1976)
Tortured Woman
as El Gringo
(1976)
The Travails of June
as Willy
(1976)
The Dark Side of Danielle
as Bruce / Betty's Master
(1976)
That Lady from Rio
as Sex Slave (uncredited)
(1976)
The Story of Eloise
as Edgar Frank
(1976)
Girl Scout Cookies
as Mr. O'Malley
(1975)
Cheryl's Surrender
as Ray Lavagis
(1975)
Private Practice
as Mr. Barnes
(1975)
Two Senoritas
as Guy with Glasses
(1975)
China Doll
as Bert
(1975)
Gladys and Her All Girl Band
as Lola
(1975)
The School for Sexual Arts
as Guy in Final Class
(1975)
Sin of Lust
as Bob Hartman
(1975)
Lisa Meets Mr. Big
as Minister
(1975)
Kathy's Graduation Present
as Randy
(1975)
Baby Oil
as Orgy Guy with Two Girls
(1975)
Hotel Hooker
as Pete
(1975)
The Passions of Carol
as The Spirits
(1974)
The Love Bus
as George
(1974)
Teenage Nurses
as Joe / TV Reporter
(1974)
Come Fly with Us
as Jay Basby
(1974)
Pen Pals
as Good Samaritan / Man in Black
(1974)
Lip Service
as Hired Guy
(1974)
Lady on the Couch
as Poker Buddy (uncredited)
(1974)
(1973)
Forced Entry
as David
(1973)
The Porn Brokers
as Self
(1973)
Sweet Sexteen
as Jerry
(1973)
Guess Who's Coming
as Peter
(1973)
The Tycoon's Daughter
as Newspaper Reader / Radio Newscaster
(1973)
Honeymoon Suite
as Jamie
(1973)
Teachers and Cream
as Mr. Boynton
(1973)
Sexual Freedom in the Ozarks
as Newscaster / Homer Heaply
(1973)
Go Fly a Kite
as John Spaulding
(1973)
Joe Rock Superstar
as Rock the Guitarist / Voice of Walter Cockite
(1973)
Tina Makes a Deal
as Customs Agent
(1973)
Come And Be Purified
as Brother Francis
(1972)
Selling It
as (archive footage)
(1972)
Sexual Customs in Scandinavia
as Mr. Thorens
(1971)
(1971)
Sensuous Vixens
as Photo Model with Mustache
(1971)
The Magical Ring
as First Fantasy Lover
(1971)
Love in the Rain
as Shaun (uncredited)
Crew
(1991)
Popcorn
Associate Producer
(1990)
Writing for Time
Director of Photography, Editor, Director
(1983)
Hot Dreams
Director, Writer, Producer, Production Design, Special Effects, Visual Effects
(1983)
Heaven's Touch
Director, Writer, Producer, Title Designer, Additional Photography
(1982)
Mistress Electra
Director, Writer, Producer, Title Designer
(1981)
Pandora's Mirror
Director, Writer, Producer, Production Design
(1981)
Beauty
Director, Writer, Producer, Title Designer
(1981)
Prisoner of Pleasure
Director, Writer
(1980)
Dracula Exotica
Director, Writer, Producer
(1980)
New York Construction Co.
Writer, Director, Editor
(1980)
Afternoon Delights
Editor, Director, Screenplay
(1979)
The Two Lives of Jennifer
Director, Producer, Writer
(1979)
Sunny
Writer, Producer, Director
(1979)
More Than Sisters
Director, Screenplay
(1978)
Slave of Pleasure
Screenplay, Producer, Director
(1978)
Daughters of Discipline
Director, Writer, Producer
(1978)
Fiona on Fire
Director
(1977)
Schoolgirl's Reunion
Writer, Producer, Editor, Director
(1977)
Betrayed Teens
Director, Writer, Producer
(1977)
The Fire in Francesca
Director
(1977)
Dirty Susan
Director
(1976)
Water Power
Director, Writer, Producer, Editor, Special Effects, Title Designer
(1976)
The Summer of Suzanne
Writer, Director
(1976)
The Dark Side of Danielle
Writer, Director
(1976)
The Story of Eloise
Writer, Producer, Editor, Director
(1976)
Midnight Desires
Screenplay, Producer, Director, Editor
(1976)
The Untamed Vixens
Director, Writer, Producer, Editor
(1976)
Dominatrix Without Mercy
Director, Writer
(1976)
The Fury in Alice
Director, Writer, Producer
(1976)
Sensuous Fly Girls
Director, Writer, Producer
(1976)
She's No Angel
Director
(1976)
Tortured Woman
Director
(1976)
The Travails of June
Director, Writer, Producer, Editor
(1976)
That Lady from Rio
Director, Writer
(1976)
Girl Scout Cookies
Director
(1975)
The Joyriders
Writer, Producer, Editor, Director
(1975)
Sin of Lust
Writer, Director
(1975)
Kathy's Graduation Present
Writer, Director
(1975)
Lisa Meets Mr. Big
Writer, Director
(1975)
Gladys and Her All Girl Band
Writer, Director
(1975)
Two Senoritas
Director, Writer, Producer
(1975)
China Doll
Director, Writer
(1975)
The Passions of Carol
Screenplay, Director, Editor, Producer, Special Effects, Visual Effects, Main Title Designer
(1975)
Cheryl's Surrender
Director, Writer, Producer, Editor
(1975)
Hotel Hooker
Producer, Editor, Director, Writer
(1975)
The School for Sexual Arts
Director
(1974)
Teenage Nurses
Director, Screenplay, Producer, Editor
(1974)
The Love Bus
Director, Writer
(1974)
Lady on the Couch
Producer, Editor, Director, Writer
(1974)
Come Fly with Us
Director, Writer, Producer, Editor
(1974)
Pen Pals
Director, Writer
(1974)
Lip Service
Director, Writer
(1973)
Forced Entry
Director, Writer, Producer, Editor
(1973)
Maxines' Dating Service
Director
(1973)
Honeymoon Suite
Writer, Director
(1973)
Go Fly a Kite
Writer, Producer, Director
(1973)
Sexual Freedom in the Ozarks
Writer, Producer, Director
(1973)
Come And Be Purified
Producer, Director
(1973)
Teachers and Cream
Writer, Producer, Director
(1973)
Tina Makes a Deal
Producer, Editor, Director, Writer
(1973)
Sweet Sexteen
Director, Writer, Producer, Editor
(1973)
The Love Witch
Producer
(1973)
The Tycoon's Daughter
Director
(1973)
Joe Rock Superstar
Director
(1972)
Hell's Kitten
Director
(1971)
Sensuous Vixens
Director, Writer