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Gregory Dark (born Gregory Hippolyte Brown) is an American film director, film producer,
music video director A music video director is the head, overseer or facilitator of music video production. The director conceives of videos' artistic and dramatic aspects while instructing the musical act, technical crew, actors, models, and dancers. They may or ...
, and screenwriter. Dark is an adult filmmaker who transitioned into directing Hollywood movies. He has also been credited as Alexander Hippolyte, Gregory Hippolyte, Gregory Brown, and as The Dark Brothers.


Early career

Dark began his career as a fine artist of both paintings and conceptual art and installations. After graduating with a
Master of Fine Arts A Master of Fine Arts (MFA or M.F.A.) is a terminal degree in fine arts, including visual arts, creative writing, graphic design, photography, filmmaking, dance, theatre, other performing arts and in some cases, theatre management or arts admi ...
degree from
Stanford University Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University, is a Private university, private research university in Stanford, California, United States. It was founded in 1885 by railroad magnate Leland Stanford (the eighth ...
, he moved to New York City to pursue graduate studies in film at
New York University New York University (NYU) is a private university, private research university in New York City, New York, United States. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded in 1832 by Albert Gallatin as a Nondenominational ...
. From the mid-1980s through the mid-1990s, Dark directed
hardcore Hardcore, hard core or hard-core may refer to: Arts and media Film * ''Hardcore'' (1977 film), a British comedy film * ''Hardcore'' (1979 film), an American crime drama film starring George C Scott * ''Hardcore'' (2001 film), a British documen ...
and
Rated R Rated R refers to movies (and also to TV shows and video games in certain systems) that have been given a "restricted" rating according to one of the following film rating systems or classification boards: * Australian Classification Board * Canadi ...
films A film, also known as a movie or motion picture, is a work of Visual arts, visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, emotions, or atmosphere through the use of moving images that are gen ...
. His work from this period helped create the current "
alt porn Alternative porn (also known as alt porn, alternaporn, or simply alt in context), a shortening of " alternative pornography," is a subgenre of pornography that is centered around alternative subcultures, such as goths, emos, scenes, skaters, ...
" genre as well as invent the noir-romance genre of the
erotic thriller The erotic thriller is a film subgenre defined as a thriller with a thematic basis in illicit romance or sexual fantasy. Though exact definitions of the erotic thriller can vary, it is generally agreed "bodily danger and pleasure must remain i ...
. ''
Sight & Sound ''Sight and Sound'' (formerly written ''Sight & Sound'') is a monthly film magazine published by the British Film Institute (BFI). Since 1952, it has conducted the well-known decennial ''Sight and Sound'' Poll of the Greatest Films of All Time. ...
'' the journal of the
British Film Institute The British Film Institute (BFI) is a film and television charitable organisation which promotes and preserves filmmaking and television in the United Kingdom. The BFI uses funds provided by the National Lottery to encourage film production, ...
considered Dark's erotic thrillers groundbreaking films of the genre. In the 1980s, Dark, along with Richard Lerner and Wendy Apple, directed and produced ''Fallen Angels'', the seminal documentary about the early Los Angeles porn scene. Dark directed or produced more than 30 action films and erotic thrillers as head of production for Axis Films, a
B movie A B movie, or B film, is a type of cheap, low-budget commercial motion picture. Originally, during the Classical Hollywood cinema, Golden Age of Hollywood, this term specifically referred to films meant to be shown as the lesser-known second ...
company, from 1987 to 1995. Dark's erotic thrillers in the early 1990s such as ''Animal Instincts I'' and ''II'', ''
Body of Influence ''Body of Influence'' is a 1993 American erotic thriller drama film directed by Gregory Dark and produced by Andrew W. Garroni. The film has music composed by Ashley Irwin. The film stars Nick Cassavetes, Shannon Whirry, Richard Roundtree, San ...
'', and ''Mirror Images II'' featured
Shannon Whirry Shannon Meta Whirry (born 1964/1965) is an American actress. Early life Shannon Meta Whirry was born in Green Lake, Wisconsin, United States, the daughter of Sherril Jean "Sherry" (; 1944–2016) and Russell Clyde Whirry (1943–1988). Career A ...
in various stages of undress. In 1994, he directed the film '' Stranger by Night'' starring
Steven Bauer Steven Bauer (born Esteban Ernesto Echevarría Samson; December 2, 1956) is a Cuban American actor. Bauer began his career on PBS, portraying Joe Peña, the son of Cuban immigrants on '' ¿Qué Pasa, USA?'' (1977–1979). He played Manolo "Ma ...
. Dark's films of this period won him accolades such as "the
Steven Spielberg Steven Allan Spielberg ( ; born December 18, 1946) is an American filmmaker. A major figure of the New Hollywood era and pioneer of the modern blockbuster, Spielberg is widely regarded as one of the greatest film directors of all time and is ...
of the soft-core set" and "the
Martin Scorsese Martin Charles Scorsese ( , ; born November17, 1942) is an American filmmaker. One of the major figures of the New Hollywood era, he has received List of awards and nominations received by Martin Scorsese, many accolades, including an Academ ...
of the erotic thriller".


Music videos

In 1996, Dark directed the music video for " Bar-X-The Rocking M" by the
Melvins Melvins (sometimes the Melvins) are an American rock band formed in 1983 in Montesano, Washington. Their early work was key to the development of both grunge and sludge metal. Primarily a trio, they have also performed as a quartet, with eith ...
. In 1998, he directed the video for " Zoot Suit Riot" by
Cherry Poppin' Daddies The Cherry Poppin' Daddies are an American swing music, swing and ska band established in Eugene, Oregon, in 1989. Formed by singer-songwriter Steve Perry (Oregon musician), Steve Perry and bassist Dan Schmid, the band has experienced numerous ...
, which won the Daddies a nomination for "Best New Artist in a Video" at the
1998 MTV Video Music Awards The 1998 MTV Video Music Awards aired live on September 10, 1998, honoring the best music videos from June 17, 1997, to June 12, 1998. The show was hosted by Ben Stiller at Gibson Amphitheatre in Los Angeles. Madonna was the most successful winn ...
. That same year, he directed "Fuck Dying" and "
Pushin' Weight "Pushin' Weight" is a song written and performed by American rappers Ice Cube and Mr. Short Khop. It was released on October 13, 1998 through Priority Records as the lead single from the former's fifth solo studio album '' War & Peace Vol. 1 (The W ...
" for
Ice Cube O'Shea Jackson Sr. (born June 15, 1969), known professionally as Ice Cube, is an American rapper, songwriter, actor, and film producer. His lyrics on N.W.A's 1989 album '' Straight Outta Compton'' contributed to gangsta rap's widespread popu ...
. Dark's 1998 video " What U See Is What U Get" for
Xzibit Alvin Nathaniel Joiner (born September 18, 1974), better known by his stage name Xzibit (pronounced "''exhibit''), is an American rapper, actor, television presenter, radio personality, and record executive. He began his musical career in 1992, ...
remained at the top of the Charts on BET for almost a year and won a Source Award. In 1999, he directed the video for "
From the Bottom of My Broken Heart "From the Bottom of My Broken Heart" is a song by American singer Britney Spears from her debut studio album, ''...Baby One More Time (album), ...Baby One More Time'' (1999). It was released on December 14, 1999, by Jive Records as the fifth and ...
" by Britney Spears. In 2000, Vitamin C's "
Graduation (Friends Forever) "Graduation (Friends Forever)" (also titled "Friends Forever (Graduation)") is a song by American pop singer Vitamin C, released as the third single from her self-titled debut studio album (1999) and is the final song on the record. Vitamin C ...
" and Linkin Park's " One Step Closer" video, were shot in Los Angeles, sixty-three feet underground in an abandoned subway tunnel. In 2002, he directed the video for the
A*Teens A-Teens (stylized as A*Teens) is a Swedish pop music group from Stockholm. The group was formed by Niklas Berg in 1998 as an ABBA tribute group called ABBA-Teens, which was later renamed A-Teens. The band members are Marie Serneholt, Amit Paul ...
cover of "
Can't Help Falling in Love "Can't Help Falling in Love" is a song written by Hugo Peretti, Luigi Creatore, and George David Weiss and published by Gladys Music, Inc. The melody is based on " Plaisir d'amour", a popular French love song composed in 1784 by Jean-Paul-� ...
" for the Disney feature ''
Lilo & Stitch ''Lilo & Stitch'' () is a 2002 American animated Science fiction film, science fiction comedy-drama film, comedy-drama film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation for Walt Disney Pictures. It was written and directed by Chris Sanders and De ...
''. Dark directed the music video for "Undercover Funk" by
Snoop Dogg Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr. ( ; born October 20, 1971), better known by his stage name Snoop Dogg (previously Snoop Doggy Dogg), is an American rapper, record producer, and actor. Rooted in West Coast hip-hop, he is widely regarded as one of t ...
featuring
Bootsy Collins William Earl "Bootsy" Collins (born October 26, 1951) is an American bass guitarist, singer, and songwriter. Rising to prominence with James Brown in the early 1970s before joining the Parliament-Funkadelic collective, Collins established himse ...
for the film ''
Undercover Brother ''Undercover Brother'' is a 2002 American satirical spy action comedy blaxploitation film directed by Malcolm D. Lee and starring Eddie Griffin. The screenplay by John Ridley and Michael McCullers is based on the Internet animated series ...
''. The video featured acting performances by the film's stars
Eddie Griffin Edward Rubin Griffin (born July 15, 1968) is an American stand-up comedian and actor. He is best known for portraying Eddie Sherman in the sitcom '' Malcolm & Eddie'', the title character in the 2002 comedy film '' Undercover Brother'', and Tib ...
, who morphs into Snoop Dogg at the beginning of the video, and dancing and lip-synching performances by
Neil Patrick Harris Neil Patrick Harris (born June 15, 1973) is an American actor, singer, writer, producer, and television host. Primarily known for his comedic television roles and dramatic and musical stage roles, he has received List of awards and nominations ...
and
Denise Richards Denise Lee Richards (born February 17, 1971) is an American actress, TV personality, and model. She rose to prominence with roles in the science fiction film ''Starship Troopers'' (1997), the erotic thriller film '' Wild Things'' (1998), and the ...
.


Major motion pictures

Dark's first major motion picture, the
horror film Horror is a film genre that seeks to elicit physical or psychological fear in its viewers. Horror films often explore dark subject matter and may deal with Transgressive art, transgressive topics or themes. Broad elements of the genre include Mo ...
'' See No Evil'', was released nationwide on May 19, 2006, for WWE Films and
Lions Gate Entertainment Starz Entertainment Corp, formerly known officially as Lions Gate Entertainment Corporation and commonly as Lions Gate and/or Lionsgate, is a Canadian-American entertainment industry, entertainment company currently headquartered in Santa Monica ...
. It was directed by Dark, written by Dan Madigan, produced by Joel Simon, and starred
professional wrestler Professional wrestling, often shortened to either pro wrestling or wrestling,The term "wrestling" is most often widely used to specifically refer to modern scripted professional wrestling, though it is also used to refer to real-life wrest ...
Kane. ''See No Evil'' grossed almost $19 million worldwide theatrical with a budget of $8 million The movie grossed over $45 million on DVD sales and rentals. In 2008 Dark directed the
independent film An independent film, independent movie, indie film, or indie movie is a feature film or short film that is film production, produced outside the Major film studios, major film studio system in addition to being produced and distributed by independ ...
''
Little Fish, Strange Pond ''Little Fish, Strange Pond'' (alternate titled as ''Frenemy'') is a 2009 American direct-to-DVD independent black comedy drama film directed by Gregory Dark and written by Robert Dean Klein. Plot Mr. Jack and Sweet Stephen spend the next few day ...
'', which was seen at a number of film festivals. The film starred
Matthew Modine Matthew Avery Modine (born March 22, 1959) is an American actor and filmmaker. He shared the Venice Film Festival‘s Volpi Cup for Best Actor as part of the ensemble cast of Robert Altman film ''Streamers'' (1983). He went on to play lead rol ...
,
Adam Baldwin Adam Baldwin (born February 27, 1962) is an American actor. He made his film debut in '' My Bodyguard'' (1980). He later appeared in ''Full Metal Jacket'' (1987) as Animal Mother, and in the television series ''Firefly'' and its continuation f ...
,
Callum Blue Daniel James Callum Blue (born 19 August 1977) is an English actor. He is best known for his roles on the Showtime (TV network), Showtime series ''Dead Like Me'' and ''The Tudors'', as well as his role as General Zod, Zod in the American televi ...
,
Zach Galifianakis Zachary Knight Galifianakis (; born October 1, 1969) is an American actor, comedian and writer. The accolades he has received include two Primetime Emmy Awards, two Screen Actors Guild Awards, and a Critics' Choice Movie Award. Galifianakis ...
,
Liza Weil Liza Weil (born June 5, 1977) is an American actress. She is best known for her starring role as Paris Geller in the WB/ CW comedy-drama series ''Gilmore Girls'' (2000–2007) and its Netflix revival series '' Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life' ...
, and
Paul Adelstein Paul Adelstein (born April 29, 1969) is an American actor. He is known for the role of Agent Paul Kellerman in the Fox Broadcasting Company, Fox television series ''Prison Break'' and his role as pediatrician Cooper Freedman in the American Broad ...
and was retitled ''Frenemy'' for its December 2010 Lions Gate Entertainment DVD release. During 2009, Dark directed ''An Evening With Stephen Lynch'', a
concert film A concert film or concert movie is a film that showcases a live performance from the perspective of a concert goer, the subject of which is an extended live performance or concert, by either a musician or a Stand-up comedy, stand-up comedian. Ea ...
starring comedian and musician Stephen Lynch.


Selected filmography

As director – Film * ''
Mirror Images A mirror image (in a plane mirror) is a reflected duplication of an object that appears almost identical, but is reversed in the direction perpendicular to the mirror surface. As an optical effect, it results from specular reflection off from ...
'' (1992) (as A. Gregory Hippolyte) * '' Secret Games'' (1992) (as Gregory Hippolyte) * '' Night Rhythms'' (1992) (as A. Gregory Hippolyte) * '' Animal Instincts'' (1992) (as A. Gregory Hippolyte) * ''
Body of Influence ''Body of Influence'' is a 1993 American erotic thriller drama film directed by Gregory Dark and produced by Andrew W. Garroni. The film has music composed by Ashley Irwin. The film stars Nick Cassavetes, Shannon Whirry, Richard Roundtree, San ...
'' (1993) (as Gregory Hippolyte) * '' Sins of the Night'' (1993) (as Gregory Hippolyte) * '' Secret Games 2: The Escort'' (1993) (as Gregory Hippolyte) * '' Mirror Images 2'' (1993) * ''
Object of Obsession Gregory Dark (born Gregory Hippolyte Brown) is an American film director, film producer, music video director, and screenwriter. Dark is an adult filmmaker who transitioned into directing Hollywood movies. He has also been credited as Alexand ...
'' (1994) (as Gregory H. Brown) * '' Animal Instincts 2'' (1994) (as Gregory Hippolyte) * '' Secret Games 3'' (1994) (as Gregory Hippolyte) * '' Stranger by Night'' (1994) (as Gregory H. Brown) * '' Animal Instincts 3'' (1996) (as Gregory Hippolyte) * '' See No Evil'' (2006) * ''
Little Fish, Strange Pond ''Little Fish, Strange Pond'' (alternate titled as ''Frenemy'') is a 2009 American direct-to-DVD independent black comedy drama film directed by Gregory Dark and written by Robert Dean Klein. Plot Mr. Jack and Sweet Stephen spend the next few day ...
'' (2009)


Awards

*1996
XRCO Award The XRCO Awards are given by the American X-Rated Critics Organization annually to people working in adult entertainment and it is the only adult industry awards show reserved exclusively for industry members. Once every calendar year, XRCO m ...
– Best Director *1996
XRCO Hall of Fame The XRCO Hall of Fame lists well-known adult entertainment works and workers. The list is managed by X-Rated Critics Organization and inducted annually during the XRCO Awards. The first XRCO Awards were presented in Hollywood on February 14, 198 ...
inductee


Notes

*


References


External links

*
Gregory Dark
at the Music Video Database
"The Devil in Greg Dark"
by Tom Junod, ''
Esquire Esquire (, ; abbreviated Esq.) is usually a courtesy title. In the United Kingdom, ''esquire'' historically was a title of respect accorded to men of higher social rank, particularly members of the landed gentry above the rank of gentleman ...
'', February 1, 2001 {{DEFAULTSORT:Dark, Gregory 1957 births Alt porn American music video directors American pornographic film directors American pornographic film producers Living people Writers from Los Angeles Stanford University alumni Tisch School of the Arts alumni American conceptual artists American installation artists 20th-century American painters Painters from California Film directors from Los Angeles 21st-century American painters