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Bryan Michael Stoller

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Bryan Michael Stoller
Stoller in 2023
Born
Peterborough, Ontario, Canada
OccupationIndependent filmmaker
Years active1970–present[1][2]
Parents
  • David Stoller[2]
  • Carole Stoller[2]
Websitebryanmichaelstoller.com

Bryan Michael Stoller (born 1960) is a Canadian independent filmmaker whose films include First Dog, The Amazing Wizard of Paws, Santa Stole Our Dog, (Universal) Turn of the Blade, The Random Factor, Miss Cast Away, Undercover Angel, and Light Years Away.

His childhood hobbies included magic tricks and clay animation.[3] His dad attempted to convince Bryan to pursue a different career; later, his dad said he was proud of Stoller's career.[4] As a teen, he earned multiple Film Awards: a gold award in "Film Magic" at The Festival of the Americas (1978), a bronze medal at the Miami International Film Festival for a super documentary (1979), and Best Youth Film at the Canadian International Amateur Film Festival (1979).[5] When Bryan was twelve years old he hosted a national children's show on the CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Company) called "Film Fun" showing pre-teens how to make their own super-8 movies.

After producing commercials for local businesses, he moved to Los Angeles at 19 when he was selected as a Director Fellow at the American Film Institute[6] Later he earned a role dusting the Hulk, Lou Ferrigno on The Incredible Hulk TV series when he crashed through a wall.[5]

Stoller said he prefers directing to producing because he enjoys the creative aspect. He has also acted briefly, making a few cameos in his productions and starring in a short A Canadian Werewolf in Hollywood, a parody of American Werewolf in London where he transforms into a werewolf in the middle of a call and uses his wolf side to produce a film. A Canadian Werewolf in Hollywood and other spoofs Stoller directed were packaged into a movie called Undershorts: The Movie for Paramount Home Video.

Other shorts in Undershorts: The Movie received attention from celebrities parodied by them. The Incredible Bulk, a parody of The Incredible Hulk TV series, included Lou Ferrigno from the TV show reprising his role as the Hulk.[7][8] "The Shadow of Michael", a parody of a Pepsi commercial caught Jackson's attention,[9][10] and Jackson reprised his minor character Agent MJ from Men in Black II in Stoller's feature film parody titled "Miss Castaway & the Island Girls",[11][12][13] later re-released as Silly Movie 2.

Jackson and Stoller were planning to release a new movie called They Cage the Animals at Night prior to Jackson's death.[14][15][16] Jackson's estate was not aware there was a formal deal for the movie, as Jackson didn't have a management team at the time he discussed the movie—though there was a contractual agreement drafted and signed through Jackson's attorneys.[17] Stoller was interviewed after Jackson's death to talk about his friendship. Stoller noted that Jackson seemed frail prior to his death and said he didn't believe allegations against Jackson.[18][19]

Stoller adopted a dog named Little Bear. The dog was previously fostered by former president Ronald Reagan and first lady Nancy Reagan. Stoller met Nancy Reagan, which inspired him to create the movie First Dog starring Little Bear as the First Dog who gets lost, and found by a foster kid.[2][20]

Stoller has also coached filmmakers[21] and actors and written the coaching books Filmmaking for Dummies and Harry Potter: Imagining Hogwarts, and Smartphone Movie Maker. Stoller has accomplished a feat that most independent filmmakers have not achieved; his movies UnderCover Angel and Wizard of Paws amassed close to eighteen million views on AVOD without any advertising—word of mouth only.

Stoller's films have appeared on almost every modern platform, including Netflix, Amazon Prime, HBO, FOX, ABC, NBC, CBS and in syndication.

Selected filmography

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Films

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Year Title As Notes
1971 Film Fun Writer, Director, Producer, Co-Host
1977 Just Like Magic Writer, Director, Producer
1987 Undershorts: The Movie[22] Writer, Director, Producer Appears as himself in the short "A Canadian Werewolf in Hollywood"
1994 Turn of the Blade Director, Writer (story), Producer Cameo appearance as "Stroller couple."
1995 The Random Factor Director, Writer, Producer Cameo appearance as "Van Passenger."
1996 Dragon Fury II Director
1999 Undercover Angel Director, Writer, Producer. Cameo appearance as "Speedy Messenger."
2004 Miss Cast Away Director, Writer, Producer Cameo appearance as "Courier"
Featuring Michael Jackson.
2007 Light Years Away Director, Writer, Producer
2010 First Dog[23] Director, Writer, Producer. (Also editor and music supervisor) Cameo appearance as "Letter Carrier Paul"
Featuring original songs by Dolly Parton
2014 The Amazing Wizard of Paws writer, producer, director, editor
2017 Santa Stole Our Dog writer, producer, director, editor Starring Ed Asner as Santa Claus

Television

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Television and film roles
Year Title Role Notes
1986 Tales from the Darkside[24] Director Episode: "The Bitterest Pill"

Bibliography

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  • Stoller, Bryan Michael, Filmmaking for Dummies (2003) ISBN 0470386940[25][26]
  • "Smartphone Moviemaking"
  • "Harry Potter: Imagining Hogwarts" a guide to movie making.[27]

References

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  1. ^ Hill, Kelly (25 July 2004). "Bryan Michael Stoller's Advice for Actors". Hollywood Success. Retrieved 2 August 2021.
  2. ^ a b c d "Hollywood beckoned for this Peterborough boy: Film director's father ran Dave's Surplus Circus and North George Sundries". The Peterborough Examiner. 27 April 2014. Retrieved 6 August 2021.
  3. ^ "Bryan Michael Stoller News interview 1985". YouTube. Archived from the original on 2021-12-12. Retrieved 2 August 2021.
  4. ^ "Bravo presents A Canadian Werewolf in Hollywood 2021". YouTube. Bravo. Archived from the original on 2021-12-12. Retrieved 6 August 2021.
  5. ^ a b "Bryan Michael Stoller 1978 News Segment". YouTube. Bryan Michael Stoller. Archived from the original on 2021-12-12. Retrieved 2 August 2021.
  6. ^ Stoller, Bryan. "About Bryan Michael Stoller". Bryan Michael Stoller. Retrieved 2 August 2021.
  7. ^ Stoller, Bryan. "HULK spoof --The Best Hulk Spoof!". YouTube. Bryan Michael Stoller. Archived from the original on 2021-12-12. Retrieved 2 August 2021.
  8. ^ Stoller, Bryan. "Bryan's Celebrity Corner". Bryan Michael Stoller. Retrieved 2 August 2021.
  9. ^ Stoller, Bryan. "MICHAEL JACKSON Parody - Directed by Bryan Michael Stoller". YouTube. Bryan Michael Stoller. Archived from the original on 2021-12-12. Retrieved 2 August 2021.
  10. ^ Stoller, Bryan. "Michael Jackson friendship". Bryan Michael Stoller. Retrieved 2 August 2021.
  11. ^ Stoller, Bryan. "Michael Jackson as Agent MJ". YouTube. Bryan Michael Stoller. Archived from the original on 2021-12-12. Retrieved 2 August 2021.
  12. ^ Carroll, Larry. "Michael Jackson Chases His Movie Dreams in Bizarro Spoof". MTV. 29 July 2005. Archived from the original on April 5, 2015. Retrieved 2 August 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: location (link)
  13. ^ Block, Alex. "The Michael Jackson Movie You Never Saw". Billboard. Retrieved 2 August 2021.
  14. ^ Lash, Jolie (13 November 2001). "Michael to Direct Movie". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 24 April 2003. Retrieved 2 August 2021.
  15. ^ Block, Alex (22 July 2009). "Michael Jackson and Stoller aimed to co-direct a movie about foster children based on the best selling book of the same name". Hollywood Reporter. Reuters. Retrieved 2 August 2021.
  16. ^ Michaels, Sean (23 July 2009). "Michael Jackson planned to co-direct film about foster children". The Guardian. Retrieved 2 August 2021.
  17. ^ "Jackson hoped to co-direct the movie about foster kids with Stoller". Today. Reuters. 22 July 2009. Retrieved 2 August 2021.
  18. ^ "Michael Jackson's Final Hours & Brian Oxman's Warning to Jackson Family About MJ Overmedicating". YouTube. NBC News. Archived from the original on 2021-12-12. Retrieved 2 August 2021.
  19. ^ Fleeman, Mike (26 June 2009). "Fan who saw Jackson Monday was horrified". Today. NBC. Retrieved 2 August 2021.
  20. ^ Block, Alex (21 June 2010). "Meeting with Nancy Reagan inspired dog film". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 6 August 2021.
  21. ^ "2015 Bryan Michael Stoller Film Workshop". Edmonton Short Film Festival. Retrieved 2 August 2021.
  22. ^ Stoller, Bryan. "Undershorts parodies by Bryan Michael Stoller". YouTube. Bryan Michael Stoller. Archived from the original on 2021-12-12. Retrieved 2 August 2021.
  23. ^ "First Dog". IMDb. Retrieved 2 August 2021.
  24. ^ bio site
  25. ^ Filmmaking for Dummies. Amazon. 8 November 2019. ISBN 978-1-119-61785-3. Retrieved 2 August 2021. {{cite book}}: |website= ignored (help)
  26. ^ "Filmmaking For Dummies". Barnes & Noble. Retrieved 2 August 2021.
  27. ^ Gund, Jeffrey. "Harry Potter: Imagining Hogwarts – Book Signing and Free Networking event with Author/Filmmaker Bryan Michael Stoller". info list. Retrieved 2 August 2021.
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