Shaun Costello
- Known for
- Directing
- Born
- January 1, 1944, The Bronx, New York City, New York, USA
- Died
- July 5, 2023
- Movies
- 133
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.
Best-Known Movies
Filmography
| 2021 | Hymns from the Abyss | Self (archive footage) |
| 1990 | Enrapture | Cigar Shop Man |
| 1982 | Double Pleasure | (archive footage) |
| 1982 | Mistress Electra | Narrator (voice) (uncredited) |
| 1981 | Pandora's Mirror | Waiter / Man in Audition Line |
| 1980 | New York Construction Co. | |
| 1979 | More Than Sisters | Martin Randall |
| 1979 | The Two Lives of Jennifer | Bob O'Connor |
| 1978 | Slave Of Pleasure | Richard Anselm / Masked Guy |
| 1978 | A Taste of Bette | S.R. |
| 1978 | Daughters of Discipline | Bruno |
| 1977 | The Fire in Francesca | Troy Winston |
| 1977 | Joy of Humiliation | Biker with Cigarette |
| 1977 | Cherry Hustlers | Company Investigator |
| 1977 | Betrayed Teens | Bobby |
| 1977 | Schoolgirl's Reunion | Football Announcer (voice) / Autograph Seeker / Guy at Party |
| 1977 | Dirty Susan | Bob Gilroy |
| 1976 | The Dark Side of Danielle | Bruce / Betty's Master |
| 1976 | Tortured Woman | El Gringo |
| 1976 | Water Power | Police Station Cop / Man at Car Window |
| 1976 | That Lady from Rio | Sex Slave (uncredited) |
| 1976 | French Schoolgirls | |
| 1976 | The Fury in Alice | Chip Carson |
| 1976 | Girl Scout Cookies | Mr. O'Malley |
| 1976 | The Story of Eloise | Edgar Frank |
| 1976 | Sensuous Fly Girls | Man in Stable |
| 1976 | Midnight Desires | Chauffeur / Highwayman (uncredited) |
| 1976 | The Untamed Vixens | Jerry |
| 1976 | Venture Into the Bizzare | Closing Narration (voice) |
| 1976 | The Summer of Suzanne | Chip |
| 1976 | She's No Angel | Dr. Warren Counter |
| 1976 | The Travails of June | Willy |
| 1975 | Cheryl's Surrender | Ray Lavagis |
| 1975 | Kathy's Graduation Present | Randy |
| 1975 | China Doll | Bert |
| 1975 | Baby Oil | Orgy Guy with Two Girls |
| 1975 | Gladys and Her All Girl Band | Lola |
| 1975 | Lisa Meets Mr. Big | Minister |
| 1975 | The Passions of Carol | The Spirits |
| 1975 | Two Senoritas | Guy with Glasses |
| 1975 | Private Practice | Mr. Barnes |
| 1975 | The School for Sexual Arts | Guy in Final Class |
| 1975 | Sin of Lust | Bob Hartman |
| 1975 | Hotel Hooker | Pete |
| 1974 | The Love Bus | George |
| 1974 | Come Fly with Us | Jay Basby |
| 1974 | Teenage Nurses | Joe / TV Reporter |
| 1974 | Lady on the Couch | Poker Buddy (uncredited) |
| 1974 | Pen Pals | Good Samaritan / Man in Black |
| 1974 | Lip Service | Hired Guy |
| 1973 | The Tycoon's Daughter | Newspaper Reader / Radio Newscaster |
| 1973 | Go Fly a Kite | John Spaulding |
| 1973 | Honeymoon Suite | Jamie |
| 1973 | Ozark Sex Fiend | Newscaster / Homer Heaply |
| 1973 | Sweet Sexteen | Jerry |
| 1973 | Come and Be Purified | Brother Francis |
| 1973 | Teachers and Cream | Mr. Boynton |
| 1973 | Tina Makes a Deal | Customs Agent |
| 1973 | Joe Rock Superstar | Rock the Guitarist / Voice of Walter Cockite |
| 1973 | Guess Who's Coming | Peter |
| 1973 | Forced Entry | David |
| 1973 | The Porn Brokers | Self |
| 1972 | Sexual Customs in Scandinavia | Mr. Thorens |
| 1972 | Selling It | (archive footage) |
| 1971 | Love in the Rain | Shaun (uncredited) |
| 1971 | The Magical Ring | First Fantasy Lover |
| 1971 | Feel | |
| 1971 | Sensuous Vixens | Photo Model with Mustache |
Directing, Writing & Producing
| 1990 | Writing for Time | Director |
| 1983 | Hot Dreams | Director, Writer, Producer |
| 1983 | Heaven's Touch | Writer, Director, Producer |
| 1982 | Mistress Electra | Producer, Director, Writer |
| 1981 | Pandora's Mirror | Writer, Producer, Director |
| 1981 | Prisoner of Pleasure | Director, Writer |
| 1981 | Beauty | Writer, Director, Producer |
| 1980 | Dracula Exotica | Producer, Director, Writer |
| 1980 | Afternoon Delights | Director, Screenplay |
| 1980 | New York Construction Co. | Director, Writer |
| 1979 | More Than Sisters | Director, Screenplay |
| 1979 | Sunny | Producer, Writer, Director |
| 1979 | The Two Lives of Jennifer | Director, Producer, Writer |
| 1978 | Fiona on Fire | Director |
| 1978 | Slave Of Pleasure | Screenplay, Producer, Director |
| 1978 | Daughters of Discipline | Director, Producer, Writer |
| 1977 | The Fire in Francesca | Director |
| 1977 | Betrayed Teens | Writer, Producer, Director |
| 1977 | Schoolgirl's Reunion | Producer, Writer, Director |
| 1977 | Dirty Susan | Director |
| 1976 | The Dark Side of Danielle | Writer, Director |
| 1976 | Tortured Woman | Director |
| 1976 | Water Power | Director, Producer, Writer |
| 1976 | That Lady from Rio | Director, Writer |
| 1976 | The Fury in Alice | Writer, Producer, Director |
| 1976 | Girl Scout Cookies | Director |
| 1976 | Dominatrix Without Mercy | Director, Writer |
| 1976 | The Story of Eloise | Producer, Writer, Director |
| 1976 | Sensuous Fly Girls | Writer, Director, Producer |
| 1976 | Midnight Desires | Screenplay, Producer, Director |
| 1976 | The Summer of Suzanne | Writer, Director |
| 1976 | The Untamed Vixens | Producer, Writer, Director |
| 1976 | She's No Angel | Director |
| 1976 | The Travails of June | Director, Producer, Writer |
| 1975 | Cheryl's Surrender | Producer, Director, Writer |
| 1975 | Kathy's Graduation Present | Writer, Director |
| 1975 | China Doll | Director, Writer |
| 1975 | Gladys and Her All Girl Band | Writer, Director |
| 1975 | Lisa Meets Mr. Big | Writer, Director |
| 1975 | The Passions of Carol | Screenplay, Director, Producer |
| 1975 | Two Senoritas | Director, Writer, Producer |
| 1975 | The Joyriders | Producer, Writer, Director |
| 1975 | Sin of Lust | Writer, Director |
| 1975 | Hotel Hooker | Producer, Director, Writer |
| 1975 | The School for Sexual Arts | Director |
| 1974 | The Love Bus | Director, Writer |
| 1974 | Come Fly with Us | Director, Writer, Producer |
| 1974 | Teenage Nurses | Director, Screenplay, Producer |
| 1974 | Lady on the Couch | Producer, Writer, Director |
| 1974 | Pen Pals | Writer, Director |
| 1974 | Lip Service | Writer, Director |
| 1973 | Maxines' Dating Service | Director |
| 1973 | The Tycoon's Daughter | Director |
| 1973 | Go Fly a Kite | Producer, Writer, Director |
| 1973 | Honeymoon Suite | Writer, Director |
| 1973 | Ozark Sex Fiend | Writer, Producer, Director |
| 1973 | Sweet Sexteen | Director, Producer, Writer |
| 1973 | Come and Be Purified | Producer, Director |
| 1973 | Teachers and Cream | Writer, Producer, Director |
| 1973 | Tina Makes a Deal | Producer, Writer, Director |
| 1973 | Joe Rock Superstar | Director |
| 1973 | Forced Entry | Writer, Director, Producer |
| 1973 | The Love Witch | Producer |
| 1972 | Hell's Kitten | Director |
| 1971 | Sensuous Vixens | Writer, Director |
Data from TMDB. This product uses the TMDB API but is not endorsed or certified by TMDB.