David Schmoeller
Encyclopedia
David Schmoeller is an American film director, producer, and screenwriter. He is notable for directing several full-length theatrical horror movies including Tourist Trap (1979), The Seduction
(1982), Puppet Master
(1989), Catacombs (1988), and Crawlspace
(1986) starring Klaus Kinski
.
He spent six months as an intern with writer-director Peter Hyams
on the film Capricorn One
., before writing and directing his first theatrical feature Tourist Trap (1979).
Tourist Trap was based on Schmoeller's University of Texas thesis film The Spider Will Kill You. Shot in 24 days, it features a score by Pino Donaggio
, performances from Chuck Connors
and Tanya Roberts
, and contains sound effects culled from The Time Machine
(1960) and Gone with the Wind
(1939).
Schmoeller also wrote the screenplays for Tourist Trap (1979), The Seduction
(1982), Crawlspace
(1986), and Catacombs (1988).
In 1982, he directed The Seduction
(1982), a thriller starring Morgan Fairchild
and Andrew Stevens
.
He directed the horror film Puppet Master
in 1989 and also wrote its original screenplay. Many of the puppet characters Schmoeller created for Puppet Master
have appeared in the various sequels that comprise the Puppet Master franchise
.
In 1991, Schmoeller directed The Arrival starring John Saxon
. The Arrival is a horror-themed science fiction tale which tells the story of an old man who comes across a fallen meteor from outer space. Soon, the old man begins to grow younger and younger, aging backwards. However, he also develops an intense thirst for blood.
In the early 1990s, he directed several episodes for TV series such as Silk Stalkings
and Renegade (TV series)
, and also directed a TV movie called Search for the Jewel of Polaris: Mysterious Museum in 1999.
In recent years, Schmoeller has produced many of his own film projects including the full-length feature Thor at the Bus Stop (2009) as well as the shorts Please Kill Mr. Kinski (1999) and Spanking Lessons (2007).
His most recent film, a video short titled The Rules of House-Sitting, was completed in 2010.
He is currently employed as a film professor at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.
The Seduction (1982 film)
The Seduction is a 1982 thriller film starring Morgan Fairchild and Andrew Stevens, written and directed by David Schmoeller. The original music score was composed by Lalo Schifrin. The film was marketed with the tagline "Alone... frightened.....
(1982), Puppet Master
Puppet Master (film)
Puppet Master is a 1989 horror film written by Charles Band and Kenneth J. Hall, and directed by David Schmoeller...
(1989), Catacombs (1988), and Crawlspace
Crawlspace (film)
Crawlspace is a 1986 horror/thriller film starring Klaus Kinski as Karl Guenther, the crazed son of a Nazi doctor, who is obsessed with trapping young women and then slowly torturing them to death...
(1986) starring Klaus Kinski
Klaus Kinski
Klaus Kinski, born Klaus Günter Karl Nakszynski , was a German actor. He appeared in more than 130 films, and is perhaps best-remembered as a leading role actor in Werner Herzog films: Aguirre, the Wrath of God , Nosferatu the Vampyre , Woyzeck , Fitzcarraldo and Cobra Verde .-Early...
.
Biography
Schmoeller was born in Kentucky but raised and educated in Texas. He completed a Masters program in Radio-Television-Film at the University of Texas at Austin. Fluent in Spanish, he was briefly an interpreter for ABC Sports during the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City.He spent six months as an intern with writer-director Peter Hyams
Peter Hyams
Peter Hyams is an American screenwriter, director and cinematographer, probably best known for directing the 1984 science fiction adventure 2010 , Capricorn One, the comic book adaptation Timecop and the Arnold Schwarzenegger horror/action film End of Days.-Family:Hyams was born in New York...
on the film Capricorn One
Capricorn One
Capricorn One is a 1977 science fiction thriller movie about a Mars landing hoax. It was written and directed by Peter Hyams and produced by Lew Grade's ITC Entertainment. It stars James Brolin, Sam Waterston and O. J...
., before writing and directing his first theatrical feature Tourist Trap (1979).
Tourist Trap was based on Schmoeller's University of Texas thesis film The Spider Will Kill You. Shot in 24 days, it features a score by Pino Donaggio
Pino Donaggio
Giuseppe "Pino" Donaggio is an Italian composer.Born in Burano , into a family of musicians, Donaggio began studying violin at the age of ten, first at the Benedetto Marcello conservatory in Venice, followed by the Giuseppe Verdi Conservatory in Milan...
, performances from Chuck Connors
Chuck Connors
Chuck Connors was an American actor, writer, and professional basketball and baseball player. His best known role from his forty-year film career was Lucas McCain in the 1960s ABC hit Western series The Rifleman....
and Tanya Roberts
Tanya Roberts
Tanya Roberts is an American actress best known for her roles in Charlie's Angels, The Beastmaster, A View to a Kill, Sheena and That '70s Show. Roberts was groomed as a Hollywood sex symbol during the early 1980s.- Early life :Blum was born in The Bronx, New York City, of Irish and Jewish descent...
, and contains sound effects culled from The Time Machine
The Time Machine (1960 film)
The Time Machine is a 1960 American science fiction film based on the 1895 novel of the same name by H. G. Wells in which a man in Victorian England constructs a time-travelling machine which he uses to travel to the future...
(1960) and Gone with the Wind
Gone with the Wind (film)
Gone with the Wind is a 1939 American historical epic film adapted from Margaret Mitchell's Pulitzer-winning 1936 novel of the same name. It was produced by David O. Selznick and directed by Victor Fleming from a screenplay by Sidney Howard...
(1939).
Schmoeller also wrote the screenplays for Tourist Trap (1979), The Seduction
The Seduction (1982 film)
The Seduction is a 1982 thriller film starring Morgan Fairchild and Andrew Stevens, written and directed by David Schmoeller. The original music score was composed by Lalo Schifrin. The film was marketed with the tagline "Alone... frightened.....
(1982), Crawlspace
Crawlspace (film)
Crawlspace is a 1986 horror/thriller film starring Klaus Kinski as Karl Guenther, the crazed son of a Nazi doctor, who is obsessed with trapping young women and then slowly torturing them to death...
(1986), and Catacombs (1988).
In 1982, he directed The Seduction
The Seduction (1982 film)
The Seduction is a 1982 thriller film starring Morgan Fairchild and Andrew Stevens, written and directed by David Schmoeller. The original music score was composed by Lalo Schifrin. The film was marketed with the tagline "Alone... frightened.....
(1982), a thriller starring Morgan Fairchild
Morgan Fairchild
Morgan Fairchild is an American actress. She achieved prominence during the late 1970s and early 1980s with continuing roles in several television series, in which she usually conveyed a glamorous image. Fairchild has also performed in live theater and played guest roles in television comedies...
and Andrew Stevens
Andrew Stevens
Andrew Stevens is an American executive, film producer, director and former actor.-Early life:Andrew Stevens was born Herman Andrew Stephens in Memphis, Tennessee...
.
He directed the horror film Puppet Master
Puppet Master (film)
Puppet Master is a 1989 horror film written by Charles Band and Kenneth J. Hall, and directed by David Schmoeller...
in 1989 and also wrote its original screenplay. Many of the puppet characters Schmoeller created for Puppet Master
Puppet Master (film)
Puppet Master is a 1989 horror film written by Charles Band and Kenneth J. Hall, and directed by David Schmoeller...
have appeared in the various sequels that comprise the Puppet Master franchise
Puppet Master (franchise)
Puppet Master is a horror film franchise which focuses on a group of puppets animated by an Egyptian spell, each equipped with their own unique and dangerous device and are represented as heroes, anti-heroes, and antagonists...
.
In 1991, Schmoeller directed The Arrival starring John Saxon
John Saxon
John Saxon may refer to:* John Saxon , motion picture actor, specializing in action films* John Saxon , known for developing a new system of mathematics education...
. The Arrival is a horror-themed science fiction tale which tells the story of an old man who comes across a fallen meteor from outer space. Soon, the old man begins to grow younger and younger, aging backwards. However, he also develops an intense thirst for blood.
In the early 1990s, he directed several episodes for TV series such as Silk Stalkings
Silk Stalkings
Silk Stalkings is a TV crime drama originally shown on CBS in 1991 as part of the network's late-night Crimetime After Primetime programming package, and rebroadcast on the USA Network. After CBS ended the Crimetime experiment in 1993, the series ran exclusively on USA until its finale in the...
and Renegade (TV series)
Renegade (TV series)
Renegade is an American television series that ran for 110 episodes spanning 5 seasons between September 19, 1992 and April 4, 1997.The series stars Lorenzo Lamas as Reno Raines, a police officer who is framed for a murder he didn't commit. Raines goes on the run and joins forces with Native...
, and also directed a TV movie called Search for the Jewel of Polaris: Mysterious Museum in 1999.
In recent years, Schmoeller has produced many of his own film projects including the full-length feature Thor at the Bus Stop (2009) as well as the shorts Please Kill Mr. Kinski (1999) and Spanking Lessons (2007).
His most recent film, a video short titled The Rules of House-Sitting, was completed in 2010.
He is currently employed as a film professor at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.
Movies
- The Spider Will Kill You (1976)
- Tourist Trap (1979)
- The SeductionThe Seduction (1982 film)The Seduction is a 1982 thriller film starring Morgan Fairchild and Andrew Stevens, written and directed by David Schmoeller. The original music score was composed by Lalo Schifrin. The film was marketed with the tagline "Alone... frightened.....
(1982) - CrawlspaceCrawlspace (film)Crawlspace is a 1986 horror/thriller film starring Klaus Kinski as Karl Guenther, the crazed son of a Nazi doctor, who is obsessed with trapping young women and then slowly torturing them to death...
(1986) - Catacombs (1988)
- Puppet MasterPuppet Master (film)Puppet Master is a 1989 horror film written by Charles Band and Kenneth J. Hall, and directed by David Schmoeller...
(1989) - The Arrival (1991)
- NetherworldNetherworld (film)Netherworld is a 1992 horror film and romance film directed by David Schmoeller and produced by Charles Band. It received an 'R' rating for violence, language, and nudity.-Plot summary:...
(1992) - The Secret Kingdom (1998)
- Please Kill Mr. Kinski (1999)
- Wedding Day (2008)
Television series (as director)
- Silk StalkingsSilk StalkingsSilk Stalkings is a TV crime drama originally shown on CBS in 1991 as part of the network's late-night Crimetime After Primetime programming package, and rebroadcast on the USA Network. After CBS ended the Crimetime experiment in 1993, the series ran exclusively on USA until its finale in the...
(TV series) (1992–1993) - Renegade (TV series)Renegade (TV series)Renegade is an American television series that ran for 110 episodes spanning 5 seasons between September 19, 1992 and April 4, 1997.The series stars Lorenzo Lamas as Reno Raines, a police officer who is framed for a murder he didn't commit. Raines goes on the run and joins forces with Native...
(TV series) (1992)