Mark Borchardt
| Mark Borchardt | |
|---|---|
 Borchardt speaks while eating a cheese sandwich made by Nancy Ford at the Riverview Theater in Minneapolis prior to a preview screening of The Hagstone Demon May 8, 2008. |
|
| Born | August 20, 1966 Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin |
| Occupation | Filmmaker, actor |
Mark Borchardt (born August 20, 1966) is an American independent filmmaker. He is best known as the subject of the 1999 film American Movie: The Making of Northwestern, which documented two years he spent writing, shooting and editing his horror short, Coven (1997).
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[edit] Early life
Borchardt was born and raised in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin. His mother Monica is Swedish.[1] He started making films at the age of fourteen with a super-8 camera that was given to him by a guy that lived down the street from him.[1] After serving three years in the military, he continued his cinematic endeavors at the local university. In the mid-nineties, he wrote and produced Halloween radio dramas which were broadcast annually and won a fellowship from the Milwaukee Art Futures Board.[2]
[edit] Career
Filmmakers Chris Smith and Sarah Price began filming Borchardt while he was attempting to put together funding for his unfinished feature Northwestern.[2] After the project collapsed, Borchardt decided instead to finish Coven, which he had started years earlier.[3] After Coven was completed, Smith and Price compiled their footage into American Movie, which was picked up by Sony Classics and won the Grand Jury Prize at the 1999 Sundance Film Festival.[3]
Since then Borchardt has been active appearing on television and in movies. Borchardt has made five appearances on Late Show with David Letterman, including serving as Letterman's 2000 election correspondent.[4] He made several TV appearances on The Show with No Name, a show in Austin, TX, between 2000 and 2003. In 2004, he played himself in a cameo appearance on the television cartoon series Family Guy,[5] along with friend and American Movie co-star Mike Schank. He and Mike also have their own series on Zero TV, Mark and Mike and in, 2006, Mark and Mike hosted a national television special called Night of the Living Dead: LIVE from Wisconsin on Halloween night.
Borchardt has appeared in several movies, including, but not limited to, The One (2001), The Tunnel (2001), Abby Singer, & The Godfather of Green Bay (2005). Borchardt also starred in Modus Operandi (2009), played a gravedigger in the partially animated comedy Hamlet A.D.D. (2009) and had a leading role in the horror feature The Hagstone Demon (2011)[6]. In addition, Borchardt also made a cameo in the music video for the Leslie and the Ly's song "Zombie Killer" featuring Elvira, Mistress of the Dark on guest vocals.
He has contributed to Kevin Lindenmuth's 2001 book, The Independent Film Experience (ISBN 0786410752 ) and had his short stories published in magazines.
In 2004, he announced he would direct Scare Me and sent out casting calls.[7] In 2008, he announced a 2009 release date, which was originally slated for a 2005 release. As of Summer 2010 the movie was still in production.[8]
[edit] Work
Writer/Director
| Year | Film | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Coven | Writer/Director |
| 2000 | Northwestern (In-production) | "Dorkus the Dummy" |
| 2004 - present | Scare Me | Writer/Director |
Actor/subject
| Year | Film | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1999 | American Movie | Self |
| 2000 | Coven | Mike |
| 2001 | The One | Cesar |
| 2001 | The Tunnel | Lincoln |
| 2002 | Britney Baby, One More Time | Dude Schmitz |
| 2003 | Living Dead Girl | Jesus |
| 2005 | The Godfather of Green Bay | Skeeter |
| 2005 | Zombie Island | Al the drunk at the bar |
| 2007 | Confession Stand | Theatre Manager |
| 2007 | The Devil's Muse | Floyd |
| 2008 | First Bass | Principal Papalschmeck |
| 2009 | Living Arrangements | Paul |
| 2009 | Unholy Reunion | Douglas - Interviewee |
| 2009 | Tapioca | Harve |
| 2009 | Dozers | Gawker |
| 2009 | Modus Operandi | Dallas Deacon |
| 2009 | Cabin Fever 2: Spring Fever | Herman |
| 2011 | Hamlet A.D.D. | Gravedigger |
| 2011 | The Hagstone Demon | Douglas Elmore |
| 2011 | Scare Me | Jeff Lavelle |
Music Videos
| Video | Band |
|---|---|
| "Dead Pan" | Big D and the Kids Table |
[edit] References
- ^ a b "The Screens, Limelight: A Brush With Mark Borchardt". Austin Chronicle. November 26, 1999. http://www.austinchronicle.com/gyrobase/Issue/story?oid=oid%3A74837. Retrieved 2009-09-15.
- ^ a b "Cutting to the chase as a filmmaker Falls man focuses on his dream". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Feb 1, 1996. http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-6415475.html?refid=gnews_209. Retrieved 2009-09-15.
- ^ a b Morrow, Fiona (Jun 23, 2000). "The loser who made Milwaukee famous". London: The Independent. http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/features/the-loser-who-made-milwaukee-famous-714888.html. Retrieved 2009-09-15.
- ^ "Milwaukee Talks: Mark Borchardt, 2000". OnMilwaukee.com. Sept. 12, 2000. http://www.onmilwaukee.com/movies/articles/borchardt.html?xmlfile=article_movies&topclicks_start=41. Retrieved 2009-09-15.
- ^ "Borchardt and Shank make cameo on "Family Guy"". OnMilwaukee.com. Jan. 8, 2006. http://www.onmilwaukee.com/buzz/articles/familyguy.html. Retrieved 2009-09-15.
- ^ Smith, Zack. "Nevermore curates the latest in cinematic horror, along with a few classics". http://www.indyweek.com/indyweek/nevermore-curates-the-latest-in-cinematic-horror-along-with-a-few-classics/Content?oid=1300319. Retrieved 13 August 2011.
- ^ "Casting call, Milwaukee style". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Jan 25, 2004. http://docs.newsbank.com/g/GooglePM/MWSB/lib00252,1005223AA868ECE5.html. Retrieved 2009-09-15.
- ^ "Vanishing Act: Mark Borchardt". Nerve. Feb 2, 2008. http://www.nerve.com/CS/blogs/screengrab/archive/2008/02/29/vanishing-act-mark-borchardt.aspx. Retrieved 2009-09-15.
[edit] External links
- Mark Borchardt at the Internet Movie Database
- Mark Borchardt at AllRovi
- Mark Borchardt on Myspace
- Northwestproductions.com Borchardt's former production website (Archive.org)
