
Directing
Born January 1, 1944 ยท The Bronx, New York City, New York, USA
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.

Writing for Time
1990

Hot Dreams
1983

Heaven's Touch
1983

Mistress Electra
1982

Pandora's Mirror
1981

Prisoner of Pleasure
1981

Beauty
1981

Dracula Exotica
1980

Afternoon Delights
1980

New York Construction Co.
1980

More Than Sisters
1979

Sunny
1979

The Two Lives of Jennifer
1979

Fiona on Fire
1978

Slave of Pleasure
1978

Daughters of Discipline
1978

The Fire in Francesca
1977

Betrayed Teens
1977

Schoolgirl's Reunion
1977

Dirty Susan
1977

The Dark Side of Danielle
1976

Tortured Woman
1976

Water Power
1976

That Lady from Rio
1976

The Fury in Alice
1976

Girl Scout Cookies
1976

Dominatrix Without Mercy
1976

The Story of Eloise
1976

Sensuous Fly Girls
1976

Midnight Desires
1976

The Untamed Vixens
1976

She's No Angel
1976

The Travails of June
1976

The Summer of Suzanne
1976

Cheryl's Surrender
1975

Kathy's Graduation Present
1975

China Doll
1975

Gladys and Her All Girl Band
1975

Lisa Meets Mr. Big
1975

The Passions of Carol
1975

Two Senoritas
1975

The Joyriders
1975

The School for Sexual Arts
1975

Sin of Lust
1975

Hotel Hooker
1975

The Love Bus
1974

Come Fly with Us
1974

Teenage Nurses
1974

Lady on the Couch
1974

Pen Pals
1974

Lip Service
1974

Maxines' Dating Service
1973

The Tycoon's Daughter
1973

Go Fly a Kite
1973

Honeymoon Suite
1973

Ozark Sex Fiend
1973

Sweet Sexteen
1973

Come And Be Purified
1973

Teachers and Cream
1973

Tina Makes a Deal
1973

Joe Rock Superstar
1973

Forced Entry
1973

Hell's Kitten
1972

Sensuous Vixens
1971

Hymns from the Abyss
2021

Enrapture
1990
Double Pleasure
1982

Mistress Electra
1982

Pandora's Mirror
1981

New York Construction Co.
1980

More Than Sisters
1979

The Two Lives of Jennifer
1979

Slave of Pleasure
1978

A Taste Of Bette
1978

Daughters of Discipline
1978

The Fire in Francesca
1977

Joy Of Humiliation
1977

Cherry Hustlers
1977

Betrayed Teens
1977

Schoolgirl's Reunion
1977

Dirty Susan
1977

The Dark Side of Danielle
1976

Tortured Woman
1976

Water Power
1976

That Lady from Rio
1976

French Schoolgirls
1976

The Fury in Alice
1976

Girl Scout Cookies
1976

The Story of Eloise
1976

Sensuous Fly Girls
1976

Midnight Desires
1976

The Untamed Vixens
1976

Venture Into the Bizzare
1976