Tom Stern (director)
Tom Stern is an American actor, director, writer, and producer living in Los Angeles, California.
Education
Stern grew up in Pleasantville, New York and attended Byram Hills High School in Armonk, New York, and then went to film school at Tisch School of the Arts New York University (NYU) from 1983–87, where he met Alex Winter. The two collaborated on a number of short films including Squeal of Death, which was noticed by an executive at Columbia Pictures in 1986.
Hollywood
In 1987 Stern and Winter drove to Hollywood and sent a copy of Squeal of Death to Sam Raimi, whose film Evil Dead 2 was an inspiration to them. Raimi responded enthusiastically. He and his partner Rob Tapert optioned an anthology comedy feature film script from Stern and Winter. The pair then worked on a number of short films and music videos for bands such as Red Hot Chili Peppers, Ice Cube, and Butthole Surfers. They also directed Impact Video Magazine for producer Stuart Shapiro. Impact was a counter-culture arts magazine that featured short films, performances, and interviews with the likes of Butthole Surfers, painter Robert Williams, hip hop pioneers Public Enemy, robotic art collective Survival Research Labs, and comedian Bill Hicks.
