Craig Hamann

Craig Hamann
Born
Craig Hamann
Occupations
  • Film director
  • Screenwriter
  • Producer
  • Actor
Years active1986−present

Craig Hamann is an American film director, screenwriter, producer and actor. He is best known for his work on Quentin Tarantino's film My Best Friend's Birthday (1987).

Career

Craig Hamann first appeared in Fred Olen Ray's horror film The Tomb (1986). While at the James Best Theatre Company, Hamann met Quentin Tarantino, with whom he would write the shot-on-video zombie film Warzone. He would reteam with Tarantino to write the comedy film My Best Friend's Birthday (1987). Hamann and Tarantino would also co-star in the film. Hamann, along with Tarantino, considered the production and low budget nature of Spike Lee's film She's Gotta Have It (1986) as a major influence in making My Best Friend's Birthday. He would write the screenplay for Charles Band's Dollman vs. Demonic Toys (1993). In 1994, he would write the horror film Stalked, before serving as a drug consultant on Tarantino's Pulp Fiction (1994).

In 1998, he would make his directorial debut with the crime film Boogie Boy. He would reteam with Band on the latter's film The Haunted Dollhouse (2013). In 2015, he wrote the screenplay for the Russian film Showdown in Manila (2016). By February 2020, he was developing Smokers, a 10-episode television series. He wrote the western films Gunfight at Rio Bravo (2023), and its sequels Taken from Rio Bravo (2024) and The Last Heroes of Rio Bravo (TBA). He would also script Night of the Caregiver (2023) and The Wide West (2025). In 2023, he wrote the screenplay for the upcoming horror film The Ominous (TBA).

Filmography

Year Title Director Screenwriter Producer Actor Other Notes/Ref(s)
1986 The Tomb No No No Yes No Role: Tyler
1987 My Best Friend's Birthday No Yes Yes Yes No Role: Mickey Burnett
1992 Reservoir Dogs No No No Yes No Role: Background Radio Play (voice)
Murder, She Wrote No No No Yes No Role: Bert Lazarus
Episode: "A Christmas Secret"
1993 Dollman vs. Demonic Toys No Yes No No No
1994 Pulp Fiction No No No No Yes Consultant
Scanner Cop No No No Yes No Role: Officer Gorman
Stalked No Yes No No No
1998 Boogie Boy Yes Yes No No No
2013 The Haunted Dollhouse No Yes No No No
2016 Showdown in Manila No Yes No No No
2023 Gunfight at Rio Bravo No Yes No No No
Night of the Caregiver No Yes Co-producer No No
2024 Taken from Rio Bravo No Yes No No No
2025 The Wide West No Yes No No No

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Craig Hamann [Interview]". Trainwreck'd Society. February 3, 2020. Archived from the original on September 24, 2020. Retrieved October 20, 2026.
  2. ↑ Konow, David (July 24, 2019). ""It Was My Film School": A Look Back at My Best Friend's Birthday, the Lost Tarantino Movie". Script Mag. Retrieved October 25, 2026.
  3. ↑ Rausch, Andrew. "My Best Friend's Birthday: The Making of a Quentin Tarantino Film". thebedlamfiles. Retrieved October 25, 2026.
  4. ↑ Ferrari, Alex (November 5, 2016). "Quentin Tarantino's Unreleased Feature Film: My Best Friend's Birthday". Indie Film Hustle. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved October 20, 2026.
  5. ↑ Gaydos, Steve (March 14, 2007). "Q&A with Tarantino…when he was Mr. Green". Variety. Archived from the original on April 13, 2019. Retrieved October 20, 2026.
  6. ↑ O'Connor, Roision (October 21, 2016). "Quentin Tarantino: Director's first film My Best Friend's Birthday on YouTube". The Independent. Archived from the original on November 17, 2020. Retrieved October 20, 2026.
  7. ↑ "My Best Friend's Birthday". Free Movies Cinema. Retrieved October 20, 2026.[permanent dead link]
  8. ↑ Wild, David (November 3, 1994). "Quentin Tarantino: The Madman of Movie Mayhem". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on November 17, 2020. Retrieved October 20, 2026.
  9. ↑ Konow, David (July 24, 2019). ""It Was My Film School": A Look Back at My Best Friend's Birthday, the Lost Tarantino Movie". Script. Archived from the original on August 23, 2022. Retrieved October 20, 2026.
  10. ↑ Rausch, Andrew J. (2019). My Best Friend's Birthday: The Making of a Quentin Tarantino Film. BearManor Media. ISBN 978-1629334837.
  11. 1 2 "Halloween Harvest of Fear". Daily News. Newspapers.com. October 5, 1993. Retrieved October 20, 2026.
  12. 1 2 "Stalked (1994)". moriareviews. Retrieved October 20, 2026.
  13. 1 2 "Boogie Boy (1997)". New York Times. Archived from the original on March 6, 2016. Retrieved October 20, 2026.
  14. 1 2 "Haunted Dollhouse (2013)". culturecrypt. Retrieved October 20, 2026.
  15. 1 2 "Hello Россия: Александр Невский о новой картине "Разборка в Маниле"". Archived from the original on September 23, 2015. Retrieved October 20, 2026. (in Russian)
  16. 1 2 3 Steinberg, Jamie (August 27, 2024). "Alexander Nevsky – Taken from Rio Bravo". starrymag. Retrieved October 20, 2026.
  17. ↑ Hamman, Cody (June 23, 2023). "The Last Heroes of Rio Bravo: Alexander Nevsky, Joe Cornet will continue their western franchise". JoBlo. Retrieved October 20, 2026.
  18. 1 2 Morazzini, Jim (August 17, 2023). "'Night of the Caregiver' Review". nerdly. Retrieved October 20, 2026.
  19. 1 2 Hill, Kent (June 11, 2025). "The Wide West". Film Threat. Retrieved October 20, 2026.
  20. ↑ Hamman, Cody (December 1, 2023). "The Ominous: Alexander Nevsky makes his horror debut in Joe Cornet film". JoBlo. Retrieved October 20, 2026.
  21. ↑ "Craig Hamann". TV Guide. Retrieved October 22, 2026.
  22. 1 2 "Craig Hamann". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved October 21, 2026.
  23. ↑ "Gunfight at Rio Bravo Reviews of Western". moviesandmania. May 6, 2022. Retrieved October 20, 2026.