Brian Patrick Butler

For other people named Brian Butler, see Brian Butler (disambiguation).
Brian Patrick Butler
Born
San Diego, California, U.S.
Alma materSan Diego State University
Occupations
Years active2014–present
Known for
Notable credits
Websitebrianpbutler.com

Brian Patrick Butler is an American actor, film director, screenwriter, and film producer. He is known for writing and directing the film Friend of the World (2020), writing and performing in the film Hemet, or the Landlady Don't Drink Tea (2023), and appearing in the films South of 8 (2016), Thane of East County (2015) and We All Die Alone (2021).

Life and career

While pursuing a degree in theatre arts at San Diego State University,[1][2][3] Butler directed a production of Stephen Adly Guirgis's play The Last Days of Judas Iscariot.[4] After graduating, Butler performed at New Village Arts Theatre in the West Coast premieres of The House Theatre of Chicago's The Nutcracker[5] and Sarah Ruhl's Stage Kiss.[6] He was also cast in Return to the Forbidden Planet at New Village Arts[7] and played KJ in Ion Theatre's production of Annie Baker's The Aliens.[8] During this time, Butler acted in the feature films South of 8 and Thane of East County[1] before writing and directing two short films: Hatred and The Phantom Hour.[9] In 2017, Butler starred in the short film Assumption[10] and later in Hacksaw, a feature-length slasher film with Sadie Katz and Cortney Palm.[11] In 2023, Butler starred as Liz Topham-Myrtle, a ruthless landlady, in a film made from his screenplay Hemet, or the Landlady Don't Drink Tea.[12][13][14] In 2024, it was announced he would direct a film titled A Corpse in Kensington, which he also wrote.[15]

Friend of the World

Main article: Friend of the World

In 2016, Butler formulated a script titled Friend of the World.[16] In 2020, the film premiered virtually at the Oceanside International Film Festival during the COVID-19 pandemic.[17] Following the premiere, Butler mentioned he was inspired by the works of John Carpenter and Samuel Beckett.[18] The film was distributed by Troma Entertainment in 2022[19][20] and is listed as one of the 100 Best Zombie Movies, Ranked by Tomatometer.[21]

Filmography

Year Title Writer Director Actor Producer Role Notes
2015 Hatred Yes Yes Yes Executive John Short film[9][22]
2016 The Phantom Hour Yes Yes Yes Yes Bryce Short film[9]
2020 Friend of the World Yes Yes No Yes [2]
2023 Hemet, or the Landlady Don't Drink Tea Yes No Yes Executive Liz Topham-Myrtle [12][23][24][25]
2025 A Corpse in Kensington † Yes Yes No Yes — [26][27]
Key
† Denotes films that have not yet been released

Acting roles in other films

Year Title Role Ref.
2015 Thane of East County Matt [1]
2016 South of 8 Ryan Bertrand [1][28]
2017 Assumption [10][29]
2019 Buy Roses for Me Leo
2020 Hacksaw Tommy [11]
Zach King's Day Off Brian Butler [30]
2021 Graduation Afternoon Ben Dorne [1]
We All Die Alone Riley [31]
Continuance Loren [3]
2022 Mike & Fred vs The Dead Fred [30]
The Gools One Leg / Hyena (voice) [32]
2023 The Godfather The Crime Boss

Accolades

Event Year Award Film Result Ref.
Horrible Imaginings Film Festival 2015 Best Dramatic Short Film Hatred Nominated [33]
Downtown Los Angeles Film Festival 2022 Best Ensemble Cast in a Short Film We All Die Alone Won [34]
Oceanside International Film Festival 2022 Best Supporting Actor We All Die Alone Nominated [35]
2024 Best Actor in a Lead Role Hemet, or the Landlady Don't Drink Tea Nominated [36]
Best Editing in a Feature Hemet, or the Landlady Don't Drink Tea Nominated
Best Screenplay (Feature) Hemet, or the Landlady Don't Drink Tea Nominated
Atlanta ShortsFest 2022 Best Ensemble Cast We All Die Alone Nominated
Georgia Shorts Film Festival 2022 Best Actor We All Die Alone Nominated [37]
Video Librarian 2022 Top 15 Best Narrative Films Friend of the World Won [38]
Simply Indie Film Fest 2023 Best Ensemble Cast We All Die Alone Won
San Diego Film Awards 2015 Best Supporting Actor Birthday Wish Nominated
2020 Best Narrative Feature Film Friend of the World Nominated
2022 Best Ensemble Cast We All Die Alone Won
2024 Best Ensemble Cast in a Narrative Feature Film Hemet, or the Landlady Don't Drink Tea Nominated [39]
Best Lead Actor in a Narrative Feature Film Hemet, or the Landlady Don't Drink Tea Nominated
Best Narrative Feature Film Hemet, or the Landlady Don't Drink Tea Nominated
Best Original Screenplay in a Narrative Feature Film Hemet, or the Landlady Don't Drink Tea Nominated
San Diego Film Week 2023 Best Dark Comedy Feature Film Hemet, or the Landlady Don't Drink Tea Nominated [40]

A Corpse in Kensington

A Corpse in Kensington is an upcoming American horror film written and directed by Brian Patrick Butler and produced by Justin Burquist. It is expected to release in late 2025.[26]

Cast

Production

In 2024, Horror Society announced that Michael Madsen and Ryan Bollman joined the cast starring Derrick Acosta. Butler described the film as a personal, psychological horror and romantic comedy.[15] A crowdfund was launched and the movie is set in Kensington, San Diego.[41]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Stone, Ken (July 24, 2020). "San Diego's Spielberg? Q&A With Director Brian Butler Near Sci-Fi Film Premiere". Times of San Diego (Interview). Retrieved January 26, 2022.
  2. ^ a b Peterson, Karla (2020-08-14). "San Diego filmmaker brings the apocalypse to the Oceanside International Film Festival". San Diego Union-Tribune. Archived from the original on 2024-06-16. Retrieved 2023-11-21.
  3. ^ a b Elling, Regina (2023-11-16). "Filming of indie thriller 'Hemet, or the Landlady Don't Drink Tea,' in Ramona was a family affair". Ramona Sentinel. Archived from the original on 2023-11-19. Retrieved 2023-11-21.
  4. ^ Dixon, David (April 17, 2014). "Laughs and tears in fresh show". The Daily Aztec. Retrieved April 19, 2022.
  5. ^ "Photo Flash: First Look at New Village Arts' West Coast Premiere of THE NUTCRACKER". Broadway World. December 9, 2014. Retrieved June 1, 2022.
  6. ^ Kragen, Pam (February 8, 2015). "Review: 'Stage Kiss' at New Village Arts a charming farce". The San Diego Union Tribune. Archived from the original on 2016-10-10. Retrieved June 1, 2022.
  7. ^ Hebert, James (July 27, 2015). "'Forbidden Planet' goes into giddy comic orbit". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on 2022-06-01. Retrieved June 1, 2022.
  8. ^ Smith, Jeff (November 27, 2015). "The Aliens is just part-time work". San Diego Reader. Retrieved June 1, 2022.
  9. ^ a b c "Meet Brian Patrick Butler of Charybdis Pictures in Van Nuys". Voyage LA (Interview). August 6, 2020. Retrieved January 26, 2022.
  10. ^ a b Black, Emilie (September 23, 2017). "Assumption (2017) [Horrible Imaginings Film Festival 2017]". Cinema Crazed. Retrieved April 19, 2022.
  11. ^ a b Therkelsen, Michael (December 14, 2020). ""Hacksaw" Cuts Into VOD 1/5/20 From Midnight Releasing". Horror Society. Retrieved April 19, 2022.
  12. ^ a b Bennett, Emily (2024-11-14). "'Hemet, or the Landlady Don't Drink Tea' Explores Tyranny in Twisted Dark Comedy". lovehorror.co.uk. Retrieved 2024-12-03.
  13. ^ Bitel, Anton (2024-01-24). "Hemet, Or The Landlady Don't Drink Tea (2023)". Projected Figures. Archived from the original on 2024-01-24. Retrieved 2024-01-25.
  14. ^ Fanelli, Brian (2024-01-25). "Hemet, or the Landlady Don't Drink Tea: Beware the killer landlady". 1428 Elm. Archived from the original on 2024-01-25. Retrieved 2024-01-25.
  15. ^ a b Brewer, Mac (2024-04-09). "Michael Madsen and Ryan Bollman cast in psychological horror 'A Corpse in Kensington'". Horror Society. Retrieved 2024-06-11.
  16. ^ Baranowska, Carmela (September 2021). "Interview with Writer/Director Brian Patrick Butler". We Are Moving Stories (Interview). Retrieved August 9, 2021.
  17. ^ Milkowski, Jenny (August 13, 2020). Enjoy the Oceanside International Film Festival from your own couch. KFMB-TV. Archived from the original on 2021-08-01. Retrieved January 26, 2022.
  18. ^ Halen, Adrian (November 17, 2021). "'Friend of the World' streaming and on demand Nov 22nd". HorrorNews.net. Retrieved March 10, 2022.
  19. ^ Hoekstra, Ken (April 3, 2022). "Brian Patrick Butler's 'Friend of the World,' Is Streaming On TromaNow!". PopHorror. Retrieved April 4, 2022.
  20. ^ Keriazes, Harleigh (April 11, 2022). "It's not the end of the world: "Friend of the World" is available now". Rue Morgue. Retrieved April 12, 2022.
  21. ^ "100 Best Zombie Movies, Ranked by Tomatometer". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 2024-12-19.
  22. ^ Rodriguez, Miguel (2017-02-07). "Hatred | Horrible Imaginings Film Festival". Horrible Imaginings Film Festival. Archived from the original on 2017-02-07. Retrieved 2023-12-28.
  23. ^ Parker, Sean (2024-12-02). "Hemet, or The Landlady Don't Drink Tea is The Absurd Political Satire We Need Now". 25YL. Retrieved 2024-12-03.
  24. ^ Gidney, Norman (2024-11-05). "Hemet, or the Landlady Don't Drink Tea". HorrorBuzz. Retrieved 2024-12-03.
  25. ^ Devir, Ryan (2024-03-27). "Hemet, or the Landlady Don't Drink Tea – Film Threat". Film Threat. Retrieved 2024-12-03.
  26. ^ a b Bennett, Emily (2024-11-07). "Love Triangles and Dark Secrets in 'A Corpse in Kensington'". lovehorror.co.uk. Retrieved 2024-12-03.
  27. ^ Acosta, Derrick (2024-04-08). I'm In A Movie?! - Director Interview W/ Bryan Butler (Podcast). Retrieved 2024-04-08 – via YouTube.
  28. ^ Black, Emilie (2017-02-17). "South of 8 (2016) [San Diego Film Week 2017] – Cinema Crazed". Cinema Crazed. Retrieved 2023-04-21.
  29. ^ Dunn, Catherine (2016-09-25). "Film Review: Assumption". The Independent Horror Society (formerly London Horror Society). Archived from the original on 2019-08-05. Retrieved 2023-12-28.
  30. ^ a b "'MIKE AND FRED VS. THE DEAD' Trailer: Killin' Zombies, Smokin' Weed". PopHorror. 2023-03-07. Retrieved 2023-11-21.
  31. ^ Ng, Alan (2021-12-17). "We All Die Alone Featured, Reviews Film Threat". Film Threat. Retrieved 2023-11-21.
  32. ^ Wit, Alex Dudok de (2021-01-05). "Iranian Martial Arts Feature 'The Gools' Is Reportedly Coming To U.S. And China". Cartoon Brew. Retrieved 2023-11-21.
  33. ^ "Awards Nominations | Horrible Imaginings 2015". Horrible Imaginings Film Festival. 2015-09-04. Archived from the original on 2015-09-04. Retrieved 2023-12-28.
  34. ^ "2022 DTLA Film Festival Announces Award Winners". Downtown Los Angeles Film Festival. 2022-09-19. Archived from the original on 2022-09-19. Retrieved 2023-12-28.
  35. ^ "OIFF 2022 WINNERS". Oceanside International Film Festival. Retrieved April 22, 2022.
  36. ^ Gallant, Julie (2024-02-20). "Poway actress stars in dark comedy showing at Oceanside International Film Festival". Poway News Chieftain. Retrieved 2024-02-25.
  37. ^ "GEORGIA SHORTS FILM FESTIVAL - 2022 Award Nominations". Cinema Life. Archived from the original on 2022-04-10. Retrieved 2022-04-22.
  38. ^ Lambert, Isadora; Madden, Caroline (2023-03-04). "Best Narrative Films of 2022". Video Librarian. Archived from the original on 2023-03-07. Retrieved 2023-08-01.
  39. ^ "2024 San Diego Film Award Nominees". Film Consortium San Diego. Retrieved 2024-06-27.
  40. ^ "2023 San Diego Film Week Award Nominations". San Diego Film Week. Retrieved 2023-11-21.
  41. ^ Downey, Paul (2024-04-14). "Crowdfunder launched for horror-comedy A Corpse in Kensington". Bloody Flicks. Retrieved 2024-06-11.