Directing
Tom Rubnitz
Born January 1, 1956 · Chicago, Illinois, USA
Died August 12, 1992 · aged 36
Thomas Block Rubnitz was an American video artist most often associated with the New York City East Village drag queen scene of the late 1980s. His video tapes were mainly inspired by pop culture and Las Vegas-style shows. A number of his works featured RuPaul and members of The B-52s.
Known For
Pickle Surprise · 1989Pickle Surprise
★ 7.21989
MovieComedy
A short, hilarious cooking mantra.
The Fairies · 1989The Fairies
★ 5.01989
MovieComedyFantasy
Based on a tale by Charles Perrault, Tom Rubnitz's The Fairies comes complete with frogs, princes, kind fairies, and evil stepsisters—all costumed à la Rubnitz. Featuring Sister Dimension as the fairy godmother, Michael Clark, and others, the tape playfully illustrates a familiar fairytale moral, as each person gets what they deserve. The evil girl spits up toads, while flowers and jewels emerge from the mouth of Matilda the Good, and a dancing prince carries her away.
Made for TV · 1984Made for TV
★ 10.01984
MovieDramaTV Movie
Combining Rubnitz’s skillful manipulation of the familiar “look” of TV shows with an extraordinary range of characters, performer Ann Magnuson convincingly impersonates the array of female types seen on TV in a typical broadcast day. From glitzy to drab, from friendly housewife to desperate evangelist, Magnuson is a one-woman universe appearing on every channel, the star of every program—giving her all as the chameleon woman who is always on display.
Vandemonium Plus · 1987Vandemonium Plus
★ 8.01987
MovieTV MovieComedy
Ann Magnuson is launched off the back of her boyfriend's motorcycle while doing a bong rip, and into a strange fantasy world airbrushed on the side of a van. Will she make it back to our world in time for the Vulcan Death Grip show?
John Sex: The True Story · 1983John Sex: The True Story
★ 3.01983
MovieDocumentary
A profile of the East Village personality John Sex.
Psykho III: The Musical · 1985Psykho III: The Musical
1985
MovieComedyMusic
Psykho III: The Musical is an intriguing play on the tension between “authentic” and “pop” camp. This celebration of artifice was originally written, directed, and produced by Mark Oates as a stage musical parody following the release of Psycho II in 1983, and was performed at the East Village’s most notorious nightspot — The Pyramid Club. In 1985, after a wildly successful run, Oates reached out to longtime friend and video artist Tom Rubnitz to produce a video adaptation of the stage musical.
Frieda! (The Movie) · 1980Frieda! (The Movie)
1980
Movie
This first "Frieda" collaboration between performance artists Barbara Lipp and Tom Koken and video artist Tom Rubnitz chronicles Frieda's rise from assembly-line worker in a box factory to singing superstar. Featuring rock-bottom production values and a sound track which includes the Brady Bunch kids' tune "Gonna Find a Rainbow".
Strawberry Short-Cut · 1991Strawberry Short-Cut
★ 6.21991
MovieComedy
A drag queen shares a secret recipe.
Filmography
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