Charlie Picerni
Also Known As: Charlie Piccerni , Charles Picerni Sr. , Charlie Picerni Sr. , Chuck Picerni Sr. , Charles Picerni , Charley Picerni , Chuck Picerni
Biography: Charlie Picerni was born in Corona Queens, New York. The fourth of five children to Italian parents. After high school, he worked different jobs, one being construction work on high-rise buildings in Manhattan. He married, at a young age, his childhood girlfriend, Marie. He had a son after one year of marriage and decided he didn't want to work in construction, anymore. So, he headed west to try his luck in the movie business! His brother, Paul Picerni, was an actor on a hit TV show at that time called "The Untouchables (1959)". Charlie worked as a stand-in, an extra and started doing stunt double work. Charlie immediately fell in love with this work and moved his family to California. Charlie excelled as a stuntman and then moved up to stunt-coordinating TV shows. He got his big break on "Starsky and Hutch (1975)", he was the stunt coordinator and Paul Michael Glaser's stunt double. Aaron Spelling and Duke Vincent saw what direction Charlie was heading in - Directing"! He started second unit-directing "Starsky and Hutch (1975)" and then moved up to directing episodes of "Starsky". He continued stunt-coordinating and second unit-directing such shows as "Kojak (1973)" and "Magnum, P.I. (1980)". He then started directing television for producers Aaron Spelling, Leonard Goldberg and Stephen J. Cannell, for such shows as "T.J. Hooker (1982)", "Matt Houston (1982)", "Vega$ (1978)", "Hardcastle and McCormick (1983)", "Hunter (1984)", "Stingray (1985)", "Finder of Lost Loves (1984)", "The A-Team (1983)", "J.J. Starbuck (1987)", "Spenser: For Hire (1985)", "Blue Thunder (1984)", "Gavilan (1982)" and HBO's "Tales from the Crypt (1989)". At that time, Charlie caught Warner Brothers producer Joel Silver's eye. Joel hired Charlie to stunt-coordinate "Die Hard (1988)". This led to second unit-directing and stunt-coordinating on the films, "Die Hard 2 (1990)", "Road House (1989)", "Lethal Weapon 2 (1989)" & "Lethal Weapon 3 (1992)", "Hudson Hawk (1991)", "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989)", "The Last Boy Scout (1991)", "Demolition Man (1993)", "Ghost (1990)", "Ricochet (1991)", "Basic Instinct (1992)", "A Low Down Dirty Shame (1994)", "True Romance (1993)", "2 Days in the Valley (1996)", "15 Minutes (2001)" and many more. Charlie also, during this time, directed multiple episodes on a TV series, called "Seven Days (1998)", for Paramount studios. Charlie also worked as an actor in many TV and film projects throughout his career. Realizing he wanted to further his career as a director, he studied at the "Beverly Hills Playhouse" in the Master class for two years. In 2007, he directed, produced and co-wrote a feature film entitled "Three Days to Vegas (2007)", starring Peter Falk, Rip Torn and George Segal. In 2010, Charlie directed Ayn Rand's play, "Night of January 16th", at the Odyssey Theatre to rave reviews! While continuing to work in all avenues of the motion picture business, he is developing and writing his own project called "Spaghetti Park", which he will produce and direct. Charlie is a proud member of "The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences".
Department: Crew
Place of Birth: Queens, New York, USA
Adult: No
Popularity:
Known For:
Margin for Murder
Overview: Mickey Spillane's hard-hitting '50s private eye, Mike Hammer, returns to television in the guise of Kevin Dobson to track down the killer of his best friend who was driving Hammer's car. Joining in the hunt are the detective's Girl Friday, the ever-hopeful Velda, and his cop friend, Pat Chambers.
Genres: Crime Mystery TV Movie
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1981-10-15
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Sizzle
Overview: A sultry nightclub singer, a small-town girl in the big city, sets out to avenge her boyfriend's murder after he is killed while running illegal booze for the mob.
Genres: Crime Drama TV Movie
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1981-11-29
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Hot Summer Week
Overview: Two girls pick up a crazed hitchhiker who may or may not be the serial killer murdering hippies in the area.
Genres: Comedy Drama Thriller
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1972-06-21
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Two of a Kind
Overview: God has had just about enough of the human's attitude so he will destroy the planet very soon. It is up to a struggling inventor and a bank teller, both with very amateur criminal minds, to save the world.
Genres: Fantasy Comedy Romance
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1983-12-13
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Shamus
Overview: Millions in diamonds are stolen from a New York City safe, and later the burglar is killed. Shamus is paid $10,000 by the owner to find the diamonds or the killer.
Genres: Thriller Mystery Comedy Action
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1973-01-31
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Star Spangled Girl
Overview: A pair of 60's hippies fall in love with the girl next door, who is exactly the kind of square that they are fighting against.
Genres: Comedy
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1971-12-22
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Tora! Tora! Tora!
Overview: In the summer of 1941, the United States and Japan seem on the brink of war after constant embargos and failed diplomacy come to no end. "Tora! Tora! Tora!", named after the code words used by the lead Japanese pilot to indicate they had surprised the Americans, covers the days leading up to the attack on Pearl Harbor, which plunged America into the Second World War.
Genres: War History Drama
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1970-01-26
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Matt Helm
Overview: In this pilot film for the later series, a former secret agent, now a private investigator, is hired to protect a beautiful film star and gets involved with black marketeers and gun runners.
Genres: Action Crime Drama TV Movie
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1975-05-07
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The Don Is Dead
Overview: After his mistress is murdered, a Mafia leader goes after the killer with a bloody vengeance. Soon after the hunt begins, a gang war ensues.
Genres: Crime Drama
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1973-11-14
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Cannon
Overview: In this pilot film to the TV series, Cannon investigates the murder of a war buddy to clear the man's wife of suspicion in his death.
Genres: Crime Drama Mystery TV Movie
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1971-03-26
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Rivkin: Bounty Hunter
Overview: A New York-based bounty hunter who makes a living chasing and capturing bail jumpers matches wits with a heavily-armed drug dealer in this pilot to a prospective series.
Genres: Action Crime TV Movie
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1981-05-20
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True Lies
Overview: A fearless, globe-trotting, terrorist-battling secret agent has his life turned upside down when he discovers his wife might be having an affair with a used car salesman while terrorists smuggle nuclear war heads into the United States.
Genres: Action Thriller
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1994-07-15
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Earthquake
Overview: Various interconnected people struggle to survive when an earthquake of unimaginable magnitude hits Los Angeles, California.
Genres: Action Drama Thriller
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1974-11-15
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Die Hard
Overview: NYPD cop John McClane's plan to reconcile with his estranged wife is thrown for a serious loop when, minutes after he arrives at her offices Christmas Party, the entire building is overtaken by a group of terrorists. With little help from the LAPD, wisecracking McClane sets out to single-handedly rescue the hostages and bring the bad guys down.
Genres: Action Thriller
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1988-07-15
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Westworld
Overview: Delos is a futuristic amusement park that features themed worlds—ancient Rome, Medieval times and the Old West—populated by human-like androids. After two patrons have a run-in with a menacing gunslinger in West World, the androids at Delos all begin to malfunction, causing havoc throughout the park.
Genres: Adventure Science Fiction Western
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1973-08-15
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Evil Roy Slade
Overview: Orphaned and left in the desert as an infant, Evil Roy Slade (John Astin) grew up alone—save for his teddy bear—and mean. As an adult, he is notorious for being the "meanest villain in the West"—so he's thrown for quite a loop when he falls for sweet schoolteacher Betsy Potter (Pamela Austin). There's also Nelson L. Stool (Mickey Rooney), a railroad tycoon, who, along with his dimwitted nephew Clifford (Henry Gibson), is trying to get revenge on Evil Roy Slade for robbing him.
Genres: TV Movie Western Comedy
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1972-02-18
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Murder Me, Murder You
Overview: Private eye Mike Hammer probes his long-lost love's death while seeking their daughter.
Genres: Crime Mystery TV Movie
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1983-04-09
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Rapid Fire
Overview: College student Jake Lo is pursued by smugglers, mobsters and crooked federal agents after he witnesses a murder by a Mafia kingpin.
Genres: Action Thriller Crime Drama
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1992-08-21
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Batman
Overview: The Dynamic Duo faces four super-villains who plan to hold the world for ransom with the help of a secret invention that instantly dehydrates people.
Genres: Action Comedy Crime
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1966-07-30
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The Letters
Overview: Story of people whose lives were changed because of a year-long delay in the delivery of some letters.
Genres: Drama TV Movie
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1973-03-03
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The Mad Bomber
Overview: Los Angeles detectives Minelli and Blake must track down a serial rapist who may know the identity of a mentally disturbed bomber.
Genres: Drama Thriller Crime
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1973-04-01
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The Baltimore Bullet
Overview: A tale of two hustlers trying to set up a big game.
Genres: Comedy Crime Drama
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1980-04-01
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Stunts Unlimited
Overview: A group of Hollywood stunt performers are recruited by former U.S. Intelligence agent Dirk Macauley to retrieve a stolen laser gun from a notorious arms dealer in this pilot to a proposed TV series.
Genres: Action TV Movie
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1980-01-04
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Fuzz
Overview: Police in Boston search for a mad bomber trying to extort money from the city.
Genres: Comedy Crime Drama
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1972-07-14
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Demonic
Overview: A police officer and a psychologist investigate the deaths of five people who were killed while trying to summon ghosts.
Genres: Thriller Horror
Original Language: en
Release Date: 2015-02-12
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The World's Greatest Stunts: A Tribute to Hollywood Stuntmen
Overview: A follow-up special to ABC's 1987 "The Ultimate Stuntman: A Tribute to Dar Robinson." The program includes clips of great stunts, interviews with celebrities and profiles of legendary stuntpeople.
Genres: Documentary
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1988-01-01
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The Boston Strangler
Overview: Boston is being terrorized by a series of seemingly random murders of women. Based on the true story, the film follows the investigators path through several leads before introducing the Strangler as a character. It is seen almost exclusively from the point of view of the investigators who have very few clues to build a case upon.
Genres: Drama Crime Thriller
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1968-10-08
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Man On A String
Overview: A government agent, out to destroy a crime ring, finds himself in the middle of a mob war.
Genres: TV Movie Crime Drama
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1972-02-18
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