Alston Ramsay

{{Infobox person

| name = Alston Ramsay

| image =

| caption = Alston Ramsay

| birth_place = Asheboro, North Carolina

| alma_mater = Dartmouth College

| occupation = Screenwriter, Film Producer, Journalist, Speechwriter

| years_active = 2006–present

}}

Alston Ramsay is an American journalist, speechwriter, screenwriter, and film producer. He is known for his work as a Pentagon speechwriter in the Bush and Obama administrations and as a screenwriter for critically acclaimed feature films. Ramsay spent a year in Kabul, Afghanistan, on General David Petraeus’ senior staff. He wrote and produced the IFC film Midnighters which holds an 81% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.{{cite web|title='Midnighters': Film Reviews|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/midnighters/|publisher=Rotten Tomatoes}} His second film, The Current Occupant, is a tech-noir horror film about the President of the United States.{{cite web |last1=Barta |first1=Preston |title='CURRENT OCCUPANT' director ventures 'into the dark' corners of our mind in psychological thriller |url=https://freshfiction.tv/current-occupant-director-ventures-into-the-dark-corners-of-our-mind-in-psychological-thriller/ |website=Fresh Fiction |date=July 17, 2020 |accessdate=30 August 2020}} The film was produced by Blumhouse for the Into the Dark anthology series and released on Hulu in July 2020.{{Cite web|last=Squires|first=John|date=2020-07-02|title=The President Ends Up in the Psych Ward in Hulu's "Into the Dark: The Current Occupant" [Trailer]|url=https://bloody-disgusting.com/tv/3622272/president-ends-psych-ward-hulus-dark-current-occupant-trailer/|access-date=2020-07-03|website=Bloody Disgusting!|language=en-US}}

Early life and education

Ramsay grew up in a small town in North Carolina where his family worked in medical textiles. He attended Dartmouth College, where he was editor-in-chief of a campus journal.{{cite web|last1=Womick|first1=Chip|title=Asheboro Brother bring thriller to big screen|url=https://www.courier-tribune.com/news/20180406/asheboro-brothers-bring-thriller-to-big-screen|accessdate=9 April 2018}} He graduated summa cum laude with a B.A. in American Government. He also has an M.B.A. from UNC Kenan–Flagler Business School. He frequently works with his older brother, film and television director Julius Ramsay.{{Cite web|last=Breuninger|first=Kevin|date=2018-03-03|title=How a former Pentagon speechwriter made the switch to the independent film business|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2018/03/02/former-pentagon-speechwriter-now-a-filmmaker.html|access-date=2020-07-03|website=CNBC|language=en}}

Career

Ramsay began his career as a journalist and magazine editor before moving to Washington, D.C. He spent four years as the deputy chief speechwriter for Secretary of Defense Robert Gates. He then worked for Commanding General David Petraeus in Afghanistan as Petraeus' head writer and strategic analyst. Ramsay has also written speeches for former Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson, other four-star generals, presidential candidates, and Fortune 100 CEOs.{{cite web |last1=Siegel |first1=Tatiana |title='Into the Dark: The Current Occupant' Writer on "Insane" Trump and Life Imitating Art |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/dark-current-occupant-writer-insane-trump-life-imitating-art-1303343 |website=The Hollywood Reporter |date=July 16, 2020 }}

After receiving his MBA, Ramsay moved to Los Angeles and wrote and produced the independent thriller film Midnighters. Following its premiere at the Los Angeles Film Festival, the film was purchased and released by IFC in 2018.{{cite web |last1=Iryna |first1=Sonya |title=Walking Dead director Julius Ramsay talks about his new film Midnighters |url=https://undeadwalking.com/2018/03/01/walking-dead-director-julius-ramsay-talks-new-film-midnighters/ |website=Undead Walking |date=March 2018 |accessdate=30 August 2020}}

Ramsay's second feature film, The Current Occupant, is a psychedelic institutional horror film based on his experiences working in politics. Actor Barry Watson stars as a patient in a mental asylum who believes that he is the President of the United States. Ramsay wrote the screenplay and worked as an Executive Producer on the film. The Current Occupant aired as an episode of the horror anthology web television series Into the Dark and served as the tenth episode of the show's second season. It was produced by Blumhouse as a Hulu Original for Hulu. Filming was completed two weeks before the COVID-19 pandemic suspended film production in the United States. A trailer was released on July 2, 2020{{Cite web|last=ghermanns|date=2020-07-02|title=Into the Dark's The Current Occupant Trailer from Julius & Alston Ramsay|url=https://www.comingsoon.net/tv/trailers/1140503-into-the-darks-the-current-occupant-trailer-from-julius-alston-ramsay|access-date=2020-07-03|website=ComingSoon.net|language=en-US}} and the film premiered on July 17 on Hulu to favorable reviews.{{cite web |last1=Anderson |first1=John |title='Into the Dark: The Current Occupant' Review: A Curious Claim to the Oval Office |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/into-the-dark-the-current-occupant-review-a-curious-claim-to-the-oval-office-11594931449 |website=The Wall Street Journal |accessdate=30 August 2020}}{{cite web |last1=Serba |first1=John |title=Stream It Or Skip It: 'Into the Dark: Current Occupant' on Hulu, a Hyper-political Thriller About a Probably Insane President |url=https://decider.com/2020/07/17/into-the-dark-current-occupant-on-hulu-stream-it-or-skip-it/ |website=Decider |date=July 17, 2020 |accessdate=30 August 2020}}{{cite web |last1=Levinson |first1=Paul |title=Into the Dark: The Current Occupant |url=https://vocal.media/horror/into-the-dark-the-current-occupant |website=Vocal |publisher=Vocal.media |accessdate=30 August 2020}}