Donnie Eichar
{{short description|American film director}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2022}}
{{tone|date=March 2020}}
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| occupation = Author and film producer
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| known_for = Dead Mountain (book)
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Donnie Eichar is an American film producer, director and author. He wrote the book Dead Mountain: The Untold True Story of the Dyatlov Pass Incident in 2013. He is also known for producing the TV series Killing Fields, the documentary film Soaked in Bleach, and the TV series The Buried Life.
Early life
Eichar grew up in Indian Rocks Beach, Florida, before moving to Hollywood to pursue a career in the film industry.{{cite web|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052702303997604579242080348388104|title=Book Review: 'Dead Mountain' by Donnie Eichar|date=January 3, 2014|work=The Wall Street Journal|last1=Crouch|first1=Gregory}}
Film career
Eichar starred in the first vampire movie The brotherhood.
His directorial career began with shooting documentary films. His first being the 2003 documentary, Blind Faith, which premiered at the Seattle International Film Festival. He released his second documentary in 2006, Seeing With Sound,{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1249184/|title=Seeing with Sound (2006)|publisher=IMDb}} which won a silver award at The Telly Awards in 2007. In 2008, he wrote and directed a third documentary on blindness, which was titled Victory Over Darkness. It premiered at the Heartland film festival.{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1302208/|title=Victory Over Darkness (2008)|date=October 16, 2008|publisher=IMDb}}
In 2006, Eichar was a director, writer, and producer for The Dangerous Sports Club, The Bug Wrangler, Dan Eldon Lives and Queen of Scream. All four films aired on Current TV.
In 2010, Eichar began working for MTV as a producer for the documentary series The Buried Life. The show received two nominations for VH1's Do Something Awards. Eichar served as a producer on the show for two seasons.{{cite web|url=http://www.documentary.org/feature/mtv-gets-real-cabler-sees-future-buried-life|title=MTV Gets Real: Cabler Sees Future in 'The Buried Life'|last1=Blozan|first1=Elizabeth|work=International Documentary Association |date=February 20, 2010}}
Following the release of his first book, it was announced by Variety that the book would be turned into a movie.{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2015/film/news/dyatlov-pass-movie-transcendence-producers-1201539552/#comments|title=Dyatlov Pass Movie in the Works by 'Transcendence' Producers|date=July 13, 2015|publisher=Variety|last1=McNary|first1=Dave}} The movie has not been made as of 2024.
In 2015, Eichar produced and wrote the documentary film Soaked in Bleach, which studied the events preceding and surrounding the death of Kurt Cobain as seen through the perspective of private investigator Tom Grant. The film controversially explored the premise that Kurt Cobain's death was not a suicide.{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2015/film/reviews/soaked-in-bleach-review-kurt-cobain-courtney-love-1201519277/|title=Film Review: 'Soaked in Bleach'|date=June 24, 2015|publisher=Variety|last1=Harvey|first1=Dennis}} Soaked in Bleach had a limited theatrical release, despite statements that Courtney Love attempted to thwart the film release with cease and desist orders sent to all the theatres slated to show the film. The film was also distributed by Netflix after its limited theatrical release.{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2015/06/courtney-love-cease-and-desist-soaked-in-bleach-kurt-cobain-documentary-1201445904/|title=Courtney Love Sends Cease & Desist Against Kurt Cobain Movie 'Soaked In Bleach'|date=June 16, 2015|website=Deadline Hollywood|last1=Lincoln|first1=Ross A.}}
In 2015, Eichar was the Executive Producer for Discovery Channel's true crime show, The Killing Fields.{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/05/arts/television/tv-review-killing-fields-discovery.html|title=Review: 'Killing Fields,' on Discovery, Examines a Cold Case|date=January 4, 2016|work=The New York Times|last1=Hale|first1=Mike}} It explored the unsolved murder case of Louisiana State University graduate student, Eugenie Boisfontaine of Iberville Parish, Louisiana.{{cite web|url=https://www.thewrap.com/killing-fields-discovery-channel-tom-fontana-barry-levinson/|title=Discovery Channel Sets Premiere for First-Ever True Crime Series 'Killing Fields'|date=December 9, 2015|publisher=TheWrap|last1=Maglio|first1=Tony}} In the premiere season, the original detective assigned to the case over 20 years ago gets reinstated to solve his decades-old cold case using modern technology. Deadline announced that 2.4 million viewers viewed the season finale. The Killing Fields received an 80% favorable reviews on Rotten Tomatoes.{{cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/killing-fields/s01/|title=Killing Fields: Season 1 (2016)|publisher=Rotten Tomatoes}} The Los Angeles Times reviewed the first season as, 'It's the smaller, unvarnished, passing moments that sell the show – where its particular poetry, and even its comedy, can be found.{{cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/tv/la-et-st-killing-fields-review-20160105-column.html|title=Review 'Killing Fields' on Discovery follows a real-life detective on a cold case|date=January 5, 2016|work=Los Angeles Times|last1=Lloyd|first1=Robert}} The New York Times also gave the show a favorable review.{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/05/arts/television/tv-review-killing-fields-discovery.html?ref=television&_r=1|title=Review: 'Killing Fields,' on Discovery, Examines a Cold Case|date=January 4, 2016|work=The New York Times|last1=Hale|first1=Mike}}
Eichar was also the creator, executive producer, and writer for a LMN Network pilot titled, The Body Detective. The show was based around renowned American forensic Pathologist Dr. Cyril Wecht's views of a 1997 murder case in which his findings was able to overturn the case from accidental death to murder.{{cite web|url=http://www.mylifetime.com/movies/the-body-detective|title=The Body Detective|publisher=Lifetime|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160301045747/http://www.mylifetime.com/movies/the-body-detective|archivedate=2016-03-01}}
Eichar was a show runner and executive producer of People Magazine Investigates, a 10-part one-hour weekly true crime series focusing on the stories behind headlines.{{cite web |url = http://realscreen.com/2016/03/30/id-links-with-people-magazine-for-crime-series/ |title = ID links with People magazine for crime series |publisher = Real Screen |author = Kevin Ritchie |date = March 30, 2016 |accessdate = March 25, 2017}}{{cite web |url = https://variety.com/2016/tv/news/investigation-discovery-people-investigates-series-1201741144/ |title = Investigation Discovery Sets 'People Magazine Investigates' Series |publisher = Variety |author = Maria Cavassuto |date = March 29, 2016 |accessdate = March 25, 2017}} The two-hour, two-part opener focused on the Long Island serial killer case.{{cite web |url = http://www.newsday.com/entertainment/tv/people-magazine-investigates-opener-to-focus-on-long-island-serial-killer-1.12564679 |title = 'People Magazine Investigates' opener to focus on Long Island serial killer |publisher = Newsday |date = November 5, 2016 |accessdate = March 25, 2017}} When it premiered on Investigation Discovery in November 2016, it reached 4 million viewers.{{cite web |url = http://www.broadwayworld.com/bwwtv/article/Investigation-Discoverys-New-Series-PEOPLE-MAGAZINE-INVESTIGATES-Reaches-Over-4-Million-Viewers-20161116 |title = Investigation Discovery's New Series "People Magazine Investigates" Reaches Over 4 Million Viewers |publisher = Broadway World |date = November 16, 2016 |accessdate = March 25, 2017}}
Dead Mountain
Dead Mountain is the first published book by Eichar. The book is an investigative story based on the events that took place at the Dyatlov Pass incident in 1959.{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2015/07/nonfiction-nonfiction-book-dead-mountain-optioned-by-straight-up-films-1201475415/|title=Straight Up Films Options 'Dead Mountain'; Nonfiction Book Examines Soviet-Era Hiking Disaster|date=July 13, 2015|website=Deadline Hollywood|last1=Lincoln|first1=Ross A.}} Eichar came across the story while carrying out research for an unrelated project. Eichar initially had plans to make a documentary but after traveling to Yekaterinburg for research he decided to author a book instead. After securing a book deal with Chronicle Books, Eichar made a second trip to the location of the incident in the Russian Ural Mountains, uncovering what he claimed was new evidence.
Eichar retraced the steps of the nine Russian hikers to try and reach a conclusion as to why the men and women had died, or what had killed them. His investigation was written into the book, Dead Mountain: The Untold True Story of the Dyatlov Pass Incident, and was released in 2013. The book received mainly positive reviews following its release.
Later in 2013, Eichar was invited to Google to present and answer questions as part of an at GoogleTalks episode.{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yrnyAWu5j4w|title=Talks at Google – Donnie Eichar: "Dead Mountain"|date=November 24, 2013 |publisher=Youtube}} He was also a guest on Coast to Coast AM and was interviewed by George Noory on the subject.{{cite web|url=http://www.coasttocoastam.com/guest/eichar-donnie/64946|title=Donnie Eichar Interview|publisher=Coast to Coast AM}} In 2014, he was interviewed by National Geographic about Dead Mountain and the evidence that he found.{{cite web|url=http://voices.nationalgeographic.com/2014/02/10/february-9-2014-cycling-and-climbing-through-a-sufferfest-surviving-a-traumatic-brain-injury-and-more/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150910234109/http://voices.nationalgeographic.com/2014/02/10/february-9-2014-cycling-and-climbing-through-a-sufferfest-surviving-a-traumatic-brain-injury-and-more/|url-status=dead|archive-date=September 10, 2015|title=Cycling and Climbing Through a Sufferfest, Surviving a Traumatic Brain Injury and More|date=February 10, 2014|publisher=National Geographic|last1=O'Neill|first1=Justin}}
The New York Times listed Dead Mountain as one of their best sellers in April 2015.{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/best-sellers-books/2015-04-19/expeditions-disasters-and-adventures/list.html|title=Best Sellers – Expeditions, Disasters and Adventures|work=The New York Times}}{{cite web|url=https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1452112746?ie=UTF8&isInIframe=1&n=283155&redirect=true&ref_=dp_proddesc_0&s=books&showDetailProductDesc=1%23iframe-wrapper|title=Dead Mountain: The Untold True Story of the Dyatlov Pass Incident|date=October 12, 2013|publisher=Amazon}}{{cite web|url=https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CUSQOA0?ie=UTF8&isInIframe=1&n=133140011&redirect=true&ref_=dp_proddesc_0&s=digital-text&showDetailProductDesc=1#iframe-wrapper|title=Editorial Review of Dead Mountain|publisher=Booklist}}
Personal life
Eichar lives in Malibu, California with his wife Julia Ortiz.
References
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Category:American non-fiction writers
Category:American documentary film directors
Category:Film producers from California
Category:Television producers from California
Category:Television writers from California
Category:People from Malibu, California
Category:Filmmakers from Florida