John A. Russo (born September 2, 1939), sometimes credited as Jack Russo or John Russo, is an American screenwriter and film director most commonly associated with the 1968 horror classic film Night of the Living Dead, which he co-wrote with director George Romero.[1] As a screenwriter, his credits include Night of the Living Dead, The Majorettes, Midnight, and Santa Claws. The latter two, he also directed. He has performed small roles as an actor, most notably the first ghoul who is stabbed in the head in Night of the Living Dead, as well as cameos in There's Always Vanilla and House of Frankenstein 1997. He was the Publisher and Managing Editor of the magazine Scream Queens Illustrated that featured popular stars of Horror films and other genres.
John Russo | |
---|---|
Born | September 2, 1939 |
Alma mater | West Virginia University |
Occupation(s) | Screenwriter, film director, actor, novelist |
Years active | 1968–present |
Russo attended West Virginia University while his friend Rudy Ricci attended Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh.[2] Ricci met George A. Romero at Carnegie Mellon and introduced Russo to Romero on Russo's Christmas vacation.[3] After college, Russo was drafted into the army and served a two-year stint.[4] Meanwhile, Romero with Russell Streiner formed The Latent Image to produce commercial films with the aim of eventually making a full-length feature film.[4] When Russo got out of the army, he joined his friends in The Latent Image and soon plans were made for a feature film. Russo crafted a rough idea about a young man stumbling upon a host of ghouls feeding off human corpses.[5] Romero loved the idea and a few days later he presented Russo with forty pages of a story based on the idea.[5] The film ultimately became Night of the Living Dead which led to Romero's Dead series and the Living Dead series, with the latter based on a story by Russo.[6]
Russo went on to author many novels[7] and, like his friend Romero, began making films of his own. The Booby Hatch was a sex comedy released in 1976.[7] Midnight was an adaptation of Russo's novel of the same name and released in 1982.[7] His novel The Majorettes was adapted by Russo himself and directed by Bill Hinzman[8] who played the Cemetery Zombie in Night of the Living Dead. Russo's next film was Heartstopper which featured "name" actors Michael J. Pollard and Moon Unit Zappa.[9] Russo considers it his favorite of the films he has directed.[9]
Russo is also the founder and one of the co-mentors (along with Russell Streiner) of the John Russo Movie Making Program at DuBois Business College in DuBois, Pennsylvania.[10]
Russo was born and grew up in Clarion, Pennsylvania and lives in Glassport, Pennsylvania.[11][12]
Year | Film | Director | Writer | Producer | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1968 | Night of the Living Dead | No | Yes | No | Co-written with George A. Romero |
1971 | There's Always Vanilla
aka The Affair |
No | No | Yes | |
1976 | The Booby Hatch
aka Dirty Book Store and The Liberation of Cherry Janowski |
Yes | Yes | Yes | |
1982 | Midnight
aka Backwoods Massacre |
Yes | Yes | No | Also novel |
1985 | The Return of the Living Dead | No | Story | No | |
1986 | The Majorettes
aka One by One |
No | Yes | Yes | Also novel |
1990 | Night of the Living Dead | No | No | Yes | |
1991 | Voodoo Dawn
aka Strange Turf (USA) |
No | Yes | No | Also novel |
1992 | Scream Queens Swimsuit Sensations | Yes | No | No | |
1993 | Midnight 2
aka Midnight 2: Sex, Death and Videotape (USA: video title) |
Yes | Yes | No | |
1993 | Heartstopper
aka Dark Craving (USA: video title) |
Yes | Yes | No | |
1996 | Scream Queens' Naked Christmas
aka 'Tis the Season |
Yes | Yes | No | |
1996 | Santa Claws
aka 'Tis the Season |
Yes | Yes | Yes | |
1999 | Night of the Living Dead: 30th Anniversary Edition | Yes | Yes | Co-Executive | Director and writer for new scenes |
2001 | Children of the Living Dead | No | No | Executive | |
2002 | Saloonatics | Yes | Yes | No | |
2016 | My Uncle John Is a Zombie | Yes | Yes | No | |
2024 | The Night They Came Home | No | Yes | Yes |
With Avatar Press he is writing a number of comic books:[13]
{{cite book}}
: |first=
has generic name (help)