John A. Russo

For the politician of the same name, see John A. Russo (politician).

John A. Russo
Russo playing a zombie in Night of the Living Dead
Born	1939

John A. Russo (born 1939), sometimes credited as Jack Russo or John Russo, is an American screenwriter and film director most commonly associated with the 1968 horror classic Night of the Living Dead. 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 zombie 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. John 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. John A. Russo has completed several interviews over the years discussing his film making career, with a recent interview with BioGamer Girl Magazine, in which he appeared on the magazine's radio show Undead Noise.

Filmography

As screenwriter and director

• Escape of the Living Dead (2011)
• Saloonatics (2002)
• Santa Claws (1996) (as John Russo)
  • aka 'Tis the Season
• Scream Queens' Naked Christmas (1996)
  • aka Naked Christmas (USA)
• Heartstopper (1993)
  • aka Dark Craving (USA: video title)
• Midnight 2 (1993)
  • aka Midnight 2: Sex, Death and Videotape (USA: video title)
• Midnight (1982) (also novel)
  • aka Backwoods Massacre
• The Booby Hatch (1976) (screenplay) (story)
  • aka Dirty Book Store
  • aka The Liberation of Cherry Janowski

As screenwriter only

• Voodoo Dawn (1990)
  • aka Strange Turf (USA)
• The Majorettes (1986) (also novel) (as John Russo)
  • aka One by One
• Night of the Living Dead (1968) (screenplay; co-written by George A. Romero) (as John Russo)
  • aka Night of Anubis
  • aka Night of the Flesh Eaters

As director only

• Scream Queens Swimsuit Sensations (1992) (V) (as John Russo)

As an actor

• House of Frankenstein 1997 (1997) (miniseries) .... Honor Guard
• Santa Claws (1996) (as John Russo) .... Detective
  • aka 'Tis the Season
• The Inheritor (1990) .... Unknown role
• The Majorettes (1986) (as John Russo) .... Coroner (Dr. Gibson)
  • aka One by One
• There's Always Vanilla (1971) (uncredited) .... Music producer
  • aka The Affair
• Night of the Living Dead (1968) (uncredited) .... Washington military reporter/Ghoul in house

As producer

• Children of the Living Dead (2001) (executive producer)
• Santa Claws (1996) (producer)
  • aka 'Tis the Season
• Night of the Living Dead (1990) (producer)
• The Majorettes (1986) (producer)
  • aka One by One
• There's Always Vanilla (1971) (producer)
  • aka The Affair

Documentary appearances

• "One For the Fire:The Legacy of Night of the Living Dead" (2008)...Himself
• UnConventional (2004) .... Himself
• The Dead Walk: Remaking a Classic (1999) (V) .... Himself

Note: this is a "making-of" special featured on the DVD edition of the 1990 remake of Night of the Living Dead.

• A-Z of Horror (1997) (mini) TV Series .... Himself
  • aka Clive Barker's A-Z of Horror (UK: complete title)
• Night of the Living Dead: 25th Anniversary Documentary (1993) (V) .... Himself

Note: this is a 25th Anniversary special featured on a video release of the original Night of the Living Dead film.

• Horror F/X (1989) (V) .... Himself

Note: Russo interviews frequent collaborator and fellow Pittsburgh horror movie maker, Tom Savini, in this low-budget shot-on-video documentary.

• Drive-In Madness! (1987) .... Himself
  • aka Screen Scaries (USA: video title)

Bibliography

• Night of the Living Dead (1974) [Warner paperback Library] ISBN 0-446-76410-8
• Return of the Living Dead (1978) [Dale] ISBN 1-55197-508-4
• Majorettes (1979) [Pocket books] ISBN 0-671-82315-9
• Limb to Limb (1981) [Pocket Books] ISBN 0-671-41690-1
• Bloodsisters (1982) [Pocket Books] ISBN 0-671-41692-8
• Black Cat (1982) [Pocket Books] ISBN 0-671-41691-X
• The Awakening (1983) [Pocket Books] ISBN 0671-45259-2
• Day Care (1985) [Pocket Books] ISBN 0-671-45261-4
• Return of the Living Dead (1985) -Novelization Version- [Arrow Books] ISBN 0-09-942610-2
• Inhuman [1986] [Pocket Books] ISBN 0-671-45262-2
• Voodoo Dawn (1987) [Imagine]
• Living Things (1988) [Popular Library] ISBN 0-445-20666-7
• The Complete Night of the Living Dead Film Book (1989) [Random House]
• Making Movies (1989) [Dell] ISBN 0-440-50046-X
• Scare Tactics (1992) [Dell] ISBN 0-440-50355-8
• How to Make Your Own Feature Movie for $10,000 or Less (1995) [Zinn P.G.] ISBN 0-935016-10-4
• Hell's Creation (1995)(Ravenmor) ISBN 1-55197-060-0
• Undead (2011 - Forthcoming)(Cemetery Dance) ISBN 978-1-58767-255-2

Comics

With Avatar Press he is writing a number of comic books:

• Escape of the Living Dead
• George A. Romero's Night of the Living Dead
• Plague of the Living Dead

External links

• John Russo at the Internet Movie Database
• John Russo Movie Making Program at DuBois Business College