John A. Russo

John A. Russo (born September 2, 1939), sometimes credited as Jack Russo or John Russo, is an American novelist, screenwriter and film director. He is best known as the co-screenwriter of Night of the Living Dead alongside its director, George A. Romero. Russo would subsequently go on to become an author of horror fiction novels.

Career Russo was born and grew up in Clairton, Pennsylvania and lives in Glassport, Pennsylvania.

Russo attended West Virginia University while his friend Rudy Ricci attended Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh. Ricci met George A. Romero at Carnegie Mellon and introduced Russo to Romero on Russo's Christmas vacation. After college, Russo was drafted into the army and served a two-year stint. Meanwhile, Romero with Russell Streiner formed The Latent Image to produce commercial films with the aim of eventually making a full-length feature film. 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. Romero loved the idea and a few days later he presented Russo with forty pages of a story based on the idea. 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.

Russo went on to author many novels and, like his friend Romero, began making films of his own. The Booby Hatch is a sex comedy released in 1976. Midnight is an adaptation of Russo's novel of the same name and released in 1982. His novel The Majorettes was adapted by Russo himself and directed by Bill Hinzman who played the Cemetery Zombie in Night of the Living Dead. Russo's next film was Heartstopper which features "name" actors Michael J. Pollard and Moon Unit Zappa. Russo considers it his favorite of the films he has directed.

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.

Filmography

Year Film Director Writer Producer Notes 1968 Night of the Living DeadCo-written with George A. Romero 1971 There's Always Vanilla aka The Affair 1976 The Booby Hatch aka Dirty Book Store and The Liberation of Cherry Janowski 1982 Midnight aka Backwoods MassacreAlso novel 1985 The Return of the Living Dead 1986 The Majorettes aka One by OneAlso novel 1990 Night of the Living Dead 1991 Voodoo Dawn aka Strange Turf (USA)Also novel 1992 Scream Queens Swimsuit Sensations 1993 Midnight 2 aka Midnight 2: Sex, Death and Videotape (USA: video title) 1993 Heartstopper aka Dark Craving (USA: video title) 1996 Scream Queens' Naked Christmas aka 'Tis the Season 1996 Santa Claws aka 'Tis the Season 1999 Night of the Living Dead: 30th Anniversary EditionDirector, writer, and co-editor for new scenes 2001 Children of the Living Dead 2002 Saloonatics 2016 My Uncle John Is a Zombie 2024 The Night They Came Home

As an actor My Uncle John is a Zombie (2016) as Uncle John House of Frankenstein 1997 (1997) (miniseries) as Honor Guard Santa Claws (1996) (as John Russo) as Detective a.k.a. 'Tis the Season The Inheritor (1990) as Unknown role The Majorettes (1986) (as John Russo) as Dr. Gibson the Coroner a.k.a. One by One There's Always Vanilla (1971) (uncredited) as Music producer a.k.a. The Affair Night of the Living Dead (1968) (uncredited) as Washington military reporter/Ghoul in house

Documentary appearances More Brains! A Return to the Living Dead (2011) as Himself One for the Fire: The Legacy of Night of the Living Dead (2008) as Himself (also served as associate producer) UnConventional (2004) as Himself The Dead Walk: Remaking a Classic (1999) (V) as 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 as Himself a.k.a. Clive Barker's A-Z of Horror (UK: complete title) Night of the Living Dead: 25th Anniversary Documentary (1993) (V) as 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) as 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) as Himself a.k.a. Screen Scaries (USA: video title)