John Harrison

John S. Harrison Jr. (born 1948) is an American television and film director, screenwriter, musician, composer and actor. He is best known for his collaborations with filmmaker George A. Romero, and for writing-directing the 2000 television miniseries adaptation of Dune.

Early years John S. Harrison Jr. was born and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He graduated from Emerson College in Boston with a BS in Theater Arts and is an MFA graduate of Carnegie Mellon University's School of Drama. as the character Lacey Bickel. In 1974, Harrison began a long collaboration and friendship with filmmaker George A. Romero. Harrison performed as Sir Pelinore in Romero's Knightriders, then became his 1st Assistant Director for both Romero films Creepshow (1982) and Day of the Dead (1985).

Harrison also composed the scores for Creepshow and Day of the Dead (1985). He also played the "Screwdriver Zombie" in Romero's classic Dawn of the Dead (1978). The music that was composed for the score of Creepshow was also featured in the fake trailer for Thanksgiving in the film Grindhouse (2007), and the South Park episode "Tegridy Farms Halloween Special" (2019). Music from Harrison's Day of the Dead score was also featured in the premiere Stranger Things Season 3, "Suzie, Do You Copy" (2019).

After Creepshow, Harrison moved to Los Angeles to continue his writing and directing career. He wrote, directed and composed the music for multiple episodes of the Tales from the Darkside TV show. He was then tapped by producer Richard P. Rubinstein to direct Tales from the Darkside: The Movie (1990) for Paramount, which won the Gran Prix du Festival at Avoriaz, France (1991). His action suspense thriller Blank Slate for producer Dean Devlin, which Harrison wrote and directed, aired as a twenty episode mini-series on TNT in the fall of 2008. In 2009, Harrison completed his adaptation of acclaimed horror novelist Clive Barker's Book of Blood, which Harrison co-wrote and directed.

His paranormal thriller miniseries Residue (2015), which he created and wrote, was released on Netflix in April 2015.

Harrison has written and directed episodes of Creepshow on Shudder.

He has also written the novels. Destiny Gardens which was published in 2013, Passing Through Veils, published in 2023 and Residue, Paramentals Rising which was published in 2025.

Filmography

Film Television

Soundtracks Effects – LaLa Land Records (LLLCD1040), Los Angeles Creepshow – LaLa Land Records (LLLCD1007), Los Angeles Day of the Dead – Taurus Entertainment/Numenorean Music, Los Angeles Tales from the Darkside: The Movie – GNP Crescendo (GNPD 8021), Los Angeles Creepshow – Waxwork Records LP, New Orleans Day of the Dead – Waxwork Records LP, New Orleans Tales from the Darkside: The Movie – Waxwork Records LP, New Orleans

Awards and nominations