Draft:Vampire Zombies... from Space!

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File:Vampire Zombies... from Space! festival poster.jpg

festival posterDirected by Mike Stasko Written by Jakob SkrzypaAlex Forman Mike StaskoProduced by Ted Bezaire Alex Forman Gerry LattmannJakob Skrzypa Mike Stasko Cinematography Ken Amlin Edited by Jakob SkrzypaMike Stasko Music by Ian Smith Release date Oct. 4th 2024 Running time 98 minutes Country Canada Language English

Vampire Zombies... from Space! is a 2024 Canadian independent comedy feature film written by Jakob Skrzypa & Alex Forman and Mike Stasko, and directed by Mike Stasko. The film is a parody of 1950s horror and sci-fi B-movies which blends satire, crude humour, and slapstick with practical effects, miniatures and classic horror tropes. The film centres around an ensemble cast of comedically cliché characters trying to defend a small American town from Dracula, and his army of vampire zombies. The film features appearances by cult and horror icons including Judith O'Dea (Night of the Living Dead), Lloyd Kaufman of Troma Entertainment, Simon Reynolds (SAW IV) and David Liebe Hart of Tim & Eric fame.

Plot

From the depths of space, Dracula has devised his most dastardly plan yet: turning the residents of the small American town of Marlow into his personal army of vampire zombies.

Terror grips the town as a full-blown vampire zombie outbreak erupts, and a motley crew consisting of a grizzled detective, a sceptical rookie cop, a chain-smoking greaser, and a determined young woman band together to save the world from — (see title).

Cast

• Andrew Bee as Chief Ed Clarke
• Rashaun Baldeo as Officer James Wallace
• Jessica Antovski as Mary MacDowell
• Oliver Georgiou as Wayne
• Craig Gloster as Dracula
• Robert Kemeny as Dylan
• Erik Helle as Roy MacDowell
• Simon Reynolds as Col. Harlan Talbit
• Judith O'Dea as Vampira
• David Liebe Hart as Nosferatu
• Martin Ouellette as Coppola's Dracula
• Lloyd Kaufman as Public Masturbator
• Mark Lefebvre as Mayor John Douglas
• Bridget Opfer as Jackie Douglas
• Jakob Skrzypa as Hankey
• Alex Forman as Elmo
• Tyler Colley as Dink
• Curtis Coleman as Officer Chuck
• Anthony Bonnano as Officer Daniels
• Catherine Valle-Taylor as Bernice MacDowell
• Nick Shields as Dr. Spice
• Gavin Michael Booth as Vampire Guard
• Ed Hooft as Raht Gumms
• Bob Mero as Ed's Wood & Hardware Store Clerk
• Jim Walls as Commander Nikki
• Ron McDermott as Commander Clipper
• Cheri Scratch as Phyllis
• Carl Idzinski as Officer Durward
• Charlotte Bondy as Susan MacDowell
• Shane Nelson as Charlie
• Aiden Coutts as Pete
• Deb Laing as Mrs. Alfonzo
• Andrew Barber (voice) as Old-Timey Radio Announcer
• Michael C. Gwynne (voice) as K-TIT Radio Announcer

History

Vampire Zombies... from Space! was first conceived in 2010 by Jakob Skrzypa, who wrote and began to shoot an early version of the film while he was a high school student at Cardinal Carter Catholic Secondary school.

Skrzypa, a massive fan of Mel Brooks, was inspired to write the script after seeing Ed Wood's Plan 9 from Outer Space, and realizing that b-horror films were ripe for parody. Only a few scenes remain from the 2010 version, shot on Mini-DV tapes, because most of the footage was accidentally deleted by the film's cameraman. The original script was also considered lost.

In 2017, Skrzypa found a hard copy of the 2010 script, which he brought to his writing partner Alex Forman to review, the two became excited about the project, and re-wrote the script throughout 2017 - 2018, meeting weekly in the Essex Tim Hortons.

Skrzypa and Forman's new version, retained much of the 2010 source material, while drawing from inspirations like South Park, Monty Python, the films of Robert Rodriguez, The Blob, and Forbidden Planet.

The 2018 script was brought to University of Windsor professor Mike Stasko, who loved the concept, and decided to come on board the project as director and producer. Stasko co-wrote the final draft with Skrzypa and Forman, and the plan was to shoot the film summer 2020. This plan was interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Production

The film was shot primarily in Windsor, Ontario, and Essex, Ontario, Canada in the summer of 2022. Mike Stasko directed, Jakob Skrzypa and Alex Forman co-produced alongside Stasko, Ted Bezaire, and Gerry Lattmann of The Dot Film co. Ken Amlin served as director of photography, with production design by Greg Maxwell, costumes by Emily Eansor, make-up by Stephanie Johnston, hair by Angela Bell, and special effects by Mitchell Branget and Sebastien Gaspar-Woods. Tyler Colley acted as picture car supervisor, and miniatures were made by Aaron Fauteux.

The production relied heavily on local talent, and community support; some scenes requiring over 100 extras, and 15-20 period correct vehicles. Large portions of the finished film were shot in 2023 as second unit directed by Jakob Skrzypa.

Notable filming locations include the Low-Martin mansion (Devonshire Lodge). The historic Essex Railway Station and The Canadian Transportation Museum & Heritage Village, where the Jack Miner House, and the village jail were used.

Post-Production

The film was edited by Jakob Skrzypa, and Mike Stasko. As a tribute to classic cinema and in the spirit of Ed Wood, the film incorporates numerous homages to earlier works that inspired its creators. Notably, it features and modifies footage from the public domain works Night of the Living Dead, The Brain That Wouldn't Die, Wings, White Zombie, and War of the Colossal Beast, alongside various pieces of stock and archival footage.

On the auditory front, in the spirit of Trey Parker and Matt Stone, Jakob Skrzypa and Alex Forman served as all extra voices for crowd scenes, often simply saying the words "chatter", "whisper" and "mutter" on repeat.

The sound design includes audio elements sourced from Star Wars, Spaceballs, and Monty Python’s The Meaning of Life, further enhancing the film's referential and parodic tone.

The film's score was composed by Ian McGregor Smith, and the final sound mix was done at Toronto's Image & Sound. Windsor's Suede Productions handled digital VFX, colour grade, and final output. The film's trailer was conceived, written and cut by Jakob Skrzypa.

Reception

The film had its world premiere October 4th 2024 at the Eerie Horror Festival, and remains on the festival circuit. The festival run so far, has included: a sold-out 1,500 person screening at the Windsor International Film Festival, Mexico's Mórbido Fest, Belgium's Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival, Brazil's Fantaspoa, Calgary Underground Film Festival, Toronto's Canadian Film Festival, San Francisco Independent Film Festival, The New York City Horror Festival, Argentina's Buenos Aires Rojo Sangre, The Moscow International Film Festival, and the South African Horrorfest where it was awarded best film by guest juror Gala Avary, producer and co-host of Quentin Tarantino and Roger Avary's Video Archives Podcast.

Critical Response

The film has received positive reviews from critics and genre fans, praised for its clever homage to retro sci-fi and horror, humorous writing, and standout performances by its cult film cast. Reviewers highlighted its balance of loving tribute and sharp parody, and it has been covered in major publications like Rue Morgue, and Screen Anarchy.

Accolades

Festival / Year	Category	Recipients	Result
2024 | Fright Nights Austria	Best Feature Film	Jakob Skrzypa, Mike Stasko, Alex Forman, Ted Bezaire, Gerry Lattman	Winner
2024 | Terror in the Bay	Best Feature Film	Jakob Skrzypa, Mike Stasko, Alex Forman, Ted Bezaire, Gerry Lattman	Winner
2024 | Buried Alive Film Festival	Best Feature Film (Golden Shovel)	Jakob Skrzypa, Mike Stasko, Alex Forman, Ted Bezaire, Gerry Lattman	Winner
2024 | Hellifax Horror Festival	Audience Choice Award	Jakob Skrzypa, Mike Stasko, Alex Forman, Ted Bezaire, Gerry Lattman	Winner