Vampire Zombies... from Space! is a 2024 Canadian independent comedy film that was written by Jakob Skrzypa, Alex Forman, and Mike Stasko, the latter of whom directed the film. [1] Based on the original concept and story by Jakob Skrzypa and Alex Forman.
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, Barbara from George A. Romero's Night of the Living Dead , Troma's Lloyd Kaufman (The Toxic Avenger), Simon Reynolds (SAW IV) and David Liebe Hart the eccentric puppeteer of Tim & Eric fame. [2]
From the depths of space, Dracula has devised his most dastardly plan yet; turning the residents of the small town of Marlow into his personal army of vampire zombies! A motley crew consisting of a grizzled detective, a skeptical rookie cop, a chain-smoking greaser, and a determined young woman band together to save the world from (see title). [3]
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. [4] 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. [5]
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.
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 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, miniatures were made by Aaron Fauteux and Brian Krabbenbos. [1]
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. [6]
Notable filming locations in the Windsor-Essex region include the Low-Martin mansion. [7] The historic Essex Railway Station and The Canadian Transportation Museum & Heritage Village, [8] where the Jack Miner House, and the village jail were used. [9]
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 voices for background and crowd scenes, often simply saying the words "chatter", "whisper" and "mutter" on repeat. The sound design also includes audio elements sourced from Skrzypa and Forman's earlier works (largely from sketches they made with Luke Mitchell under the Fun Uncle [10] banner). Additionally the mix features sound effects from Star Wars , Spaceballs , and Monty Python's The Meaning of Life, further enhancing the film's referential and parodic tone.
The film's final sound mix was done at Toronto's Image & Sound. Suede Productions handled digital VFX, colour grade, and final output. The film's trailer [11] was conceived, written and cut by Jakob Skrzypa.
The film is available to pre-order on Blu Ray. In the United States Vampire Zombies... from Space! is available from Cleopatra Records here [12] , and in Canada it is available from Indiecan / Red Water Entertainment here. [13]
The film had its world premiere October 4, 2024, at the Eerie Horror Festival, [14] and remained on the festival circuit through November 2025. The festival run included: a sold-out 1,500 person screening at the Windsor International Film Festival, [15] Mexico's Mórbido Fest, Belgium's Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival, Brazil's Fantaspoa, Calgary Underground Film Festival, [16] Toronto's Canadian Film Festival, [17] 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. [18]
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, [19] and it has been covered in major publications like Variety, Rue Morgue, [20] and Screen Anarchy. [21]
| Category | Result | Festival / Year | Country | Recipients |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best Feature Film | Winner | Fright Nights Austria | Austria | Jakob Skrzypa, Mike Stasko, Alex Forman, Ted Bezaire, Gerry Lattman |
| Best Feature Film | Winner | Terror in the Bay | Canada | Jakob Skrzypa, Mike Stasko, Alex Forman, Ted Bezaire, Gerry Lattman |
| Best Feature Film (Golden Shovel) | Winner | Buried Alive Film Festival | USA | Jakob Skrzypa, Mike Stasko, Alex Forman, Ted Bezaire, Gerry Lattman |
| Best Feature Film | Winner | South African Horrorfest | South Africa | Jakob Skrzypa, Mike Stasko, Alex Forman, Ted Bezaire, Gerry Lattman |
| Best Film | Winner | Descubierto Film Festival | Peru | Jakob Skrzypa, Mike Stasko, Alex Forman, Ted Bezaire, Gerry Lattman |
| Best Film | Winner | Terror Córdoba | Argentina | Jakob Skrzypa, Mike Stasko, Alex Forman, Ted Bezaire, Gerry Lattman |
| Best Film Comedy | Winner | Etreum Horror Film Fest | Argentina | Jakob Skrzypa, Mike Stasko, Alex Forman, Ted Bezaire, Gerry Lattman |
| Best Canadian Feature | Winner | Victoria Film Festival | Canada | Jakob Skrzypa, Mike Stasko, Alex Forman, Ted Bezaire, Gerry Lattman |
| Best of Festival | Winner | Hot Springs International Horror Film Festival | USA | Jakob Skrzypa, Mike Stasko, Alex Forman, Ted Bezaire, Gerry Lattman |
| Best Screenplay | Winner | Cine Undergound | Italy | Jakob Skrzypa, Alex Forman, Mike Stasko |
| Best Sci-Fi Feature | Winner | New York City Horror Film Festival | USA | Jakob Skrzypa, Mike Stasko, Alex Forman, Ted Bezaire, Gerry Lattman |
| Best Horror / Thriller | Winner | Melbourne Underground Film Festival | Austrailia | Jakob Skrzypa, Mike Stasko, Alex Forman, Ted Bezaire, Gerry Lattman |
| Audience Choice Award | Winner | Hellifax Horror Festival | Canada | Jakob Skrzypa, Mike Stasko, Alex Forman, Ted Bezaire, Gerry Lattman |
| Audience Choice Award (Golden Ring) | Winner | Ravenna Nightmare | Italy | Jakob Skrzypa, Mike Stasko, Alex Forman, Ted Bezaire, Gerry Lattman |
| Critic Award (Premio Giuria Studenti) | Winner | Ravenna Nightmare | Italy | Jakob Skrzypa, Mike Stasko, Alex Forman, Ted Bezaire, Gerry Lattman |
| Best Directing | Winner | Buried Alive Film Festival | USA | Mike Stasko |
| Best Production Design | Winner | Buried Alive Film Festival | USA | Greg Maxwell |
| Best Editing | Winner | Buried Alive Film Festival | USA | Jakob Skrzypa, Mike Stasko |
| Best Sound Design (Feature) | Winner | Horrorhound Film Festival | USA | Jakob Skrzypa, Michael Bonini, Mike Stasko |
| Best Ensemble | Winner | Terror in the Bay | Canada | Ensemble |
| Coolest Creature | Winner | Horrorhound Film Festival | USA | N/A |
| Best Feature Film (Global) | Nominee | Morbido Fest | Mexico | Jakob Skrzypa, Mike Stasko, Alex Forman, Ted Bezaire, Gerry Lattman |
| Best Feature Film | Nominee | Chicago Horror Film Festival | USA | Jakob Skrzypa, Mike Stasko, Alex Forman, Ted Bezaire, Gerry Lattman |
| Best Feature Film | Nominee | Orlando Film Festival | USA | Jakob Skrzypa, Mike Stasko, Alex Forman, Ted Bezaire, Gerry Lattman |
| Best Genre Feature | Nominee | Vancouver Badass Film Festival | Canada | Jakob Skrzypa, Mike Stasko, Alex Forman, Ted Bezaire, Gerry Lattman |
| Best Screenplay | Nominee | Terror in the Bay | Canada | Jakob Skrzypa, Alex Forman, Mike Stasko |
| Best Screenplay | Nominee | South African Horrorfest | South Africa | Jakob Skrzypa, Alex Forman, Mike Stasko |
| Competencia Bizarra | Nominee | Buenos Aires Rojo Sangre | Argentina | Jakob Skrzypa, Mike Stasko, Alex Forman, Ted Bezaire, Gerry Lattman |
| Canadian Film Fest Award | Nominee | Canadian Film Fest | Canada | Jakob Skrzypa, Mike Stasko, Alex Forman, Ted Bezaire, Gerry Lattman |
| Best Cinematography | Nominee | South African Horrorfest | South Africa | Ken Amlin |
| Best Make-Up FX | Nominee | South African Horrorfest | South Africa | Mitchell Branget, Stephanie Johnston, Sebastien Gaspar-Woods |
| Best Special Effects Makeup | Nominee | Terror in the Bay | Canada | Mitchell Branget, Stephanie Johnston, Sebastien Gaspar-Woods |
| Best Production Design | Nominee | South African Horrorfest | South Africa | Greg Maxwell |
| Best Male Lead | Nominee | South African Horrorfest | South Africa | Craig Gloster as Dracula |
| Best Female Lead | Nominee | South African Horrorfest | South Africa | Jessica Antovski as Mary MacDowell |
| Best Performance | Nominee | Buried Alive Film Festival | USA | Rashaun Baldeo as James Wallace |
| Best Supporting Actor | Nominee | South African Horrorfest | South Africa | Rashaun Baldeo as James Wallace |
| Best Supporting Performance | Nominee | Buried Alive Film Festival | USA | Judith O'Dea as Vampira |
| Best Supporting Actress | Nominee | South African Horrorfest | South Africa | Bridget Opfer as Jackie Douglas |
| Best Ensemble Cast | Nominee | South African Horrorfest | South Africa | Ensemble |
| Best Soundtrack | Nominee | South African Horrorfest | South Africa | Ian McGregor Smith |
| Best Soundtrack | Nominee | Buried Alive Film Festival | USA | Ian McGregor Smith |
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