In time for Halloween, the short film ZOMBIE from writer and star Bill Connington and director Thomas Caruso, is making the rounds again.
ZOMBIE is a 19 minute short film, based on the award-winning novella ZOMBIE by literary icon Joyce Carol Oates. It has been screened at 18 film festivals, and won 5 awards. ZOMBIE was first performed as a play that had three separate productions in New York, and received critical raves. The project is now in development as a feature film. ZOMBIE tells the story of a mild-mannered Jeffrey Dahmer-esque serial killer (played by Bill Connington from “Poughkeepsie is for Lovers“) who attempts to turn his victims into his “zombie” slaves. The New York Times says the piece “leaves us wondering exactly what kind of people are walking the streets alongside us.” The film asks the question, “What makes a seemingly-normal person crack?” The unsettling answer is: we don’t know.
Bill Connington’s Statement:
“I adapted the novella from Joyce Carol Oates into a play which was first done at the New York Fringe Festival, and then had an extended run on Theatre Row on 42nd Street. It was then mounted again at John Jay College in their theater. Finally, a short film was made. It went to 21 film festivals around the country. We got quite a bit of publicity because of the subject matter, and Joyce. The critics feel that is loosely based on Jeffery Dahmer, and other real life serial killers. Psychiatrists who specialize in working with serial killers have said that Joyce’s work characterized serial killer accurately. I’m proud of the film, and I’m excited for a new generation to experience it.”
