Jakob Skrzypa on Vampire Zombies from Space (bonus) Cade and Kit

In this special CUFF 2025 edition, Cade & Kit sit down with Jacob Skrzypa, one of the producers (and many other roles) behind Vampire Zombies from Space!, one of the standout crowd favorites at the festival. They talk satire, indie filmmaking, genre tone, casting with intention, and how to fight severed legs with sincerity.On the Premise“It’s exactly what it sounds like — a parody of 1950s horror and sci-fi with vampires, zombies, and UFOs. Dumb on purpose, smart in structure.”On What It Took to Make It“Everything you shouldn’t do in a first indie: period piece, practical effects, miniatures, vehicles, a big cast… We did all of it. It took a whole army of artists who believed in the ridiculous.”On the Art of Comedy“You have to play it straight. The characters think it’s real. The minute you wink at the camera, the joke dies. Our greaser’s crying about a threesome — and to him, it matters.”On Favorite Moments​Watching the general character monologue in one take.​The greaser vs. severed legs fight scene.​The would-be patriot who tries to rally the town... into a mass suicide.On the Cast​“We lost our union cast due to COVID and had to pivot.”​“We brought in cult icons (Judith O’Dea, Lloyd Kaufman), rising actors from Windsor and Toronto, and even local non-actors.”​“The town mayor plays a guy who delivers a line totally wrong — which made it exactly right.”On the Deleted Ending“The scene where the guy kills himself during a speech? That was the ending at first. The whole town was going to follow. We rewrote it to give audiences a better payoff.”On Genre Influence​Inspired by Mel Brooks, Ed Wood, Monty Python.​Wanted everything around the parody to feel real — costumes, FX, miniatures.​“An earnest approach to idiocy.”On Favorite Horror FilmThe Exorcist.Jacob saw it at age 8 — alone, Catholic, with no warning. “It scared the hell out of me… and changed everything. It’s beautiful, the effects hold up, and it stuck with me forever.”On What’s Next​Short film in development (possibly for Fantasia).​Feature script in the works: Canada Day — a slasher in the same tone as Vampire Zombies from Space!🎯 Final TakeJacob’s team didn’t just make a cult film — they engineered a midnight classic. This isn’t a movie you laugh at; it’s one you laugh with. Passion project energy. A new Halloween staple in the making.🧛‍♂️👽🧟‍♂️ We’ll be first in line for Canada Day.Links for crewThe FilmDirected by Mike StaskoWriter, Producer: Editor Jakob Skrzypa Writer, Producer: Alexander FormanDOPCastAndrew BeeOliver GeorgiouJessica AntovskiRashaun BaldeoCraig GlosterRobert KemenyDavid Liebe HartLloyd Kaufman Our Links🎧 S⁠potify⁠ 🍏 ⁠Apple Podcasts ⁠📸 ⁠Instagram⁠⁠Read the blog!⁠[email protected]⁠