Vernon Zimmerman(1936-2023)

Vernon Zimmerman is a highly talented and creative writer, director and producer who's contributed in various ways to a handful of highly offbeat and original pictures throughout the years. Vernon made his feature debut as director with the 1962 short "Lemon Heart;" it starred poet, playwright and longtime Andy Warhol associate Taylor Mead. Zimmerman wrote and directed the delightfully down'n'dirty Claudia Jennings roller derby drive-in gem "Unholy Rollers" and the amusingly idiosyncratic comedic road movie romp "Deadhead Miles" (Vernon collaborated on the script with Terrence Malick). Vernon's finest cinematic achievement as writer and director to date was the excellent and inspired horror slasher treat "Fade to Black," a dark and despairing psychological study of an awkward and alienated hardcore film buff who exacts a harsh revenge on his cruel tormentors. Zimmerman received a Saturn Award nomination as Best Director for this terrific picture which basically serves as a precursor to Wes Craven's fairly similar "Scream." Moreover, Vernon wrote the witty and imaginative scripts for the oddball horror-Western curio "Hex," the exciting redneck crime exploitation opus "Bobbie Jo and the Outlaw," the made-for-TV wrestling comedy/drama "Mad Bull," the failed, but funny TV pilot "Shooting Stars," and the amiable fantasy comedy "Teen Witch." Zimmerman's most current film to date was the six minute comic short "Chuck and Wally on the Road." More recently Vernom has been working as a script analyst. He also teaches screen-writing courses at UCLA's Extension and Certificate Program. Zimmerman has even taught classes on both writing feature scripts and directing actors for film and television at the USC School of Cinema and Television. Vernon Zimmerman lives in Los Angeles and drives a Volkswagon car.