# J. R. Bookwalter

J. R. Bookwalter (born August 16, 1966) is an American filmmaker, screenwriter, and producer from Akron, Ohio. He is best known for directing low-budget horror, action, and science fiction films, including The Dead Next Door, Robot Ninja (both 1989), Ozone (1993), and Polymorph (1996). He is the founder of Tempe Entertainment which ran from 1988 until 2019 when the company's name changed to Makeflix.

## Career

J. R. Bookwalter began his career at the age of 19 in 1985 with The Dead Next Door. The film was an independent production shot on Super 8 film in Akron, Ohio, over the course of four years. It was executive produced by Sam Raimi, with Bruce Campbell supervising post-production sound as well as providing the overdubbed voices of two of the lead characters. Bookwalter wrote, directed, edited, and composed the score for the film. The Dead Next Door has gone on to amass a cult following and has been noted as being the most expensive shot on Super-8 film ever made.
During post-production on The Dead Next Door, Bookwalter wrote and directed the low-budget superhero action film Robot Ninja, which was executive produced by David DeCoteau. The film was released in 1989 and features cameos from Scott Spiegel, Burt Ward, and Linnea Quigley. In the years since its release, Robot Ninja achieved cult status on the video collector market. In a review for the 30th anniversary Blu-ray release, Rue Morgue states, "Splishy gore, body horror, off-kilter performances, and a self-reflexive edge make Robot Ninja a cut above your average exploitation movie fare."
Bookwalter produced Skinned Alive in 1990. The film stars Scott Spiegel and Mary Jackson.
Beginning in the early 1990s, Bookwalter directed a handful of low-budget shot-on-video films including Zombie Cop (1991), Maximum Impact, and Humanoids from Atlantis (both 1992), often times crediting himself under the pseudo name "Lance Randas".
In 1993, Bookwalter directed Ozone starring James R. Black. In their review for the film, Film Threat called it "A dreamy descent into Cronenberg-esque madness."
In 1996, Bookwalter directed Polymorph; written by and starring frequent collaborator James L. Edwards.
In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Bookwalter worked for Full Moon Pictures, producing and directing multiple projects for founder Charles Band including Witchouse 2: Blood Coven, Witchouse 3: Demon Fire, and Mega Scorpions (also known as Stingers).

## Filmography

| Year | Title | Director | Writer | Notes |
| 1989 | The Dead Next Door | Yes | Yes | |
| 1989 | Robot Ninja | Yes | Yes | |
| 1991 | Zombie Cop | Yes | Yes | Credited as "Lance Randas" |
| 1991 | Kingdom of the Vampire | Yes | Yes | |
| 1992 | Maximum Impact | Yes | Yes | Credited as "Lance Randas" |
| 1992 | Humanoids from Atlantis | Yes | Yes | Credited as "Lance Randas" |
| 1992 | Galaxy of the Dinosaurs | Yes | No | Credited as "Lance Randas" |
| 1993 | Ozone | Yes | Yes | |
| 1995 | The Sandman | Yes | Yes | |
| 1996 | Polymorph | Yes | Yes | |
| 1997 | Bloodletting | No | No | Executive producer |
| 2000 | Witchouse 2: Blood Coven | Yes | No | |
| 2001 | Witchouse 3: Demon Fire | Yes | Yes | |
| 2003 | Mega Scorpions | Yes | Yes | Also known as Stingers |
| 2024 | Side Effects May Vary | Yes | No | |