Joe R. Lansdale

Movies

The Pushback
Himself
The first of two Latinas to represent Texas in Congress, Veronica Escobar, and the only African-American woman to run for city council in Austin in 2018, Natasha Harper-Madison, lead a diverse group of progressive voices across Texas as they fight decades of institutional racism and policies of discrimination along the border. The battle over immigrant rights, land seizures to build the border wall, and the troubled racial history of the state form the backdrop to a film that explores how a place once known for its reactionary politics is becoming more liberal, more diverse—and more at risk for violent conflict.
The Pale Door
Executive Producer
The Dalton gang escape to a nearby town after a train robbery goes south, but they are met by a coven of witches with sinister plans for the unsuspecting outlaws.
Cold in July
Novel
While investigating noises in his house one balmy Texas night in 1989, Richard Dane puts a bullet in the brain of a low-life burglar. Although he’s hailed as a small-town hero, Dane soon finds himself fearing for his family’s safety when Freddy’s ex-con father rolls into town, hell-bent on revenge.
Son of Batman
Screenplay
Batman learns he has a violent, unruly pre-teen son, secretly raised by the terrorist group known as The League of Assassins.
Bar Talk
Writer
In a dusty Texas bar, a chatty stranger insists on striking up a conversation with the man sitting next to him. The more this out-of-towner talks, the more obvious it is he's not from 'round here. Heck, he's not even from this planet! Based on the short story by Joe R. Lansdale.
Christmas with the Dead
Story
In his quest to fulfill a promise made to his wife, Calvin sets out to right his wrongs and make it the best Christmas ever for his family. If only it weren't June and the majority of the population, including his wife and daughter, hadn't been turned into flesh-eating snappers by a mysterious atmospheric phenomenon, he'd be in pretty good shape. Driven by guilt in a race against the apocalyptic clock, Calving teams up with G.M., a wily ex-garbage man turned undead slayer, as together they attempt to deck the halls during the most magical time of the year. It's Christmas in June. And snappers be damned. . . The lights and decorations are going up.
DC Showcase Original Shorts Collection
Writer
An anthology of DC Showcase stories consisting of a new Superman/Shazam feature and extended versions of older shorts.
DC Showcase: Jonah Hex
Screenplay
When a ruthless brothel madame murders Jonah Hex's current quarry, the disfigured bounty hunter plans to make her pay.
Incident On and Off a Mountain Road
Short Story
While driving at night on a mountain road, Ellen gets distracted and hits an abandoned car. When she tries to get help, she is attacked by a backwoods killer named Moonface, and must fight to stay alive using advice she got from her husband.
Bubba Ho-tep
Story
Bubba Ho-tep tells the "true" story of what really did become of Elvis Presley. We find Elvis as an elderly resident in an East Texas rest home, who switched identities with an Elvis impersonator years before his "death," then missed his chance to switch back. He must team up with JFK and fight an ancient Egyptian mummy for the souls of their fellow residents.
The Job
Story
The Job is a close look at racism based on the actual conflicts in Texas in the early 1970s. An Elvis impersonator and a "good ole boy" set out on a job for the boss, the nature of which becomes chillingly clear.
The Thicket
Novel
An innocent young man, Jack, goes on an epic quest to rescue his sister Lula after she has been kidnapped by the violent killer Cut Throat Bill and her gang. To save her, Jack enlists the help of a crafty bounty hunter named Reginald Jones, a grave-digging alcoholic son of an ex-slave, and a street-smart prostitute. The gang tracks Cut Throat Bill into the deadly no-man’s land known as The Big Thicket — a place where blood and chaos reign.
Night of the Cooters
Screenplay
Based on Howard Waldrop's 1987 sci-fi novel.