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Directed by J.R. Bookwalter, the film brought big attention from horror fans and critics alike.

Almost all of the movie was shot locally at a variety of well-known locations.

It's not every day you see zombies stumbling down the hill at Derby Downs. The undead also surface near the Rubber Bowl and the blimp hangar in the film's opening sequence. A local A&W drive-in restaurant is where one of the bloodiest attacks takes place at the beginning of the movie.

But that's not all, students at Springfield High School might recognize the Rotunda or parking lot at certain points in the picture. Mogadore High School is also used in the movie to house the battle between the living and the dead. Hard to believe zombies walked those halls.

There's also a short sequence where the zombies roam along Main Street in Akron ripping their victims out of cars in a bloody rampage.

Finally, a zombie tries to make a call inside a phone booth that once stood on Canton Road near the former Krispy Kreme Doughnuts building (just shy of Waterloo Road). Kind of a creepy thought, huh?

"The Dead Next Door" also features dozens of local actors -- so maybe one of your own family members or friends was among the ghoulish zombies or unlucky victims.

WATCH the trailer for 'The Dead Next Door,' which showcases some of the local footage -- NOTE graphic content and foul language.

It's also rumored that Sam Raimi, who directed all three "Spider-Man" movies along with the "Evil Dead" trilogy, helped finance the film.

More recently, horror hit Hartville for the direct-to-DVD feature "Dead and Rotting." Directed by David P. Barton back in 2002, the movie showcases a nasty witch who unleashes her wrath on a trio of pranksters, leaving behind a mess of death and decay.

Starring Fangoria Radio host and B-movie Scream Queen Debbie Rochon, the movie takes viewers through several parts of Hartville and Springfield Township.

WATCH the trailer for 'Dead and Rotting' -- NOTE: graphic content.

During the film, some of the characters are seen hanging out in Bulldog's -- which is a sports bar on Canton Road near Killian. That location still stands, but has changed names to the Firehouse Grille and Pub. So next time you bite into your chicken fingers or ketchup-soaked fries there, just think about the gorefest that shot sequences inside. Yummy, huh?

The Pantry restaurant in Hartville is also featured in the film.

But that's not all, the movie was shot in a few local homes along with the Hartville Chocolate Factory.

So if you're hungry for horror from your own backyard, be sure to pick up one of these fright flicks. You can find them easily on Amazon.com or Netflix. Even your local video rental store will likely have these scary movies.

Enjoy watching when zombies attacked Akron!

Were you a part of these movies? If so leave a comment and tell us all about it!

For more scary movies, local TV listings, area Trick-Or-Treat schedules and haunted house information, creep on over to AkronScreams.com!