EXCLUSIVE: Mark Savage Talks ‘Jeffrey Dollmer,’ True Crime, Killer Dolls and a Possible Sequel
The Purgatory Road director discusses his outrageous new horror comedy, the fascination with sinister puppets that began in childhood, and why independent cinema remains the perfect home for stories that push the boundaries.
By Seth Metoyer | More Horror
There's something wonderfully absurd about a horror movie that takes one of America's most notorious serial killers, transfers his spirit into a doll, and unleashes him on an unsuspecting group of models at a remote photo shoot.
Welcome to Jeffrey Dollmer, the latest film from director Mark Savage, arrived on November 3 on Digital and On Demand through Uncork'd Entertainment. You can rent or purchase here on Amazon Prime Video.
I've known Mark for years. His appreciation for cinema runs deep, especially when the conversation wanders into cult classics, obscure exploitation films, and the stranger corners of genre history. He's also spent decades making films of his own, often exploring some pretty dark territory.
One of my personal favorites from his catalog is Purgatory Road, a disturbing Southern horror film about a murderous priest and his brother operating a mobile confessional. It's an unsettling piece of filmmaking that demonstrates Savage's willingness to explore uncomfortable subjects.
Jeffrey Dollmer, however, appears to find him embracing something considerably more outrageous.
The film begins in 1991, when Jeffrey Dahmer attempts to transfer his spirit into a doll through an occult ritual. Authorities interrupt the process, and the doll spends decades collecting dust in police evidence. Eventually, it finds its way back into circulation, where its dormant presence awakens and becomes fixated on a young model. When she travels to an isolated photo shoot, things take a predictably murderous turn.
It's a premise that could have come straight from the wildest days of exploitation cinema. And given Savage's encyclopedic knowledge of that world, I was curious about what drew him to this particular project.
I recently caught up with Mark for an exclusive More Horror conversation about the film, his fascination with killer dolls, the complicated relationship between true crime and fictional horror, and the potential future of producer Jeff Miller's Twisted Serial Killer Universe.
More Horror Interviews Mark Savage
MORE HORROR: I've known you for years, and one thing I've always appreciated is your encyclopedic knowledge of cinema, particularly cult films, exploitation, and genre filmmaking. I've also been a longtime fan of Purgatory Road, which has a much darker, more disturbing atmosphere. Jeffrey Dollmer looks like you're having a blast with a more outrageous, comedic side of horror. What attracted you to this project, and how did you approach that shift in tone?
MARK SAVAGE: I appreciate your kind words about PURGATORY ROAD. It's my personal favorite. I was drawn to DOLLMER's mix of black, macabre comedy and horror, and found that balancing act a challenge. When producer Jeff Miller told me he was working on a killer doll script, I was instantly interested. I've used dolls extensively in several of my own films such as DEFENCELESS and BEYOND THE PALE 3, so this concept was pretty irresistible.
MORE HORROR: The premise is pretty wild: Jeffrey Dahmer attempts to transfer his spirit into a doll, and decades later, that doll starts terrorizing people at a remote photo shoot. That's the kind of concept that feels pulled straight from the glory days of exploitation cinema. When you first encountered Jeff Miller's story and the screenplay, what grabbed your attention? And how much creative freedom did you have to push the absurdity and humor?
MARK SAVAGE: The Jeffrey Dahmer story is one of the most familiar serial killer stories of contemporary times. Just recently there was a Netflix miniseries. I liked that this story used the publicly documented case as a launching pad for something quite different, not a re-telling of the same tale.
This was also the second movie of Jeff's "Twisted Serial Killer Universe" concept, the first being Ted Bunny, which I wasn't part of.
As director, I immediately wanted to ramp up the sexual side of the doll's Dahmer nature, and since we were dealing with a doll, that meant exaggerating the doll's libido as the Dahmer spirit courses through him. I felt free to push the graphic nature and aimed to deliver something fun and risque that the studios wouldn't touch, which is, for me, what can distinguish an indie movie from a studio movie.
I always try to make something I'd want to watch myself, and if I'm contributing to a familiar genre, I feel the need to do something that hasn't been done before within that. I was a horror fan before I was a filmmaker, so I'm a harsh critic of my own work.
MORE HORROR: One thing I've always found fascinating about horror audiences is our relationship with true crime. People consume documentaries, dramatizations, and films about actual serial killers, yet turning one of those figures into a supernatural slasher villain can provoke a very different reaction. Jeffrey Dollmer has already generated some discussion along those lines. How do you approach that territory as a filmmaker, and what would you say to viewers who question the use of a real killer like Dahmer in an intentionally outrageous horror comedy?
MARK SAVAGE: In this instance, the publicly documented Dahmer story is used to launch a fictional possessed doll story. For me, the doll story is deliberately outrageous, and though the behavior of the doll is informed by the real case, we don't reference any actual victim details, and all the killings belong in scenarios that are not only set in present day, but bear no similarities to the case itself.
The real Dahmer (a version of him) is only seen in the first few scenes so we have something familiar to spin our new story off.
Documented serial murder cases and the killers themselves have been the stuff of drama for decades. This "universe" subverts the recognition factor and is, for me, far removed from the actual cases.
MORE HORROR: Looking back at films like Sensitive New-Age Killer, Stressed to Kill, Purgatory Road, and Kill Craft, you've explored some pretty distinctive corners of genre cinema. Do you see a common thread connecting those films to Jeffrey Dollmer? I'm also curious whether your approach to filmmaking and storytelling has changed over the years, especially when it comes to balancing creative ambition with the realities of independent production.
MARK SAVAGE: The common theme in the three titles you mentioned is duality -- the good side of each character is at war with the bad side. Which one will triumph?
The same theme occurs in my The Masturbating Gunman and the sequel, which I'm currently writing. I don't see Jeffrey Dollmer, which I didn't write, exploring those same themes.
What's changed over the decades since I directed my first commercial feature in '87 (Marauders) is the way movies are delivered to audiences and the budgets. Although there are still movies with gigantic budgets, the majority of features have shorter shooting schedules and revenue has fallen because, overall, the market is both saturated and monopolized by just a few key distributors/streamers.
I am still drawn to what one may call disturbing or "dark" subjects, but I am also more aware these days of how fragile the business is, and how important it is to deliver movies that do have a market, even if it's niche.
The good news is the studio model is crashing and indies are rising. Younger audiences are very adventurous, and even physical media is on the rise because of their burgeoning interest in offbeat storytelling and movies of the past.
MORE HORROR: Killer-doll movies have a long and wonderfully strange history, from Child's Play and Puppet Master to some truly obscure exploitation titles. With your extensive knowledge of film history, I'm curious what influences you brought into Jeffrey Dollmer. Were there specific movies, filmmakers, or practical filmmaking techniques that shaped how you wanted the doll and its murderous antics to play on screen?
MARK SAVAGE: I have always found dolls/mannequins/human effigies fascinating. My first exposure to a maniac doll was Dan Curtis's Trilogy of Terror (with Karen Black). That story gave me immense anxiety as a kid.
Over the years, my favorites became Magic, Pin, Stuart Gordon's Dolls, Dead Silence, Dead of Night, Twilight Zone's "Talking Tina" episode, and anything involving ventriloquist dummies (I also own several of those).
Beyond that, I'm a huge Gerry Anderson fan, and his puppet/Supermarionation shows such as Joe 90, Thunderbirds, and Captain Scarlett really left their mark on me.
The shots of our Jeffrey Dollmer walking, as if on air, were influenced by Gerry's style, and the amazing, unique puppet figures he created with his wife Sylvia still resonate.
I am by no means done with dolls.
MORE HORROR: Jeffrey Dollmer is the second installment in producer Jeff Miller's Twisted Serial Killer Universe, following Ted Bunny. How did you become involved in expanding that concept, and what possibilities do you see for the franchise moving forward? Are there other projects you're currently developing that horror fans should know about?
MARK SAVAGE: Ted Bunny exists already and was released. It was the first in the "universe" Jeff Miller created. I wasn't involved with that, but it was a successful maiden entry in the series.
Jeff felt I was suited to Jeffrey Dollmer, and I approached it with great enthusiasm. It is a ludicrous, somewhat lurid concept, and it was fun to take it seriously so the "comedy" wouldn't feel forced.
Dollmer might also be one of the first killer doll movies where the doll is gay. Dahmer himself was gay, so the doll's sexuality is consistent with that.
Technical challenges aside, directing Jeffrey Dollmer (with a great cast and crew, and a focused producer like Jeff Miller), was a fun experience, and telling such unlikely, bizarre stories is part of why my passion for the genre -- and moviemaking itself -- remains as strong as ever.
If Dollmer is a success, we will move forward with a sequel (we've already thrown around some scenarios). International sales have already been positive, so a continuation of the pervert doll's journey is a real possibility.
The Future of Jeffrey Dollmer
That final comment certainly caught my attention. Savage and Miller have already discussed possible scenarios for another Jeffrey Dollmer film, and according to Savage, international sales have been encouraging.
The film also joins a larger collection of deliberately outrageous horror concepts under Miller's Twisted Serial Killer Universe banner. The first installment, Ted Bunny, arrived earlier this year, with Jeffrey Dollmer continuing the concept in an entirely different direction.
Personally, I found Savage's discussion of Gerry Anderson's Supermarionation productions particularly fascinating. There's something about connecting the elaborate puppetry of Thunderbirds to a modern killer-doll slasher that perfectly captures the breadth of Mark's cinematic influences. His enthusiasm for the craft remains infectious.
And while Jeffrey Dollmer will certainly spark some debate over its use of a real-life murderer, it's interesting to hear Savage explain the creative thinking behind the project in his own words.
Whether audiences embrace its particular brand of bizarre horror comedy remains to be seen, but the director clearly had fun exploring the possibilities.
Where to Watch Jeffrey Dollmer
Jeffrey Dollmer arrives November 3, 2026, on Digital and On Demand through Uncork'd Entertainment.
The film comes from a screenplay by John Doolan (Popeye the Slayer Man, Remains) and Jeff Miller (Clowntown, Ouija House), based on Miller's story.
The cast includes Charlie Trepany, Chey Crieger, Juliana Destefano, Adam Huss, Eva Hamilton, Tom Parnell, and Brian Joseph Mange as Jeffrey Dahmer, with a cameo appearance by Final Destination creator Jeffrey Reddick.
For those curious about just how far Savage takes the material, the official Red Band trailer offers a better look at the film's more outrageous elements.
Watch the Official Jeffrey Dollmer Red Band Trailer:
Read our earlier coverage of Jeffrey Dollmer.
