Costa Dillon
Encyclopedia
Constantine Dillon usually known as Costa, is an American
writer
and actor
of Greek ancestry. He is most famous as the creator of the cult classic
film
Attack of the Killer Tomatoes
! and its sequels:
Return of the Killer Tomatoes
!,
Killer Tomatoes Strike Back
!
and Killer Tomatoes Eat France
;
he also wrote the book Happy Hour.
(his grandfather's family name was Anglicized from Deligianis), was born in Norwich, Connecticut
to parents who were second-generation Greeks. There is a street in Norwich named for his grandfather who was a carpenter and built houses there. His father, a career U.S. Marine, moved about the country and Dillon eventually ended up in San Diego. Dillon and his family were active members of St. John the Baptist Greek Orthodox Parish in Omaha, Nebraska, where he was an altar boy. (Alexander Payne
, the film director, was also an altar boy for this parish.)
Dillon is also a career employee of the National Park Service
. Dillon has had a parallel career with the National Park Service and has worked in numerous national parks, including Gettysburg National Military Park. He was the superintendent of the National Park Service Horace M. Albright Training Center and the acting Chief of Learning and Development for the National Park Service in 2006-2007. He is currently Superintendent of Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore
. He is a recipient of the Stephen T. Mather award from the National Parks Conservation Association
, the National Park Service
Sequoia Award for outstanding contributions to park interpretation, and the Secretary of the Interior's Award for Long-Term Achievement in Diversity, and the Department of the Interior's Meritorious Service Award
While at Fire Island, he also received commendations from the New York State Legislature and the Suffolk County Legislature for his accomplishments there.
Dillon is a graduate of the University of California, Davis
and the University of Colorado.
starring George Clooney
. A cartoon show was aired on Fox 1990-1992. The term "killer tomato" has often been used as shorthand for the fear of genetically engineered food and was used by the media extensively during the tomato salmonella outbreak in spring 2008.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
and actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
of Greek ancestry. He is most famous as the creator of the cult classic
Cult Classic
Cult Classic is a Blue Öyster Cult studio recording released in 1994, containing remakes of many of the band's previous hits.-Track listing:# " The Reaper" - 5:05# "E.T.I...
film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
Attack of the Killer Tomatoes
Attack of the Killer Tomatoes
Attack of the Killer Tomatoes is a 1978 comedy film directed by John De Bello and starring David Miller. The film is a spoof of B movies. Made on a budget of less than US$100,000, the story involves tomatoes becoming sentient by unknown means and revolting against humanity. Writing credits were...
! and its sequels:
Return of the Killer Tomatoes
Return of the Killer Tomatoes
Return of the Killer Tomatoes! was the first sequel to Attack of the Killer Tomatoes.-Synopsis:Set twenty five years after the events of Attack of the Killer Tomatoes , the basic plotline is that after the events of the first film...
!,
Killer Tomatoes Strike Back
Killer Tomatoes Strike Back
Killer Tomatoes Strike Back is the third film in the Killer Tomatoes film series, following Attack of the Killer Tomatoes and Return of the Killer Tomatoes and followed by Killer Tomatoes Eat France...
!
and Killer Tomatoes Eat France
Killer Tomatoes Eat France
Killer Tomatoes Eat France! is a 1991 film released as the third sequel to Attack of the Killer Tomatoes. The film was planned to be the third in the Series according to Return of the Killer Tomatoes, but was replaced as the third film by Killer Tomatoes Strike Back...
;
he also wrote the book Happy Hour.
Early life
Dillon, a Greek AmericanGreek American
Greek Americans are Americans of Greek descent also described as Hellenic descent. According to the 2007 U.S. Census Bureau estimation, there were 1,380,088 people of Greek ancestry in the United States, while the State Department mentions that around 3,000,000 Americans claim to be of Greek descent...
(his grandfather's family name was Anglicized from Deligianis), was born in Norwich, Connecticut
Norwich, Connecticut
Regular steamship service between New York and Boston helped Norwich to prosper as a shipping center through the early part of the 20th century. During the Civil War, Norwich once again rallied and saw the growth of its textile, armaments, and specialty item manufacturing...
to parents who were second-generation Greeks. There is a street in Norwich named for his grandfather who was a carpenter and built houses there. His father, a career U.S. Marine, moved about the country and Dillon eventually ended up in San Diego. Dillon and his family were active members of St. John the Baptist Greek Orthodox Parish in Omaha, Nebraska, where he was an altar boy. (Alexander Payne
Alexander Payne
Alexander Payne, born Alexander Constantine Papadopoulos is an American film director and screenwriter. His films are noted for their dark humor and satirical depictions of contemporary American society.- Early life :...
, the film director, was also an altar boy for this parish.)
Career & awards
Dillon began making films in high school with his friends John DeBello, Steve Peace, and Mike Grant. The group took 3rd place in the 1971 National Kodak Teenage Film Festival and won the 1972 Shasta Film Festival. They then established Four Square Productions, a film company in San Diego and began making sports films. The group later formed Killer Tomato Entertainment, Inc. which produced the four Killer Tomato films as well as Happy Hour.Dillon is also a career employee of the National Park Service
National Park Service
The National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...
. Dillon has had a parallel career with the National Park Service and has worked in numerous national parks, including Gettysburg National Military Park. He was the superintendent of the National Park Service Horace M. Albright Training Center and the acting Chief of Learning and Development for the National Park Service in 2006-2007. He is currently Superintendent of Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore
Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore
Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore is a U.S. National Lakeshore located in northwest Indiana and managed by the National Park Service. It was authorized by Congress in 1966. The national lakeshore runs for nearly along the southern shore of Lake Michigan, from Gary, Indiana, on the west to Michigan...
. He is a recipient of the Stephen T. Mather award from the National Parks Conservation Association
National Parks Conservation Association
The National Parks Conservation Association is the only independent, membership organization devoted exclusively to advocacy on behalf of the National Parks System...
, the National Park Service
National Park Service
The National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...
Sequoia Award for outstanding contributions to park interpretation, and the Secretary of the Interior's Award for Long-Term Achievement in Diversity, and the Department of the Interior's Meritorious Service Award
While at Fire Island, he also received commendations from the New York State Legislature and the Suffolk County Legislature for his accomplishments there.
Dillon is a graduate of the University of California, Davis
University of California, Davis
The University of California, Davis is a public teaching and research university established in 1905 and located in Davis, California, USA. Spanning over , the campus is the largest within the University of California system and third largest by enrollment...
and the University of Colorado.
Killer Tomatoes
Dillon created the concept of Killer Tomatoes as a short film in college. It was later made as a feature film, now famous, at a cost of less than $100,000. Finding a new audience as one of the first films to be available on VHS, the movie developed a cult following that led to three sequels, including Return of the Killer TomatoesReturn of the Killer Tomatoes
Return of the Killer Tomatoes! was the first sequel to Attack of the Killer Tomatoes.-Synopsis:Set twenty five years after the events of Attack of the Killer Tomatoes , the basic plotline is that after the events of the first film...
starring George Clooney
George Clooney
George Timothy Clooney is an American actor, film director, producer, and screenwriter. For his work as an actor, he has received two Golden Globe Awards and an Academy Award...
. A cartoon show was aired on Fox 1990-1992. The term "killer tomato" has often been used as shorthand for the fear of genetically engineered food and was used by the media extensively during the tomato salmonella outbreak in spring 2008.