In a corner of Pine, just a few miles from the site of one of the most famous scenes in one of the most famous zombie movies ever filmed, Bruce Koehler is brewing up some homegrown horror and perhaps a bit of the monster magic that transformed "Night of the Living Dead" into a cult classic.

The Pine resident and owner of a production company is wrapping up shooting of his fourth film, "River of Darkness."

The parallels between the George Romero 1968 hit and Mr. Koehler's latest cinematographic undertaking range from the subtle to the obvious:

• Actor Bill Hinzman -- known by horror film aficionados as Zombie No. 1 for his role in "Night of the Living Dead" -- plays the central character, Harvey Hix, who is hunted by the evil spirits of three unjustly murdered brothers.

• Both films are low-budget horror flicks with storylines focused on the living dead.

• Both were written by local producer/directors.

• Both were filmed in the Pittsburgh region.

Is it too much for Mr. Koehler, 44, to hope for the same kind of success enjoyed by the film that was released before he was old enough to see it? The local director isn't thinking about it.

"Times are so different now than back then. So few movies were being produced. [Entertainment options] were limited. There were only three TV stations in Pittsburgh. There wasn't the competition," he said. "I'm not even thinking about how successful this movie can be. I'm just trying to make the best movie I can make, getting the most bang for the buck that I can get."

Mr. Koehler, who graduated in 1984 from North Allegheny High School, knows his way around a film set. With his North Shore Pictures production company, based in his home in Pine, he has produced three films and a host of commercials. He received his bachelor's degree in communications from Clarion University in 1990.

He said he has wanted to make movies since he was child and realized the impact of film.

"I can remember a neighbor talking about 'The Exorcist.' And then came 'Jaws.' I heard people describe them," he said.

At the same time, he showed a propensity for what he described as "tinkering."

"I was always editing between two VCRs. I'd splice things together, tinker with scenes till I got what I wanted," he said. He was involved in the theater program at North Allegheny High School.

After college, he worked at a local production company and in post-production for a local TV station, editing commercials. Ultimately, he put together the money he needed for his own production company and the equipment to make independent movies. The first was "Dark Wake" in 2006, followed the next year by "19 Doors" and then "End Game" in 2008. A crime drama, "End Game" has earned Mr. Koehler his first direct-to-DVD release by a large Hollywood distributor, FirstLook Studios. The release date is Dec. 1.

All were shot in the Pittsburgh region. "River of Darkness" has been filmed primarily in the northern suburbs and southern Butler County.

Filming locally allows Mr. Koehler and his twin brother, Bryan, of Avalon, who is executive producer of the film, to capitalize on their local knowledge and contacts -- and save money.

For example, they had access to filming on a tow boat in the Allegheny River in Aspinwall -- an undertaking that would have cost a lot of money for a Hollywood film crew to stage or re-create. But, Mr. Koehler was able to finagle the shot for free due to his contacts. He also knew of a spooky rundown hunting cabin in Pine, the owner of which gave him free passage onto the property. His contacts with graduates of the Douglas Education Center in Monessen, a creative career school that offers programs in special-effects makeup, hooked him up with student volunteers.

Alyssa Ruggiero, who soon will graduate from the school, said she "signed on immediately" for the project as a resume builder. "It's win-win for everybody," Mr. Koehler said.

"What Hollywood will pay tons of money for, I can do it for no money because of the people and places I know," he said.

That doesn't affect the professionalism of the production, said Sidney Raymond Eudy, of Marion, Ark., better known as Sid Vicious, a four-time world champion wrestler. Mr. Eudy, who has been in about a half-dozen movies, is in "River of Darkness."

"It's independent, but it's well-organized and put together," he said.

Bill Laing, of Slippery Rock, who played the "mothman" in "The Mothman Prophecies," the 2002 major motion picture that was filmed in and around Pittsburgh, also is in the film.

The premise of the movie is that Harvey Hix and a vigilante mob 30 years earlier unjustly killed three brothers. The brothers, played by Mr. Eudy, Mr. Laing and Kevin Nash, of Orlando, a professional wrestler and actor best known for his role in "The Punisher," come back to exact vengeance.

Horror film icon Alan Rowe Kelly, of New Jersey, and stage and screen actor Bingo O'Malley, of Pittsburgh, play "oracle-type" characters.

Olympic Gold-medal winner Kurt Angle, of Robinson, also in is the movie, playing a sheriff. Sam Nicotero, a Pittsburgh-based actor whose credits include "The Mothman Prophecies" and "Hoffa," plays a fisherman.

Mr. Koehler is the writer/producer/director. In addition to his brother, others working on "River of Darkness" include John Iwanonkiw, of Peters, as associate producer, and Dave Hawk, of the North Hills, as assistant producer.

Filming is expected to wrap up in October. Mr. Koehler hopes for a theatrical release "but we don't know. It is very hard," he said.

If not that, he hopes for a direct-to-DVD distribution.