Episode 3 Halloween Night - LIVE Chat with Cast!

We've got an extra-awesome, super-fun night planned for the Halloween broadcast of Episode 3: Watch episodes 1 & 2 from 7:40PM EST, then watch the Episode 3 premiere at 8:00PM EST, followed by voting online for the winner of the walk-on role in the series! And the best part is you can join members of the cast LIVE on our website to chat, ask questions about the show, and share your reactions to the big finale! So grab a bucket of candy, a bag of popcorn, and some ghoulish friends and join us! 

To access the Live Chat, find the Skysa bar at the bottom of this page and register to sign in!

Premiere News Roundup

Premiere Event at Six Flags New England

 

As previously announced in the series' press release, the first episode of CvsRZ will be broadcast on our Youtube channel on October 17, 2012 at 8:00PM EST. Episodes 2 and 3 will follow on October 24 and 31, respectively.

But prior to the broadcast of the show, a special all-day premiere event will be held at Six Flags New England on October 13, 2012.  Special discount tickets are available to all of our fans through the Six Flags website. Join the cast and crew of the show for a "Zombie Run" race, a fully catered lunch, access to all the rides and park attractions all day and a post-premiere VIP Party at JB's Pub where you can meet cast members, get autographs and photos, and celebrate the launch of the show!  

Here's the link to buy tickets: http://www.sixflags.com/newEngland/tickets/index.aspx#. Make sure to click the link to buy tickets for "Fright Fest" and then click "Promotional Code" on the top right. Enter "Redneck" to get the discounted ticket rate of just $32.00, then pick October 13 as your date. It's so easy even a zombie could do it!

After you buy your tickets, do make sure to head over to the Six Flags New England Facebook page and say "thank you" to them for premiering our show and giving us an exciting launch.

Cast Appearances at Field of Screams and Haunted Acres

 

If you can't make the big party at Six Flags, there's still plenty of chances for you to celebrate Halloween in style with the cast of your favorite zom-com.

On October 21, we'll be at Haunted Acres in New Hampshire. These guys have one heck of a great park with tons of thrills and amazing production values, so don't miss it! 

Field of Screams is Rhode Island's best Halloween theme event and one heck of a scary show. We'll be there tentatively on Saturday October 27.

We'll be having a fun contest for a walk-on part in the show, at both events. Stay tuned here for more information!

 

Media Appearances by Cast Members

 

A few of cast members have been in local press lately, talking about their careers and the show. Ashley Tramonte talks about acting on New England Hollywood, while Emmy March is in the Marblehead Reporter where she discusses modeling, beauty, and pranks.

Premiere Announcement

The announcement of the official premiere date for Cheerleaders vs. Redneck Zombies was made today! The text of the press release follows.

Art Aperitif Announces Premiere of Cheerleaders vs. Redneck Zombies

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Putnam, CT – Art Aperitif Productions is proud to announce the premiere of the new web series Cheerleaders vs. Redneck Zombies, a horror-comedy starring Meredith Prunty, Brian Farmer, Jimmy Folco, Savannah Reinitzer, Elizabeth Percy, and Kallie Tabor. The series is written and directed by Jason Bachand.

Cheerleaders vs. Redneck Zombies is a new entry in rapidly growing film sub-genre – the “zom-com,” or zombie comedy. The series' plot revolves around a high school cheer squad on a weekend getaway. They find themselves facing off against the hillbilly “Po'Dunk” clan who have turned themselves undead by way of a barrel of toxic chemicals. The cheerleaders must work together to survive a deadly game of cat and mouse deep in the woods of rural Connecticut.

Meredith Prunty, who just completed filming on Jason Reitman's Labor Day with Josh Brolin and Kate Winslet, stars as cheer squad captain Candie. Prunty is joined by an ensemble of rising stars on the New England film scene including Kallie Tabor, who appeared with Anne Hathaway in Bride Wars, Jimmy Folco who can be seen later this year in Marcus Nispel's Backmask, and Miss Teen New Hampshire runner-up Taylor Kudalis.

Director Jason Bachand says the series was inspired by campy but creepy films like Scream and Shaun of the Dead. “The zombies provide the scares, of course,” says Bachand. “And for the laughs, we poke fun at the dubious quality of some parts of American culture. We're lampooning two stereotypes in fact, the Jeff Foxworthy hillbilly and the persistent image of the cheerleader as vacuous and inartistic. I think ultimately we want to satirize both.” And why would redneck zombies have it in for a group of hapless cheerleaders? “It's an expression of class differences,” Bachand explains. “The cheerleaders - educated, carefree, and middle class - represent everything the rednecks dislike. These two groups are opposite poles on a continuum.” 
 

The cast unanimously praised the script and congenial atmosphere on the production. “I am thrilled to be a part of such an amazing group of people,” said Taylor Kudalis. “I cannot wait for the series premiere.” Brian Farmer, who plays Po'dunk patriarch Dwight, was lured by the chance to play a redneck zombie. “This project gave me the chance to create a unique character and explore things within myself that I never knew were there.” It was a challenge, he admits, but well worth it. “This series is without a doubt something you should see. It's new, cutting edge, and will have you hanging on by the edge of your seat.” “When I get a script, I look for any cool ways I might kill or be killed. Cheerleaders vs. Redneck Zombies scored on all aspects for me,” said zombie performer A.F. Grant. Added Ashley Tramonte, who plays cheerleader Alexa Bell: “You will be hooked in the first few seconds!”

Other members of the cast highlighted the merits of the series as a new and exciting entry into the genre. Actress Emmy March called it “exhilarating” and hoped the audience experiences the “the energy and excitement that everyone put into it.” Jimmy Folco, meanwhile, who plays one half of the stars (and bars)-crossed couple Jed and Roseasharn (Savannah Reinitzer), said “I am happy and excited to be part of a fun and thrilling experience with a web series that I have complete confidence will succeed beyond our entire cast and crew’s wildest expectation.” Folco is hot off the set of Marcus Nispel's (Friday The 13th) Backmask. That movie was filmed at the former Ladd Institute in Exeter Rhode Island, and Folco was pleased to be called back to the same location in late August to do press and publicity for Cheerleaders vs. Redneck Zombies. “I want everyone to watch and enjoy this crazy zombie horror story with a funny southern fried twist that I guarantee will have you’ll screaming and laughing,” he said.

Cheerleaders vs. Redneck Zombies will premiere on its own Youtube channel (http://www.youtube.com/cvsrz) on Thursday, October 17 at 8:00PM. For more information on the series, see http://www.cvsrz.blogspot.com.

Second Official Trailer and Fundraising

We're very happy that everyone's enjoying the official trailer. We're at the next step in post-production: we have our first edits of all three of our episodes, and we're now working on sound mixing and digital color grading.

In the meantime, let's keep up the marketing and fund-raising efforts! Our first goal is to reach the $1000 mark on Indieogogo. In an ideal world, our enthusiasm and excitement for this show would be all we needed to make it. But the reality is, of course, that making a film project costs money. The amazing cast and crew devote their time and talents to our show and they deserve to earn a living for what they do. The funds we raise also help us to make the show better and to market it to the right people - especially sponsors who will bring in even more revenue. We all believe very strongly that given the initial resources, this show will be a commercial and critical success- already the buzz is good and doors are opening to future opportunities.

And remember, if you're someone who wants a good return on their investment (and who doesn't?) we offer executive producer packages, too. Becoming a producer not only earns you a spot on the crew of show and a film credit on a SAG production, but you'll earn a percentage of our project's profits.

In the meantime, please enjoy another trailer for the show - this one focusing more on the comedic aspects of the show.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-KpphYiWU4

The OFFICIAL TRAILER Arrives!

Check out the official trailer on Youtube. Enjoy!

http://youtu.be/kNq2vQXKvqk

If you like the trailer, and want to see a FULL series next year, please visit Indigogo and make a pledge to support us! We've got everything from autographed photos of all the cast to bronze, silver, and gold producer packages. Check it out!

CvsRZ Publicity Day

Cast and crew gathered yesterday in Exeter Rhode Island, at the site of the abandoned Ladd Institute, for publicity stills, cast photos, and teaser trailer footage. We got a ton of great shots and footage! C.Smith-SFX was on hand to do zombie makeup and still photographer David Cope provided amazing shots of our cast in character. 

Actor A.F. Grant has zombie makeup applied. Notice the impressive head wound. 

Director Jason Bachand and still photographer David Cope line up lighting and frame a publicity shot. One of the creepy abandoned buildings on site can be seen in the back left.








 
Meredith Prunty and Ashley Tramonte in costume. The cheerleaders uniforms are stock costumes and won't be used in the production itself. 

Emmy March, Taylor Kudalis, and Kallie Tabor chat with Jason Bachand for a "director's diary" bonus feature.  The actresses talked about the dynamic between their characters, who are friends in the script.

Savannah Reinitzer in makeup prep. Caity from C.Smith-SFX worked hard to provide our zombie gore on a tight schedule!

The zombies - A.F. Grant, Savannah Reinitzer, and Mark Burzenski -  line up in front of a monster truck. We got lucky - the Ladd Institute grounds manager, Jimmy Folco, happened to have a friend nearby with a monster truck we were able to use.

Cast and crew hang out while teaser trailer footage is filmed.

Brian Farmer and A.F. Grant getting hammy for the camera. Brian didn't get to go "zombie" for the day, but he'll be getting plenty gory when filming starts!

The full cast and crew at wrap time! In addition to the cast, Production Manager Nathan Adams, Co-Producer Suzanne Prunty, the FX team, Art Director Kristin Bales, and Still Images Photographer David Cope can be seen. 

CvsRZ Kickstarter Project - Help Out!

Ok CvsRZ fans - time to get serious. We're putting out a call to help fund our series and make it a HUGE success. We're aiming high - we want this series to be the BIG thing this fall that everyone's talking about. If we meet our goals, and our pilot episode is a success, we'll have the leverage to shoot more episodes with bigger budgets, more SFX, and more publicity to spread the word!

So - check. this. out: We're got a Kickstarter project to find sponsors and backers who w

ant to make this series a commercial and critical success. All kinds of goodies are available to those who pledge to help us make this series a hit - from autographed DVDs to a walk-part in the show. Or, for those who really want to help out, we're offering executive producer credit with all the benefits thereof, including passes to the cast wrap party and series' premiere event!

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/jasonbachand/cheerleaders-vs-redneck-zombies-a-web-series

Reliving the Living Dead: An Interview with Marsha Dietlein

Return of the Living Dead film poster.
(c) Lorimar Film Entertainment

Jason Bachand, Writer/Director CvsRZ 

For many zombie and horror movie fans, the 1980's were a golden era. The decade saw the birth and rapid growth of the "slasher" genre in the successful Friday the 13th and Halloween franchises, there were new and exciting experiments in science-fiction/horror crossovers (Aliens, Lifeforce), and an entirely new type of film - the horror comedy - was enjoying wide popularity. Many film historians credit the low-budget flick Student Bodies as 'inventing' the horror-comedy, but the fact is there were scores of highly enjoyable scary and funny horror films made in the '80s - from the cult classic Night of Creeps to the hysterically campy Killer Klowns from Outer Space.

So it was only a matter of time before zombies decided to get a little funny. George Romero's original Night of the Living Dead (1968) had spawned two sequels by 1985 (Dawn of the Dead and Day of the Dead), but the series remained very much in the "horror" camp - deadly serious, never funny. Most of the other zombie films of the 1970s had also stayed true to Romero's formula and, while there were some very good zombie films made during this decade, they were meant to terrorize and not to amuse.

(c) Lorimar Home Entertainment

It wasn't until 1985's Return of the Living Dead, made with Romero's permission but not his participation, that zombies finally found a sense of humor. Writer/director Dan O'Bannon found the right balance of gruesome fright with a very tongue-in-cheek sense of parody, probably best exemplified by a scene in which zombies slaughter two EMTs and then get on the ambulance radio to ask the dispatcher to "Send more paramedics." The performers all play their parts with deathly seriousness and the laughs arise organically from the plot. Audiences loved it, and the film was a financial and critical success. It now enjoys the status of being one of the definitive movies of the horror-comedy genre.

Equally funny, scary, and enduring was the immediate sequel, Return of the Living Dead Part 2 (watch the trailer for the movie here). RotLD 2 brought back the brain-eating zombies and knowing self-parody that made part one such a success, even recasting the comedic duo of Ed and Joey (Jimmy Karen and Thom Mathews) despite the fact that both of them died in part one!

RotLD2 was one of the first zombie movies I ever saw, and so it's become an integral part of how I envision a successful zombie film. I was very lucky recently to connect with RotLD 2 star Marsha Dietlein, who starred as Lucy Wilson in the film, and she graciously agreed to do an interview exclusively for all the very lucky people on the CvsRZ website.

Marsha Dietlein in character as Lucy Wilson.
(c) Lorimar Home Entertainment

Hi Marsha, thank you for taking some time to talk to us about RotLD 2. We're honored. 

You're welcome. So happy to do this!

Tell us how you became involved with the film.

I auditioned for RotLD 2.  I remember laughing when my agent called me with the audition.  It was maybe my 7th audition since I'd moved to LA.  I had to go to several callbacks and was paired up with Michael Kenworthy and Dana Ashbrook in the final audition.  We all were cast together, which was fun.

When RotLD2 was made, the "horror-comedy" was a new genre of film. Now, of course, horror-comedies are very popular - Scream, Shaun of the Dead, and Zombieland just to name a few. What's the secret to striking the right balance between funny and terrifying, in your view?
 

I think our film was definitely ahead of its time.  Sadly, I think it got blasted by critics and fans because they didn't like the comedy tone of the film.  I think it was Ken's (director Ken Wiederhorn) plan all along, and I liked it.  I guess the key is to play the comedy as straight as possible.  I never thought I was in a comedy, and that made it funny.  I just tried to play Lucy like I was Sigourney Weaver in Alien (laughs)! At the same time, if you were playing it straight, then it made it easier to slip into the world of horror and be scary.

"You watch your tongue boy if you like this job."
"Like this job!?"
(c) Lorimar Home Entertainment

On the subject of comedy, one of the things many fans like about RotLD2 is the duo of Ed and Joey, played by James Karen and Thom Mathews. What was it like working with them - were they as funny on set as in the film?

I adored working with Jimmy and Thommy.  Jimmy is a true gentleman.  We were working nights for so many weeks, and would all get quite punchy. Thommy was always good for a laugh.  I think they liked the tongue in cheek tone of the movie and kept coming up with silly bits to add into the movie.

They really did bring a great sense of levity to the narrative. But, while Lucy was pretty deadpan, she actually had one of the best lines in the script:  "Look, they're ugly and they're dirty and they're dumb, and I don't even care if they are dead. I hate 'em, there's no way they're touching me!" Do you remember if it took more than one take for that line, or how you decided to deliver it?

That line was my favorite line in the movie.  We did several takes as I'm pretty uncoordinated and had to load the shotgun while talking at the same time.  I really was trying to channel Ripley from Alien.  Don't think I was successful at it (laughs).

Was working on set, especially at night, particularly creepy?

Working at night made us all feel like vampires, honestly.  It was a little creepy when we filmed the graveyard stuff.  Mostly, it was just cold. It actually snowed while we were filming! I don't find zombies scary,  and I find vampires sexy, but I must admit the thing that freaks me out the most are evil spirits or possessions.  I still haven't made it through The Exorcist.  It scares the shit out of me!

The "tarman" zombie was one of the most
memorable creature effects from RotLD2.
(c) Lorimar Home Entertainment

Talking of the really scary special effects, what did you think of the "Tarman" zombie - did you actually get to see it in action, and was it as scary and revolting as it is on screen?

I didn't visit the set when they filmed Tarman. But, I'm sure he was as grotesque in person as he was onscreen.  I love the effects because there was no CGI in our movie...they were much more realistic because they had to be.  I did visit the graveyard set when all of the zombies emerge, and we all had so much fun laughing at the antics of Brian Peck, who played several of the featured zombies in the movie.

Zombies, along with vampires, are the "it" thing right now - especially with shows like The Walking Dead setting a great standard for the genre. What's the appeal of zombies, in your opinion? Why are they terrifying?

I suppose the appeal of zombies or the reason that they're terrifying is that they could be anybody. They're like the "every men" of horror films.  Anyone could be attacked by the special gas and turned into a zombie. They're also usually in gangs, so that can be a bit intimidating.

Lucy and Doc Mandel (Philip Bruns) look on while Ed
(James Karen) becomes a zombie.
(c) Lorimar Home Entertainment

The third installment of the Return of the Living Dead franchise didn't come out until five years after part two, and didn't pick up the template established by the first two. Still, was there any discussion with you about the possibility of bringing Lucy Wilson's character back?

I never heard from any of the other movies about bringing my character back, which is a bummer.  I think it would be a blast to revisit the zombie world again.

It really is a shame, since both parts one and two had such a lasting impact on the zombie movie genre. With zombies enjoying a 'revival' though, I'm curious about how you think RotLD2 paved the way for the new wave of zombie movies and horror in general.

I would like to think that ROTLD 2 paved the way for the horror/comedy genre.  It had amazing special effects. I also liked that my character was a bad ass not some wimpy girl who needed to be saved by some guy.

That was definitely a new way of portraying women in horror movies, as hero instead of constant victim. Would you do a horror film or a zombie film again if the opportunity came along?

I would gladly be in another zombie or horror film.  I had a blast doing ROTLD 2. It was my first job in the business, so I always felt very grateful that I got to do something so cool my first time out.

In addition to being a successful actress, you're also a mother. I remember how much I loved RotLD 2 as a kid. Have your own children seen it yet? What did they think? 

I have two kids, ages seventeen and ten.  My son, the seventeen-year-old, saw the movie a couple of years ago.  He loved it.  I believe his exact quote was "Mom, you were awesome!!!  That was the coolest movie I've ever seen." My ten-year-old is waiting until I say she's old enough, which will probably be around fourteen.

Marsha Dietlein continues to work
in Hollywood today. She was
recently on the show "Gossip Girl."

You've continued to have a successful acting career, and have appeared recently in the film Nice Guy Johnn" and the TV series Gossip Girl. Have you ever had a co-star say "Hey, I loved you in Return of the Living Dead 2!"

I was doing a play in NYC and working with an actor who was kind of a jerk to me until one day someone mentioned that I was the lead in ROTLD 2.  His jaw dropped and he confessed that I'd been his huge crush when he was in high school.  After that he was a doll to me and a little bit intimidated, which was much nicer!

Return of the Living Dead Part One recently got a "special edition" DVD release with a lot of bonus materials, most notably a two hour "making of" feature that included interviews with every surviving member of the cast. I think many fans would like to see part 2 get the same treatment. Has there been any talk of a DVD release or retrospective feature. Do you keep in touch with the rest of the cast?

I wish they would do a retrospective, but I haven't heard anything about it.  There is a book out, which I was interviewed for, on all of the Return of the Living Dead movies. It has tons of photos and interviews. I believe you can get it on Amazon. (you can - Ed.) I'm friends with Dana Ashbrook (who played Tom Essex) and Michael Kenworthy (played Jesse Wilson) on Facebook, but haven't seen them in years.  It's been fun to re-connect with them.  Michael sent me photos from the set that were so sweet. I'm also in touch with Robert Elswit, the director of photography for the film, and Linda Hassani, who was Ken Wiederhorn's assistant.  We'll get together and talk fondly about the experience.

Thank you Marsha, it's been a pleasure. 

Best of luck with your film!

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
You can read more about Marsha Dietlein's career on IMDb, and wikipedia. You can also follow Marsha on Twitter.

(c) Lorimar Home Entertainment

Casting Announcements: A.F. Grant & Jimmy Folco

Awesome casting news today, as we premiere not one but two of our redneck zombie performers!

First is up is A.F.Grant, an actor known for playing featured zombies and henchman in a number of films: Zombie Town, Chaos Unlimited, and Surrogates. He was also in the late Anna Nicole Smith's comedy film Illegal Aliens, and has director and co-producer credits on a number of projects. He'll be assuming the role of Daryl in CvsRZ, and we're really excited to have him on the cast.

Next is a newcomer to television acting, Jimmy Folco. Jimmy recently started his acting career with a small part in Backmask, and he's excited to be taking on a larger role with us. Jimmy will be playing Jed. (Fun fact: we originally wanted to borrow a gag from the TV show "Newhart" and call him "the other brother Daryl.")

With these two casting announcements we should also note that we've made our final selections and call backs for principal casting, and as of today the official casting call for Cheerleaders vs. Redneck Zombies is closed. However, do keep checking here as we may need stand-ins and extras in the future. We will also need additional talent if we proceed as a series after the pilot.

The Redneck Zombies are Coming...

Stay tuned for this exciting new web series - redneck zombies meet ass-kicking cheerleaders!

We'll shortly have production details and an official casting call posted right here. This is your one and only spot for OFFICIAL news and extras related to CvsRZ, including exclusive cast interviews, production notes, sneak previews, and gobs of other stuff. Be sure to follow us on Twitter, "like" our official Facebook page, and subscribe to our Youtube channel.

 http://cvsrz.blogspot.com

 https://www.facebook.com/CheerleadersVsRedneckZombies

 https://twitter.com/CvsRZ

 http://www.youtube.com/cvsrz


Or, you can e-mail us!