Zombies Invade Irvine, KY
It’s mid-June, but…Is it Christmas already? The halls of the old Estill County High School are decorated with Christmas decorations. Santa Claus sits on his throne, flanked by his elves. But wait, dozens of people are decked out in Zombie Costumes. Is it..Halloween?
One may have been a bit confused seeing all this in Irvine last weekend. The real story is that ZP International Motion Pictures was gearing up to shoot a big scene for their upcoming feature-length motion picture, Santa Claus Versus the Zombies.
Director George Bonilla and his crew assembled nearly sixty Zombie extras to battle with Santa and his elves through the hallways and classrooms of the Estill County Board of Education Building, formerly the High School.
“This was an ambitious undertaking,” said Bonilla. “Getting this many actors into zombie make-up alone is a huge task. This is the largest scene in the film and the planning behind it was quite intense.”
Once the make-up effects are completed by artists Robert Andrews, Lyzayne Whitaker, and Dori Cagle; cameras, lights, and fog machines are powered up and the action begins. Cast and crew alike have a great time while the day wears on. Its hard work, and numerous takes, with different angles and close-up are completed.
It’s a long day, but everyone remains upbeat. It is nearly 7:00 pm when the filming is completed. As equipment is carefully packed up, Bonlla and crew are exhausted. But, there is no time to rest. Filming resumes the following morning, at a different location. Principal photography is scheduled to end on June 20th and then the project moves into post-production. Staying on schedule is a must.
All of the Zombies have volunteered their time just to be a part of a motion picture. For many of them, it is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and they will have stories to tell and pictures to show. They will all now eagerly await the finished film, slated for a Fall 2010 release.
The Richmond, KY-based ZP International Motion Pictures is well-known for horror films such as Zombie Planet, Dance with a Vampire, and Monstrosity as well as thrillers like Hell-ephone and the award-winning film The Edison Death Machine.
Santa Claus Versus the Zombies, however, is a family-friendly tongue-in-cheek film unlike anything that ZP International has ever produced.
The film is based on an original story by George Bonilla from a concept suggested by Jet Rosas. The film tells the story of a suburban family that finds themselves barricaded in their house following the Zombie plague. Along for the ride are a couple of elves and an actor that just might be the real Santa Claus. In the meantime, the President and his military advisors are holed up in a bunker desperately trying to hatch a plan to rescue Santa Claus and save Christmas.
“It’s been a lot of fun, “said Bonilla. “Doing something different, and adding a Holiday film to our catalogue, really expands our appeal as a film company.”
The film stars Billy W. Blackwell, Alex Del Monacco, Cassidy Owens, Claude D. Miles, Kayla Perkins, Tony Armstrong, Stacey Gillespie, Cory Stringer, and Reaper M. Jones. Producers on the project are Tammy Bonilla, Todd Burows, David Sowder, Frank Santoroski, and Douglas Campbell.
ZP International Motion Pictures maintains a Studio facility in Berea, KY. George Bonilla was honored in 2008 as ‘Kentucky Filmmaker of the Year’ at the Fright Night Film Festival, and was further honored in 2010 as ‘Kentucky Filmmaker of the Decade’ at DarkWoods Con.
More information about ZP International, their films, and George Bonilla at www.zpmovies.com