It's the Monster Brawl, the fight of the living dead.
In the Monster Brawl, it's every creature for him(it)self, and it is important to always make sure you're on the attack and you leave your opponent lifeless.
And always remember, watch out for the zombies.
In the tradition of Clark Kent who transformed from mild-mannered reporter into Superman, I had the opportunity to change into an alter ego last Thursday.
However, I wasn't a super-hero in blue spandex who could leap tall buildings in a single bound or would save damsels in distress.
No, I was a zombie, back from the dead and hungry for human flesh.
I was invited to participate in the filming of Monster Brawl, a moving being shot in Collingwood.
The film is being produced by Foresight Features - a production company led by Jesse Cook, John Geddes and Matt Wiele.
The trio has experience in the film world. In 2006, they filmed Scarce - a horror film about a group of guys who were on snowboarding trip before getting kidnapped by cannibals in the woods.
The film was released on DVD by Anchor Bay Entertainment - one of the top distributors in the horror genre. They also sold international distribution rights and the film is shown on Super Channel - a national digital channel.
Cook was the writer and director of Monster Brawl. He said the film is a horror-comedy, and is about a pay-per-view event that sees eight monsters battle to the death for the championship.
"I just wanted to do something fun. It's a love letter to monsters and to horror films. I wanted to combine my love of comedy, horror and my love of monsters and incorporate the wrestling and MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) world into it."
The monsters include Frankenstein, Werewolf, Mummy, Zombieman, Witch, Vampire, Swamp Gut and Cyclops.
The film has a unique cast, combining veteran actors and professional wrestlers.
The most seasoned actors are Dave Foley and Art Hindle - who play the announcing team of Buzz Chambers and Sasquatch Sid.
Local professional wrestlers Rico Montana, PJ Tyler, Kelly Couture and RJ City play Zombieman, Witch, Vampire, Mummy and Werewolf.
Wrestling manager Jimmy "The Mouth of the South" Hart plays himself, veteran wrestler Kevin Nash plays Colonel Crookshank - manager of the Zombieman, while Robert Maillet plays Frankenstein.
When I was on set, Montana, Nash and Maillet were shooting their scenes.
Maillet is a former professional wrestler who stands six-foot-eleven. Since wrapping up his professional wrestling career, he has had some success in film - starring in 300 and Sherlock Holmes.
Maillet is the complete opposite of the character that he plays. When in make-up, he is scary and frightening, but in real-life, he is a soft-spoken man from New Brunswick.
He said he enjoyed the concept of the film because of the mix of genres. He says there are a lot of similarities between acting and wrestling.
"The ultimate similarity is trying to sell a story," he said. "I've got very comfortable on set after being in the wrestling world. You've got cameras, lighting."
Nash also stands about seven-feet tall and weighs well over 300 pounds - an impressive physical specimen. He was one of the most successful wrestlers in the 1990s.
Nash is a little more outgoing than Maillett.
Nash has also been in films, including Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, The Longest Yard and The Punisher.
He said growing up, he was a big fan of monsters, and feels this film will have a wide appeal. Nash said he likes the character of the colonel.
"He's just an SOB. He's stolen a top-secret military weapon and he's going to use it to enter this monster brawl. He's not a nice guy," he said. "People who like horror films are going to really like it. People who like wrestling are going to really like it."
As a big wrestling fan, it was a thrill to talk to Nash. He was more than happy to talk about his history in wrestling and share stories of his days on the road.
I arrived at noon wearing an old beige shirt, a pair of grey slacks with a rip in the knee and a pair of brown shoes that were torn at the seam.
I had no idea what I would be doing.
To be honest, I wasn't sure how it was going to go. The only experience I had on a movie set was when the film The Long Kiss Goodnight was filmed in Collingwood in 1997.
I was one of hundreds of Collingwood kids who got paid $500-$1,000 to stand in the cold and waive at a parade.
This time around, I was still going to be a face in the crowd - albeit an uglier face and a smaller crowd. I was one of seven zombies in the film, the others included Gord Young, Shelley Nobes, Cindy and Susie Crossley and Kevin Doner.
Olivia Sementsova outfitted me for my costume, which included a sweater vest and a tie.
After a few hours on set, it was time for my turn in the make-up chair. The Brothers Gore - Jay and Jeff DeRushie - were hired to do the make-up.
These guys do some impressive work.
Jeff had me in the chair first and put a prosthetic mask on me with glue. The mask had the basic outline of my zombie look, but it would be Shaun Hunter who would add to it later on.
He made me look like a burn victim, complete with red scars and boils. Hunter was really excited at the opportunity to create puss that was seeping from one of my boils.
The most difficult thing to get used to was seeing out of one eye. The zombie I played had one eye burned out. But after a while, I got used to it.
Hunter told me he has been working in the industry full-time since November, saying he prefers doing horror films because that's what he grew up watching. However, he just enjoys being a part of the film and doing special effects.
The filming took longer than expected but that was fine with me. I got a chance to see how the magic happens.
The set was amazing. The scenes were filmed in an old warehouse but it had been transformed to look like an arena in a graveyard, complete with crypts, headstones and smoke.
Collingwood resident Jason Brown, who is a friend of mine, was the one who had the biggest hand in designing and building the sets. In a lot of ways, I think he is the heart and soul of the film.
In addition to a lot of behind the scenes work he did, he also plays Swampgut and Cyclops.
However, hearing him talk about the film, it's easy to see he has a passion for it.
The biggest scenes being filmed were the in-ring competition. They would film a wide shot of the actions - doing multiple takes from different camera angles. They would then film close-ups of the action.
Cook was the director, and had the vision for the film. However, it was cinematographer Brendan Uegama's job to make certain everything was shot well.
In some cases, it took up to seven takes to get it right and he worked with the cameramen to make sure the angles were correct.
The most interesting part of the filming was watching the playback on the monitor and seeing how it will look on screen.
There was certainly an upbeat atmosphere on set, at least among the zombies. We were all just happy to be there. (And you thought Zombies were a dour lot!)
Even the cast and crew were in a good mood, despite the long day. Some of them would wind up being on set for close to 20 hours.
Cook said about 50 per cent of the crew are locals while the rest are from other parts of the country. He said it was important to find people with passion for the film.
It was about 1 a.m., when it came time for the zombies to shoot their scenes. There were four scenes shot and I was in two of them.
The zombies actually play a really important role in the film, which surprised me as I thought we would just play extras in the background. We didn't have any speaking roles - except for moaning.
Because we played an important role to the plot, I can't reveal exact details.
I will say I was told by one of the crew members that I did a good job, which I was pleased to hear because I was worried about embarrassing myself, as I am not the greatest actor in the world.
Doner probably did the best job as a zombie. He had the walk down to a science.
By the time the day was done and my make-up was off, it was about 3 a.m.
I then gave Nash and Montana a ride to their hotel as I was heading in that direction. Have you ever tried to fit a seven-foot monster in a 2000 Ford Focus Wagon? It's quite amusing. His knees reached my dashboard.
It was quite the experience being a zombie for a day and one I will not soon forget.
Reposted by Greenjah
Original article HERE
In the Monster Brawl, it's every creature for him(it)self, and it is important to always make sure you're on the attack and you leave your opponent lifeless.
And always remember, watch out for the zombies.
In the tradition of Clark Kent who transformed from mild-mannered reporter into Superman, I had the opportunity to change into an alter ego last Thursday.
However, I wasn't a super-hero in blue spandex who could leap tall buildings in a single bound or would save damsels in distress.
No, I was a zombie, back from the dead and hungry for human flesh.
I was invited to participate in the filming of Monster Brawl, a moving being shot in Collingwood.
The film is being produced by Foresight Features - a production company led by Jesse Cook, John Geddes and Matt Wiele.
The trio has experience in the film world. In 2006, they filmed Scarce - a horror film about a group of guys who were on snowboarding trip before getting kidnapped by cannibals in the woods.
The film was released on DVD by Anchor Bay Entertainment - one of the top distributors in the horror genre. They also sold international distribution rights and the film is shown on Super Channel - a national digital channel.
Cook was the writer and director of Monster Brawl. He said the film is a horror-comedy, and is about a pay-per-view event that sees eight monsters battle to the death for the championship.
"I just wanted to do something fun. It's a love letter to monsters and to horror films. I wanted to combine my love of comedy, horror and my love of monsters and incorporate the wrestling and MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) world into it."
The monsters include Frankenstein, Werewolf, Mummy, Zombieman, Witch, Vampire, Swamp Gut and Cyclops.
The film has a unique cast, combining veteran actors and professional wrestlers.
The most seasoned actors are Dave Foley and Art Hindle - who play the announcing team of Buzz Chambers and Sasquatch Sid.
Local professional wrestlers Rico Montana, PJ Tyler, Kelly Couture and RJ City play Zombieman, Witch, Vampire, Mummy and Werewolf.
Wrestling manager Jimmy "The Mouth of the South" Hart plays himself, veteran wrestler Kevin Nash plays Colonel Crookshank - manager of the Zombieman, while Robert Maillet plays Frankenstein.
When I was on set, Montana, Nash and Maillet were shooting their scenes.
Maillet is a former professional wrestler who stands six-foot-eleven. Since wrapping up his professional wrestling career, he has had some success in film - starring in 300 and Sherlock Holmes.
Maillet is the complete opposite of the character that he plays. When in make-up, he is scary and frightening, but in real-life, he is a soft-spoken man from New Brunswick.
He said he enjoyed the concept of the film because of the mix of genres. He says there are a lot of similarities between acting and wrestling.
"The ultimate similarity is trying to sell a story," he said. "I've got very comfortable on set after being in the wrestling world. You've got cameras, lighting."
Nash also stands about seven-feet tall and weighs well over 300 pounds - an impressive physical specimen. He was one of the most successful wrestlers in the 1990s.
Nash is a little more outgoing than Maillett.
Nash has also been in films, including Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, The Longest Yard and The Punisher.
He said growing up, he was a big fan of monsters, and feels this film will have a wide appeal. Nash said he likes the character of the colonel.
"He's just an SOB. He's stolen a top-secret military weapon and he's going to use it to enter this monster brawl. He's not a nice guy," he said. "People who like horror films are going to really like it. People who like wrestling are going to really like it."
As a big wrestling fan, it was a thrill to talk to Nash. He was more than happy to talk about his history in wrestling and share stories of his days on the road.
I arrived at noon wearing an old beige shirt, a pair of grey slacks with a rip in the knee and a pair of brown shoes that were torn at the seam.
I had no idea what I would be doing.
To be honest, I wasn't sure how it was going to go. The only experience I had on a movie set was when the film The Long Kiss Goodnight was filmed in Collingwood in 1997.
I was one of hundreds of Collingwood kids who got paid $500-$1,000 to stand in the cold and waive at a parade.
This time around, I was still going to be a face in the crowd - albeit an uglier face and a smaller crowd. I was one of seven zombies in the film, the others included Gord Young, Shelley Nobes, Cindy and Susie Crossley and Kevin Doner.
Olivia Sementsova outfitted me for my costume, which included a sweater vest and a tie.
After a few hours on set, it was time for my turn in the make-up chair. The Brothers Gore - Jay and Jeff DeRushie - were hired to do the make-up.
These guys do some impressive work.
Jeff had me in the chair first and put a prosthetic mask on me with glue. The mask had the basic outline of my zombie look, but it would be Shaun Hunter who would add to it later on.
He made me look like a burn victim, complete with red scars and boils. Hunter was really excited at the opportunity to create puss that was seeping from one of my boils.
The most difficult thing to get used to was seeing out of one eye. The zombie I played had one eye burned out. But after a while, I got used to it.
Hunter told me he has been working in the industry full-time since November, saying he prefers doing horror films because that's what he grew up watching. However, he just enjoys being a part of the film and doing special effects.
The filming took longer than expected but that was fine with me. I got a chance to see how the magic happens.
The set was amazing. The scenes were filmed in an old warehouse but it had been transformed to look like an arena in a graveyard, complete with crypts, headstones and smoke.
Collingwood resident Jason Brown, who is a friend of mine, was the one who had the biggest hand in designing and building the sets. In a lot of ways, I think he is the heart and soul of the film.
In addition to a lot of behind the scenes work he did, he also plays Swampgut and Cyclops.
However, hearing him talk about the film, it's easy to see he has a passion for it.
The biggest scenes being filmed were the in-ring competition. They would film a wide shot of the actions - doing multiple takes from different camera angles. They would then film close-ups of the action.
Cook was the director, and had the vision for the film. However, it was cinematographer Brendan Uegama's job to make certain everything was shot well.
In some cases, it took up to seven takes to get it right and he worked with the cameramen to make sure the angles were correct.
The most interesting part of the filming was watching the playback on the monitor and seeing how it will look on screen.
There was certainly an upbeat atmosphere on set, at least among the zombies. We were all just happy to be there. (And you thought Zombies were a dour lot!)
Even the cast and crew were in a good mood, despite the long day. Some of them would wind up being on set for close to 20 hours.
Cook said about 50 per cent of the crew are locals while the rest are from other parts of the country. He said it was important to find people with passion for the film.
It was about 1 a.m., when it came time for the zombies to shoot their scenes. There were four scenes shot and I was in two of them.
The zombies actually play a really important role in the film, which surprised me as I thought we would just play extras in the background. We didn't have any speaking roles - except for moaning.
Because we played an important role to the plot, I can't reveal exact details.
I will say I was told by one of the crew members that I did a good job, which I was pleased to hear because I was worried about embarrassing myself, as I am not the greatest actor in the world.
Doner probably did the best job as a zombie. He had the walk down to a science.
By the time the day was done and my make-up was off, it was about 3 a.m.
I then gave Nash and Montana a ride to their hotel as I was heading in that direction. Have you ever tried to fit a seven-foot monster in a 2000 Ford Focus Wagon? It's quite amusing. His knees reached my dashboard.
It was quite the experience being a zombie for a day and one I will not soon forget.
Reposted by Greenjah
Original article HERE
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