Ninjas vs. Zombies

NVZ has been called "An episode of 'Friends' meets 'Spider Man', with a side of Jackie Chan.  Oh - and then bloodthirsty zombies show up and start eating everybody."

Seven friends, struggling with late 20s, early 30s life, find themselves in terrifying danger when a long-dead loved one is magically resurrected and starts devouring souls.  To make matters worse, three of them have been granted the power of the ninja, and now must lead the fight against a power they cannot hope to vanquish.  If they fail, the undead will overrun their little town, and maybe the world.

What follows is a whirlwind of magic, swordplay, hand to hand combat, gunfire and simmering sarcasm. From high flying flips to a full-on melee, from a claustrophobic last stand to a Star-Wars worthy katana battle, NINJAS VS ZOMBIES is a chilling, laugh out loud, edge of your seat adventure.

The Concept

The strategy behind the film has always been the simplicity of the concept. We like to joke – "Its ninjas versus freakin’ zombies! Who wouldn't watch this film?!" Our screenwriter/director spent an afternoon in a Blockbuster looking for "The film they haven't made yet". From there, he realized that it was those simple DTV releases with a hook ("Uncle Sam", "Killer Klowns", "Naked Weapon") that seemed to populate the new release wall. The goal then became to craft a film that delivered two concepts with their own fanbases, but would grow in appeal once discovered (as too often those impulse rentals lead to a disappointing viewing experience). By studying the small but fierce fanbases of Joss Whedon and Kevin Smith, we realized that a smartly told, violent but funny, surprising film with (and this is important) a high "quotability" factor would elevate the film beyond that impulse rental to the "you have to see this" status (i.e. the infinite DVD re‐releases of "Army Of Darkness").

The secondary strategy is the "human interest story". El Mariachi. Clerks. Blair Witch. Evil Dead. Part of the innate appeal of these multi‐million dollar franchises starts with the story of a regular Joe who makes a movie sans Hollywood. Our hope is that this is the 2000's go‐to story of how a really big looking, funny, chilling, action‐packed, quality film was financed by those regular Joes. Our projects history has that "anyone can do it" feel to it ‐ and no one is going to be stumbling for the name of the film ‐ its "Ninjas vs. Zombies".

Finally, this is a film that is made by people who love movies. It’s not an auteur trying to be artsy, it’s not strictly a financially motivated film. It’s a movie made by a group of talented, undiscovered, passionate professionals who decided to pool their resources because they believe in the project, their team, and building something bigger than the sum of its parts. As you learn more about us, we're certain you will be a believer too.

** Thanks to the Ninja vs. Zombie website for use of the photos

Ninjas vs Zombies website

Visit the Ninjas vs. Zombies website for great trailers.

Ninjas vs Zombies at IMDB

Ninjas vs. Zombies may be purchased at Amazon, Amazon.co.uk, Barnes & Noble, and Borders.

FORD BROTHERS INTERVIEW FOR THE FEATURE FILM ‘THE DEAD’

The Ford Brothers in Cannes

Tauseret:

Is "The Dead" the first feature length film that you’ve produced?

Howard:

The Dead is actually our third movie. The first two were incredibly low budget but great learning curves. The Dead is our first project that is truly from the heart and has been made without any outside creative restrictions – apart from the moment by moment disasters that occurred during shooting but that’s a whole other story…

Tauseret:

 What was the most rewarding aspect of filming in Africa?

Howard:

Being able to go home alive at the end of it! Shooting in Africa was sadly so traumatic and dangerous that its hard to pull many pleasant memories from the experience. However, filming with the locals in the villages, once you got past the official bureaucracy and red tape the normal folk on the street, or should I say the bush, were some of the nicest people you could meet. Open, honest and friendly and of course capturing the stunning locations which were quite breathtaking.

Tauseret:　

Do you plan to film subsequent films in the area?

Howard:

 There is already talk of a sequel but we have to see how this does first, so it will be up to the fans to decide. If people pay to see it then they are supporting the next movie. If it is pirated as so many things are these days then it would end the chances of that happening. We have shot commercials on and off in the last 10 years or so in Africa and have some great friends there so there will always be a piece of Africa in our hearts.

Tauseret:　

 What was the greatest challenge in producing the film?

Howard:

 Unfortunately the answer to this question will only scratch the tip of a huge iceberg, but trust me when I say that every single moment of this blood drenched, sweat soaked, vomit inducing, epic undertaking was fraught with horrific challenges. Everything from police corruption, knifepoint muggings, near death from Malaria, constant foot poisoning – that’s when we were lucky enough to find something to eat. The list is really quite endless. So much so I am writing a book on this very subject as we speak called ‘Back from The Dead’ which will detail every painful moment of this production.

Tauseret:　

When do you plan to release the film?

Howard:

 We have had a large number of offers of distribution and the demands from fans has gone ballistic so we have been holding out for the right one who can do justice to the film with a big theatrical release. We didn’t almost kill ourslelves and suffer all that we did to capture stunning and never seen before vistas for those to go straight to DVD!!!

Tauseret:　

 What do you consider the scariest film of all time?

Howard:

Howard says ‘The Exorcist’, no question, that film taps into a power beyond the sum of its parts. Jon says the original ‘Dawn of the Dead’ ‘dead people coming back to life and eating people scared the shit out of me – although I was 11 at the time’.

On Location in Burkina Faso

Tauseret:

Were there any filmmakers or novelists that provide a muse to your creation?

Howard:

 Many filmmakers have inspired us although we have not tried to emulate their work – Sergio Leone I would say is the main influence, his instinct for composition is second to none.

Tauseret:　

 Will you continue working in horror films or creating more zombie films?

Howard:

 Having been life long horror fans we have a true love for the genre but we also have a few other tricks up our sleeves too. Our movie tastes are varied and there are many stories we want to tell.

Tauseret:　

What do you consider to be frightening?

Howard:

The unknown. That is the basis for all horror. Death in itself is the unknown and its coming for us all and there is quite literally nowhere to hide. That’s pretty frightening don’t you think?

Tauseret:　

 What would be your dream project?

Howard:

 Jon says ‘The Dead’- it was his one lifetime ambition. Nothing will mean as much to him as this film. I have always wanted to tell this story too so it has been made with real passion and in some ways has satisfied a dream, but there are also other stories that need to be told!

Tauseret:

 Do you have any films on the "back-burner"?

Howard:

There are a couple of other projects bubbling away nicely but to quote a cliché, I cant tell you more at this stage. We’ve got a lot more to offer the film world besides ‘The Dead’. Of course, it’s all hinging on how this one goes but our aim is to make films that are first and foremost, entertaining, but also can be enjoyed by an audience who like to explore subject matters with a deeper meaning.

The Dead Official Site


The Dead at IMDB


LivingDeadMedia and Tausert would like to extend our thanks for interviewing with us.  

An Interview with Zombiefied Star, Mike Gebbie

Tauseret:

Would you tell us about the films that you've been in and your roles in them?

Mike:

Death Metal Zombies 1995 (Tommy) and Zombiefied 2010 (Tommy).

Tauseret:

What was your first horror or zombie film role?

Mike:

It's been fifteen or sixteen years since Death Metal Zombies and that was my first part in a　horror movie, as Tommy. I enjoyed the opportunity and said I'd be happy to do it again. So, next fall I get to see another feature with Tommy making a return appearance

,

Tauseret:　

Do you have any favorite movies in any genre?

Mike:

Most likely the next project Todd Cook considers me for. I had a great time working with everyone involved with　Horrorscope, now Screamtime Films, and look forward to another chance to do so

An Interview with Rebecca Torrellas of Zombiefied

Tauseret:

I understand that you’re a musician; would you describe your band and what kind of music that you play?

Rebecca:

Depends on my mood. I guess most people call it female rock-alternative, but I either rock out or sit back with piano or acoustic. I love taking music to tell a story so when I can arrange the song in a different way I take that opportunity. In "Zombiefied" one of my songs is very industrial, Nine-Inch-Nails type. You just never know.

Tauseret:

 Do you have any favorite musicians or types of music?

 Rebecca:

I love a little bit of everything as far as music. My favorite singer/songwriter is Alanis Morissette. She’s talented beyond what is on the radio. Pink, No Doubt, Pat Benetar, Garbage…. Wow so many to name!

Tauseret: 

What is your role in Zombiefied?

Rebecca:

Alana, the lead singer of an industrial metal band that ends up having to fight off zombies and a serial killer.

Tauseret: 

Would you like to describe your experiences with the film?

Rebecca:

I don’t know if we have enough pages to describe them all. ;-) I will say that I got to do A LOT of stunts and I loved doing those. I get to play with fire, kick, punch, hit, run, jump, fall… everything but fly, basically. It was such a huge thrill to do stuff like that. Granted, I got hurt a couple of times, but nothing I couldn’t shake off and get back to one. I even did some shots with a sprained ankle. Part of the job!

Tauseret: 

Would you comment on other film roles that you've performed?

Rebecca:

I had a walk-in role as a goth girl in Michael Colburn’s "The Toy Box" that ended up being a much freakier scene than I had imagined. I’ve gotten so much more out of the movie than that, though. Such an amazing cast and crew, unbelievable talent and great friends. And I’m on a T-shirt, of which half of the proceeds for buying it goes to "Parents of Murdered Children." I’m also playing "Patsy" in Larry Carrell’s "Jacob," which I’m SO looking forward to playing. She’s a witty smart alleck girl and my lines are just amazing. The next project is still in the works but it’s a comedy I’m writing called "Here’s To You" where I play a soccer mom who decides to spice up her marriage while hanging out with her single friends. But nothing goes quite as planned, which is so much how my life has been. I’ve been very lucky with roles and I’m having such a blast!

Tauseret: 

Given that you've been in a horror film; are there any stories or films that you find frightening?

Rebecca:

Ever since I saw Jaws when I was 5 every single horror movie is frightening. I had nightmares editing "Zombiefied." As far as filming, my scene in Michael Colburn’s "The Toy Box" frightened the heck out of everyone! Mainstream, the original "Black Christmas" was way too realistic for me to be able to stomach. I can finally watch Stacy Davidson’s "Sweatshop," but it’s taken me meeting almost the entire cast before I could keep my eyes open through most of it.

Tauseret: 

Who would you say is the most inspiring person in your film career?

Rebecca:

Hmmm… I love the women who are fighters so probably Angelina Jolie-type roles. But as far as my favorite actress I think there’s no better actresses than Kate Winslet and Meryl Streep. To be that versatile and acclaimed every time you take on a role. That’s talent!

LivingDeadMedia and Tauseret would like to extend our appreciation to Ms. Torrellas for taking time to interview with us.