Subject: ZOMBIE APPEAL

Charlie Brooker,  zeppotron 24 September

Ever fancied being a zombie? You have? Good. Because this is a once-in-a-deathtime chance to be part of a terrifying undead army of the damned.

We need volunteer zombies willing to appear in Dead Set, a horror thriller type thing I’ve written for E4 / C4. It will doubtless be the finest TV programme ever made: one you’ll tell your children about for hours until they beg you to shut up. And you can get involved.

On either Thursday 8th or Friday 9th May we’re shooting some unpleasantry involving a horde of undead bastards swarming around trying to eat people. I’ll be there in person myself, mingling in amongst the crowd. I won’t need much make-up. If the cameras aren't rolling, feel free to say hello and annoy me.

Does this sound like the sort of thing you’d like to take part in? And are you available on at least one of those dates? Hooray. Let’s have your details. But first, a few pointers, which should help sort the rotten wheat from the decomposing chaff:

1. Please don’t volunteer unless you’re prepared to ‘go the distance’, as some twat off The Apprentice might say. We’ll be shooting from late afternoon until the wee small hours of the morning. There will be moments where you get bored (something real zombies never do, of course). We need people who won’t slope off somewhere. Committed zombies only please.

2. Wear your shittest clothes. By which I mean items you don’t mind getting fake blood and dirt on. They may get ruined. But hey – you’ll have a nice souvenir. Also, try not to wear bright colours. Our zombies have been standing around outside for several days. London Fashion Week this is not. Ooh, and these are ‘modern’ running zombies, so don’t wear high heels or anything daft like that.

3. Please don’t plaster yourself with your own fake blood or make-up. These aren't 'funny' zombies. We’ll either take care of it for you or position you at a distance where it won’t matter. If you own your own pair of white iris contact lenses and you’re happy to wear them, that’s great – you may even get a whopping great close-up – but if you don’t, don’t take risks with your own eyes.

4. Remember what I said about wearing shitty clothes? Make sure you’ve got a nice layer on underneath. It may get cold out there.

5. You have to be at least 18 years of age and in good health.

6. We will arrange transport to and from the location, which is in the middle of pissing nowhere. We’ll set up a meeting point in London and take you from there by bus.

Interested in being a zombie? Then email zombies@zeppotron.com with your name, age and contact details (phone, email, address). Put 'ZOMBIE' in the subject heading. We will contact you with further information (where, when, how, etc) as the time nears.
 

Sliding Doors director adapts the cult novel

DANGEROUS PARKING

DVD Released on 29 September

The darkly funny and moving DANGEROUS PARKING, Peter Howitt’s adaptation of Stuart Browne’s acclaimed novel comes to DVD on 29 September from Anchor Bay Entertainment. If you didn’t make it to the cinema to catch this hidden gem of British cinema, ensure sure you settle down on the sofa for an emotional rollercoaster of laughs, adventure and real life with your friends.

Howitt (Sliding Doors) stars along with Saffron Burrows (Enigma), Sean Pertwee (Dog Soldiers), Rachael Stirling (Tipping the Velvet), Alice Evans (The Chris Isaac Show), Tom Conti (Shirley Valentine) and Dervla Kirwan (Ballykissangel).

“DANGEROUS PARKING is a rebel yell from deep within the soul of a man, told in extreme Technicolor, and at breakneck, breath-taking speed, just like his highly cinematic life,“ says Howitt. “It is in turns tragic, brutal, sad, hopeful, hopeless, romantic and painfully funny.”

Noah Arkwright (Howitt), is a cult director in the indie film world, whose life is on a crash course with Noah steering himself towards his own destruction. Noah’s life is one of success and excess. Everything – drink, drugs, girls, fame – that Noah can get his hands on he wolfs down with an insatiable hunger.

But he is running towards a brick wall – alcoholism and drug addiction have him firmly in their grasp – but Noah has no interest in acknowledging wither until Kristin (Evans), a young alcoholic who has seen the light, manages to convince him that he is heading for destruction and sets him on the path to reclaim himself.

With the help of his best friend Ray (Pertwee), Noah attempts to right his ship – and when fate sends him a guardian angel in the shape of cellist Clare (Burrows), Noah tries even harder to shift his focus from self abuse to self preservation – and on the road to selflessness…and that is when Mother Nature deals him the cruellest blow of all.

DANGEROUS PARKING was Stuart Browne’s first and only novel. The Times described Browne’s work as “a noisy, brash, brilliant treat”, while Uncut called it “the strongest British novel since Trainspotting”, and The Guardian said “There won’t be a better novel out this year”.

Howitt first established his name as an actor on television and on stage in London’s West End, where he appeared in Pinter’s The Caretaker, amongst other things, and is probably best known for his role in the smash hit comedy Bread. He has made cameo appearances in his four previous films as a director (Sliding Doors, Antitrust, Johnny English and Laws of Attraction). DANGEROUS PARKING marks his first starring role since becoming a director.

DVD DETAILS
Title: DANGEROUS PARKING
Release Date: 29 September 2008
Distributor: Anchor Bay Entertainment
Certificate: 18
Price: £19.99 SRP
Running Time: 110 minutes
Special Features: Commentary by director, writer Peter Howitt
Making of Feature (28 mins)

Official Film Website: http://www.dangerousparking.com
 

DVD release of Star Wars – The Prequel Trilogy, out on DVD on 6 October.



From writer and director George Lucas, see Star Wars Episodes I, II and III for the first time together in a trilogy DVD box set this winter.

The first three stories consist of an all star cast including Liam Neeson (Batman Begins, Rob Roy) Ewan McGregor (Trainspotting, The Island) Natalie Portman (Cold Mountain, V for Vendetta)

Hayden Christensen (The Jumper, Virgin Territory) Christopher Lee (The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, The Golden Compass) and Samuel L. Jackson (Pulp Fiction ,Shaft)

Star Wars – The Prequel Trilogy comes to DVD on 6 October from Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment and LucasFilm Ltd.

 

From the guys who brought you SCARY MOVIE and THE NAKED GUN


Released on DVD 13 October 2008


Learning to fly, spinning a web and busting a gut has never been so much fun as the greatest and funniest SUPERHERO MOVIE of all time is released to own on DVD by Momentum Pictures on 13 October.



With an all-star cast that includes Drake Bell (Drake and Josh), Christopher McDonald (Happy Gilmore), Leslie Neilson (Scary Movie 3, Naked Gun), Pamela Anderson (Baywatch, Barb Wire), this is one spoof loaded with opportunities to poke fun at spandex wearing mutants. Whether it’s witty quips or superpowers being used for spying on girls or to claim total world domination, the gags come thick and fast for laugh a minute fun and bad taste.



How many superheroes does it take to save the world? The creators of ‘The Naked Gun’ and ‘Scary Movie’ answer this question in hysterical ‘David Zucker’ fashion with the uproarious comedy SUPERHERO MOVIE. Meet Rick Riker (Bell). He’s young, he’s cool and he’s got superpowers. Now, if he only knew how to use them... But the world is in danger and no one is safe when producer Zucker and the gang of accident-prone heroes - headed by the hilarious cast that includes Tracy Morgan, Pamela Anderson, Regina Hall and many others - take aim at some of the biggest blockbusters of our time including Spider-Man, Batman, X-Men, and Fantastic Four, to name a few.



Going from superzero to superhero has never been this much fun!



SPECIAL FEATURES DVD INFORMATION

· Alternate ending Title: SUPERHERO MOVIE

· Deleted scenes Released by: Momentum Pictures

· Meet the Cast featurette Release Date: 13 October 2008

· The Art of Spoofing featurette Certificate: UK: 12 / Eire: 15

· Trailer Price: £17.99 RRP

Genre: Comedy

Running Time: 82 mins approx

Catalogue No.: MP857D

Barcode: 5060116723380
For Review of Super Hero the movie

Screen South backs Oxford feature film company’s project

 (12^th September 2008)

Oxford-based film production company Steve Walsh Productions has secured development funding for its forthcoming feature ‘Man in the Box’ from Screen South and the RIFE lottery funding programme.

Multi award-winning director Stuart Urban has recently been attached to the project which is a co-production with SK Films (Austria) and Intuit Pictures (Germany). Casting for the three lead roles has commenced and production is expected to start in Spring 2009.

The screenplay is by Oxford-based screenwriters Dan and Nuria Wicksman, from the novel ‘The Man in the Box’ by Thomas Moran.

For info www.steve-walsh.com

 

FUTURE SHORTS PRESENTS ADVENTURES IN SHORT FILM

– VOLUME 1

RELEASED TO BUY ON DVD ON MONDAY 22 SEPTEMBER 2008


Future Shorts is excited to announce the release of their long-awaited first compilation DVD – Adventures in Short Film – Volume 1 - a collection of 16 award-winning and ground-breaking short films, animation and music videos. The collection will also be available as online downloads.



The DVD is a collection of the most inspiring, breathtaking and entertaining short films shown as part of the Future Shorts Festival and features some of the hottest directorial talent in the past five years. The line-up includes the outstanding Oscar-nominated ‘7:35 in the Morning’, a homage to the French New Wave with ‘I Just Want to Kiss You’ starring Martin Freeman and music videos from the Mercury Music Prize nominated Bat For Lashes.



Also included is Kim Chapiron’s ultra cool ‘La Barbichette’ starring Vincent Cassel and LOVESPORT seies’ animation ‘Park Football’ which has just completed a stint being played before features in every cinema across the UK.



At a time when short film is the new hot property of the online world, there is no better chance to own a first-class retrospective curated by the long time champions of the short format. Fabien Riggall – Founder & Director of Future Shorts remarks “Future Shorts’ first DVD, Adventures in Short Film, brings together the most eclectic and vital films from the last 5 years of the festival and is looking to catapult the short film medium into mainstream arena"



Adventure In Short Film – Volume 1 provides a fresh and edgy look at some of the best films Future Shorts have screened over the past five years of the genre, making it the perfect purchase for short film first-timers and anyone who is passionate about film.