George: A Zombie Intervention Explained

Director:J. T. Seaton
Screenplay:Brad Hodson
J. T. Seaton
Producer:Brad Hodson
David Nicholson
J. T. Seaton
Starring:Peter Stickles
Michelle Tomlinson
Carlos Larkin
Shannon Hodson
Eric Dean
Vincent Cusimano
Adam Fox
Lynn Lowry
Cinematography:Jason Raswant
Editing:Tyler Earring
Music:Joel J. Richard
Studio:Cat Scare Films
Distributor:Tarvix Pictures
Vicious Circle Films
Breaking Glass Pictures
Runtime:93 minutes
Country:United States
Language:English
Budget:$60,000[1]

George: A Zombie Intervention (also George's Intervention) is a 2009 American zombie comedy directed by J. T. Seaton, written by Seaton and Brad Hodson, and starring Carlos Larkin as a zombie who undergoes an intervention by his friends, who are concerned that he is eating humans.

Plot

After spores cause the dead to rise as zombies, the undead become a natural and accepted part of society. However, George's friends become worried about his behavior after his transformation into a zombie. Convinced that he's been eating humans, they decide to stage an intervention, wherein they will attempt to convince him to attend a zombie rehab that teaches zombies how to control their appetite for human flesh. Sarah, George's ex-girlfriend, recruits a professional interventionist, Barbra, and she and several of George's friends stage a practice run before confronting him directly. George, however, sees nothing wrong with his behavior and resists their demands. As tempers flare, George finds his hunger increasingly difficult to control, and he begins to give in to his urges.

Cast

Brinke Stevens and Lloyd Kaufman appear in cameos.

The names of the characters are references to George A. Romero and his Night of the Living Dead film series.[1] [2]

Production

Shooting took place in Los Angeles[3] in late 2008; re-shooting took place in early 2009.[1] Seaton, a horror fan, wanted to make an independent film that genre fans could enjoy without feeling exploited. The cast watched episodes of Intervention in order to prepare.[3] Ben was not originally a gay character, but Seaton wanted to insert a plot twist that invalidated a hinted-at romantic subplot between Ben and Sarah.[1] Seaton, a friend of Brinke Stevens, cast her in the end sequence. Lloyd Kaufman was cast after he requested a part.[1] The part of Barbra was written for Lynn Lowry, whom Seaton had met on the set another film. British farces were an influence on Seaton for this film, but he also credits H. P. Lovecraft as a general influence.[4]

Release

Seaton, who had earlier experienced resistance against his films' gay characters, said that he was able to successfully screen George: A Zombie Intervention at multiple festivals with no issue.[1] The film premiered at the 2009 Dragon Con under its original name of George's Intervention. It was released on DVD in October 2011.[5]

Reception

The Louisville Eccentric Observer called it "a fun, no-budget love letter to George Romero".[6] Mark L. Miller of Ain't It Cool News wrote that the film is overlong and the acting is "somewhat amateurish", but it is funny and original.[7] Rohit Rao of DVD Talk rated it 2.5/5 stars and wrote, "J.T. Seaton builds his horror-comedy around a clever premise but neglects to maintain a consistent tone in his urge to rush to the gory climax."[8] Peter Dendle called it "clever and eminently watchable".[9]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: NO-BUDGET NIGHTMARES: INTERVIEW WITH "GEORGE: A ZOMBIE INTERVENTION" DIRECTOR J.T. SEATON. DailyGrindhouse.com. 2012-03-13. 2014-03-31.
  2. News: Richard J. Leskosky: Zombie comedies are alive and well. Leskosky. Richard J.. The News-Gazette. 2013-03-24. 2014-03-31.
  3. Web site: An INTERVENTION of the dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20081018214416/http://www.fangoriaonline.com/gore/home/news/9-film-news/245-an-intervention-of-the-dead.html. Haberman. Chris. Fangoria. 2008-10-16. 2008-10-18. 2014-03-31.
  4. Book: Abley, Sean. Out in the Dark: Interviews with Gay Horror Filmmakers, Actors, and Authors. Lethe Press. 2013. 153–159. 9781590212721.
  5. Web site: Horror In Your House: October 17th, 2011. Bloody Disgusting. 2011-10-18. 2014-03-31.
  6. News: Video TapeWorm. Raker. Bill. King. David B.. Louisville Eccentric Observer. 2011-09-28. 2014-03-31.
  7. Web site: GEORGE: A ZOMBIE INTERVENTION (2011). Miller. Mark L.. Ain't It Cool News. 2011-10-07. 2014-03-31.
  8. Web site: George: A Zombie Intervention. Rao. Rohit. DVD Talk. 2011-12-07. 2014-03-31.
  9. Book: Dendle, Peter. Peter Dendle

    . The Zombie Movie Encyclopedia, Volume 2: 2000-2010. Peter Dendle. McFarland Publishing. 2012. 9780786461639. 100.