The zombies have descended upon The Cary Theater!  We’re excited to bring you the 1^st annual Zombiepalooza!  Featuring local filmmakers’ own zombie films; cosplay zombies, and classic films to scare the pants right off of you!  Show up hungry – Brew at The Cary and Crosstown Pub and Grill will be serving up delicious brains (not really – but awesome eats and treats!)  

You Made  Your Own Zombie Film and We’re Screening Them!

We know that there are zombie aficionados out there – we’ve got 13 short films made by local filmmakers! These films will be screened on Friday night and awards will be given! The films that will be screened are: Chained Team name: Cul-d-Sac Films Team captain: Michael Shorb. Film crew members: Nathan Koch, Christianna Felix, Eboni Hayes, McKenna Jeffries, and Tori Ketchel. No one knows tragedy like Christine. After the incident with her parents, she has to do everything herself. When Mary, Christine’s friend, spends a few days at Christine’s house, they have to try and survive . . . without going in the basement.   American Society for Zombie Integration Team name: Strange Fruit Team captain: Tammy Cericola Film crew members: Dominick Cericola, Loren Denny This is a commercial for the American Society for Zombie Integration.   Merry Zmas Team name: Team Roscoe Team captain: David Jones Film crew members: Bridgit Jones This is a film about dressing up as Santa Claus to avoid the human / dog zombie plague.   Zombies on the Loose Filmmaker: Vivian Bowman-Edwards Film crew members: Sofia Montes, Steve Edwards, Natalie Montes Two sisters go out trick-or-treating and get a zombie surprise!   Dead Meat Filmmaker: Stephaun Perry Film crew members: Chris Wolfe, Chalae Lindsey, Maurice Thompson, Patricia White Mad Cow Disease is back baby! And this time it’s turning everyone into freakin’ zombies!   Stairs Team name: Team Stairs Team captain: Dakota Hopkins Film crew members: Bernard Sharpe, Jr., Reggie Lane II, M. Anne Beaman, Kiernan Bastien, Chris Cole, Sylas Jett A lonely male zombie tries to get to a zombie girl, but cannot get up a small amount of stairs. He gets inspiration to work his failing body to the point where he can climb the stairs and reach the girl from his favorite movie before zombification, the classic boxer movie – Jocky.   Undead Oblivion Filmmaker: Arthur Vu Film crew members: Kerry Nguyen, Khoi Vu A teenage genius researcher from the corporation Pentex(r) starts off his day with an oppressing fatigue that makes him oblivious to the epidemic of the undead. Later, he learns about how the epidemic came to be, and he gets a real shocker of the illness’s origin.   Mean Ghouls Team name: Team Glambies Team Captain: Kiernan Bastien Film crew members: Johnathan DeHeart, Melissa Leigh-Anne, Essence Perry, Reggie Lane, Jr, Bernard Sharp, Christopher Cole, Ann Beaman, Ashley Snell, Allison Seybert, Will Roberts A young girl, Lauren, begins at a new high school only to find out that the school’s social society is being run by three evil, yet glamorous zombies. And Lauren has set her heart on one boy that Regina (a zombie) claims. So now she must not only battle the everyday perils of the teenage world, but zombies as well.   Something’s in the Shadows Team name: One Man Show Filmmaker: Alexander Finegan Film crew members: none A guy is at home during a storm when an unwanted visitor appears . . .   The Tiniest Thing Ate My Brain Team name: Rubbish Entertainment Filmmaker: Ray Wagner Film crew members: Josh Grove, Harry Terjanian A menace descends upon us all . . . and it could affect anyone!   The Wakening Filmmaker: Amelie Abdula Film crew members: Ana Ferreira, Za Abdula A peek into how zombies start their day . . .   Detour Team name: Detour Survivors Filmmaker: Dan Schaefer Film crew members: Lauren Schaefer, Renee Ditcheos, Liz Ditcheos, nick Ditcheos Liz and Lauren end up lost trying to navigate through the detours of Cary. Soon they discover a dangerous dead end to their journey – – and a zombie outbreak has devoured their small town.   Joke of the UnDead Team: Adobe Video and Visual Arts at Green Hope High School led by Curtis Adams A few bullies are late to school and students join with Principal Summers to take over the school dressed as zombies and scare these three students. Not knowing that the students in return set out to prank the students and principal as well.   Prizes provided by downtown merchant Mosquito Wizard – $100 for first place and $50 for second! A People’s Choice Award will be voted on during the event! Make Your Vote count! Instructions on voting will be given at the event. Our sponsors for the People’s Choice award are Melinda Baran and Steve Rebach.  

Release Your Inner Zombie! 

Show up dressed as your best zombie! Or come dressed as a character from your film! Downtown Merchant Prestige Day Spa will be on site doing scary face painting and will award a prize for the best dressed zombie!  

See The Film that Started it All!

The Night of the Living Dead (1968 classic version) Directed by the father of the zombie film genre, George A. Romero When unexpected radiation raises the dead, a microcosm of Average America has to battle flesh-eating zombies in George A. Romero’s landmark low budget horror film. Siblings Johnny and Barbara whine and pout their way through a graveside visit in a small Pennsylvania town, but it all takes a turn for the worse when a zombie kills Johnny. Barbara flees to an isolated farmhouse where a group of people are already holed up. Bickering and panic ensue as the group tries to figure out how best to escape, while hordes of undead converge on the house; news reports reveal that fire wards them off, while a local sheriff-led posse discovers that if you “kill the brain, you kill the ghoul.” (allmovie.com) Screening outside The Cary! 9:30 p.m. / FREE