I body-doubled as the zombie grandmother in Peter Jackson's BRAINDEAD
November 29th 2006 23:32
I pulled out of Victoria University of Wellington for a bit of hands-on experience. Well, that was the idea. I had become frustrated with the curriculum; you couldn’t major in either of the two areas that most interested me: film and drama. This was 1991. I still needed another year’s credits in order to complete my B.A.
I scored the position. I can’t remember exactly how, probably a little nepotism and a whole lot of unbridled enthusiasm on my behalf. But there I was about to start work on a full-blown zombie movie! I was stoked!
My official title was Production Assistant Trainee, basically a glorified gopher. I spent a lot of the time production running and liaising with the production coordinator and production manager. However, the title also meant that at any given moment I could be hauled off whatever job I was doing in one department and thrown into another department to assist. It was grueling at times. But there was also a constant air of excitement and anticipation.
It was a twelve-week shoot, of which two weeks were a night-shoot spent in Karori cemetery, Wellington, and four weeks were spent in a huge open-plan house set at Avalon studios shooting the escalating mayhem and carnage that makes up the movie’s last third.
Some of the jobs were hell. Having to be on-set a full hour before everyone arrived and again after everyone left, making sure coffee and tea was constantly available (unit assistance) was not my idea of fun. But hanging with the special effects boys definitely was; watching them create the blood and latex molds, build the miniatures, getting grossed out looking at their pathology “bible”. Dirty horror mischief alright.
Peter Jackson knew where he wanted the budget spent, that was for sure. This was a horror movie for horrorphiles made by a horrorphile. No gore effect was undercut. No blood was spared. In fact Braindead holds the record for largest volume of blood ever used on a horror movie. To get an idea, during the infamous lawnmower scene fake blood was being pumped at five gallons per second! A total of 300 litres of fake blood was used during the movie’s final scene alone!
There is an unpleasant downside to having that much fake blood on set under baking studio lights over several weeks. It becomes very sticky, and starts to give off a really disgusting sickly sweet smell. Everyone was relieved when we wrapped the interior house-set.
The movie was released in America as Dead Alive (another film already had the rights to the title Brain Dead) and was butchered of much of its climatic gore footage. It was my own suggestion to Peter to combine both words as one (my other obscure small claim to horror fame).
It was a chaotic shoot, with numerous scenes being shot in a wham-bam fashion, but that was the visual style Jackson was after. The film has more cuts per half hour than most films have in their entire running time! It’s a blink and you’ll miss it kinda movie. So make sure you have your eyes peeled during the cemetery scenes otherwise you’ll blink and miss my moment of horror glory!
Braindead is best consumed with heavily buttered, heavily salted popcorn, a super-large coke, and your tongue playfully lodged in your cheek. Its utter splat-stick, and I had a bloody ball being part of it, mate!
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Comment by Adrian
Philosophy Blog
Am totally envious.
Comment by Bryn
Horrorphile
Comment by KylieW
Celebrity Obsession
You the man! QG
I remember hearing that Braindead was one of the bloodiest movies ever, but 5 gallons per second.....that is a serious amount of blood.
Comment by Ragin Cajun
Observer's Post
Death By Myopia
Comment by Bryn
Horrorphile
Good to hear your QG ... I'm RITA ... (Rolling In The Aisles ... just made that one up too) ...
Love yer work! Che che!
Comment by KylieW
Celebrity Obsession
Comment by Bryn
Horrorphile
Comment by JohnDoe
Film & TV on DVD
Comment by Bryn
Horrorphile
Comment by K.L. Almeroth
Motherhood
To the Dark Prince,
I can't think of anyone more deserving of being a zombie than you.
This is soooo you...
You should look at getting back into all of it...the horror movie industry.
You are too cool for school.
K.L.
Comment by Sisi
Comment by Bryn
Horrorphile
well I'm writing a horror screenplay ...
Would you believe my papa is about to play a small part in the new Sam Raimi produced flick. A vampire one I think. My dad has his throat torn out. Ha! It will make for great conversation!
Sisi,
be prepared for some thoroughly gross-out comedy. The film is serious schlock.
Comment by The Voices in my Head
The Voices in my Head
*clapping and squealing* I am so impressed...I can't wait to find this movie and tell everyone I know the grandma zombie. Thrilled to bits for you...way to live!
Voices~
Comment by Little Angry Doll
Falling Haiku Leaf
I won tickets to the Sydney premier at the Valhalla. Laughed my arse off. I'd never even heard of Peter Jackson, but I was probably the only one in the audience who hadn't. His Q&A after the movie was great.
Comment by Bryn
Horrorphile
Little Angry Doll,
Grrrr! (couldn't resist)
Q&A with Peter back then would've been very interesting. Do you remember if he mentioned any future projects he hoped to undertake? I remember chatting with him on the Braindead set, and he told me he wanted to remake King Kong one day. He also told me of a bizarre phantasmagorical epic he wanted to do some day when he had millions of dollars to play with called something like King Blubber... Hmmmm.
Comment by K.L. Almeroth
Motherhood
To Bryn,
Wow! How funny is that...your Dad in a horror flick, too!
That's right, your screenplay. Can't wait to see it on the big screen.
Make sure you do some old-school gore!
K.L.
Comment by Little Angry Doll
Falling Haiku Leaf
My recall is fuzzy, but most of the Q&A was dedicated to die hard Bad Taste and Meet the Feebles fans, who were rather intense in their adoration.
I loved the Kung Fu Priest.
"I kick ass for the Lord!"
And feel free to Grrr!
Comment by Lilla
Enviro Warrior
An Extra Ordinary Life
Dream Herald
I'm curious how long were you in makeup to get that all on... and how many times [takes] did it take to 'get it right'..?
Fascinating...
Lilla...
Comment by Damo
For the Sake of Argument
My Apologetics
I want to be a Zombie
I want to be a Zombie
When are they making another film?
Comment by Bryn
Horrorphile
You're a zombie at heart (eviscerated that is ...)
Lilla,
Because I was in such a quick shot, I simply wore a huge pull over head mask and had on zombie hand gloves .... as well as Grandmother's nightie ... I performed the lurch about half a dozen times for the camera (a small separate unit, while main unit were filming dialogue scenes)
Comment by Stanley
Comment by Bryn
Horrorphile
Comment by suitably*wounded
Eternal Days; Author: Illness, M.
So, if one were to find a still from the movie, would it be possible to get it autographed? Possibly with a bloody kiss?
Comment by Werewolf wanabe
Comment by Bryn
Horrorphile