Film Name: SUPER Z
Directors: Julien de Volte and Arnaud Tabarly
Writers: Arnaud Tabarly and Julien de Volte
Starring: Julien Courbey, Johan Libereau, Fabien Ara, Marion Mezadorian
An unknown corporation is turning humans into zombies. To their complete astonishment, their experiments give birth to zombies that can think, talk, reason and form a family unit. But the genetically modified five escape and are pursued by mercenaries as they struggle with new family dynamics, chaos and carnage. Fast-paced, hilarious, frantic, and gross, SUPER Z is madness with a message and a welcome addition to a subgenre in dire need of new blood.
In a new exclusive interview on Blazing Minds I got a chance to ask co-writer/directors Julien de Volte and Arnaud Tabarly a few questions about the film SUPER Z which will be making its UK Premiere at Arrow FrightFest on Saturday 27th August at 21:00hrs.
Q. Your film SUPER Z has been selected to play at the Arrow FrightFest Film Festival. Can you tell us what we can expect from the film?
A. It’s kind of hard to say, but the best of course! (Laughs) We just hope that the audience in London will get the peculiar French humour and appreciate the journey with the characters.
Well, one thing is for sure. They won’t see zombies in the same way anymore after the screening.
Q. In addition to directing together you also co-wrote the script for SUPER Z. What is the process for you working together and what do each of you bring when it comes to writing and directing?
A. It is an interesting aspect of our collaboration. We have a lot in common and at the same time, we are very different regarding the influences and the references, which allows us to explore many creative possibilities as much in the writing as in the directing. But we don’t always agree which often leads us to lively debates (laughs).
Q. What were some of your influences when writing the script for the film?
A. There is a bit of all genres and horror cinema. The colourful, crazy, ramshackle family comes from Emir Kusturica’s, Federico Fellini’s and Pedro Almodóvar’s characters. Concerning the comedy in fantasy cinema, we were highly inspired by George A. Romero with Days of the Dead and the talking zombie Bub, but also by Peter Jackson with Braindead, Robert Zemeckis with Death Becomes Her and Joe Dante with Gremlins.
Q. What were some of your influences for the look and style of the film?
A. The desire was to make an acidic cartoon like the animation films Heavy Metal and The Twelve Tasks of Asterix, which are visually stunning. We also took an example from Killer Klowns from Outer Space, a Z-movie. Our creativity had likewise no to exceed the limits of a small budget, such as in Evildead, Mutant Acción and Re-Animator.
Q. Did you make any changes from the original script during filming?
A. Absolutely. In the midst of the filming, we were already too late facing the enormous constraints of the makeup and visual effects. We had to sacrifice a few scenes in the process and rewrote some of them to get the whole film. It was quite a stressful time.
Q. What were some of your favourite moments during filming?
A. There were several highlights during filming. You experience an amazing time when you’re behind your monitor screen and witness the magic working, like the meeting with zombies in the laboratory or the scene when Yvon becomes one of them. We had a lot of fun filming the zombies’ meal and party. But the confrontation between Pequeux and the CEO was quite hilarious to shoot. And besides, it was such a great opportunity to work with so many legendary French actors with whom we create amazing memories.
Q. Did you experience any issues during filming?
A. Oh yes necessarily! It is a low-budget film so we had to face many unexpected problems. I think everyone will remember this time when we had no more fake blood. Someone had the good idea to make some with strawberry syrup… In fact, it was a deadly mistake, which led to an invasion of wasps while we were filming in natural settings, in addition, an actress was allergic to wasps. Luckily we managed to make them leave by burning the coffee grounds, but I let you imagine the smell during the rest of the filming. (laughs)
Q. What makes SUPER Z stand out as something different in the horror genre?
A. The rhythm of the film is quite different from what we are used to seeing. Instead of going crescendo, we start from a fast action comedy before slowing down in a much more intimate atmosphere when the zombies settle in. Our desire is to create a pretty unique approach from a point of view of zombies. Ask yourself, who are the monsters in this movie. The humans or the undead?
Q. What do you hope people take away after watching the film?
A. We do hope, they’ll at least have a lot of fun and affection for these atypical zombies as much as we do. I actually think we will remember Super Z for its crazy characters rather than the story itself.
Q. Do you have any other projects which you are currently working on?
A. Julien is currently writing a 6-episode series Vlad, Diaries of a Vampire, as well as the preparation of his second feature, Help me. On his side, Arnaud is working on two film projects, a thriller about hacking and a fantasy film about Alchemy.
Q. If someone was looking to write and direct their own film what advice would you give them?
A. During these troubled times, it’s not easy to give good advice, except finding some relevant topics, which are questioning our society. Creating is such a powerful way to dig things that are hidden under the iceberg. You just have to be focused and at the same time think outside the box!
You can find out more about the Festival and purchase tickets here: https://www.frightfest.co.uk/
Published in various websites, Philip is a reviewer who is best known for his interviews and media coverage of independent projects including; films, books, theatre and live events. Always on the lookout for something different to cover!
