The Future of A Little Bit Zombie: An Interview with Director Casey Walker

Director Casey Walker is not resting on his laurels while his debut hit, A Little Bit Zombie (ALBZ) hits the film festival circuit. It will be playing at the Calgary Underground Film Festival April 18th next. For the rest of the world, this producer revealed that the plans are for this film to receive a wider theatrical release in May, become available on DVD/Blu-ray in August and appear on Movie Central in October.

When reflecting back on this project, he revealed that it happened after meeting Chris Bond (co-writer of "Evil Dead: The Musical") and Trevor Martin ("Ed," "Evil Dead: The Musical," Toronto Show). They approached him about the idea and he was on board at the start. Three years was spent in development and for everyone involved, making this movie was both a pleasure and a worthwhile experience for all to be had.

“I can tell you we all had a stupid amount of fun,” said Walker. “We laughed all day, every day, and I'd work with them all again in a heartbeat.”

The camaraderie will no doubt be evident during the screening. Cast and crew were present to introduce the film during the Victoria Film Festival premiere, and a gala followed at Ferris' Oyster Bar & Grill. Without a doubt, the same fun will be experienced throughout the night as similar festivities are being planned for Calgary. In what will rub off on viewers will be that infectious laugh. But for Walker, he reveals that this film is also homage to the movies he has seen while growing up.

The Blob (1958) was one of the first movies he saw. For a young fertile mind as his, “I couldn't take my eyes off the screen,” said Walker. “I couldn't' sleep for months. I think that's when I really understood what death was.”

With death being one theme in A Little Bit Zombie, other issues explored may well be more than just pre-wedding jitters. In this movie, Steve (Kristopher Turner) will soon get married. But during his party, a mosquito carrying the zombie virus bites him. While he tries to keep his body from falling apart, his bridezilla-to-be, Tina (Crystal Lowe), has other plans. If that is not enough, a zombie hunter, Max (Stephen McHattie) is not too far behind. And that can lead to plenty of laughs and some other notable references, like the cabin-in-the woods.

“I'm influenced by a lot of stuff,” said Walker. “If you look closely, you'll see a lot of influences in there, because we went out of our way to subtly put them in. The Texas Chainsaw reference is one of my favourite.”

“And I'm sure a lot of people are going to compare this to Shaun of the Dead” continued Walker. “I love the film. I think I just borrowed from the same places Edgar Wright did. He just had a much larger budget.”

Mymilliondollarmovie.com is a website started by Walker so it could help fund ALBZ. Another similarly made movie is The Tunnel, where fans purchased a digital frame and were recognized as having helped make this movie possible. In the money raised, $1.9 million put the film into production, but that was not the only hurdle.

“I've done lots of live TV. It's stressful because you only get one shot at it,” revealed Walker. “Sometimes directing a film is like that too.”

Casting was as smooth as silk because Walker believed he found the right people for the roles. He saw these veterans of the TV scene—whose resumes encompassed many shows made around Vancouver, BC—give him more than their all, even though they were initially nervous about him being a first-time director.

“I really do think myself fortunate that they all put up with me!” said Walker, with a wide grin.

A review of this film on 28DLA is available here:

A Little Bit Zombie Reviewed on 28DLA

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