We are all about supporting independent North Carolina filmmakers following their passion, which is why we had to share news of this month’s premiere screening of the homemade family-filmed feature Until the Bloody Reign is Over, filmed in Monroe, North Carolina.
You can watch the official trailer for this ambitiously creative neighborhood project in the player below, and then scroll down to read the full press release!
[youtube=http://youtu.be/9VwAMLW1Ry4]
UNTIL THE BLOODY REIGN IS OVER, an independent film with a unique take on the post-apocalyptic future genre and the monster movies of the 1950s, will premiere March 15 at the Stone Theater Sun Valley 14 in Indian Trail. The film was written, directed and shot in and around Monroe, NC, featuring Union County talent.
“This project began as a labor of love with my sons,” said filmmaker Ben Martin of Monroe, who directed BLOODY REIGN. Martin, whose day job is director of global marketing for Colfax Fluid Handing in Monroe, wrote the script when his two sons, Hunter and Trace, expressed interest in making a movie. “They knew I made movies when I was a kid,” Ben explains. “And with today’s technology, it’s relatively easy for anyone to make a movie for a relatively low cost. Of course, I say that, but really, it’s never really easy to make a film.”
From this beginning, Martin’s project evolved into a seven-month shoot on weekends and holidays and a film that “packs a lot of entertainment into a fun 77 minutes.”
“BLOODY REIGN takes us to a post-apocalyptic future where zombie-like mutants roam and strange, blood-thirsty monsters prowl the wilderness hunting for the scant few survivors fighting to stay alive,” said Martin, adding that BLOODY REIGN harkens back to earlier creature/adventures such as those produced by Ray Harryhausen.
“Into this savage land enter five young fighters who seem to possess a special gift for fighting strange creatures. Or maybe they are just lucky. Either way, they are the last, best hope for survival to the last 800 people left on earth.”
This premise may sound a tad ambitious for non-professional, low-budget production, but the concept itself actually helped get this do-it-yourself epic produced. “It’s an old trick they used for old-fashioned, bargain basement monster movies,” explains producer Hunter Martin, a 2013 graduate of the Central Academy of Technology and Art, Appalachia State freshman and son of Ben Martin. “Write a film where 80% of it can be shot in the wilderness and you save a bundle on sets, props and shooting permits.”
One area the filmmakers believe really gave the production an extra boost of quality and professionalism was in the actors who were tasked with bringing to life a wide variety of characters. “There is some really great performing talent among young people in Union County,” says Ben. “We had no problem finding the right actors at the right time for the right roles.”
The main protagonists are five young warriors blessed with the special ability to fight the monsters dispatched by the evil Dr. Mots (played by director Martin). These key characters are played by Bailey Boryczewski, Trace Martin, John Bryant, and Sam Knittel, all Parkwood 7th graders at the time of filming, and Kelsey Millett, a CATA sophomore who tackled the challenging role of Bootsie, leader of this ragtag warrior team.
Until the Bloody Reign is Over is the second production from Simpatico Films.
______________________________
Like us on Facebook!
