Issue date: 11/6/08 Section: ARTS & LIFE

NT students and alumni direct, film and produce "Zombie Christ" in Denton locales.

Resurrected zombies, hardcore bikers and the Zombie Christ himself will be lurking around the streets of Denton this weekend.

Not to worry, though - these characters are costumed actors that will be involved in the final filming session of a movie called "The Zombie Christ."

Beginning production four months ago, members of Bryan-Bartoski Productions are attempting to make their first post-graduation debut with the filming of "The Zombie Christ."

The production company is made up of two NT alumni and three NT seniors. NT alumnus Casey Barteau and radio, television and film seniors Chris Bryan and Jonathan Povoski make up the team of producers for the film. NT alumna Ashley Rosse and radio, television and film senior Andrew Manson are junior partners.

The company's team went through the radio, television and film program together, and Bryan-Bartoski Productions was formed officially in May, when the first members of the group graduated from NT.

"We jumped in headfirst," Barteau said. "We did it pretty much ourselves."

The name came about in an obvious way - as a combination of the producers' names.

"We just kind of threw all our names together and made this fictional character, Bryan Bartoski, who's this fat cat that sits up in Hollywood," Bryan said

The company's first film, "The Zombie Christ," is set seven years after the zombie apocalypse.

Jesus comes back as "Zombie Christ" and leads a group of bikers and townspeople who are attempting to "eradicate the world of zombies," Bryan said. "It's the adventures they have."

The movie is set in the future, but it's the future as seen from the '80s, complete with motorcycles, pink shirts and Mohawks.

"We are paying homage and quoting a lot of the, like, really bad '80s action flicks," Bryan said.

Mixed with a zombie, the film is a retelling of the Christian rapture depicted in the Bible, but with a twist.

"We have a shot with the famous Last Supper painting with a disco ball and guns on the table," Barteau said.

The producers refer to this unconventional Christian theme as "irreverent, but not blasphemous."

The members picked a horror movie specifically to get their production company started.

"The horror movie industry is a little bit more accepting to really low-budget fare," Barteau said. "It's the easiest way to jump in and get recognition."

Continued...

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