UPDATED:Two Special Olympians Make A Movie About Zombies in RI
GoLocal Lifestyle Team
UPDATED:Two Special Olympians Make A Movie About Zombies in RI
Suchmann and his best friend Zufelt have already raised over $19,000 - at the time this article was written - on Kickstarter and aspire to reach their goal of $50,000 by November 19.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTThe pair met at the Special Olympics as children and have been inseparable ever since.
For the past three years, Suchmann and Zufelt have been single-handedly drafting the storyboard and screenplay for the project - which they will star in as well.
"The boys are very excited about the project," says Suchmann's father Chris Suchmann. "They’ve crossed the $19,000 mark - we need to make $50,000 or we do not get to keep anything - but the boys are confident and love the attention."
Community
The boys also have a team of people in the film business such as Robert John Carnevale - who will be the Director of Photography for the film - and Jesse Suchmann as Project Manager, who are all Providence natives themselves. The film will be directed by Tim Forster and produced by Suzy Beck.
The entire film's crew - including Zufelt and Suchmann - are all Providence natives who are passionate about getting more films made in Rhode Island.
"I think the movie will be fun and interesting, but the documentary is really what everyone wants to see," says Chris Suchmann. "Jesse [Sam's older brother] posted some information about the project on Reddit and people really responded to the idea, people were so inspired by the documentary that Jesse started the Kickstarter page. The things [they do] behind the scenes are almost more entertaining and totally endearing that the movie is just a vehicle to get to know Sam and Mattie."
If the project is funded, it will join other popular films that chose Rhode Island as a thematic backdrop, including Woody Allen's latest untitled project. The boys will also be shooting a "making of" documentary to show all the behind-the-scenes action.
Suchmann and Zufelt are also hosting a benefit show with their families in Providence on November 10, at The Firehouse and would like to invite the community for a night of fundraising, and live music.
For more information, or to donate, please visit their Kickstarter page here.
UPDATE: Mattie and Sam Tell All
What is your favorite part about working on this film?
Matt: "Making the trailer was fun because I got to experience a lot of new things."
Sam: "I had fun running around doing different things and making people laugh."
How does it feel to have a bunch of people support and share your story?
Matt: "Awesome - Because it means you have a lot of friends."
Sam: "Awesome - Because it makes us feel popular (and sexy)."
What do you want people to know about you?
Matt: "That I am looking good I'm a fashionable dresser and I'm rocking these jeans. I'm single and I'm a nice guy."
Sam: "That I am a complex person and I have feelings for people that I care about and I wear my numbers proudly." {Points to basketball jersey numbers}
What do you want people to know about the movie?
Together alternately: "There will be explosions, car chases, team work and talent."
"Entertainment, humor maybe a little slapstick."
"We'll be spoofing zombie movies and it will all be wrapped up in an action adventure."
Can you confirm the Pauly D. cameo?
Together: "We can't confirm it yet, but we are trying our best."
25 Movies Filmed in Rhode Island
Moonrise Kingdom
2012
Director: Wes Anderson
Cast: Bruce Willis, Edward Norton, Bill Murray Frances McDormand
This Oscar nominated film features many local landmarks including Fort Wetherill State Park, Bayfield Farm, and the Conanicut Lighthouse.
Mr. North
1988
Director: Danny Huston
Cast: Anthony Edwards, Robert Mitchum, Lauren Bacall
Shot in Newport, this comedy-drama features Anthony Edwards as a con man attempting to break into the 1920s Newport social scene.
There's Something About Mary
1998
Directors: Peter and Bobby Farrelly
Cast: Cameron Diaz, Matt Dillon, Ben Stiller
Filmed partly in Providence, this movie was the highest-grossing comedy in 1998.
Federal Hill
1994
Director: Michael Corrente
Cast: Nicholas Turturro, Anthony DeSando, Libby Langdon
Set in Providence's Federal Hill neighborhood, the movie marks the directorial debut of Pawtucket native Michael Corrente.
Age of Innocence
1993
Director: Martin Scorsese
Cast: Daniel Day-Lewis, Michelle Pfeiffer, Winona Ryder
This Oscar winning drama was partly filmed in Portsmouth.
True Lies
1994
Director: James Cameron
Cast: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jamie Lee Curtis, Tom Arnold
The ballroom scenes in the movie were filmed at the Rosecliff Mansion in Newport.
High Society
1956
Director: Charles Walters
Cast: Bing Crosby, Grace Kelly, Frank Sinatra
Nominated for two Academy Awards, the movie's opening shot features a flyover of Newport’s oceanfront mansions.
Thirteen Days
2000
Director: Roger Donaldson
Cast: Kevin Costner, Bruce Greenwood, Steven Culp
This docudrama about the Cuban Missile Crisis was partly shot in Newport.
Little Children
2006
Director: Todd Field
Cast: Kate Winslet, Patrick Wilson, Jennifer Connelly, Jackie Earle Haley
Shot partly in Providence, this critically acclaimed drama received three Academy Award nominations, including a Best Lead Actress nod for Kate Winslet.
RIPD
2013
Director: Peter M. Lenkov
Cast: Ryan Reynolds, Jeff Bridges, Kevin Bacon
A car chase for this action-comedy was filmed in downtown Providence.
Amistad
1997
Director: Steven Spielberg
Cast: Morgan Freeman, Anthony Hopkins, Dijimon Hounsou, Matthew McConaughey
Shot at the Rosecliff Mansion in Newport and the State House in Providence, this drama received four Academy Award nominations in 1998.
Outside Providence
1999
Director: Michael Corrente
Cast: Shawn Hatosy, Amy Smart, Alec Baldwin
Filmed in multiple locations throughout Rhode Island, this movie is an adaptation of Peter Farrelly's 1988 novel of the same name.
Me, Myself & Irene
2000
Directors: Peter and Bobby Farrelly
Cast: Jim Carrey, Renée Zellweger. Chris Cooper, Robert Forster, Richard Jenkins
Filmed in Newport, Narragansett, Jamestown, and Galilee, this comedy centers on a Rhode Island State Trooper played by Jim Carrey.
Evening
2007
Director: Lajos Koltai
Cast: Vanessa Redgrave, Claire Danes, Toni Collette, Meryl Streep
The film was primarily set in Newport and included large portions shot at Gooseberry Beach.
The Great Gatsby
1974
Director: Jack Clayton
Cast: Robert Redford, Mia Farrow, Sam Waterston, Bruce Dern
This Academy Award-winning drama was filmed in Newport at the Rosecliff Mansion on Bellevue Ave.
Self Storage
2013
Director: Tom DeNucci
Cast: Eric Roberts, Jonathan Silverman, Michael Berryman, Tom DeNucci
Filmed in a self storage facility in East Greenwich, this horror-comedy marks the directorial debut of Cranston native Tom DeNucci.
27 Dresses
2008
Director: Anne Fletcher
Cast: Katherine Heigl, James Marsden, Malin Åkerman, Ed Burns
Shot throughout Rhode Island, locations included the Rosecliff and Marble House mansions in Newport and a beach in Charlestown.
Dan in Real Life
2007
Director: Anne Fletcher
Cast: Steve Carell, Juliette Binoche, Dane Cook, Alison Pill
Filmed primarily in Jamestown, the movie also features the Point Judith Lighthouse in Narragansett.
Hachi: A Dog's Tale
2009
Director: Lasse Hallström
Cast: Richard Gere, Joan Allen, Jason Alexander
Filmed primarily in Bristol and Woonsocket, other locations included the Columbus Theater in Providence and the University of Rhode Island in Kingston.
The Education of Charlie Banks
2007
Director: Fred Durst
Cast: Jesse Eisenberg, Jason Ritter, Eva Amurri
Shot partially in Brown University in Providence, the movie marks the directorial debut of Limp Bizkit frontman Fred Durst.
Meet Joe Black
1998
Director: Martin Brest
Cast: Brad Pitt, Anthony Hopkins, Claire Forlani
Warwick's Aldrich Mansion served as the residence of Anthony Hopkins' character in the film.
Reversal of Fortune
1990
Director: Barbet Schroeder
Cast: Jeremy Irons, Glenn Close, Ron Silver
Jeremy Irons took home the Oscar for Best Actor for this drama, which was partly shot in Newport.
Underdog
2007
Director: Frederik Du Chau
Cast: Jason Lee, Peter Dinklage, Patrick Warburton, Amy Adams
Shot entirely in Rhode Island, filming locations included Hope High School on the East Side of Providence.
Tanner Hall
2009
Directors: Francesca Gregorini, Tatiana von Furstenberg
Cast: Rooney Mara, Georgia King, Brie Larson
Shot in Providence and Newport, the film marks the the directorial debut of Brown University graduates Francesca Gregorini and Tatiana von Furstenberg.
Dumb and Dumber
1994
Directors: Peter and Bobby Farrelly
Cast: Jim Carrey, Jeff Daniels, Lauren Holly
Scenes from the beginning of this comedy were filmed on location in Providence, including a shot of the Big Blue Bug.
