Pro Wrestlers vs Zombies

Pro Wrestlers vs Zombies
Directed by Cody Knotts
Written by Cody Knotts
Starring Roddy Piper
Kurt Angle
Shane Douglas
Jim Duggan
Reby Sky
Taya Parker
Matthew Rush
Adrienne Fischer
Ashton Amherst
Music by Marco Werba
Cinematography Joseph Russio
Production
company
Principalities of Darkness
Distributed by Troma Entertainment
Release dates
  • October 2013 (2013-10)
Country United States
Language English

Pro Wrestlers vs Zombies (also known as Cody Knotts' Pro Wrestlers vs Zombies) is a 2013 horror film that was directed by Cody Knotts.[1] An early version of the film was shown at an international horror festival in Whitby, England in October 2013, and the movie was released to DVD on March 28, 2014 along with a limited theatrical release.[2] The movie was funded partly through a successful Kickstarter campaign and through private funds from three investors and stars several former WWE, and current TNA wrestlers that portray themselves fighting against a horde of zombies.[3][4]

Synopsis

After Shane Douglas accidentally kills a fellow wrestler in the ring, the deceased wrestler's brother Angus (Ashton Amherst) decides to take matters into his own hands by summoning an ancient demon to seek revenge. He's granted the power of necromancy and Angus wastes no time in tricking Shane and "Rowdy" Roddy Piper into traveling to a remote location by promising them money in return for a personal appearance. Once there, Shane and Roddy must fight their way through hordes of flesh-eating zombies and stop Angus before he takes his revenge any further.

Cast

Production

Filming for Pro Wrestlers vs Zombies took place in Parkersburg, West Virginia during 2013,[5] and Knotts raised part of the funding for the film via a successful Kickstarter campaign.[6] Kurt Angle was brought in to perform in the movie after he was approached by one of the film's producers.[7] Angle's role required a scene where he appears as a zombie, and he stated that the makeup process took about five hours and that he greatly enjoyed the experience.[7] He further commented that as most of the zombies were also professional wrestlers, he felt more comfortable performing various wrestling moves as they would be experienced with the various techniques employed in the ring and in practice.[7] The movie experienced some difficulties with filming when one of the performers was accidentally hit with a cooking pot by Roddy Piper, but did not otherwise have any major setbacks.[8]

Reception

Bleacher Report gave the film a positive review stating "It isn't trying to be smart or groundbreaking, just a lot of big, silly, violent fun." but noted that the movie would appeal most to wrestling fans, as some of the plot's elements and humor are confusing, as they require that the viewer has prior knowledge of the wrestlers' history.[9] Though Fangoria panned the film overall, as they felt that "Instead of capitalizing on the concept and going full-force, PRO WRESTLERS VS. ZOMBIES stretches its novelty to the breaking point by sitting on a repetitive story structure."[10]

References

  1. Moore, Glen. "'Rowdy' Roddy Piper on starring in Pro Wrestlers vs. Zombies movie; will he get involved at Wrestlemania 30?". Cleveland.com. Retrieved 26 April 2014.
  2. "Wrestling icons take on zombies in 'Pro Wrestlers Vs. Zombies'". PennLive.com. Retrieved 26 April 2014.
  3. Lussier, Germain. "'Pro Wrestlers vs Zombies' Movie Trailer: Rowdy Roddy Piper Battles the Undead". Slash Film. Retrieved 26 April 2014.
  4. Woods, Kevin. "This trailer for Pro-Wrestlers vs. Zombies may be the craziest thing you'll see all day". JoBlo. Retrieved 26 April 2014.
  5. Bevins, Evan. "'Pro Wrestlers vs. Zombies' film to debut in W.Va.". Washington Times. Retrieved 26 April 2014.
  6. Venable, Nick. "Pro Wrestlers Vs. Zombies Trailers Is The Most Bonkers Thing You'll See Today". Cinema Blend. Retrieved 26 April 2014.
  7. 1 2 3 Hanley, Ken W. "Q&A: Kurt Angle, on "PRO WRESTLERS VS. ZOMBIES"". Fangoria. Retrieved 26 April 2014.
  8. Johnson, Vaughn. "A Q&A with 'Rowdy' Roddy Piper". Philly.com. Retrieved 26 April 2014.
  9. Warrell, Richard. "Movie Review: 'Pro Wrestlers vs. Zombies' with Kurt Angle, Roddy Piper and More". Bleacher Report. Retrieved 26 April 2014.
  10. Hanley, Ken W. ""Pro Wrestlers vs. Zombies" (Film Review)". Fangoria. Retrieved 26 April 2014.
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