Das Boat! (aka how we got our dinghy)

About this time last year we were getting into the thick of production on "Eat Me!". One of the main props we had to procure of course was our boat which Ed Phalen, a very kind friend of the family, let us borrow. We honestly hadn't seen the boat until the day we were set to pick it up, so we weren't sure what to expect. Upon pulling up to his house we saw some things we definitely were not anticipating: No boat. And a broke down trailer.

Cut to myself, Ms. Liz Lee and our 2nd Unit Producer (ok...my mom) staring at the boat which was actually sitting upside down on a dock in Ed's backyard. With no discernible alternative to extricate the thing (other than throwing it in the water and paddling back home) we decided to take matters into our own hands, and low and behold there is video of this ridiculous feat!

Here now for your enjoyment...

It's funny that the band is so concerned about getting the boat to the dock in the movie, yet us 3 ladies were able to carry it through the yard ourselves!

After this, Ed spent another hour or so fixing the trailer so that the boat would fit on it. At one point he cut himself but kept toiling away anyway. This man shed blood, sweat (and maybe a few tears) to help us out, purely out of the goodness of his own heart. It's just another example of the amazing people we had helping us make this movie possible. Thank you again Ed!

Mail Order Zombie Declares EAT ME! “Really Good!”

A great new review of EAT ME! has rolled in from Mail Order Zombie, a weekly Internet show devoted to zombie and horror movies.

You can download Episode 86 for free from Itunes by clicking here or listen on their homepage here.

It’s a fun listen, full of tasty audio clips peppered like so much buckshot between insightful commentary. Give it a listen! Our review begins about 19 minutes in.

Our Favorite quote from seasoned zombie flick aficionado Brother D:

"with all the zombie movies I've seen in the history of Mail Order Zombie or hell, even in my entire life, I've never seen or considered some of the things that these characters do..."

The review ultimately gives EAT ME! a rating of 4 out of 5 head shots!

Thanks for the great review MOZ!

The story of Floyd

Many people have asked how we lucked into getting such an awesome car for “Eat Me!”. The true story is that Floyd, our 1973 Volkswagen Squareback, has been in the Carman family for many years.

I'd bought a 1973 VW Beetle (“Fritzy”) as my first car in high school but despite many hours of driving around empty parking lots could not figure out how to drive the stick shift. Frustrated, and starting to learn about other old Volkswagen models through the Long Island Volkswagen Club, I set out to find one that was equally awesome, but that was automatic so I wouldn't have to drive stick.

A rare unearthed photo of me with my first car, Fritzy:

I hadn’t seen many Squarebacks before, mostly in old print advertisements and pictures.

To my amazement one day as we rounded a corner not 100 yards from my house, we saw “Floyd” parked in front of a neighbor’s house. And it was the EXACT same color as Fritzy! It seemed almost too perfect, like two long separated siblings would finally be re-united.

The owner turned out to be a very nice guy and our new neighbor who was actually interested in selling the old junker car. I remember that he seemed very bewildered by my interest in the car, mentioning that his young daughter was so embarrassed by it she would make him pick her up a few blocks away from school so that none of her friends would see it.

True, the car was in bad shape but underneath it all you could see it's potential. In the picture below I'm holding up a piece of the car that had fallen off:

It took a few months in the shop to get Floyd to where you see him today but we think it’s all been worth it to preserve such a beautiful car. Since his “makeover” Floyd has gone on to win hundreds of trophies and plaques in various car shows, has been in "Eat Me!" and was even on TV! Here are a few more photos of Floyd in his glory, enjoy!

Floyd with some friends

In top "show car" form

Floyd ignoring his German heritage for St. Patrick's Day
(These 3 photos and photo of me with Fritzy are all copyright LIVC & Howling Dog Studios)

Review from The Zed Word

A big thanks to the "The Zed Word: Zombie Blog" for taking the time to write a thoughtful, complimentary review of Eat Me! It's very cool to be reviewed by a site with a great handle on the zed traditions which we had so much fun playing with in the movie.

Check out the review here: