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Ninja vs. Zombies
Still from fight scene in Ninjas vs. Zombies
Directed by	Justin Timpane
Written by	Justin Timpane
Starring	Cory Eskridge Okouchi Daniel Ross Dan Guy Carla Okouchi PJ Megaw Daniel Mascarello Melissa McConnell Tara Moore
Release date(s)	October 31, 2008 (US)
Country	United States
Language	English

Ninjas vs. Zombies is a 2008 independent film parodying the science fiction, horror, zombie and ninja genres. The rough cut of the film coined the 'bootleg' premiere, was screened on October 31, 2008, and November 1, 2008 in Leesburg, VA at the historic Tally Ho Theatre.^[1][2] The film was written and directed by Justin Timpane.

Production

Ninjas vs. Zombies is the work of writer-director Justin Timpane, who said he took inspiration for the film from a surprisingly diverse group of motion pictures, including "Chasing Amy", "Scream", "Harry Potter", "Dawn of the Dead", and "Serenity".^[3] Timpane reportedly shot an early version of the film in his basement before shooting the feature version in 2008.^[3] The film was shot in old movie houses, comic book stores, and coffee shops in Northern Virginia and metropolitan Washington, D.C., and was completed on a budget said to be only $10,000.^[3]

Story

The film revolves around seven friends, 3 of which are magically granted the use of ninja powers to fight back against hordes of zombies, and their evil leader Eric. The press kit for the film describes the premise as follows:

"Seven friends, struggling with late 20s, early 30s life, find themselves in terrifying danger when a long dead loved one is magically resurrected and starts devouring souls. To make matters worse, three of them have been granted the power of the ninja, and now must lead the fight against a power they cannot hope to vanquish. If they fail, the undead will overrun their little town, and maybe the world."^[3]

The script is filled with references to other genre favorites, including but not limited to "Buffy the Vampire Slayer", "Lost", "Jurassic Park", "Angel", "Ghostbusters", "Chasing Amy", "Batman Returns", "The Incredibles", "Return of the Jedi", "Star Trek First Contact", "Army Of Darkness", "Dawn of the Dead", "Indiana Jones and the Temple of the Crystal Skull", "Pulp Fiction", "Dirty Harry", and more.

The closing credits thank "Joss Whedon (Who Doesn't Know We Exist)".

Cast

• PJ Megaw as Eric, a super zombie, the chief antagonist of the film
• Dan Guy as Randall, Eric's brother and powerful magician
• Cory Eskridge Okouchi as Cole, an out of work graphics artist who discovers that he is a ninja
• Daniel Ross as Kyle, an out of work actor now pizza delivery guy who discovers that he is a ninja
• Daniel Mascarello as Fitz a stay at home struggling musician who discovers that he is a ninja
• Carla Okouchi as Lily, Eric's former girlfriend and Cole's romantic interest
• Melissa McConnell as Ann, Fitz's wife, a powerful business woman and the breadwinner of her relationship
• Tara Moore as Kara, theater operator, Lily's co-worker, and best friend
• Will Stendeback as Herman, Dungeons and Dragons expert, former friend of Eric, and owner of the podcast known as the "Suckcast"

Soundtrack

The film features an eponymous theme song written and performed by Nick Bognar and Michael Roth. The song is also included on Bognar's 2009 album Our Mouths Are Open.

Critical reception

• The production has been widely anticipated within the horror film community, due in part to its combination of two popular genres—zombies and ninjas. In a comment typifying the appeal of the hybrid, BD Horror News noted, "There are ninjas, and there are zombies, what more do you need?"^[2][4][5]

• In February 2009, the film garnered an "Award of Merit: Feature Film" at "The Indie Fest".^[6]

• Another horror genre publication, "Fatally Yours," urged its readers to see the film, asking: "What? Do we need to send the zombie army to drag you there?"^[2] The same publication described the film as "a homegrown indy filmed right here in Northern VA. Part Evil Dead, part Clerks, part Buffy, part Bourne Identity, with some Harry Potter, a twist of vermouth and a lime chaser - uh, wait… Funny, Violent, a Rollercoaster; with GOBS of local talent - and international appeal."^[2]

• On the other hand, the film has been criticized for its thematic similarity to earlier works. One critic, for example, joked that it should not be confused with 1987's singular Ninja vs. Zombie, 1997's Zombie Ninja Gangbangers, or 2004's Vampires vs. Zombies, noting, "This is, er, zombieS versus ninjaS. You know, plural?"^[7]

• Before its release, the film's third trailer received the following comments from movie reviewer Chris Beaumont. "Seriously, how can you go wrong? It has zombies and ninjas, not to mention magic and blood. This super low-budget outing looks terrible. Terribly good that is. No, the production values are not good and the acting looks even worse, but what they lack in quality and polish, they more than appear to make up for with energy and love for the genre. Looking forward to this!"^[8]

References

External links

• Ninjas vs. Zombies Official Site
• Theatrical trailer
• Ninjas vs. Zombies at the Internet Movie Database
• Ninjas vs. Zombies on MySpace
• Ninjas vs. Zombies on Facebook
• Ninjas vs. Zombies on YouTube
• Ninjas vs. Zombies on Break.com