<< Back 5/22/02 Horror flick producers hold Franklin auditions By Beth Seay Screams echoed around downtown Franklin on Saturday morning, but neighbors were instructed not to call the police. Atlanta- and Charlotte-based film production company Blood Angel Productions held auditions for “Blood Bath” at the Rathskeller Coffee House in downtown Franklin. The film is a “suspense thriller with horror elements,” according to producer David Richardson. The story includes a string of disappearances of young girls being investigated by a reporter, he said. About 35 people, mostly teenagers, showed up for auditions. The prospective actors stepped in front of a video camera and read lines from several of the movie’s scenes. Girls were asked to scream heartily, while boys were instructed to yell, “Jessie? Jessie!” “Gotta get some earplugs,” Richardson muttered at one point. Richardson makes his home in the Charlotte area, but says he has been coming to Macon County since childhood. He has family in the mountains. Most of the cast and crew are also from Charlotte, but Richardson and co-producer Angel MacDonald plan on using local talent for some of the supporting parts. MacDonald will also play the lead, a reporter named Amy Phillips. The film stars Tom Savini, who is “well-known to people interested in horror,” Richardson said. Matt Green will be directing. Green is experienced in working on productions with budget limitations, said Richardson. His first movie, “Severed,” was shot with a digital camera on a budget of $15,000. The budget for “Blood Bath” is about $45,000, according to Richardson. “It can be done, but it’s not easy,” he said. “What will make it work is Matt as director and Savini as the star.” While the leading roles are all cast, Richardson and MacDonald are trying to cast as many supporting roles as possible locally – “to save money,” they said. “If a movie like ‘Cold Mountain’ comes, you might get to be an extra, but with a movie like this, you have an opportunity for a role that would be the focus of the film,” Richardson said. MacDonald said they were pleased with the turnout for the auditions. “There were some auditionees with potential, so it’s possible that some locals will be cast with speaking roles,” she said. Horror film fans are a dedicated group, Richardson said, which will help with the success of the movie. Richardson says a Hollywood producer once told him that “the best way to sell a movie is to get a bunch of kids in a cabin and chop them up.” “Blood Bath” will be “more sophisticated than that,” Richardson said. “The title is to attract viewers.” Richardson said the film will shoot at various locations in and around Franklin for about three weeks in June. He said about 75 percent of the filming will take place at night. The company plans to use existing locations in Franklin like the Rathskeller. “If Hollywood wants to make a movie, they build a bar,” he said. “With a low budget film, you find a place with a bar and shoot there.” The cast and crew of about 15 people will be staying locally, though Richardson said housing arrangements haven’t been made yet. Savini is only expected to be in Franklin for about three days. John Bishop from Franklin auditioned for several parts including a used car salesman. He is excited about the local production. “Things like this never happen in Franklin.” He’s been involved in theater since 1996 and is “looking for experience.” Jennifer Arose said she’s been acting and singing since 1991, and also writes and directs plays at church. She said she has sung with Louise Mandrell. Arose read for the part of Jennifer, a teen-aged cheerleader who disappears in the movie. Arose, like most of the other young women, grinned rather self-consciously as her screams echoed around the Rathskeller. Heidi Hasara, owner of the Rathskeller, was pleased at having their coffee shop chosen as a location for the movie. “We thought it would be really interesting,” she said. Richardson expects to notify those cast within a week or so. Final details are still being worked out, said MacDonald, and a date for filming to begin has not yet been set.