EXCLUSIVE: Shark Monster in Bed With Toxic Avenger
The Evolved, a feature film about a rogue shark monster terrorizing London and produced for only £1000 has been signed for distribution to the Legendary American film company, Troma Entertainment. Troma has helped bring to the world some of the best and brightest talents in entertainment. The duo of Andy Senior and John Turner who conceived and made the film are delighted and itching to start their next project, but first they are waiting to see how their feature does at the Cannes film market in May.
Senior says, "Our team are very proud at what has been achieved with a group of people and a tiny budget. The aim now is to develop new film projects much further, with an increase in the scale of production, ideally in Britain." And, he says a new film is planned for production in 2006.
Troma Entertainment is the oldest continually operating fully independent movie studio in the world, best known for the Toxic Avenger, Troma has helped bring to the world the best and brightest talents in entertainment, ranging from master Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki - Troma's 1993 release of his My Neighbor Totoro was the first Miyazaki movie to be given a wide American theatrical release - to American humorists Matt Stone and Trey Parker. Troma's 1996 release of their Cannibal! The Musical would shine the spotlight of their incredible humour almost two years before their deserved success with South Park. In recent years, Troma have worked with new hot film director Eli Roth and underground sensation Guisseppe Andrews.
The Evolved is the debut feature film from Andy Senior and John Turner. Andy and John met on a film set 5 years ago when they were working as tea boys. It was there that the 1st Assistant Director taught them the 5 golden keys to success. Soon their incredible talent for getting the cheapest photocopies and paperclips got them noticed by the producer who quickly promoted them. Andy went on to become a Location Manager and John an Assistant Director.
After several years of gruelling production work they decided to make their own film, using that past production experience to an advantage to create a quality product on a tiny budget. With the budget in mind they decided to aim at a very specific market, the DVD distribution market of B movies, which is especially popular in the USA.
Andy scripted The Evolved with Phillip Barron, a guy he met on the internet and has still never met in person! Influenced by Laurel and Hardy, David Lynch, Don Siegel, Russ Meyer, South Park and 50’s B-movies they decided to produce a twisted comedy as homage to the whole genre of B movies as it gave great scope to exploring visual direction and script writing possibilities. The eventual script is a dark, sardonic comedy, which explores a diverse range of themes including religion, corporate exploitation, police corruption and abortion.
The idea was first born 10 years ago when as a student Andy and his friend Michael Down were watching Jaws 4 The Revenge. Anyone familiar with the film will recall that the shark is the offspring of the original Jaws that has swum to Florida to avenge its dead relative by killing Ellen, the widow of Chief Brody. A shark with the power to specifically seek out an individual human? Whatever next? The Evolved is what’s next!
With a budget of just £1000 the shoot took place in London during Summer 2005, taking six weeks to complete. Michael Down was drafted in to star alongside a live ventriloquist’s dummy called Ellen, a one inch talking foetus and a semi evolved shark monster.
The Evolved is the first of two instalments. It transports the viewer into the bizarre world of Sonny Boy and Danny Glover, two cops investigating the mysterious disappearance of London’s dogs. Sonny Boy suspects the dogs are being abducted by the evil fast food company: Burger Priest, run by the Nazi overseer: The Pope. When a shark's tooth is found at a crime scene; their investigation becomes more twisted than they could possibly imagine.
A year from initial idea the film was complete and sent to the acquisitions department of Troma in New York. They responded very quickly and Andy met with company founder and hero, Lloyd Kaufman who entertained him with tales of his foray into British television when Troma made the series Troma Edge TV for Channel 4.
Troma signed The Evolved to a distribution deal, the possibility of cinema screenings in the US, inclusion in a Troma retrospective in London this summer and a screening at the Cannes film market this May.