Being A Movie Extra with the Mullet Family Zombies

It's been a few years ago now, but the experience is still quite vivid.

You know, it's not every day that you get the opportunity to play an extra in a zombie movie and meet the Mullet Family Zombies. Especially if you grew up around central Texas.

Secretly, I had always wanted to play an extra in a movie, but I didn't really think I had the "classic look" they usually seem to be looking for and not many movies are made around these parts. But, that's the beauty of a being a zombie movie extra, you don't have to have a look. You'll be sitting in a chair having one applied.

Try to imagine the types of people that might answer an open call for movie extras. Once you know you don't have to have 'the look', it pretty much attracts everyone and their grandma. In this case, quite literally. They come for miles around for their chance at their 15 minutes of fame. I and the Mullet Family were no different.

I affectionately call them the Mullet Family, of course, it wasn't their real name. There were four of them. There was the little boy, about 7-8 years old. There was his older brother wearing overalls, maybe 11-12 years old. Seems like his name was River Sky, or something equally strange since they didn't look to have any Native American Indian in them. Then there was mama and grandma. Mama Mullet and both boys sported....you guessed it.....mullets. Yes, the same hair arrangement (I hesitate to call a mullet a hairSTYLE) made famous by Billy Ray Cyrus in his Achy Breaky Heart days. Grandma was the only 'normal' looking one in the bunch really.

Now, that alone is funny enough in my book. A mom and two kids with identical mullets showing up with aspirations to be zombies. It does make me wonder where the men-folk were though. Did dad have one too, or did dad run off when the other three came home from ProCuts sporting mullets? Wait, I never really considered this, maybe dad IS Billy Ray? it would have have been funny if it had actually been the Cyrus family.....then, had their been a young girl in the bunch that would have meant I'd be calling her Miley Mullet. Has a ring to it doesn't it?

Ok, sorry....back to the movie.

Try to imagine makeup experts carefully applying makeup and liquid latex to make this family zombified. The little one was quite cute, but did I mention that he ate live June bugs between takes? I'm telling you, they were downright strange. I do have some personal photos of the youngest Mullet, but since I'm unable to find the Mullet Family in the phonebook to get their authorization to poke a little good-natured fun at them, you'll just have to imagine.

The mullet-less Grandma actually did quite well and I believe they went on to utilize her in several key roles in the film. Go Granny Mullet (without yo' mullet)!

I've been anxiously awaiting the DVD release or widespread theatrical release of the movie for several years now. These things take time you know. The film has actually done phenomenally well at film festivals around the country winning several prestigious awards.

The name of the movie is Risen: The Movie and you can find out more about them at their website. I've provided the link below. Now, assuming we didn't all end up on the editing/cutting room floor, you may be able to spot the Mullet Zombie Family yourself. You can't miss them, I promise.

(I bet you'll be singing Achy Breaky Heart for days now! Ha! Ha!)

5/5/09 Risen: The Movie will be showing in select theaters in the mid-west this summer. Watch for it! I've also added a new link to Jackalope Entertainment below.

5/27/09 Tickets went on sale at the Waco Hippodrome Theater! It is the first viewing for all the extras and actors/actresses from the Central Texas area. The movie was filmed in this area and it's a MUST SEE! I already have my tickets! Thanks to Damon Crump for his committment to this David Talbot film!

7/1/09 I went to the Waco premiere of the movie! I have written a hub about the whole experience. Click here to read it.