Starting back in his childhood, founder and owner Bob Candy, had a dream to open a zoo. His unofficial zoo began at an early age as he always told his parents how much he loved animals, always bringing something new home. Now a proud resident of Cumberland for over 20 years he has finally gotten the chance to make his childhood dream a reality, while sharing his love for the animals with the community. With the help and support of his wife Donna, the first phase of the TriState Zoo began in the spring of 2003. With the first step of establishing the zoo completed, plans to expand are already underway with new animals arriving all the time. We plan to make this the best zoo around, something for the community to share and enjoy for years to come. Along with the knowledgable staff working at the zoo, there are a number of volunteers, many of them from the local schools, with a desire of their own to be around these wonderful creatures, assisting to make your visit something to remember. As a non-profit organization, the TriState Zoo hopes to continue to further expand its fences to make this not only a dream for the staff but also for the community.
Our Future Plans
We have many fantastic ideas still ahead here at the TriState Zoo. With approximately 16 acres here to work with, we are constantly expanding. Most of the animals that have made their homes here are rescues or donations, and we expect to receive more in the future. With help from local sponsors and support from the public, we hope to continually bring you an ever growing variety of animals. Every admission and donation helps to grow our animal family, provide natural habitat exhibits, provide food for the animals, as well as fund educational programs.
o...wait I have more to say:
Happy, Happy, Happy New Year to all the faithful!
·DC on January 01 2010 01:47:03 ·
0 Comments · 35 Reads
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Rob Zombie's 'El Superbeasto' Could Receive Limited Theater Release
Courtesy-MTV
Stalled for years due to studio shuffles, Rob Zombie's adult-oriented, animated adaptation of his "Haunted World of El Superbeasto" comic book was originally tagged for straight-to-DVD release, but now could enjoy a run in theaters, according to the musician/filmmaker.
"It started as a really cheap direct-to-video project, and then it kept ballooning over the years and the budget kept getting bigger and bigger, and the project kept getting bigger and bigger, and bigger names kept coming on to it," Zombie told MTV News. "And then it seemed like, 'Well, now it seems theatrical.'"
Featuring the voices of Paul Giamatti, Brian Posehn, Danny Trejo and Rosario Dawson, "El Superbeasto" follows a super-powered Mexican luchador (voiced by Tom Papa) and his sultry sidekick/sister Suzi-X (Sheri Moon Zombie) as they battle the evil Dr. Satan (Paul Giamatti).
The adults-only film has had a troubled path to the screen—big or small—as Zombie explained, "the company kept changing hands. We started with one company, they got sold to another, and they got sold to another company..."
"I'm actually glad it happened that way," explained Zombie. "The movie went from costing $1 million dollars to $8 million, and we got to make an awesome movie, so I don't really care how it gets out there. Theatrical would be great, and I think they're talking now about doing a limited theatrical run, so that would be cool."
"El Superbeasto" is currently scheduled to arrive on DVD and Blu-Ray September 22.
I'm so sorry to hear about Clayton. He was an important character in our film and a great part of making it a success. He had a full life, a life many people aren't fortunate or blessed to have. So here's to Clayton a great zombie and a good man. My prayers to his wife and family.
-KEN
Clayton Hill / Played a lead zombie in 'Dawn of the Dead'
May 7, 1931 - July 26, 2009
Monday, July 27, 2009
By Moriah Balingit, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Actor Clayton Hill played almost as many roles in life as he did on the silver screen.
While in the Air Force, he once served as a security officer for the king and queen of Thailand. He was an accident scene investigator, a disaster preparedness officer and the chief of the fire department at the Greater Pittsburgh Airport.
Behind the camera, he was a location scout, a casting director and a weapons director, handling the weapons in horror films.
On screen, he was a basketball announcer next to Marv Albert, a priest, a detective, a bum in a bar and, most famously, "sweater zombie," a ghoul-faced, googly-eyed monster who donned a white sweater to match his frightening complexion in George Romero's landmark zombie flick, "Dawn of the Dead."
Mr. Hill, of Burgettstown, died early yesterday of complications from pneumonia. He was 78.
He started performing at age 6, when his father put him to work in beer gardens singing for money. As a teenager, he sang on Saturday morning radio shows and performed in talent competitions, where he once lost to Pittsburgher Frank Gorshin, who went on to a career as a comedian and an actor.
But when he graduated high school, he decided to join the Air Force, where he served for four years. He then went to work for the airport fire department and later as a civilian for the Air Force, where he drew up plans for the prevention of biological, chemical and nuclear warfare.
The stress of the job got to him, his wife, actress Sharon A. Ceccatti-Hill, said, and in the early 1970s he started taking classes at the Pittsburgh Playhouse. He retired permanently from the Air Force in 1975.
Mr. Hill and his wife were performing in operettas at the playhouse when a friend told them about a director named George Romero who was looking for actors for his horror movie. Ms. Ceccatti-Hill admitted she didn't even know what a zombie was before she met with Mr. Romero, but both fell into their parts seamlessly, and both were recruited from the extras to play "lead zombies" -- zombies with the most exposure in the film and appear in much of the promotional material.
Tom Savini, who did Mr. Hill's makeup for "Dawn of the Dead," said Mr. Hill was one of the most convincing zombies of the bunch.
"The secondary zombies were always a problem because they all wanted to drop one leg. Clayton was stiff as a board and his eyes were rolled back," he said, recalling that in one scene, Mr. Hill accidentally ambled the wrong way down an escalator because he was so in character. "George Romero wanted to see more of Clayton because of how good he was."
Because of his military background, Mr. Hill also served as the weapons director for the film, unloading and loading the guns for the actors.
The two later went on to start Sharclay Casting, serving as casting directors and recruiters for extras and small speaking roles for movies that were filmed in Pittsburgh. Mr. Hill and his wife often managed to get small roles in the films themselves.
Later, he and his wife went to work for the Starlake Amphitheatre in Burgettstown, where Mr. Hill was the director of security and his wife was the assistant director of operations.
The pair later left their positions and served as location scouts, traveling as far as Morocco and Spain to check out potential shooting locations.
Recently, the two had been going to horror film conventions where their fame as lead zombies endured. And both had gotten back into acting, playing small roles in "End Game," which recently finished filming in Pittsburgh.
The pair was due to start filming "River of Darkness" in the fall, another horror film starring wrestler Kurt Angle, another Pittsburgh native. It was going to be Mr. Hill's first lead part in a film.
In addition to his wife, Mr. Hill is survived by two children, Kimi Hill Wiseman and Todd Hill, both of Burgettstown, and five grandchildren.
MICHAEL JACKSON IS DEAD, WE HAVE LOST A GREAT ENTERTAINER, AN INNOVATOR, AN ICON. AFTER THE DEATHS OF ROBERT KENNEDY AND MARTIN LUTHER KING, HE FACILITATED THE GATHERING OF DISPARATE PEOPLES FROM ALL OVER THIS WORLD WITH HIS MUSIC AND DANCE. HE GAVE US SPONTANIETY, JOY, PRIDE AND HELPED US HEAL. HE WAS A HUMANITARIAN AND URGED US ALL TO BECOME FRIENDS TO EACH OTHER. "WE ARE THE WORLD" WAS A GLORIOUS OUTPOURING OF HIS TALENTS. PERHAPS THE GREATEST EVER.
FROM GARY INDIANA TO BEYOND THE GALAXY.
SAY WHAT YOU WANT, BUT MICHAEL JACKSON FAR EXCEEDED PRESIDENTS, KINGS, AND NATIONS.
THE MAN WAS TO FAR AWAY FOR US TO REACH AND HE ALWAYS TOOK A STEP BACK TO LIFT US ALL TO HIS SIDE,
TO JOIN HIM ON HIS JOURNEY FOR A BETTER MORE AND HUMANE WORLD.
MAY HE REST IN PEACE.
·DC on June 27 2009 02:44:28 ·
1 Comment · 300 Reads
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ZONE OF THE DEAD review
Hey everybody, I've been asked often this year about the fillm I shot in Serbia last year, so here's one review I can share with you. If you find any other's please feel free to post them. Best,
Ken
Zone of the Dead Movie Review
Written by Miloš Jovanovi
Directed by Milan Todorovi and Milan KonjeviWritten by Vukota Brajovic, Milan Konjevi and Milan Todorovi2009, Not rated
Starring:
Ken Foree as Agent Mortimer Reyes
Kristina Klebe as Agent Mina Milius
Emilio Roso as The Prisoner
Miodrag Krstovi as Agent Belić
Vukota Brajovi as Armageddon
The Movie:
During a NATO military exercise held in Serbia, a horrific accident happens with potentially long-lasting effects. At an isolated train station near Belgrade, the state capital, there is a dangerous leak of toxic gas which was in routine transit via railway carriage. The gas, it seems, not only kills people, but turns them into bloodthirsty zombies as well. The only survivor at the scene is an unnamed university professor (Steve Agnew), who manages to take refuge at the nearby police station.
As that is happening, another important event is taking place elsewhere in Serbia. Interpol agents, lead by veteran agents Reyes (Ken Foree) and Belić (Miodrag Krstović), aided by the rookie officer Milius (Kristina Klebe), are preparing a transport of a mysterious prisoner (Emilio Roso).The prisoner, held captive in the vicinity of Panćevo (a stone's throw from Belgrade), is to be shuttled to London via a plane from Belgrade. The transport hits a snag when undead show up, and before you know it, Interpol agents strike an uneasy truce with the prisoner, in order to save their lives. As they join the professor, as well as some stray journalists who also happened to be in the neighbourhood, in the police station, it becomes obvious that something really dreadful is going on out there, and that the battle for survival has begun.
Thoughts:
Zone of the Dead is a rather peculiar project. First announced sometime in 2005 or 2006, it was originally envisioned by Milan Todorović and Vukota Brajović as a small fan venture paying homage to great zombie classics of yore. For a while, the script was doing the rounds and for a long time the project looked dead, until Italian freelance producer Loris Curci stepped in and revitalized the whole deal. Curci is no stranger to the genre, as he is the man behind numerous featurettes on Argento — and other cult directors — that pop up on AB special edition discs. He promptly recruited noone else but Dawn of the Dead alumnus Ken Foree, and the picture, now reinforced by a veteran comic book writer Milan Konjević, was in full gear yet again.
So you might ask yourself now, was it necessary to pit the original zombie slayer Foree versus the living dead again after 30 years? The answer is yes, as Zone of the Dead is a pretty decent genre effort which will definitely satisfy zombie fans, but also lend its appeal to the casual crowd. Unusually well written characters (for the genre, that is), as well as some competent filmmaking and decent starpower will propel Zone a long way above the casual z-movie foder, hopefully making a lightly bigger impact in the worldly market than anticipated.
The setup, like in most zombie movies, is nothing to write home about. Inspired by the dire ecological situation in his hometown, Milan Todorović, who co-scripted and co-directed, has opted for a biohazard-ish hook to this story, in which he merges the fortunes of several key characters. In this aspect, Zone of the Dead strays away from the traditional "Romero conventions" into John Carpenter territory — and indeed, most of the film seems to draw inspiration from films such as The Thing and, especially, Assault on Precinct 13 and Ghosts of Mars (the whole "prisoner ally" thing is rather liberally lifted from the latter two). While it might be hard work for some to disassociate this film from Romero Dead movies comparison due to the fact we have Mr. Foree in the lead role killing zombies, there is rather little common between Zone of the Dead and (random) of the Dead from ol' uncle George's oeuvre. This is, essentially, an action film with zombies. Later in the film, a thinly veiled political subplot comes to surface, but this will likely be lost on non-Serbian viewers, as it's rich with local references, so it's safe to say that we may bill this as a pure actioner.
Visually, the film is very competently handled. Todorović, a graduate of Serbian national film academy, makes only few rookie mistakes and showcases his expert framing, and his flair for action shows in efficiently executed camera movements. The co-director, Milan Konjević, adds a comic book sensibility to some action scenes, with his touch filling in where Todorović left off. The majority of the combat set-pieces are shot in a dynamic, shakey-cam manner, and are distinguished by rapid (but well done) cuts. This style will undoubtedly have its fans as well as its detractors, but on the overall, it works — the shakes create extra sense of tension, and in those parts Zone of the Dead resembles Kitamura's Versus, which employed a similar style. Shot on HD, the film's first two thirds take place during the night, only to launch a frenzied action-packed finale which unfolds in daytime — the HD camera makes the nighttime scenes a bit too sharp to my taste, but daylight looks real good shot this way, as there is a slight sepia tint added for grindhouse flavour. Kudos must also go to makeup/FX maestro Miroslav Lakobrija — much like Tom Savini did in the past, Lakobrija creates miracles on a severely limited budget, and his zombies look rather hungry and ferocious.
While in the past zombie films have been blessed with largely indifferent acting performances, this is not the case here. At the forefront we have Ken Foree, who is a towering presence, and not only because of his height. Foree, three decades removed from his iconic performance in Dawn of the Dead, portrays a complex character dealing with serious inner strife (the very first shot of Ken shows him swallowing a handful of what I assume might be tranquilizers, while silently gazing into a framed photo of a lost somebody). He still is very hazardous for the zombie population, but more than just settling for a Charles Bronson-like show, Foree adds some veteran guile to his act and comes across rather believeable. In such regard, it's easy to draw comparison between Ken Foree and John Wayne here — observe Foree from Dawn of the Dead and Zone of the Dead, and Wayne from, say, Hondo and The Shootist or True Grit, and you'll see what I mean.
Foree is aided by a veteran Serbian character actor Miodrag Krstović, who is a new face for the international audiences. Krstović is a good foil, both physically and otherwise, to Foree, and the two look like a perfectly matched team, especially as the events start unfolding. While Foree's character has to deal with mental issues at times, Krstović radiates with controlled calm, despite the grim look on his face. The lead twosome is augmented by Kristina Klebe (you'll remember her from Rob Zombie's Halloween) and a relative newcomer Emilio Roso. Klebe does a very good job as a rookie Interpol cop looking to impress, while Roso is arguably the revelation of this film — a hitherto unknown actor, Roso plays his role with much gusto and succesfully conveys the "mystery" element of his character. The fifth main role is the one of Vukota Brajović, who plays a religious lunatic who interprets the whole mayhem as an end of the world thing and gets into a full-on clash with the undead brigades. Brajović, who looks rather intimidating with his military-styled looks, is mostly present in action set-pieces, save for a few loony speeches and Bible quotes he seems to spout about — as such, his role works perfectly.
Of course, the film is not without its faults. While the script is good for the most part (bear in mind it was written in Serbian, then translated, then adapted to characters), some segments fall rather flat — midway through the film, Klebe and Krstović engage in a dialog which should have been emotional and distressing, but neither emotion really delivers. Also, as it's often the case with ensemble casts stuck at one place, you wind up not caring about certain characters — there is some obvious zombie fodder within this group (most notably Iskra Brajović who plays a party-going pothead stuck with the rest), and Ariadna Cabrol and Marko Janjić are largely forgettable. On occasions, the directors overplay their hand and stage some silly moments (there is a slow-mo shot of Roso gliding through the air Chow Yun-Fat style which was best left on the cutting room floor), and the climax might feel a bit rushed upon closer inspection.
Still, hats off to the production team for making a decent zombie film in the end. Coming from the country with no horror or zombie tradition whatsoever, Zone of the Dead might be a start of something new, something fresh. With its sharp action set pieces and some subtle nods to horror greats (there is a great Dawn of the Dead joke towards the end), Zone of the Dead is a surefire hit for the target audiences worldwide.
Video, audio and special features will not be graded, as this is a screener.
Conclusion:
With Ken Foree as the first billing and Todorović and Konjević steering the ship into right direction, this could be a start of a new age in Serbian cinema.
·DC on June 11 2009 00:33:22 ·
0 Comments · 412 Reads
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ForeeFest On Hold
A few years ago I was approached by two good friends, Richard Booth and Stuart Green, to visit the UK. They wanted to put on an event featuring me. Our purpose was to have an intimate couple of days that would include some films, story- tellin g, a Q&A, dinner and a few drinks at the local pub. We wanted it to be different from other gatherings by giving the fans a more personal experience: something that is not the norm for the Convention or Festival circuit. Richard and Stuart wanted to get it going right away and they came up with the name "Foree Fest". In our excitement, we didn't pay too much attention to the name, except that it would let the fans in the UK know that I was going to appear. It was neither my intention nor Richard and Stuart’s to be pretentious by using my name as the title and when we did realize it after our initial excitement, it was too late. Of course it was advertised all over the Internet. So for all those who have described this event as pretentious: we got caught up in the moment; it was and is a great idea (except for the "Foree Fest" title). We are going to have the festival again next year (with a new title). I want to have Patrica Quinn do a weekend of stories and films - her story telling alone would make it worth attending - and also my good friend, Doug Bradley, will make for a delightful weekend. So, my friends and fans, thems the facts.
From Richard and Stuart:
Stuart and I as fans of Dawn of the Dead and assisting Ken at UK and US events called on their friend to develop Foree Fest as a new event in the UK to give other events a run for their money and be the first to concentrate on the fans and their time for the ticket price.
We had Ken appear to launch the event and after the success of the first event and good feedback by fans, Ken agreed to become a partner for the project and enlist other actors to join us and appear in the laid back ambience of the event to meet fans and take part in the Q&A sessions and introduce their films.
The event came to a hold when the lives of the main promoters and event organizers Richard Booth and Stuart Green went through life changing situations. Richard was expecting his first baby daughter and Stuart venture d into running his own business. Foree Fest had to be put on hold and unfortunately is still on hold this year. It will return but unfortunately not at the present time.
·DC on May 06 2009 20:43:55 ·
0 Comments · 640 Reads
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ZONE OF THE DEAD Official Art work
I recieved this image from Milan Todorovic, director of Zone of the Dead and he thought that the folks here at Kens site would enjoy seeing it!!
I don't know if you have someone whom you admire; someone who was a very important part of your development, entertainment or love life. Some people would list movie stars, others architects, doctors, explores or talk show host. Well, one of mine is Smokey Robinson. I can sing all of his hits and I have followed his career from Motown 'till today. I believe the man walks on water. Now I love Sinatra, and can watch and listen to Domingo, Pavarotti, and Carara over and over. I love Carmen Mc Rae, Sara Vaughn, Barbara Streisand, Roy Rodgers, Harry Truman, Robert Kennedy, Frank Capra, Martin Luther King; Smokey is really special. He and the Temptations rocked and made my world! Literally, I was a geek for this groups and its music.
I'm am walking onto a plane headed for Pittsburgh and who is sitting in first class.? .............Yep! You guessed it... SMOKEY! Now I forgot to tell you about Smokey being a distant cousin of yours truly. So distant it hardly matters. Can you imagine one of the greatest tenors in the world, the man who sung the songs that I loved the most, who helped my romantic life wildy, was on the same plane that I was.
So I played it cool, waited for my opportunity and approached Smokey full of confidence in my ability to engage him and tell him I was his cousin, (though far removed), and how much his life and talent meant to me.......................OF COURSE NOT! NOT OUR DARLING BOY! I walked up to first class and made such a pest of myself and I couldn't get the facts straight about how we were related. And, Smokey kept telling me that my facts were wrong and I kept insisting that I was right. In short, I made the man's life horrible during the flight and, afterwards in baggage claim, I was so annoying and such a geek that if he ever sees me again he'll have me shot on the spot or at the very least call security and run as fast as he can in the opposite direction. What an idiot! It's rare, but this time I was a complete blabbering numbskull.
The lesson learned from this adventure is that we all have those times when we would like to start all over again and do it differently.
Well 2009 is a new chance for us to start anew and, if necessary, do it differently. So here to doing everything right in 2009.
Have a happy, properous, safe and healthy New Year.
Where were you doing Halloween? Well, I was in Phoenix with a group of friends. It was a nice party given by my friend Rob and his Brother Joey. If you look closely you'll see a few people with recognizable faces.
Just wanted to let you know that Zombie Fest was a lot of fun. Its been 30 years and I wanted to do something special for the fans. I hope they liked it and that it went over well. We raised over a ton of food in the city of Pittsburgh and that was great. The world-wide numbers aren't in yet. The Mall is a special place and we hamd it up and had a great time for the 30th anniversary.
I hope everyone voted. I did!
See you soon,
Ken
·DC on November 06 2008 01:36:34 ·
1 Comment · 1459 Reads
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Zombie Fest
This is something special!! ...and guess who's smack dab in the middle of all the action??? Thats right Ken will be there and has plenty to do !!!
What is Zombie Fest™?
Zombie Fest™, a weekend of zombie fun and monster madness in Pittsburgh, includes:
· A two-day zombie-themed convention at the Monroeville Mall, site of the Romero zombie classic Dawn of the Dead, featuring vendor exhibits, film screenings, author discussion panels, live bands, games and other fun activities for zombie fans. And in 2008, it’s FREE admission!
· The Zombie Masquerade Ball is the monster party of the century! Eat, drink, dance, and rub elbows with the upper crust undead! Prizes awarded for best overall costume and best zombie costume. The Ball also includes live entertainment and a silent auction (last year’s auction raised $1,000 for breast cancer research!). The Ball is a 21 and over event and there will be a separate admission fee.
· On Sunday morning, zombies, young and old, will gather at the Mall, shambling and moaning for brains while bearing food donations for the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank. Led by Professor Emcee Square, the horde of zombies slowly made their way from one end of the mall to the other. In 2007, the total number of zombies who signed in was 1,028, establishing a new Guinness World Record™, and more than half a ton of food was collected. The walk was honored with a Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Award for Best Fan Event of 2007. In 2008, the Monroeville Mall Zombie Walk will be the hub of World Zombie Day™, with walks being held in more than 40 cities worldwide benefiting local food banks.
In 1968 a film was released in Pittsburgh that changed the face of horror history forever. It changed zombies from mindless undead slaves into flesh-hungry beasts that thirst for blood! Film history would never be the same.
Now, 40 years later, some new blood is picking up the rotten pieces and upping the ante.
Pittsburgh's greatest horror hit "The It's Alive Show" is proud to present...
World Zombie Day™ is the day that all ghouls from Kentucky to Kokomo, from Atlanta to Afghanistan, from Washington to Wales, and from Pittsburgh to Puerto Rico can celebrate together in a near orgy of blood covered bliss!!
Every major and minor city of the world that has ever hosted a zombie walk can band together and give one solid groan heard WORLDWIDE for the zombie cause!
World Zombie Day™ will be a day when all fans of zombie culture can join together. There will be an international charity event done throughout the cities involved to help alleviate world hunger, and this will be a first.
The It’s Alive Show”, World Record Holders for the largest zombie walk ever, will spearhead this event from the very birthplace of zombie culture, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.
The participating living dead are encouraged to bring a non-perishable food item to each zombie walk starting point. A mass effort will be taken on worldwide to prove that charity, goodwill, and zombie love can flourish in every nation regardless of race, ethnicity, sex, or religion, and that no matter where or how we die…
Zombie Walk Organizers - Please contact Miss Dee at zombiefest@verizon.net to officially sign on and get details.
