By AARON MUELLER
Niles Daily Star

When local filmmaker Adam Payne talks about his newest film, there is a clear sense of excitement in his voice – a sort of excitement that says I know this movie sounds crazy but it just might work.

“Damn Dirty Hippies,” which is the Niles resident’s first feature length film, is a step in a markedly different direction from his previous introspective work.

“It’s a completely different approach for a film than I’ve ever taken before,” Payne said. “All of my other films were things that I wanted to say – ideas of mine, stories of mine.”
The premise of “Damn Dirty Hippies?”

“It’s a B-movie satire kind of thing,” Payne said. “It’s about a savage hippie society threatening to take over the universe and a small band of heroes bent on stopping them.”

The film makes its premiere in Niles Friday at Wonderland Theater at 10:15 p.m. with a pre-show party at 8:30 p.m. The event, dubbed the Rolling Potato Revue, will also feature a pair of short films before the feature along with music from Chicago artist Dan Wallace.

The movie also has screenings slated in Kalamazoo and Grand Ledge later this month.
Under the tagline “Peace, love, murder,” Payne believes the 71-minute zombie comedy will be a crowd pleaser.

“The thing I like about this movie is that it can appeal to a lot of people,” he said. “I have friends who like slasher movies and they enjoy it. And I have people who will never see a horror movie in their entire lives that will see this movie and enjoy it.”

Payne is not a huge fan of zombie movies but loves the premise of his B-movie satire that is more about providing laughs than a cut-em-up gorefest.

“A B-movie is basically a tits and blood extravaganza,” he said. “Girls with low tops and people cutting off body parts and stuff. This is a satire on that. My characters are kind of like cartoon characters.”

The movie sidesteps the blood and guts of many zombie flicks but Payne does warn there is some foul language that parents should be aware of.

The movie, which was written, directed and produced by Payne in a year and a half, features all local talent and was shot mostly in Niles and the surrounding area. Katie Blanchard of Niles and Elizabeth Sutton of New Buffalo are the leads.

Payne said despite the fact it is a B-movie, don’t expect horrific acting.

“There is no filter for bad acting,” he said. “If things aren’t done on purpose, there’s no excuse for that. You can have things in it that are intentionally silly, but bad acting is irreparable.”

Payne, who currently works as a director for Fox 28 News, hopes the film will enjoy enough local success that he can put on the Rolling Potato Revue in Niles annually.
“I don’t want to limit myself at where this thing can go,” he said. “I would like to see Niles to be more of a bastion for independent film,” he said.

Although he is unsure of what his next project will be, one thing is certain.

“My next movie will be vastly different from this. It’s not going to be a hippie zombie comedy,” he said. “I’m pretty sure it will pretty much be the opposite.”