Jamie Lee
On Tuesday, December 29, at 8:00pm ET/7:00pm CT, Zooming the Movies (ZTM) will present a live reading of Krampus (2015). ZTM’s Krampus cast includes Horror Obsessive’s own Jamie Lee as Max Engel (originally played in the film by Emjay Anthony). She’s also producing the reading. Jamie Lee also wrote about the film earlier this month.
The version of the Krampus script, written by Todd Casey, Michael Dougherty, and Zach Shields, that is being used is actually different from the final film, featuring extra scenes and a different climactic sequence. After the year everyone’s had, if you need to get some bitter “humbugs” out of your system, Krampus is the perfect antidote to any unwanted sap. If you do happen to be in the Christmas spirit, it’s a fun departure from the usual holiday fare that still has some heart to it.
Zooming the Movies launched in May 2020, as the COVID-19 pandemic led to live theaters, movie theaters, and every other public entertainment and artistic venue of any size shutting down as entertainers, crews, artists, and more worked to figure out how to continue their work safely. Run by Kevin Pollack and Thomas Eliot Squires, ZTM reads film and TV scripts multiple times a week over Zoom, which is broadcast free on Facebook Live.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic hit, artists of all kinds have come together virtually and innovated to keep creating and entertaining. ZTM brings together actors from all different locations and walks of life, from actors just giving it a try to professional, working actors. Some actors in ZTM shows play around with costumes, props, hair, makeup, voices, and more, but all devote their time, talent, and enthusiasm to these readings, having fun with each new script that’s found and read.
Anyone on Facebook is welcome to join the public ZTM Facebook group. ZTM finds actors for each reading by announcing the upcoming titles in their group and asking which members are interested. After casting is finalized, the script is sent out to the actors in the cast. The cast joins a Zoom call at the designated time before the performance. The Zoom call is then broadcast free via Facebook Live. The group has performed movies, TV shows, and TV specials of many genres and is continually growing: as of this writing, the group has over 1,300 members.
ZTM’s Krampus will stream live on Tuesday, December 29, at 8:00pm ET/7:00pm CT. Anyone on or off Facebook can watch any of the broadcasts via Facebook Live free by simply visiting the public group’s Facebook page. Broadcasts of past readings are also available on the page, such as their Beetlejuice reading from Halloween night. ZTM also is currently looking for editors to refine the recordings so they can be uploaded to ZTM’s YouTube page. Anyone interested in editing is encouraged to reach out.
