Indie filmmaker Gregory Cahill is joining forces with Courage My Love frontwoman Mercedes ArnHorn to crowd fund a trailer for a 90’s metal comedy titled Metalheads. The feature-length script, written by Cahill, follows a group of talentless goth teenagers in their seemingly impossible struggle to win the high school battle of the bands. The film draws influence from comedy staples like Airheads and Superbad, while incorporating Todd Solondz style dark humor, all with a distinctly 90’s nu-metal twist.
Metalheads takes place in Boston during the 1990’s, the setting of Cahill’s own high school experience. “We’ve seen countless films celebrating the 70’s and 80’s and now it’s finally time for 90’s nostalgia,” Cahill says. “Seeing the fashion and technology and hearing the music will bring back a lot of memories for people. Everything from that era gets a humorous jostling – nu-metal, hardcore, grunge, ska, techno.”
Should the project achieve its $30,000 Kickstarter goal, Arn-Horn will star as one of the principal characters in the trailer, with Cahill directing. “It’s becoming increasingly difficult to get an indie feature made,” Cahill says. “Instead of simply walking into pitch meetings with a script, we can walk in with a highly polished trailer which demonstrates not only our vision for the project, but our ability to deliver a quality product. Plus, it’s crowd funded, meaning there’s already an audience. It’s a way to be taken more seriously.”
Cahill felt that casting a real-life musician in lieu of an actor would bring authenticity to the project, and a sense of community to the crowd funding campaign. “I don’t feel there’s ever been a movie that has depicted the grassroots metal subculture in an authentic way,” Cahill adds. “It’s usually sensationalized in a cartoony manner that doesn’t fully resonate with those of us who actually played in bands and grew up listening to Korn and Marilyn Manson. I want Metalheads to fill that void.” Arn-Horn, the 21-year-old singer/guitarist from Toronto agrees. “Playing local shows in various bands was our form of entertainment when I was growing up,” she says. “Garage practices, house shows and battles of the bands hold really fond memories for me.”
Arn-Horn and her twin sister Phoenix Arn-Horn formed the band Courage My Love in 2009, and soon signed to Warner Music Canada. The band released 4 EP’s and a full-length re-issue, while touring North America including 42 dates on the Vans Warped Tour. They were named one of the Top 100 Bands You Need to Know in 2012 by Alternative Press Magazine, and were nominated for Best Breakthrough Group of the Year in the 2014 Juno Awards. The group is currently recording their second full-length album with InVogue Records. Cahill is the production coordinator for The Talk on CBS, with previous television credits including Mad Men, 24 and Medium. His debut feature film Two Shadows took home the Audience Award at the 2012 Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival and secured distribution with the Armed Forces Network.
The Metalheads Kickstarter campaign launches May 20 and ends June 18, 2015. Check out further details via Kickstarter HERE.
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