Two best friends with Down syndrome from Rhode Island are living their dream of making an epic zombie movie and becoming celebrities, the AP reports. "Down syndrome causes us to think slower than others, but we don't let that get in the way," Sam Suchmann says. "Because we're naturally amazing." Their movie, Spring Break Zombie Massacre, premiered in Providence last week, and they've been invited to several film festivals in North America. They also are scheduled to appear Thursday on Conan O'Brien's show. The friends like movies and zombies and thought they could make a better zombie movie than some already out there. Mattie Zufelt hopes their movie proves why a book shouldn't be judged by its cover. He asks people to "look at the contents."
The two friends, both 20, play brothers in the movie, two cool guys with bionic powers capable of saving humanity forever. The devil chases them through high school, college, and spring break, trying to steal their powers and turning bullies into zombies and demons to help him in his quest. They're often chugging soda, which they absolutely love. Suchmann and Zufelt grew close after they met while swimming in the Special Olympics during elementary school. They started working on the movie about five years ago, and a Kickstarter campaign for the movie raised about $70,000 in late 2014. The friends are already planning for a sequel. Their families are working to start a nonprofit to help people with disabilities fulfill their creative dreams by connecting them with professionals in the industry. Its name will be "Rock On. Go Wild," the friends' catchphrase. (More Down Syndrome stories.)