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Oak Ridge native Mitch Rouse — one of the celebrity guests at Saturday’s Secret City Film Festival — is in a scary place these days.

The Hollywood-based actor/director/writer is the mastermind behind two feature film scripts lately, both dealing with the supernatural.

“Supermax,” a big summertime adventure-comedy, is about a riot at a supernatural prison that houses werewolves, vampires and other chilling inmates. Sony Pictures is now developing Rouse’s script, and shooting could start early in 2010. A cast has not been named yet.

The other film is a comedy set in Los Angeles, where vampires are a menace — enough so that a pest control-like service is making a bundle off “vampire proofing” residents’ homes.

“It’s kind of a ‘Shaun of the Dead’ meets ‘Zombieland’ meets ‘Ghostbusters’ kind of a thing,” Rouse says.

At the Secret City Film Festival, Rouse will attend a screening of his critically acclaimed dark comedy “Employee of the Month,” which stars Christina Applegate, Steve Zahn and Matt Dillon in a caper adventure that goes wrong. The screening is Saturday night.

Rouse, who grew up in Oak Ridge, wrote and directed “Employee.” He also wrote and directed the box-office hit “Without A Paddle” with Seth Green.

Rouse is eager to return to his hometown and talk about the film industry.

“I’m looking forward to it. I want to see everybody,” he says. “It’s nice to have someone say, ‘Hey, this (film you made) is really cool. Tell us about it.’”

Rouse’s acting credits include recurring roles on “Reno 911!” and “According to Jim.” He also co-created the Comedy Central series “Strangers with Candy” with Amy Sedaris.

So why is Rouse writing about supernatural subject matter lately?

“At the moment, it just seems to be where my head is at,” he says.

Rouse joins East Tennessee talent such as Elaine Hendrix, David Dwyer and Natalie Canerday for question-and-answer sessions at the festival.

The festival, which includes all-day screenings of short films, documentaries and other works, started Thursday and continues through Sunday at the Oak Ridge Playhouse in Jackson Square.

A full festival pass is $30 (including all films, workshops, events and parties); a one-day pass is $15. A film block pass is $10 (which includes all films for a specific film block).

Tickets will only be available at the door.

Today’s hours are noon to 10:30 p.m.; Saturday’s are 10 a.m. to 11 p.m., and Sunday’s are 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.

n Dolly in a box. A four-disc box set of Dolly Parton’s recordings for RCA will be available on Oct. 27.

The collection is one of the few box sets to feature so many of her best-known songs.

In a release, Parton calls her RCA era as “some of the best songwriting years of my life.”

Terry Morrow may be reached at morrowt@knoxville.com or 865-342-6445. His blog can be found at http://blogs.knoxnews.com/knx/telebuddy/. He contributes to “Live At Five At Four” on WBIR, Channel 10, and “The Marc & Kim & Frank Show” on WWST-FM, 102.1.

Busy Hollywood actor-writer Mitch Rouse returns to his native Oak Ridge on Saturday for the Secret City Film Festival.

© 2009, Knoxville News Sentinel
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