Students react: NKU’s brush with movie magic

Norse Nation got a dose of Hollywood magic as film rolled on campus on a snowy Saturday afternoon for Zac Efron and Lily Colin’s latest flick, Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile. 

The film chronicles the crimes of serial killer Ted Bundy from the perspective of his longtime girlfriend, Elizabeth Kloepfer (whose relationship lasted through his murder trial in 1979). No spoilers: she didn’t believe he was guilty of the heinous murders of over 30 women for years, and met  him nearly two years before he took his first victim in 1974.

Didn’t catch Efron on campus? Don’t fret. He’s been spotted across Greater Cincinnati, including Mainstrasse Village in Covington last Tuesday, which was transformed into circa-70s Colorado (complete with old cruisers). The day after, he jumped out of the Campbell County courthouse (with proper safety precautions, of course); other spots include Newport, Fort Thomas and Midwest Gas on Alexandria Pike.

Bridgette Gootee, senior visual communication design major, caught a fleeting glimpse–but by accident. When she left the arts building after finishing up some paintings, it didn’t yet register that she was creeping up on the film set.

“Some guy stopped me and said ‘can you not turn off your car for a couple of minutes? We’re about to start filming,” she said, adding that she made small-talk with the tech guy, and, since she was polite, he let her watch a short scene.

“[Zac Efron] just walks five feet in front of me and gives a short wave to me and the guy,” Gootee said, during the interaction she made what she described as a dumb face. Then, she watched on as Efron, wearing a plaid-mustard jacket, struck a women with a pipe.

“As soon as I got in my car, I called my mom screaming,” she said.  The verdict? He seemed like someone who you’d pass on the street, with the added allure that he’s known worldwide and makes more money than your average joe.

“I’m the last person I thought this would happen to,” Gootee said. “Because I just don’t care that much. But, when it did happen I was like ‘Hell yeah.'”

When she woke up the next morning, life seemed less exciting. But, she hopes that catching a glimpse of the celebrity won’t be the peak of a lifetime worth of experiences.

NKY and Greater Cincinnati have hosted several filming sites in past months, including last November’s Killing of a Sacred Deer, Robert Redford’s upcoming Old Man and the Gun, and Bruce Willis’ Reprisal (among others).

At the drop of Efron’s name, students-turned-sleuths swore to find the actor and former-Disney royalty.

And they’ve got the tweets to prove it: