ELDON SHARES A MOVIE PREMIERE WITH US

 VIRTUAL MOVIE PREMIERE

Originally posted on September 11, 2020. 

I want to thank Eldon Pitts again for his great coverage of Indiana movie news. If you have a locally owned newspaper like Middletown News, you must support it. You are among a lucky few.  

The locally-produced short film, "Rosie's Rescue," was set to premiere in May at the First Baptist Church Family Life Center in New Castle. Then, the COVID-19 pandemic sidelined plans for the event.

     With the real-world in crisis, the new short film might be more timely than ever. The character of Rosie is facing a crisis of her own that threatens to change everything. How she chooses to confront her challenges will be revealed in the Sept 19 virtual online premiere of the new film shot on location last year in Henry County.

     The real-world parallels do not end there. The filmmakers originally planned a live, in-person premiere. But like Rosie, they have had to adapt to a changed world.

     “Fortunately, technology will allow us to provide our audience with most of what we had planned for the live premiere,” said writer and director Terry Weston Marsh, a Henry County resident.

     Marsh said inks to the virtual online showing will be on www.RosiesRescueMovie.com and @rosiesrescuemovie. The program will be hosted by Scott Allen Tucker, the film’s casting director and owner of the Indianapolis-based Talent Fusion agency. Besides the screening of the film, the free live program will feature remote appearances by the director and cast members as they take questions. 

     “Stay tuned to the very end, because we’ve got some surprises too,” Marsh said.

     At 7 p.m. on Sept. 19, viewers may log on as Tucker introduces the film. During the program, they can leave comments on @rosiesrescuemovie. 

     Marsh said those who want to watch the premier can go to the web site now and click on "save your virtual seat at the premier." Those who want to ask questions of the cast and crew will receive a notification of when they can be submitted.

     "We're taking questions ahead of time," Marsh told The Middletown News. "We're going to send out a request for questions, which also can be submitted as a message on the web site.

     In the film, Rosie embarks on a quest to find the mysterious man who saved her life as a child, hoping it will lead to the answers she seeks. At 22 minutes long, Marsh said it represents a new genre in which movies are lengthy enough to tell a meaningful story but without requiring the traditional two-hour commitment from the audience.

     "Production values are high, and in the case of 'Rosie’s Rescue,' the cast is comprised of both top national talent and exciting area newcomers," Marsh said.

     Tia Link, a New York-trained actress, plays the title role in the family-friendly film. Other leads are played by Eric Olson, Sherryl Despres, Molly Garner, and Charity Dehmer. All are seasoned veterans of stage and screen, with acting experience that covers everything from movies to New York theatre, to major national tours. Nine-year-old Addy Farrell and four-year-old Allie Stacy, both Indiana based, have scene-stealing roles as well," Marsh added.

     Marsh said the film will be available for viewing on Amazon.com soon after the premier, free for those with Amazon Prime and for a nominal fee for others. "We're hoping that after people watch the premiere, they will go to Amazon and leave a review. It's my understanding that if you get a lot of reviews quickly, it makes it easier for other people to find it. That can get even more views. 

     "My goal is to make a feature-length film," said Marsh. "To get investors who ask 'what have you done or how well did it do,' I can say when we released ("Rosie's Rescue"), it got X number of reviews. They are more likely to be willing to invest if they see that you had least online success with something else."

     “The film turned out even better than I could have hoped, thanks to a very talented cast and crew and tremendous support from the people of Henry County,” said Marsh. "I'm really excited to share it with people. I can't wait for people to see it."

     To learn more about viewing the free online premiere, to reserve your virtual seat and watch the movie trailer, visit www.RosiesRescueMovie.com and @rosiesrescuemovie. 

     More information about the writer/director can be found at www.FeatherwindProductions.com. 

ELDON'S 'ROSIE'S RESCUE' INTERVIEW

 ELDON'S 'ROSIE'S RECUE' INTERVIEW

Originally posted on March 20, 2020, and updated in December 2023. 

I am proud to welcome Eldon Pitts back to the blog. He covers the film beat for Middletown News. I can't thank him enough for this interview with Terry Weston and Molly Garner of Rosie's Rescue. 

    Post-production is finishing up on "Rosie's Rescue," a short film shot at several locations in Henry County last fall, with a premiere planned for May in New Castle.

    The film is the story of a young woman in crisis, who survived a difficult childhood only to be plunged into her biggest crisis yet, as she sets out on a quest to find a man who saved her life when she was a little girl.

     "I was real happy with the crew and cast," Director Terry Weston Marsh told The Middletown News. "They're all professionals. They worked hard and I really think it's going to show in the final product."

     The cast has some veteran actors, including Molly Garner, who plays Jean.

     Garner is an actress, singer, dancer and writer who has performed in national tours of "Mary Poppins," "101 Dalmations" and "Billy Elloit." Her regional theater experience ranges from Los Angeles to New York and points in between.

      Garner's character in"Rosie's Rescue," Jean, is  Rosie's friend, her "saucy sidekick," Garner told The Middletown News, who "kind of tries to shake her out of her misery and take action to take more control over her life. This journey of self-discovery is something that she is able to do, with Jean's assistance. Jean is kind of a 'kick in the pants,' " Garner said.

     "I always approach the work by trying to figure our what the author's intent is and what the relationship is," Garner added. "This character is very close to home for me. Rosie is sort of a troubled person and Jean is more of a bossy, take charge type. So,I didn't feel like I needed to do that much exploration because it felt very close to home," she joked.

     After audiences see the film, Garner said, "I hope they understand that there is some really high quality work being done in Indiana. There are dedicated professionals here. We're doing interesting work about the types of people that you would meet in New Castle or in Muncie, telling stories that could be true to all of us."

    "The first time I read the script I cried," Garner added. "It's very moving. It tells a story of finding what's important in life."

     "One of the best things about the whole experience was that we had such cooperation from the community," Marsh said. "I just felt that they welcomed the project, they were excited about it and wanted to help however they could."

     "I feel like there is a real willingness to support the arts in Henry County," Marsh added. "And I hope that any publicity that a project like this gets would encourage other people to bring their projects to our neighborhood. It would help the economy and kind of boost the cultural spirit."

     Marsh said the premier for the film is set for May 2 at the First Baptist Church Family Life Center in New Castle, with more details to be announced later.

     Those interested can follow the film at www.rosiesrescuemovie.com, or "Rosie's Rescue" on Facebook, for lots of information on the cast and crew, as well as behind-the-scenes photos and interviews.

SCREEN IT ON YOUTUBE

BUY IT ON AMAZON

ROSIE'S RESCUE PAGE    

ELDON INTRODUCES US TO DEATON GABBARD

 A HUGE THANK YOU TO ELDON PITTS

Our buddy Eldon is a journalist at The Middletown News. A most impressive indie-owned small-town newspaper. A rare breed in this era of newspapers that are more interested in market share than actual news. Equally Impressive is Eldon's coverage of the Hoosier indie film beat. Today, he has an update on "I Only Want You" from Slaven Pictures and 5 After 5 Production and the star Deaton Gabbard.  

Work on the locally-produced  feature film, "I Only Want You," is expected to wrap up soon

     "I Only Want You" is a faith-based film, said New Castle resident Sandy Slaven, writer and co-director. "It starts out with two sisters. It's about their two families. A tragedy occurs when one sister's child accidentally kills the other sister's child in a freak accident," she said

     "It goes on throughout the course of the film to show the devastation and trials they go through as they  eventually try to reconcile and get past what they went through with the tragedy," Slaven added.

     Deaton Gabbard portrays the main character in the film, Tristan Owens, Slaven said.

     Raised in the hills of Eastern Kentucky, Gabbard said he quickly had a yearning to be on camera. Starting out with parodies for class, he eventually found his way onto his first feature film set as an extra for the Phillip Noyce film, "Above Suspicion." It was there that he truly realized that he wanted to be a professional actor and make a career out of it.

     Since then, Gabbard co-produced, co-wrote, co-directed and starred in his first full-length feature film, "Broken Vows" as well as the short films "Black Jack" and "The House on Willard Street." He then made his debut in the music video world as a lead in Rye Davis' "She'd Know" music video. Most recently, he has wrapped filming his series-regular role as Cole on the highly anticipated Kentucky drama 12-episode TV series "The Pact." 

     In addition to portraying Tristan in "I Only Want You," Gabbard also is currently wrapping up  another lead role in the independent psychological horror feature film "The Rising" as well as making his second directorial debut filming and starring in a single-take short film "Hunted."

     In "I Only Want You," Gbbaard told The Miiddletown News, "Tristan Owens is the main character that we follow throughout the story.  Bad luck kind of follows him throughout the movie. Things happen around him and people don't like him for that reason."

     As the movie progresses, Gabbard said, "something actually happens to his wife, so the guy cannot catch a break at all. Throughout the movie, we actually get to experience how he reacts to handling something happening to his wife."

     Gabbard said he talked to several acting coaches in his area to prepare for the role. "mainly because it is so much more traumatic and more truthful than other roles I have played. Mainly I'm playing the 'bad guy,' So this was as very different character to portray. It is much more solemn.

     "The way I prepared for it was just an approach really focusing on the 'how, what, why' of the character. The biggest thing was kind of reacting to certain events and getting into the head space of the character."

     "I love the script," Gabbard added. "It's really what got me interested in the project to begin with. It's a phenomenal script  The dialogue is very natural, which is kind of hard to find in Indie films, as well as the story really makes you want to follow this character through his journey and hope that something good happens.

     "That's something that I really enjoy. It's a very character driven story."

     Slaven said Gabbard would resume shooting some of his scenes this month and she hoped to finish filming by this summer.

     Gabbard, who is represented by The Helen Wells Agency, said he planned to move to Los Angeles in May to pursue his career. 

ELDON PITTS

THE MIDDLETOWN NEWS

FRESH POPCORN... THEATER STYLE

 Originally posted in January 2017 and updated in 2022.

FRESH POPCORN... THEATER STYLE

How do you make popcorn? After Christmas, I finally graduated to a commercial-style popcorn popper. A commercial style and theater taste in a home-sized package at an affordable price. 

Through the years, I had used everything but a commercial popper. They all made decent or good popcorn. But I always longed for the real deal. That theatrical look and taste.

I spent 2-3 years looking at various theater-style popcorn poppers before buying one. Reading lots of reviews and watching hours of videos. Noting the many features that others raved about.

Ultimately, I made some trade-offs to arrive at an affordable option. Among them were separate light and heat controls and a smaller kettle size. Both, I regret... but it saved me a chunk of change. 

Dual controls allow you to keep your remaining popcorn warm. A smaller kettle requires multiple batches. Luckily, with good timing, it is really a draw. So it hasn't been a huge issue. 

What I had wanted was a heat lamp and a 4-ounce kettle. This would allow me to use pre-measured packets. I think this would have made for less mess and a simpler prep than what I have now. 

The smaller footprint makes for an easy fit and the style looks great in a home theater. There is another trade-off, clean up is more difficult and takes longer. Something I hadn't given much thought to. 

I recommend yellow kernels, butter-flavored oil, and Kernel Seasons. That theatrical taste is derived from Flavacol. A butter-flavored salt compound. All of my supplies come from Amazon. For clean-up, I brush out the trash and wipe it down with a vinegar and water solution in a spray bottle. It's not ideal, but I don't want frequent and proper cleanings. 

If your primary goal is the theatrical taste, I would try using Flavacol and butter-flavored oil. With your current popcorn, a sprinkle of the one and a spritze of the other may be all you really need. 

Now for some warnings: 

01)  The various ingredients are not cheap. 

02)  This is no doubt less healthy. 

03)  They are not kid-safe or kid-friendly. 

Unless popcorn is your go-to snack or you frequently host movie nights and need volumes of popcorn, this is probably not for you.  So, would I do it again? In all honesty, I really don't know. 

VIDEO STREAMING: DO YOU ROKU?

 Originally posted April 2016

and updated December 2023. 

VIDEO STREAMING: DO YOU ROKU?

Yes I do. I started with a Roku SE for about 4 months. Then I graduated to Roku TV about 2 months ago. If I lost you, Roku is one of several video streaming options that use propriatory devices and your router. 

These wireless devices connect to your home network to stream video over the internet. Some are set top boxes and others are USB dongle style. The initial investment and ongoing fees vary.

I chose Roku for the thousands of free channels and the ability to use my old TV. The SE was the only one I could find that had RCA jacks. All of the other devices required newer TVs with HDMI or USB connections.

You don't get premium content for free. Some of the latest blockbusters can be rented or purchased. Some channels are subscriptions based. 

My only premium channel is Hulu TV. I routinely swap subscriptions. Pausing one to try another with an introductory rate. I have found most services will keep your account and user profiles on their server for a few months.  

Many of your favorite TV channels have Roku apps. Some channels require a paid cable provider to unluck full functionality. For example, some offer multiple tiers or more content with cable credentials. 

Everyone in your home is sure to find a favorite. There are free and paid options for all interests. Some channels are actual interactive games or add more uses like screen casting or signage to your TV.

Obviously, streaming requires a stable internet connection. I recommended an unlimited data service and 5 mbs per stream. This allows for general internet usage at the same time. 

www.roku.com