Three years ago, Thom Shubilla decided to make a movie. This Thursday, it will finally be shown.
Taking up to three years to make a film is not out of the ordinary, but this story is a little different. Initially, Shubilla set out to do a send-up of 1960s wrestling films. But on Thursday at Caf� Metropolis, he’ll debut “Family Business,” an entirely different horror movie in the style of Ed Wood and other exploitation directors.
Shubilla, who wrote, produced and directed “Family Business,” said the wrestling film fell apart when it “went terribly over budget.”
“I always kind of kicked myself that I never completed the film, and I guess I never had the time or energy to put into another film,” said Shubilla, who is also a correspondent for the Weekender. “And finally one day, I was riding my bike, and I kind of came up with a story and said, ‘Ya know what, I’m going to do this one. I’m going to go home and start writing,’ and I did. Then I came up with a script for ‘The Family Business.’”
The 40-minute film mirrors Shubilla’s life to an extent. It centers on Johnny Castle, a horror movie fanatic who has dreams of owning a rock club or being a filmmaker or travel editor. Instead, he has to take over his family’s meat business after he finishes college. His new lady friend starts asking too many questions about what she perceives as odd occurrences around the family business, and, according to the movie’s synopsis, it “all comes down to an unbelievable climax that will leave you shocked and in disbelief.”
Shubilla put together an 8-person cast, including leads Jeremy Stegura and Sara Darling, Stegura via a casting call with the Community Film Project. Their characters’ last names, Castle and Wood, are homages to filmmakers William Castle and Ed Wood. Other cast members include Peter Vincent Lagani, Jason Elliott, Kathleen Moran, P.J. Biscontini, Claire Regan and Shubilla’s father Walt Shubilla, who plays Castle’s father. Jason Plukey edited “Family Business.”
The bulk of the filming, Shubilla said, was done over the course of two days, including several scenes shot at Grind, a caf� in Plains Twp.
Shubilla, who has film experience and a communications degree from King’s College, attends Marywood University graduate school for communications. He said “he grew up watching movies and kind of analyzing them.”
“I’m a big fan of exploitation directors, and that’s kind of the feel I wanted to do,” he said. “I’d say Ed Wood really got me into film. Some people consider him the worst director of all time, but he’s the one that got me motivated to watch movies.”
The opening sequence of “Family Business” features Shubilla saying that his lawyers have informed him that he should tell the audience that the film contains scenes of gore and suspense, and if you’re squeamish of faint of heart, you should leave the theater now.
William Castle, a filmmaker all the way from the 1940s through the ’70s, is an influence of Shubilla’s. He was known for gimmicks, like handing out $1,000 life insurance certificates to moviegoers in case they died of shock during the film and attaching joy buzzers to seats that went off in conjunction with a scary scene.
Shubilla turned to some of his talented friends not only to find cast members, but also for the film’s music. The soundtrack includes songs by Title Fight, Livingston, A Golden Era, Fridge Full of Popsicles and Fearless Everyday.
“I certainly got the film in considerably under budget because I got help from my friends,” Shubilla said. “It really shows that with some time and patience and surrounding yourself with people that have expertise, people could really bring their films to life.”
So much so, that Shubilla is already plotting his next move.
“I’m already planning out the sequel,” he said.
w
“Family Business,” Thursday, Nov. 19, doors 7, movie 8 p.m. at Caf� Metropolis (94 S. Main Street, Wilkes-Barre).
Tickets: $3, all ages.
DVDs of movie for sale for show for $10.
| Tweet | Follow @wkdr |
|
|
