When Night Comes, a horror movie shot, funded and edited locally.
Athens filmgoers are used to being transported by the magic of movies to unusual, different and exotic locations. But, on Thursday at 7 p.m., the big screen will take them to Athens itself.
For one night only, The Athena Cinema, 20 S. Court St., will screen When Night Comes, a locally made horror film.
“We love the opportunity to screen work by local talent,” said Alexandra Kamody, managing director of the Athena Cinema. “We were approached by the filmmakers, and it's part of the Athena's mission to welcome and support local filmmakers.”
Written and directed by Glenn Martin, When Night Comes was co-produced through Martin’s BuckDog Productions, alongside Alex Couladis, a local accountant who also makes his acting debut in the movie as an aged detective looking for a serial killer.
The entire film was shot, produced and edited in Athens, with production and post-production work done in cooperation with Hocking College broadcast production and engineering students.
“With independent films, we are looking for independent distributors like the Athena Cinema that allow us to rent their theater and show our film to a wide audience,” Couladis said. “We’re hoping people come out, see the movie, then get the word out for future screenings. That’s our marketing plan and model.”
One possible future screening the filmmakers are hoping for is the space in Baker Theater, which they hope to begin selling tickets for soon.
Based on a true story, the movie follows two generations of hooded killers, terrorizing local members of the Southeast Ohio area.
With its small-budget scale, Martin and Couladis were able to refine the movie to be the type of horror that used to populate the cinemas. As their promotional material promotes, they hope this will be a return to classic horror, just in time for the Halloween season.
“There’s no blood and guts,” Martin said. “Much like the original Halloween, it’s little creepy scenes here and there. It’s more about the suspense.”
This will not be the first time the movie has been screened to the Athens community, as it made its premiere at Movies 10, also known as the Fun Barn off U.S. 33 in Nelsonville, on May 21. The movie’s first showing had an exceptional 600-person turn out, selling out three theaters, with lots of praise and high notice given to the filmmakers and cast, according to Couladis and Martin.
This screening, in addition to the movie, will include a meet-and-greet afterwards with the filmmakers and cast, and may even have some planned surprises as well. Additionally, students will see local filming locations such as Stimson Avenue, the Sheriff’s office and more on the big screen.
“College kids, they’re going to love it, because it’s their kind of film,” Martin said.
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