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| Summit Photo by Bob Fenske
Kit Cameron introduces the seven “Out to Vegas” lead actors — (from left) Jim Brockhohn, Gary Sager, Bill Crawford, Larry Rieffer, Mark Newman, Matt Eastvold and Bob AuFrance — during the red-carpet ceremony before the all-Forest City movie premiered Saturday night. |
Bringing fun back from Vegas
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| Summit Photo by Bob Fenske
Try as she might, movie star Mary Beth Woolridge can’t avoid a red-carpet interview with movie director Scott Thompson and mistress of ceremony Kit Cameron. |
Crowds may have been smaller, but ‘Out to Vegas' still a hit
By Bob Fenske
Of The Summit
Turns out, the fun on the red-carpet was just a prelude to a pretty dang good sequel.
About the only thing that didn't go perfectly this past weekend's premiere of the latest all-Forest City movie, “Out to Vegas,” was the size of the crowds that attended the three showings.
But as far as folks like Scott Thompson and Jim Brockhohn were concerned, the premiere weekend was a success.
“We didn't have the crowds we had for the last two movies,” said Brockhohn, one of the stars and chief promoters of the movie, “but at the same time, everyone who saw it, really liked it. It was definitely worth the effort.”
Thompson, whose My Town Pictures produced, wrote and directed the film, agreed.
“We saw a lot of people really engage in the film,” he said, “and when you see that, you know you did something right.”
Thompson also made “The Journey Tree,” which made its debut in October 2005 and “Out to Pasture,” which premiered last October. “Out to Vegas” had many of the same characters and cast members as last year's movie.
In short, seven lovable losers - played by Brockhohn, Gary Sager, Bill Crawford, Larry Rieffer, Bob AuFrance, Mark Newman and Matt Eastvold - who were heroes at the end of “Out to Pasture” were back to being losers again at the beginning of “Out to Vegas.”
They ended up going to Las Vegas to chase a $100,000 payday, only to find the check was back in Forest City. But they turn out to be heroes again when they catch the same bank robber they caught in “Out to Pasture.”
As Thompson put it during the red-carpet ceremony Saturday evening, “There was a lot of silliness in ‘Out to Pasture,' and there's a lot more in this movie.”
And the crowds - albeit a bit smaller than in the past - loved it.
They had plenty of laughs during the ceremony, too. Among the highlights:
- Mary Beth Woolridge, who reprised her role as Elaine, the not-so-loving wife of Crawford's Sam, tried to avoid being interviewed by Kit Cameron, but Cameron blocked her path into the theatre. “After that block, the Vikings are calling Kit right now to see if she's available,” Thompson joked.
- Karie Knutson got a good laugh when she was asked about her character's man-hating ways. “Honest, I'm just acting,” she said.
- The arrival of the seven leads was met with a loud cheer, and the men didn't disappoint - looking as dapper as ever with their shades on.
For Thompson, the movie was fun not only for the many returning cast members but also new stars. Take Kelly Youngblood, the wife of Waldorf football coach Greg Youngblood, whose character Gracie dished out a healthy dose of sarcasm.
“Let me tell you right now, she says she's not like that at home,” Thompson said, “so I can tell you she's an incredible actress because she can zing with the best of them.”
The movie director would like nothing more than to return to Forest City one day, but after three movies in less than four years, it may be a couple of years before another film is shot in the city.
Brockhohn said attendance might have been down because of a variety of factors, most notably the tough economic times Forest City is going through. Unlike the first two all-Forest City movies, the premiere wasn't a sell out, but the theatre was still about 80 percent full when the lights dimmed. The biggest issue was that the size of the crowds dramatically dropped for the final two showings.
“I'd love for us to do another one,” he said, “but we'll probably wait a couple of years. I think people love doing them, and we'd love to get more new people involved. But I think giving it a little time would probably help attendance.”
Story created Aug 26, 2008 - 09:05:43 CDT.
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