WILMINGTON — Picture if you will a theater — the Murphy Theatre — hosting a special premiere of a movie made by a local resident.
Enter Mr. Artie Knapp, writer and filmmaker, who will take you on a journey, not to the Twilight Zone, but to “From Gettysburg to Baghdad.”
Knapp’s second film will premier at a special event this Saturday, Oct. 21 at 3:15 p.m.
The movie tells the story of two soldiers, each from a different time period, whose lives are intersected by a time machine.
The story for this short was written after Knapp made his first film, Pluto’s Plight, in 2002.
“I typically write for kids, I’m a children’s author, but my inspiration for being a writer came from the sci-fi world,” said Knapp. He cited the 1984 mini-series “V”, the original “Twilight Zone” and “Star Trek” as inspirations.
The short was written, produced and directed by Knapp and stars Christine Jones, Donald Smith, Patrick Taft, and former world heavyweight boxing champion James “Buster” Douglas.
For this special event, a meet-and-greet with Douglas will be held before the showing, at 1:30 p.m. Saturday.
As for the cast, it consists of Ohio-area actors including Douglas — portraying a priest — who Knapp had worked with previously on Pluto’s Plight. Knapp now considers him a friend.
Knapp met Douglas while making his first film back when he was trying to find some sort of name recognition. He got in contact with Douglas’ manager, who said Douglas had an interest in acting.
Knapp is looking forward to people coming out for the premiere, but also for his WHS Class of 1991 reunion happening around it. He said Wilmington will always be his hometown.
“It’s special to me. I remember watching movies at the Murphy. There’s not tons of those around,” said Knapp.
The next step for Knapp and his film is taking it around sci-fi conventions and film festivals, and hopefully getting it picked up by HBO, Showtime or the Syfy Channel.
A premium ticket of $15 will allow attendees to meet Buster Douglas and get a picture with him. The price also includes one free alcoholic drink for those 21 and older. All other ticket prices for the event are $10. Purchase tickets online at www.themurphytheatre.org or by calling 937-382-3643. Tickets may be purchased at the door. Box office opens at 1 p.m.
Buster’s meet-and-greet with fans will begin at 1:30 p.m. and will run until 2:45 p.m.
At 3 p.m. Artie Knapp will introduce the film to the audience. The movie will begin at 3:15 p.m. sharp. After the movie has concluded, there will be a short intermission break, followed by a showing of Buster Douglas’s historic championship fight victory against Mike Tyson.
The film’s trailer can be seen at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLNdLhXAEas
