Late Night at the Movies Premieres at The Movies at Meadville
Catch the no-budget local project in the very same place it was filmed
Premiering Thursday, Sept. 3
Just imagine making a movie with your friends at the place you work. Imagine Clerks as a slasher set in a movie theater, and you'll come pretty darn close to the ethos of Late Night at the Movies. The debut feature film from Taylor Rhoades was shot entirely on location at his place of work, The Movies at Meadville.
If you're a film lover from Erie and have still not yet visited The Movies at Meadville — what are you waiting for? This theater has all of the charm you'd ever want, with loving tributes to cinema all around and beautifully maintained facilities throughout.
Audiences of Late Night will see those wondrous facilities bloodied and heavily strewn with popcorn, not to mention a truly demented scene featuring a hot dog.
Having worked at The Movies at Meadville for over 13 years, Rhoades has long been immersed in movie culture and previously filmed a YouTube series at the location, along with scenes from Late Night cast member Jacob Perrett's Spine Chiller. Rhoades was inspired by spending time at the theater when it was closed on Mondays during the colder seasons. The empty building set the stage for what was to come.
"The fact that it got made in the first place is already everything to me," Rhoades detailed.
The movie stars Melody West as Kayleigh (who wasn't even supposed to be there that day). It also features Karlee Mayfield, Gideon Morley, Jarod Gianoni, Perrett, Rhoades, and Casey Notarianni. It's always good to write what you know, so it's perfectly befitting that this film chronicles a group of young people working at a small independent theater. With plenty of jokes and references directly ripped from their own experiences, the movie balances slice-of-life workplace observations with slice-of-face horror scenarios.
Making this film was a labor of love. Describing the budget as "non-existent," Rhoades noted that "a lot of the money came from our pockets." The crew pitched in for food, while some of the editing software was paid for through crowdfunding. Rhoades brought a camera, a mount-on mic, some lenses, a tripod, and a shoulder rig, refusing to rent anything. "I don't think the no budget holds it back in any way," Rhoades wagered, noting that "in fact, I think that's just the charm of it."
Many members of the film's cast and crew were also involved in Perrett's recent feature film, Photo Negative. The psychological horror feature will be screening at the 1020 Collective on Wednesday, Sept. 23.
"I knew I could make this movie with what we had, and we did, and I'm so proud of it," Rhoades explained. In addition to special streaming editions being released (including a VHS simulation and a black-and-white option), the film will be screening for at least a full week at The Movies at Meadville, with a special cast and crew Q&A on opening night.
Running from Sept. 3 to Sept. 10 // 11155 Highline Drive, Meadville, PA // $11, $8 for matinees // For tickets and full showtimes, visit themoviesat.com
