Fears come to life on local big screens

November 6, 2011

Photo by Rebecca Hamel

‘Inkubus’ producer and East Greenwich native Chad Verdi, right, poses with actor William Forsythe, center, and director Glen Ciano during the film’s premiere last Friday.

With the work of filming and marketing “Inkubus” completed, the Main Street-based Woodhaven Production Co. finally experienced the high of seeing its title creature unleashed on local big screens last weekend.

After a successful world premiere at the Rock and Shock festival in Worcester, Mass. on Oct. 15, “Inkubus” premiered Friday at the Showcase Warwick and Providence Place theaters, highlighting a weekend in which executive producer Chad Verdi of East Greenwich and director Glenn Ciano of North Kingstown, along with members of the cast and crew, promoted the film throughout the local media and greeted filmgoers at its first screenings.

While horror film legend and “Inkubus” star Robert Englund missed the local premieres due to a scheduling conflict, there were plenty of Woodhaven troops to spread the word. Verdi and Ciano brought in actors William Forsythe, Joey Fatone, Jonathan Silverman, Tom DeNucci and Michelle Ray Smith, along with Carl Dupre, who co-wrote the script with Ciano, and Ben DeLuca, head of production.

The high of seeing one’s movie does not mean opening weekend is a time to relax, Verdi said during a Thursday afternoon gathering at its 214 Main St. office, the former United Methodist Church.

“We started early this morning,” he said of the day’s crunch of interviews and final preparations. “It’s a great movie, but it’s crunch time.”

While early reviews have been mixed for the tale of a killer who wreaks havoc upon a about-to-be-closed police station – shot at Cranston’s recently closed police headquarters – a strong reception from the Worcester audience has helped it gain momentum. Verdi said the movie premiered on between 20 and 50 screens in 13 states, but some requests for additional screenings were held off until this weekend.

For more information pick up a copy of the East Greenwich Pendulum