‘Halloween Heroes’ movie, featuring local actors, set to premiere in Henderson Saturday

HENDERSON, Ky. — A second feature-length film shot almost exclusively in Henderson and starring mostly amateurs from area is set to premiere in Henderson Saturday.

“Halloween Heroes,” described as a campy adventure comedy, will be shown at One Life Church in Eastgate Shopping Center with showings at 3 p.m., 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. Saturday.

This film follows on the heels of “The Story of Mother’s Day,” a drama premiering in May.

Both films were produced by the faith-based JCFilms Studios and Henderson native Bobby Lacer’s Little Chicago Pictures. But the two movies couldn’t be more different.

More:Filming for 'Halloween Heroes' movie underway in Henderson; extras still needed

The latest movie “is about a gentleman” — Lacer uses the term loosely — “by the name of Brutus Snively who returns to Henderson with plans to take over the city.

“His great-great-great-grandfather had originally mined the city for gold, and Snively knows there’s still more,” he continued. “So, his plan is to scare all the people away from Henderson so he can have the town and the gold all to himself. To do so, he begins creating a lot of chaotic events throughout the city and a group of middle schoolers find out that it’s him and decide they’re going to stop him.

“The way they fight back, as they begin to investigate and understand more what’s happening, they miraculously are gifted with the power of their Halloween costume characters, and that provides them the ability to stand up to Snively and his goons.

“The grownups are the comic relief,” Lacer said. “As you watch the film, the adults are almost moronic, while the kids are very set and determined and analytical. The adults are all ridiculously scared and ready to tuck tail and run, while the kids are ready to defend their homes and stand up and be brave.

“The adults are very over-the-top, campy, funny” he said. “That’s what it is, a very campy, funny Halloween movie for the entire family.”

Still, Lacer said, “it is faith-based. Without giving away too much of the film, they find their courage and their belief in themselves and their powers through the story of Sampson and understanding these are gifts that are given to them by God.”

The film was shot over the course of 10 days, primarily at Henderson locations such as the Presbyterian Church, First United Methodist Church, the Henderson County Detention Center, Henderson Fiscal Courtroom, Holy Name School, Meeks Martial Arts, Premier Pediatrics and the home at 612 N. Main St. known locally as “The League of Their Own” house because it appeared in that 1992 movie as a boarding house.

“At least 90% of the cast are from Henderson or have a direct tie to Henderson,” he said.

That includes Henderson barber Ryan McElhaney, owner of Mac’s Barber Shop, who portrays the villainous Snively.

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“He is fantastic in 'Halloween Heroes,' the perfect embodiment” of a dastardly bad guy, Lacer said.

“We have a number of folks in Henderson who are just really, really talented,” he said.

“This is a large cast,” Lacer said “We had, like, 90 cast members.”

As with the Mother’s Day movie, the premiere of “Halloween Heroes” will be a red-carpet affair with photos. “We will have DVDs for sale and movie posters,” he said. “We’ll have all of the heroes at each of the showings in their costumes to meet and greet and take photos with guests.”

Tickets are available for $11 when ordered online at jcfilms.org/halloweenheroes or $12 at the door.

“We’re doing three screenings so there’s more open space so people can social distance a little easier, and we encourage them to wear masks, but it’s not required,” Lacer said.

He expects “Halloween Heroes” will be available for streaming on Amazon Prime by early October and could be available on other platforms in the future.

Lacer, who co-wrote the script with director Jason Campbell and story originator Lew Sherwood, has other film projects in the pipeline.

“We just finished filming a project, ‘Anything But Christmas,’ in Shelbyville where I am one of the writers, the producer and the director,” he said. “Then I’ll be directing a film — it should be in December — in San Diego. And we are in pre-development on a film about Pascal Benson,” the star Henderson City High athlete who was selected first-team All-State in football, basketball and baseball in the mid-1950s.