Red carpet to roll for movie premiere

Wartrace resident Alex Dycus, who plays a supermodel in the movie 'Four on the Floor,' sits atop a goal post in a publicity photo. She will visit Cascade High School Sept. 12 to promote the movie's premiere the next day at The Capri in Shelbyville. (Submitted photo) [Click to enlarge]

"Four on the Floor," the movie shot partly in Wartrace at Cascade High School by Jon Russell Cring, will have its premiere at the Capri 11 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 13. Tickets are $5 and may be purchased ahead of time at the Shelbyville Record Shop, across the street from the theater.

"Just about everybody will be there," said Cring. "All of the actors and hopefully a lot of the extras and some of the bands. The response has been really, really great.

"I think there's about 350 seats at the Capri and we've probably already sold a quarter of those. With the word getting out, people need to jump on it."

Cring said copies of the movie will be available for sale, as will the soundtrack.

"It's a rock musical and it went absolutely outstanding," said Cring. "We had so much incredible response from all the Nashville bands. There were about 30 local and Nashville bands who submitted music for the movie."

Among those bands were Luna Halo and De Novo Dahl. Luna Halo, a Nashville-based band, also has a song, "Kings & Queens," featured in the documentary "American Teen," which won an award at the Sundance Film Festival this year.

De Novo Dahl, also Nashville-based, has appeared at Lollapalooza and Bonnaroo.

Another local favorite who shows up in the film is Southern comedian Killer Beaz. Beaz has been such a staple at Zanies in Nashville -- with more appearances than any other -- his promoters refer to the venue as "The House That Beaz Built!"

Four on the Floor is a rock musical teen comedy, said Cring.

"It's the story of four friends who open up an automotive garage so they can have a place where they can work, sleep, and perform. The only problem is, they don't know anything about cars. Hilarity ensues," he said. "You've got cars, football, rock 'n' roll and teenagers. What else do you really need in a movie? I guess Mom and apple pie..."

The movie was filmed in and around Nashville, as well as at Cascade High School, where graduate Alex Dycus, who has a role in the film, got a warm homecoming. She will be going back on Friday, Sept. 12, with other members of the cast, to visit her old school around lunch time.

"Alex and a whole bunch from the movie are going to sign autographs, let them know about the movie and stir up some energy," said Cring.

Alex hasn't seen the completed film yet.

Jon Russell Cring gives directions at the July shooting at Cascade High School. (T-G File Photo by Mary Reeves) [Click to enlarge] [Order this photo]

"A couple of the actors have been sneaking in," said Cring, laughing. "They come by and say 'Hey, what's going on?' and the first thing they want to do is see clips from us. So far, they've liked what they've seen."

He said one reviewer with a Nashville radio station saw the film and also liked what he saw.

"He said it went places that surprised him with the depth of the story line," said Cring.

The movie poster, which should start appearing around town today, was a shot taken at Cascade.

"We shot another film in the area there, 'The Drive,' a political thriller," said Cring, whose production company, Extra/Ordinary Films has made 12 movies in 20 months. "That's why we came back to Cascade -- because of the great response we got from the high school, the students, all the people there."

It took about 10 days to shoot the movie and another month to edit it.

After the premiere, Cring and his crew, including his father, John, who writes the scripts, and his brother, Jasson, who stars in the movie and sings five of the original songs, will take their work on the road.

"We are submitting it to about 20 film festivals as soon as the premiere is finished," said Cring. "We'll also be touring the country, taking our films into theaters and colleges."

After that -- and 20 months of filmmaking -- the Crings are going to take a break.

"The next movie, we'll probably go down to Florida and shoot on the beach In February," said Cring. "It's an as yet untitled science fiction story."

LEARN MORE

For more information about 'Four on the Floor,' visit www.extraordinaryfilmproject.com.