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Horror movie filmed in Tampa Bay
Lloyd Sowers reports
Gibsonton, Fla. - The unusual people of the old time side show aren’t forgotten in Gibsonton.
"Most of the people you see behind me lived here or did live here. They made up this town," said Doc Rivera, who runs the Showman’s Museum, which is filled with carnival artifacts from days gone buy.
Sideshow characters like the bearded lady and the Wolf Boy inspired a new horror movie called The Beast Comes At Midnight. It’s producer, Ed McKeever, of Showtown American Pictures, called it a fun creature feature monster romp with a modern twist.
"There’s going to be people in peril. There’s a werewolf on the loose that’s running wild right around this area," said McKeever. The producer said it’s a family movie that will cause both shock and laughter.
With a budget of less than $250 thousand dollars, the flick harkens back to the 50s when the carnival people of Gibsonton were on the main highway.
"Those poor people headed down highway 41 toward Miami, must have thought they were in the twilight zone," shared Rivera.
The filmmakers still found lots of weird places to send their actors, like a swamp near Weeki Wachee where parts of the horror classic, Creature From the Black Lagoon was filmed.
"We did have our actors go into the waterhole, and we caught a really great scene. A fisherman gets killed, but you have to watch the movie to see that," said Todd Olifer, executive producer for Showtown American Pictures.
Beast That Comes at Midnight is the first of what they hope will be a series of movies inspired by the weird history of Gibsonton.
"Who doesn't love a good scare?" Said McKeever. "So if you couple a good scare with good entertainment, I think everyone’s going to love it."
The Beast will have a free first look screening this Saturday, June 11, at Tampa Theatre at 1pm.
It’s an old school venue for an old school movie that could scare you, make you laugh, or maybe both.
They’re looking for actors and extras for their next film. If you’re interested visit www.showtownamericanpictures.com/contact.