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Hollywood @ The Ranch !
July 30, 2008
ECO
Staff -- Laure Cioffi, senior journalist
 WAYNE TWP. – A little bit of
Hollywood has found its way to the The Ranch on Pa. Route 65.
This week actors from Los Angeles are using the bar/restaurant to film “King
of the Road” – a 15-minute condensed version a script written by Laurel High
School graduate Monica Surrena.
Surrena, 26, is a graduate film student at the University of Southern
California finishing her thesis project.
The film, based loosely on adventures of her parents during their younger
days as bikers, has caught the attention of some in Hollywood and there are
talks of a possible full-length feature film or a television series, said
Monica’s mother, Molly Surrena.
But before any of that can happen, Monica Surrena must finish her thesis
project.
(Actor) Miles O'Keeffe
and Monica Surrena Pictures Right
What started out as a $10,000 project has ballooned into a $150,000 project
that involved flying in actors from California, hiring crew members and a
host of equipment. A good deal of the equipment and some of the work is
being donated, Molly Surrena said.
Miles O’Keeffe, best known for his role as Tarzan in the 1981 Bo Derek flick
“Tarzan, the Ape Man” plays the lead role of Wild Bill, a character Surrena
based on her father whom she met when she was 18 years old.
Wild Bill, an aging biker, goes his favorite hang out to mourn the death of
his beloved dog when he finds the place has been taken over by a bunch of
yuppie bikers. He clashes with a wanna-be biker.
“It’s about a guy who at 55 has reached a certain point in life where he’s
caught in a cycle of drinking. There’s another living the American dream but
he’s not happy,” Surrena said.
The men come to realize that age 55 is not the end, she said.
“It’s based on my dad and a lot the men my mother dated when she was
younger,” Surrena said.
Molly Surrena, who has a character in the film based loosely on her, is
helping her daughter in any way she can. On Tuesday she was cooking up
breakfast for the actors and crew outside The Ranch.
She is a former caterer who operated her business in New Castle until two
years ago when she went to Puerto Rico for vacation and ended up moving to
the island. She now operates a bed and breakfast on an island off of Puerto
Rico.
It was Molly Surrena’s contacts, however, that put her daughter in touch
with some well-known Hollywood stuntmen.
Molly Surrena said she posted something about the making of the film in the
New Castle News and it was seen by Justin DeRosa. DeRosa, a Hollywood
stuntman who was in New Castle visiting his parents, remembered Molly
Surrena from her biker days and called.
DeRosa was able to bring in Monte Perlin, a well-known motorcycle stunt man
who has worked on films including Terminator 3: The Rise of the Machines,
Mr. & Mrs. Smith and Artificial Intelligence: AI.
They have been filming in the last week throughout the area including the
Quaker Steak and Lube restaurant in Cranberry Township, and areas of Volant
and Sandy Lake.
But The Ranch is central to the story.
Ranch owner Patty Wiley said the filming process has been an interesting
learning process.
“It’s confusing. When they are filming you have to be real quiet,” she said.
The bar’s regular patrons have been gracious shutting off cellular
telephones and keeping out of scenes, she said.
The film crew had transformed the bar Tuesday for a birthday party scene
with balloons, fancy catering equipment and other decorations.
Wiley said they had to take down a wall of Pittsburgh Steelers memorabilia
because of copyright issues, but otherwise little has changed inside the
bar.
Filming will wrap up on Saturday and then the editing process will begin.
Monica Surrena said finishing the film depends on financing. She needs about
$30,000 to complete the work. She hopes to have it done by December.
Her mother said they will bring the film back to The Ranch for a viewing
once it’s completed.
Monica Surrena said she’s been filmmaking since she was in the second grade.
“I used to put on plays, video tape them and try to make them into films,”
she said.
She completed her undergraduate degree at the University of Pittsburgh
before deciding to go to film school in California.
(Laure Cioffi can be reached at LaureCioffi@EllwoodCity.org) |