Local Movie Premieres in Waynesboro on April 10th

Wayne County becomes the site of a movie premiere this spring, when the locally made Eddie’s Trailer Park makes its red carpet premiere. The event will be held at the Woodmen of the World building in Waynesboro, located at 424 South Main Street, on Friday, April 10th.

The stars and filmmakers will arrive on the red carpet at 6:00 PM, followed by the screening at 7:00 PM. Additional showings will be held on Saturday, Aprill 11th.

With its dark comedy elements and occasional violence, Eddie’s Trailer Park is not exactly what most would call a family movie. But for actress Shannon Scott, the movie was a family production.

“The reason we chose Waynesboro for this film is simple: family,” said the actress. Shannon produced the film, which was written and conceived by her father Tom Scott. Both father and daughter appear in the film, along with Shannon’s uncle, Joe Scott.

Shannon’s grandparents moved to Lawrenceburg over fifty years ago. Growing up, Shannon came to Lawrenceburg every year to visit her Grandpa James and her Uncle Joe, even living there for a while as a caregiver. While staying there she appeared at the Crockett Theatre, “something I’d always dreamed of doing as a child,” in The Foreigner.

Shannon went on to a versatile showbiz career, but the resume entry that stands out the most is her career as a “mermaid.” Her extensive underwater experience, in addition to being a mermaid at Ripley’s Aquarium, also includes a gig at SeaWorld.

Much of Shannon’s work is in the realm of voiceovers. “Doing voiceovers is a whole different challenge from being on camera,” Shannon observes. “You might think it’s easier, but it can actually be harder because the audience only hears your voice.”

Shannon’s voice resume includes audiobooks as well as commercials and corporate videos for such companies as Nestlé, IBM and Pfizer. She’s done a number of video games but the name that stands out the most is a Walking Dead game, The Walking Dead: Destinies, in which she plays the part of Maggie.

Apart from the voiceover work, she says she’s most proud of winning an award for best actress at a horror film festival for a thriller called The Torment of Laurie Ann Cullom.

Shannon’s dad had never written a script before, but his fondness for the broad comedy of the Three Stooges and The Beverly Hillbillies served him well. The resulting movie is an offbeat blessed with eccentric characters and the occasional sketchy wig.

Tom wrote the script with his daughter in mind for the female lead. Shannon stars in the film along with Jeff Miller, who plays the scruffy longhaired “hero.” Miller is an aspiring actor from the Kingsport area with a background in wrestling, and his girlfriend Destiny Starnes also came down from the Tri-Cities area to work as script supervisor.

Shannon recruited Derek Price, a young filmmaker with experience in thrillers to direct Tom’s comedic script. Shannon also did makeup, editing, and even collaborated with Derek on the photography. Father and daughter even worked together on the props. These were especially important as part of the story involves a rocket launch gone awry.

The interplay of broad comedy with dark undercurrents may remind some of the indie crime genre of the nineties, when directors like Quentin Tarantino and Guy Ritchie were making an impression on Hollywood. Shannon cautions, “I will say there are some cuss words and a bit of violence.”

Auditions were held with local talent in mind, and two local residents were picked to play sheriffs in the film. These two are Lee Anthony Ray and Lytle Smith, but you’ll have to see the movie to find out who’s the good sheriff and who’s the bad sheriff. Air Force veteran Curtis Stark plays the title role of Eddie. Voiceover veteran Luis Alberto makes his onscreen debut.

Anthony Delligatti has been an actor and stuntman since the eighties, while Tony Hale III has appeared in a number of independent productions. Many other members of the cast like Angela Blakely are making their screen debuts. Lucas Falcone and Reese Gilbert play siblings.

The shoot took advantage of business locations in Waynesboro as well as rural locations on the outskirts of Lawrenceburg. Mike Mitchell allowed the filmmakers to use his business, Mike’s Cycle & Marine, as a filming location, and played himself in the movie. The local police department loaned uniforms to the production.

Jamie LaBombard stepped in at the last minute, easily overcoming her camera shyness to perform the pivotal part of a secretary. East Tennessee writer and occasional actor Brett Taylor appeared in a short bit. He’ll soon be seen in a couple of Amityville parodies as well as an unofficial Andy Griffith tribute called Mayberry Man, and he came to Columbia, TN to do another small part in a religious documentary made for exclusive showings at The Museum of the Bible in Washington, D.C.

In a happy postscript, Destiny Starnes and lead actor Jeff Miller were married in Surgoinsville last April. Sadly, Shannon’s Uncle Joe passed away while the movie was in postproduction, and Shannon considers the movie a tribute to her beloved uncle. For more information and to see production photos of the cast and crew, go to: simplyshannonscott.com/film-premiere/.