Purgatory Comics at the Bellmore Theater May 21st

Last Thursday evening, Purgatory Comics made its Long Island premiere at the Bellmore theater. This was a private screening for cast, crew, family and friends, and the turnout was amazing. I couldn't believe how many coworkers swung by after work to check out my little flick. Plus I had friends from high school and college, and family too. It was bizarre seeing so many different "worlds" colliding like that, but the overwhelming support was probably the most rewarding experience of my life. Not to mention, I got to reunite with my talented cast...

Here's my leading man Tim "Evan" Kelly standing outside of the theater with me. It was great seeing the name of our flick up on the theater marque. Tim brought a small crowd from Staten Island to check out his performance, and there was a thunderous applause when he appeared on screen.

Here's some of my family inside the theater: my brothers and sister. I sat behind the little one and covered his eyes during the nudey scenes.

Here's leading lady Angela "Cola" Benedict with Bob "Peter Whales" Socci. Both brought their families to the screening. I think Bob's family was a little shocked as his character's foul mouth.

Here's one of several crowd shots I took from the stage before I said a few words. I basically thanked everyone for coming, the Bellmore theater, and a handful of people who got involved with the project late (so they weren't in the end credits). I also thanked my family for their unconditional support.

The screening went great! People laughed at all the right moments and the response was extremely positive. After the credits finished rolling I saw that Jonathan "Berner" Zungre did make it (he got stuck in traffic so came in right as the film began). His character definitely became classic.

After the film screening wrapped, I got to mingle a little and hear some people's great responses. Then I got to snap a few shots with the reunited cast.

Here's me with the leading cast, with DP Mike lurking in the back. We're in the theater lobby glowing from the excitement of seeing Purgatory Comics projected gorgeously on a big screen.

Here's DP Mike in the lobby with Bob.

After the screening, some of the audience joined me across the street for a few drinks at a pretty cool bar. In this picture is my longtime best friend Howard and his wife, me and Angela, and a guy who hilariously photobombed us in the background.

I got to mingle with a lot of friends (again, from all different "worlds"). Finally the night ended and I headed home. The next few days I got to hear a lot more positive reactions and learn everyone's favorite parts or lines. It was amazing. I think a lot of viewers were genuinly impressed, and a few even said they could relate to the story (the greatest compliment I could possibly get). Since I first decided to do a film, an image of this screening was on my mind. It was great to finally experience it, and it was everything I hoped it would be.