Loverboy

For some, film is a thrilling experience that fills the viewer with a bevy of emotions, but for the cast and crew of Keeka Production’s newest feature film, Loverboy, the experience brings, more than anything, a sense of camaraderie and major.  The film features a vast array of some of Central Florida’s most notable rising stars and musicians bringing together an immense amount of talent for one project.

Loverboy is a terrifying tale of twisted romance.  Lauren Reynolds (Amber Watson), a determined young woman with a painful home life, breaks things off with her drug-addicted Ex (Marks), and is ready to give up on dating all together.  However, by a chance encounter at a friend’s party, Lauren finds herself quickly falling for a mysterious and charismatic newcomer, Brandon Phillips (Jessie LaBorn).  However, Lauren soon finds that her seemingly perfect new beau has a very dark and sinister side.  Loverboy delivers a wealth of terrifying twists as well as extremely provocative performances by the cast.

At sixteen, Loverboy director, Erica Summers, created her first short film and nearly ten years later she finds herself more passionate about filmmaking than ever.  Summers is now a graduate of the Lights Film School Academy and writes, directs, and produces her own films.

Summers states, “To be able to capture a vivid image from your mind and recreate it for others to see and experience has always been a truly fascinating thing to me.  Loverboy lead, Amber Watson, discusses Summer’s directorial style, “I feel very fortunate to have had the opportunity to work with her.  She has such a clear vision of what she wants, which makes my job as an actor easy.”  Loverboy Co-star, Jessie LaBorn also adds, “She really values the cast and crew’s ideas during the filming process.  During difficult scenes, her patience and creativity helped lead to a trusting and productive cast.”

Loverboy stars Amber Watson, a talented model and actress whose recent credits include the Discovery Channel’s hit show, “Swamp Brothers.”  Watson first appeared on the film scene as a supporting actress in Keeka Production’s previous feature, Rag Doll.  “I knew from my first day on set with Amber that we would be working together on future films,” says Summers, “Amber just has this incredible personality and natural acting talent that any filmmaker would give their right arm for.  She’s a real asset to the film.”

Co-starring in the film is Jessie LaBorn, best known for his dramatic portrayal of Adam Wurlitz in the film Rag Doll.  LaBorn has also graced the screen in other Central Florida-made films such as Soro-TV’s The Emerald Lagoon and the post-apocalyptic film, Rivers of Blood.  “Jessie has this incredibly captivating quality about him.  He’s absolutely perfect for this role,” says Summers.

The cast and crew are not the only ones to shine in this gruesome flick.  Some of central Florida’s hottest bands have gotten involved with the project as well, including: Orange Avenue, NuERA, The Crazy Carls, B.DeVINE, Rikshaw, and Ocala’s own Becky Sinn to name a few.  Loverboy also features a variety of incredible bands and musicians across the nation.

Several of Ocala’s beloved businesses have been featured in the film.  Scenes in the thriller have been enriched by the colorful backdrop of the Chelsea Coffee Company and Downtown Billiards, both located just off of State Road 40.  The St. John’s River Campground, located in Astor, FL was also a visually-stimulating backdrop for much of the film, providing the cast with an exciting film environment and a wealth of encouragement from its movie-loving managers.  “It’s so important to have the support of the local community when making an independent film,” says Watson, “and we are very thankful that all of the businesses that we had the opportunity to work with were so accommodating.”

Ryan James, co-owner of Ocala’s Insomniac Theater and supporting actor in Loverboy, states, “It was a great experience to work with open-minded actors who are wonderful people with as much excitement for working on the project as I had. There’s a lot of untapped talent in Ocala.  I was extremely grateful to be part of such a great project and allow myself to grow as an actor.”

Summers welcomes the public to join in the celebration is anticipating of a packed house at the film’s Ocala premiere on March 17^th. Afterwards, the aim is to submit the film to festivals and entertain audiences nationally with this twisted thriller.  In mid-March, the film will be available for sale worldwide on DVD as well as available for rent on Video On Demand through Amazon.com.  All proceeds from the movie will go towards Keeka Productions next feature.

“We make every film bigger and better.  We learn and grow and celebrate in our accomplishments, even the small ones.  That’s what it’s all about,” says Summers.  “We just aim to entertain.”

Websites:

LOVERBOY:  http://www.loverboythemovie.com

RAG DOLL: http://www.ragdollmovie.com