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Portsmouth — On Thursday in Portsmouth, a real pandemic rarity will occur: a red-carpet movie premiere.
The movie? It’s called “Past Shadows,” and the half sci-fi, half faith-based thriller was filmed around Hampton Roads over the past few years with a mostly-local cast and crew.
The film will debut at Portsmouth’s Commodore Theater at 7 p.m. March 4. The premiere is open to the public, but seating is limited to about 100 people due to ongoing COVID-related safety guidelines.
Written by James Sanzo, a former guidance counselor at Hampton’s Armstrong Elementary, the film’s plot centers on university professor Charles Bando (played by Hampton resident and U.S. Army veteran Robert Shepherd) and how an unearthed Middle Eastern relic changes his life forever.
“[Charles Bando] inadvertently ends up getting this piece of glass from the Holy Land which gets made into a pair of glasses that have supernatural effects,” Shepherd said in a phone interview.
Don’t expect any mysterious magic in the film, though. Shepherd said the plot’s miracles are acts of God, not ghosts.
Production on “Past Shadows” – which also features actors Jenn Gotzon (“Frost/Nixon,” “Doonby”) and Jim E. Chandler (“Lodge 49,” “The Quad”) – started in 2018 and took place all over the seven cities, from Virginia Beach and Hampton to a Suffolk sandpit where the story gets its traction.
You might recognize the man responsible for finding the curious artifact. Corbin Bernsen, known for his roles on “L.A. Law,” “Psych” and “The Resident,” plays the flick’s archaeologist, Lewis Samuels.
Shepherd said he met Bernsen last year while filming another movie in Smithfield called “Mary 4 Mayor.” When he and Sanzo — the two formed Rotag Productions about a decade ago — were looking to cast for “Past Shadows,” they took a chance and reached out to Bernsen.
The simple ask paid off.
“I told him about the film and our budget, and Corbin said if we could fit production into a particular window of time, he’d do it. We were flabbergasted,” Shepherd said.
When a bad winter storm threatened to keep Bernsen from flying out of New York to film his scenes, he told Shepherd he’d do whatever it took to make it to Hampton Roads. He ended up hopping on a train, making it to town just in time to dig up the transformative glass.
Wondering how a pair of glasses could upend someone’s life? You’ll have to hit the big screen to find out.
Weekend Scoop
If you can’t make it to the Portsmouth premiere, “Past Shadows” will also show at Cinema Cafe in Hampton from March 15-18.
A general nationwide release is expected at the beginning of April. Shepherd said the film should be available on streaming platforms and available for purchase once released.
To follow the film’s release, follow the Facebook page at facebook.com/pastshadowsfilm.
If you go
What: “Past Shadows” premiere
When: 7 p.m. Thursday
Where: The Commodore Theater, 421 High St., Portsmouth.
Tickets: $10 at the box office, 757-393-6962