Mark R. Madler
In baseball speak, the creative minds behind the film "Pitcher and
the Pin Up" feel like they are in the minor leagues and are ready to
step up to the majors.
"We've got one run in," said David Burr, co-writer of the film,
released Tuesday on DVD. "We want to get some more and win the game."
Director, co-writer and male lead Drew Johnson, Burr and his wife,
co-executive producer Denise Pouchet, are all Burbank residents who
spent several years working on the film, which has undergone three
name changes and drew attention at film festivals, including the 2003
CineVegas International Film Festival and the fifth annual Silver
Lake Film Festival in September.
Now the team is ready to have a wider audience, which they hope
the DVD release will bring.
"It's become a stepping stone for all of us," Pouchet said. "Now
that it's finally out there and everyone can see it, not just
festival audiences, we're really excited about the feedback we're
going to get and we sure hope it leads to other opportunities."
Originally titled "The Road Home," the film tells the story of
character Danny Foster's two loves -- a girl and baseball -- set
against the backdrop of glittering Las Vegas.
The first title change to "Lady Luck & the Player" was needed
because another film was already titled "The Road Home." Distributor
Screen Media Films changed the title again to "Pitcher and the Pin
Up" for the DVD release. Principal filming was done from 1998 to
2002, with post-production taking up much of the following year.
Discussions on the script between Johnson and Burr often were at
Johnny Carson Park.
The film, which also stars Corinna Harney-Jones, a 1992 Playboy
Playmate, and veteran actors Bo Hopkins, Wilfred Brimley and John
Saxon, will appeal to those who like baseball and sappy romantic
movies, Johnson said.
The story and the performances were what attracted him to find a
distribution deal for the film, said Todd Olsson, a former executive
with Zenpix Inc.
"It was one of those easy-access, classic American stories,"
Olsson said. "There are very few [independent films] that really
generate commercial success, and you can tell this is a real labor of
love."
The film is available at Best Buy and online from Netflix and
Amazon.com.
Interest in the DVD is getting back to the filmmakers. A friend
told Barr that a Best Buy in West Covina had sold out of its 20
copies of the disc. A friend of Harney-Jones reported to Pouchet the
film was selling at a Super Wal-Mart in the Chicago area.
"I think America is ready for a film like this," Pouchet said.
