Edgar Church Discovery Movie is Coming

[Tsimanga]

 

Is this a scripted story? Did you write it already?

[The Troll King]

Wow, it looks like the house has seen better days.

[dpj303-migration]

Is this a scripted story? Did you write it already?

 

Yes, this is a narrative story.

 

The feature length screenplay is "complete" in that, at this point, it will only be materially modified in collaboration with the principal characters.

 

But, my post here is only intended to announce the short that's in post, which is a re-enacted documentary, of that day.

 

It's a moment that deserves to be brought to life, on film, especially since we had access to the location for a few hours.

[Senormac]

No matter how you slice it, what happened to Chuck then is the dream of just about everyone here I'm sure

[dpj303-migration]

It was a thrilling windfall, certainly.

 

The collection could have gone to anyone in the world. But it didn't. Chuck got it. And there are reasons why that's the case. There are consequences of that.

 

Our screenplay examines, "what now?". That's the real story.

 

Watching someone cash a winning lottery ticket, then go shopping is not interesting, and that is certainly not the story we want to tell.

 

 

 

[DiceX]

I'd be willing to bet that over the years at least a dozen collections similar if not better than the Church books have been tossed in landfills by unknowing relatives.

 

 

[TheShadowKnows]

Here are some tidbits you might not know about Edgar Franklin Church:

 

He was born in Plainville, Connecticut on November 28, 1888 and died May 5, 1978 in Denver, Colorado.

 

His parents were born in Massachusetts. Their names were William and Alice (Wright).

 

He had two brothers, William and Frederic. Frederic died before he was two months old.

 

He was a veteran of World War I.

 

His SS# was 521-07-0308.

 

In 1910 he was an Elevator Pilot at the YMCA and lived at 2485 Hooker Street in Denver, Colorado.

 

He was a commercial artist for the phone company in 1930.

 

In 1930 lived at 2331 Julian, Denver, Colorado.

 

His first wife's name was Edith Ann Collins.

 

His second wife's name was Helen and she was born in Kansas.

 

His childrens' names were Richard and Doris.

 

Doris Elsie Richardson died on February 16, 2010 in Arizona. Her children's names were Barbara, Linda and Donna.

 

Richard died January 4, 1981 in Long Beach, California.

 

 

 

Hooker Street

 

I wonder if any of my ancesters lived there

[Tsimanga]

Is this a scripted story? Did you write it already?

 

Yes, this is a narrative story.

 

The feature length screenplay is "complete" in that, at this point, it will only be materially modified in collaboration with the principal characters.

 

But, my post here is only intended to announce the short that's in post, which is a re-enacted documentary, of that day.

 

It's a moment that deserves to be brought to life, on film, especially since we had access to the location for a few hours.

 

I'm unsure what you mean by that. You mean it's written without characters?

 

I am interested in how you have this screenplay structured. What genre is it? Have you written other scripts? Is it a spec, or since you seem to plan on directing it, a shooting -script?

 

I'm interested in seeing the short. Could be cool. Hard to see it being a feature of any kind though. Do tell my man...

 

kudos on having the drive to do this BTW...

 

 

[dpj303-migration]

 

The -script is done. Screenplays are only finished when they've been produced. It's getting exposure. People are reading it. Non-collectors are really enjoying it.

[Hammerhead]

Sounds interesting, it is something I will watch. Kudos to you for taking this on!

[vane]

Here are some tidbits you might not know about Edgar Franklin Church:

 

He was born in Plainville, Connecticut on November 28, 1888 and died May 5, 1978 in Denver, Colorado.

 

His parents were born in Massachusetts. Their names were William and Alice (Wright).

 

He had two brothers, William and Frederic. Frederic died before he was two months old.

 

He was a veteran of World War I.

 

His SS# was 521-07-0308.

 

In 1910 he was an Elevator Pilot at the YMCA and lived at 2485 Hooker Street in Denver, Colorado.

 

He was a commercial artist for the phone company in 1930.

 

In 1930 lived at 2331 Julian, Denver, Colorado.

 

His first wife's name was Edith Ann Collins.

 

His second wife's name was Helen and she was born in Kansas.

 

His childrens' names were Richard and Doris.

 

Doris Elsie Richardson died on February 16, 2010 in Arizona. Her children's names were Barbara, Linda and Donna.

 

Richard died January 4, 1981 in Long Beach, California.

 

 

 

 

I remember finding most of that info on ancestry.com years ago.

 

 

[invisibleghosts]

I've enjoyed reading this thread as I drink my morning coffee, thanks guys!

[Ringfinger]

Look forward to it!

[AtlasFan]

So who's going to play Chuck? I bet you could get Bruce Willis. That would be interesting...of course you would have to skew reality a little...Chuck's van would be all supped-up and the climax of the movie would be a romping chase thru the Edgar Church neighborhood with Chuck being followed by desperados who want to get those funny books. Lots of explosions, riding on car hoods and such..., Chuck would also need a big buxom girlfriend, tough on the outside, but with a heart of gold.

[SOTIcollector]

 

Our project is to create a short film, introducing the feature length screenplay I have written about this turning point in the history of comic book collecting.

 

I wish you nothing but the best in this endeavor.

 

I'm concerned about a project like this, though. Will this information be of interest to serious Golden Age collectors? Sure. However, for a film to really succeed it needs to find an audience beyond such a relatively small niche. Thus it would need an interesting narrative about the person, not just about the things he collected. I have virtually no knowledge of Edgar Church the person, so I can only speculate at this point what he was like. I can envision a couple scenarios:

1) Was he just a normal guy who happened to like and buy a lot of comics? If so, that hardly makes for a riveting narrative.

2) Was he an over-the-top quirky obsessive character who, if he were alive today, would be featured on a TV show like "Hoarders" for his clinically-verifiable obsession that causes numerous problems in his life? That would make for a riveting story, but would also end up painting comic book collectors as freaks at a time when it's finally become cool (well, far cooler than it ever was, anyway) to be a comic book geek.

 

I'd love to see an interesting story get told, but not if it publicly furthers the stereotype about comic book geeks.

 

 

[dpj303-migration]

 

AtlasFan,

 

It's uncanny how precisely you've captured the tone of the -script. Did you get your hands on a bootleg copy?

 

Nothing screams NON-STOP HIGH POWERED EXPLOSIVE ACTION more than comic book collecting.

 

Our stunt and pyro fx line items are off the charts. There's an homage to Apoloypse Now, and the end credits. We blow up the entire block.

[dpj303-migration]

 

I wish you nothing but the best in this endeavor.

 

I'm concerned about a project like this, though. Will this information be of interest to serious Golden Age collectors? Sure. However, for a film to really succeed it needs to find an audience beyond such a relatively small niche. Thus it would need an interesting narrative about the person, not just about the things he collected. I have virtually no knowledge of Edgar Church the person, so I can only speculate at this point what he was like. I can envision a couple scenarios:

1) Was he just a normal guy who happened to like and buy a lot of comics? If so, that hardly makes for a riveting narrative.

2) Was he an over-the-top quirky obsessive character who, if he were alive today, would be featured on a TV show like "Hoarders" for his clinically-verifiable obsession that causes numerous problems in his life? That would make for a riveting story, but would also end up painting comic book collectors as freaks at a time when it's finally become cool (well, far cooler than it ever was, anyway) to be a comic book geek.

 

I'd love to see an interesting story get told, but not if it publicly furthers the stereotype about comic book geeks.

 

 

First, this is a movie about the EDGAR CHURCH PEDIGREE. And how it impacted people from 1977, onwards. "Edgar", the who and the why and the how, is a haunting mystery thru the story arch. His character is definitely a presence throughout.

 

You are partially correct about the need for a built in audience. A film needs one. In fact it's this highly networked subculture that I'm counting on, to help get it made. But it can't be a slave to all.

 

There is no built in audience for "Sling Blade" (dysfunction), or "Leaving Las Vegas" (drunks) or "Breaking Away" (cycling). That is the tone that this movie aspires to acheive. These are movies about people. What motivates them? What obstacles do they face in achieving there intentions.

 

I am certain that our story does not pander to the stereotype. It simply puts a camera on characters with this particular interest, and how they navigate major change.

 

Think of it as a political talk show. No one has their minds' changed by being beaten over the head with an idea..."I love comic books because they are so...". Rather, people are drawn into an affinity for something by observing others' affection and passion and even love. People respond by seeing postive energy. It's not, in the end, the spoken word that is effective.

 

This is a film about people; about characters. Comics are the backdrop. This is not a comic book porn movie.

[Junkdrawer]

I hope I can get this on Beta

[gaz973]

Somebody should make a movie about the CGC boards. That'd baffle the movie-going public.

[AtlasFan]

 

I wish you nothing but the best in this endeavor.

 

I'm concerned about a project like this, though. Will this information be of interest to serious Golden Age collectors? Sure. However, for a film to really succeed it needs to find an audience beyond such a relatively small niche. Thus it would need an interesting narrative about the person, not just about the things he collected. I have virtually no knowledge of Edgar Church the person, so I can only speculate at this point what he was like. I can envision a couple scenarios:

1) Was he just a normal guy who happened to like and buy a lot of comics? If so, that hardly makes for a riveting narrative.

2) Was he an over-the-top quirky obsessive character who, if he were alive today, would be featured on a TV show like "Hoarders" for his clinically-verifiable obsession that causes numerous problems in his life? That would make for a riveting story, but would also end up painting comic book collectors as freaks at a time when it's finally become cool (well, far cooler than it ever was, anyway) to be a comic book geek.

 

I'd love to see an interesting story get told, but not if it publicly furthers the stereotype about comic book geeks.

 

 

First, this is a movie about the EDGAR CHURCH PEDIGREE. And how it impacted people from 1977, onwards. "Edgar", the who and the why and the how, is a haunting mystery thru the story arch. His character is definitely a presence throughout.

 

You are partially correct about the need for a built in audience. A film needs one. In fact it's this highly networked subculture that I'm counting on, to help get it made. But it can't be a slave to all.

 

There is no built in audience for "Sling Blade" (dysfunction), or "Leaving Las Vegas" (drunks) or "Breaking Away" (cycling). That is the tone that this movie aspires to acheive. These are movies about people. What motivates them? What obstacles do they face in achieving there intentions.

 

I am certain that our story does not pander to the stereotype. It simply puts a camera on characters with this particular interest, and how they navigate major change.

 

Think of it as a political talk show. No one has their minds' changed by being beaten over the head with an idea..."I love comic books because they are so...". Rather, people are drawn into an affinity for something by observing others' affection and passion and even love. People respond by seeing postive energy. It's not, in the end, the spoken word that is effective.

 

This is a film about people; about characters. Comics are the backdrop. This is not a comic book porn movie.

 

Hold the phone! I was thinking that for the uncut Blu-Ray version, the film would have an alternate ending with Chuck and his gal pal getting down knee-deep in a pile of Mile-Highs...with lots of WA-CA-CHA WA-CA-CHA music in the background (after all, it did take place in the 70s!).