MUNGER ROAD, a film written and directed by Greek-American Nick Smith, will open this week in Chicago theaters. The film, which is on platform release, will soon open in other cities across the country. The 26 year-old Chicago-area filmmaker spoke to us about his work.
Tell us about your Greek roots.
Our family is from Cyprus. We are very proud of our Greek heritage. Greece is a great country with the best people.
How did you become interested in filmmaking?
When I was in high school, I was accepted into the University of Illinois at Urbana, and planned to study Structural and Mechanical Engineering. However, a class project changed everything. I had to create a video about my family. I really enjoyed it and people liked it. Most of all, I liked their reaction to it. So I changed gears and enrolled at Columbia College in Chicago. I decided to give film school a try, because if I went to do engineering, I knew I’d never go back to film, whereas, if I tried film and it didn’t work, I could go back to engineering. I graduated in 2008 with a BA in Film Directing.
What did you do after graduation?
I went to LA and started writing. That script became MUNGER ROAD. People ask, since I’m so young, how was I able to put a movie together, to direct it and now it will show in theaters. The answer: write a good script. I’m very proud of the script. It really came out great.
Tell us about MUNGER ROAD.
MUNGER ROAD weaves its story around an actual street, actual events and urban legend. It follows four teenagers, who on the night before (suburban Chicago) Saint Charles’ annual Scarecrow Fest, go to Munger Road to explore the haunted enclave. They pick the wrong route on the wrong night and go missing. Two cops set out on in search of them. The movie was filmed on location at the real Munger Road and in Saint Charles. The film stars Bruce Davison, an Oscar and Emmy Award-nominated actor, and Trevor Morgan, who has appeared in “Jurassic Park 3,” “The Sixth Sense” and “The Patriot.”
What’s the urban legend?
Legend has it that a bus filled with school children traveling on Munger Road stalled on the train tracks and was struck. All passengers were killed. Many people in the area share stories from this eerie street, including sightings of the bus on the tracks, and that if you put baby powder on your car bumper, you will see handprints of the children appear.
Smith is already at work on the next project. Click for a list of local screenings this weekend. Check local listings for showings.
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