Opinion

Jakle: Stars to descend on S.A. to film thriller

Actor Malcolm McDowell will be shooting the anthology film "Sanitarium" in San Antonio. Actor Malcolm McDowell will be shooting the anthology film "Sanitarium" in San Antonio. Photo: Joel Ryan, Associated Press Photo: Joel Ryan, Associated Press Image 1 of / 3 Caption Close Jakle: Stars to descend on S.A. to film thriller 1 / 3 Back to Gallery

Attention, star watchers! Malcolm McDowell of "A Clockwork Orange" fame leads a list of Hollywood actors expected in San Antonio this month and next as part of the filming of a new psychological thriller.

As soon as Friday, don't be surprised if you recognize known TV and movie faces around downtown and at other S.A. locales. They'll include Robert Englund, the original Freddy Krueger of "A Nightmare on Elm Street," and John Glover from "Smallville." Lou Diamond Phillips ("La Bamba," A&E's "Longmire") is expected in September.

The reason for their visit? A spooky anthology movie titled "Sanitarium," which will be released on Blu-ray, DVD, Netflix and other platforms come spring. It will feature three separate stories, directed by a trio of S.A. filmmakers, and will be reminiscent of classic TV shows such as "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" and "The Twilight Zone."

"I grew up on 'Tales of the Crypt,' " creator Kerry Valderrama said in a phone chat Sunday. "I loved the psychological aspect of these shows, stories that make you think and keep you guessing until the very end."

McDowell, seen most recently as a regular in HBO's "Entourage," was called on to play the lead and the glue, so to speak, of the movie. That's Dr. Stenson, the head psychiatrist at the sanitarium who will interview patients in each story. "He'll be similar to Rod Serling, Hitchcock and The Cryptkeeper," Valderrama said.

The first story, "Figuratively Speaking," directed by Bryan Ramirez and starring Englund and Glover, revolves around an artist whose creations come to life and tell him to commit horrible acts. The final tale, "Up to the Last Man," directed by Valderrama and starring Phillips, focuses on a conspiracy theorist who awaits the end of the world.

The second piece in the anthology, "Monsters Are Real," directed by Bryan Ortiz, already completed filming here. It revolves around a boy played by David Mazouz (Kiefer Sutherland's co-star in the Fox drama "Touch") who's haunted by a dark and increasingly creepy figure.

Chris Mulkey ("Twin Peaks," "Boardwalk Empire") plays his abusive father, and Lacey Chabert ("Party of Five") is the boy's teacher. Most of the movie was filmed at St. Anthony Catholic High School on McCullough Avenue. Other movie locations will include the Tower of the Americas, the Scottish Rite Temple, the Blue Star complex and SeaWorld.

How did the project manage to attract so many Hollywood names? L.A. casting director Scott David loved the script, Valderrama said. "He thought it was a very fresh telling and believed well-known actors would gravitate toward it."

So they did, which couldn't have been better news to University of the Incarnate Word grad Ortiz, who hopes the casting, which also includes plenty of local actors, draws more attention to S.A.'s filmmaking scene. "This project not only boosts our city," Ortiz said, "but shows that Austin isn't the only place in our state with talent in front of and behind the camera."

P.S. Albert Flores, WOAI-TV's morning meteorologist, will make his acting debut in the movie; he's been approached to play - what else? - a newsman.

TV nostalgia

I felt a shot of local TV nostalgia while watching the taut documentary thriller "The Imposter" at the Bijou last weekend.

The edge-of-your-seat film presents the real-life mystery of an adult French con artist who, in 1997, stole the identity of a missing teen boy in San Antonio. He - unbelievably - appeared to fool everyone from family members to the local FBI until a sharp private eye named Charlie Parker helped expose the lie.

In any event, when the film introduced news coverage of the case, up popped images of anchor Chris Marrou and sportscaster Dan Cook from KENS' vintage years.

jjakle@express-news.net