Looking Back- Last Call

Primos Daily Times - 02/15/2021 Page : A004

4 | NEWS | THE DAILY TIMES MONDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2021

ENTERTAINMENT LOOKING BACK

SUBMITTED PHOTO “We always “Last Call,” a comedy about laughed about growing up in Upper Darby in the ‘70s and ‘80s, will be released the crazy March 19. things that happened to us and the characters we SUBMITTED PHOTO knew, while The Delaware County connected actors and crew of “Last Call” are pictured with the 50 extras from growing up Delaware County who showed up to play the bar patrons in one of the film scenes. in eastern Delco and we Indie comedy spotlights lessons learned growing up in U.D. decided to get college, he thought he’d never look that he forged while growing up all our vibrant By Peg DeGrassa [email protected] back or come back. in Upper Darby. memories Editor of Town Talk, News & Press of Fast forward three decades “Last Call” is set to be re- down on Delaware County and Lingo not only found him- leased by IFC Films on March paper.” self living and working in Dela- 19 and will be available for view- RADNOR >> After graduating Up- ware County, but looking at the ing On Demand, iTunes, Ama- — Greg Lingo on looking per Darby High School in 1990, place with totally different eyes. zon and Pay Per View, as well as back with two of his lifelong successful real estate developer He’s now ready to share the trea- select theatres in the Philadel- friends from the old SUBMITTED PHOTO Greg Lingo said he couldn’t wait sured experiences of his youth in phia, L.A., N.Y. and Chicago mar- neighborhood, Billy Reilly and Mike Baughan Greg Lingo in his Upper Darby High to get out of Delco and experience a film that focuses on the life les- kets. Co-written by Lingo and School yearbook photo. the world. When he went off to sons and the lifelong friendships LOOKING >> PAGE 5

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MONDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2021 THE DAILY TIMES | NEWS | 5

shot in Upper Darby and Center City Philadelphia so local view- ers should keep a sharp eye out for the iconic 69th Street sign and the 30th Street bridge. Upper Darby was renamed the fictional “Darby Heights,” which Lingo said is based on the Up- per Darby-Clifton Heights area. Some of the scenes take place in a faux bar they named Callah- an’s Tavern, which is modeled after the real deal on West Chester Pike in Upper Darby. Lingo said when they prepared to shoot the film, he brought its producers to Upper Darby so they could experience the ambience of Callah- an’s and Cawley’s Tavern in Up- per Darby. He wanted to give SUBMITTED PHOTO them a true feel for the local res- Domenica and Paolo Pilladi with idents and the neighborhood. He Valerie and Greg Lingo at the” also took them to the “Crabs and Last Call” wrap party. Dabs” night at Trophy Tavern in SUBMITTED PHOTO Drexel Hill. Actors Bruce Dern and Jeremy The indie film is full of Delco Piven star in “Last Call,” a comedic characters and Delco connec- film about lasting friendships and tions, as well as many Delaware realizing that hometown roots are County born and bred actors, in- sometimes life’s greatest and most cluding Monsignor Bonner grad- precious gifts. uates Johnny Donohue, Jamie Kennedy, and Rob Hnelski; Arch- bishop Prendergast grad Cheri Oteri; Friends Central grad Peter Looking Patrikios; and Cardinal O’Hara FROM PAGE 4 alum Pete Postiglione. “Adding all this local talent director Paolo Pilladi, the com- made the film more authentic,” edy stars Jeremy Piven (“Entou- Lingo shared. rage”) along with film icon Bruce Although Lingo was the orig- Dern (“Nebraska,” “Once Upon inal investor in the film, as the A Time in Hollywood”), Taryn level of talent increased, more in- Manning, (“Orange is the New SUBMITTED PHOTO vestors came on board. He said Black”), Jamie Kennedy (“Mali- Executive Producer Greg Lingo, SUBMITTED PHOTO that although Last Call is his first- bu’s Most Wanted”), Cathy Mori- right, talks to actor Royce Johnson Comedian Jamie Kennedy, who graduated Monsignor Bonner High ever foray into film, it likely will arty (“Raging Bull”), Jack McGee on the set of “Last Call.” School in 1988, is one of the stars in the indie comedy “Last Call.” not be his last. (“The Fighter”), Zach McGowan Even though Last Call spot- (“Shameless”) and Cheri Oteri town crew. As Mick begins to re- Before Lingo and Palladi wrote growing up in eastern Delco and lights Lingo and his friends’ ex- (“Saturday Night Live”). Other ac- connect with the neighborhood and polished the script, Lingo said we decided to get all our vibrant periences of growing up in Dela- tors include Royce Johnson, Garry he grew up in, he finds himself at he sat down with two of his life- memories down on paper.” ware County, Lingo said the sto- Pastore, and Jason Richter. The a crossroads when forced to either long friends from the old neigh- Although the story is about life ryline set in the fictitious “Darby film is produced by Lingo as ex- raze or resurrect the family bar. borhood, Billy Reilly and Mike in Delaware County, most of the Heights,” a blue-collar, Philadel- ecutive producer, along with DJ Lingo was introduced to Pilladi Baughan, and together the three filming was done in Bayonne, N.J., phia suburb, is universal and will Dodd, Ante Novakovic and Rob by a friend of a friend. He knew pals wrote the comedic story of where the tax credits are better appeal to film watchers across the Simmons. he was the perfect script writer to the life and times of their boy- and there was easier access to the nation. The story line features a suc- partner with for the job because hood, bringing the colorful char- Jersey shore where some of the Before receiving his under- cessful real estate developer, Mick Pilladi grew up in the Overbrook acters and the unique setting to film’s scenes take place. The crew graduate degree in engineering (Piven), who returns home to his section of Philadelphia, only a life. even recreated an Irish bar there from Cornell and an MBA from offbeat blue-collar Irish neigh- hop, skip and jump from Upper “Over ten years ago, the three of to resemble the West Chester Pike Villanova University, Lingo was borhood in the shadows of Phil- Darby, so he understood the char- us sat down and recorded some of iconic Callahan’s and Cawley’s. a product of Upper Darby School adelphia for a funeral. He is ob- acters and the neighborhood. the really funny memories we had “Bayonne is very similar in size District schools. He attended By- ligated to stay to ensure his par- Paolo and Lingo took the orig- of growing up in Upper Darby,” and stature to Upper Darby,” ex- wood Elementary, then Highland ents’ ailing family business gets inal story and developed it into a Lingo, a resident of Radnor who is plained Lingo. “It’s gritty and the Park, Beverly Hills Middle School, back on course. Amidst all of this, script and started working with a president and owner of Rockwell people are down to earth like in and Upper Darby High School. he grows closer to his childhood New York-based production team, Custom in Media, chuckled. “We Delco. Also, by keeping things He remembers, as a young boy, crush (Manning) who is also back with Pilladi as director. Origi- always laughed about the crazy close to New York, we were able jumping on his bike, throwing his in town, while enduring the con- nally called “Crabs in a Bucket,” things that happened to us and to keep production costs down.” baseball glove on the handlebars, stant ridicule from his old home- the film was later renamed. the characters we knew, while A few of “Last Call’s” clips were LOOKING » PAGE 8