This rock movie filmed in the Tri-Cities is ready for its premiere

Sometime in the ‘80s Michael Charboneau, his friends and brothers, were going to be rock stars.

They were riding high in the age of hard rock, heavy metal, long hair and synthesizers in small town Idaho when they formed their band.

While their band largely faded, their friendships stayed intact and now he’s bringing their story, with some embellishment, to the screen.

“I have a need to tell stories, and this is a story that has been germinating in my brain for over 30 years,” he said. “So I had to tell it. I just absolutely had to tell it.”

Charboneau’s film follows the six members of the band Attitude Problem as they strive to become rock stars in small-town America in the ‘80s. They finagle their way into a headlining spot in a daylong music festival, and they have to decide to either rehearse or fade into obscurity.

He compared the humor to “Porky’s,” saying it wouldn’t be appropriate for young children.

Tri-Cities screening March 6

Fairchild Cinemas in Pasco is playing host to the first and, right now, the only public screening at 6:30 p.m. March 6. People can pick up a ticket early at bit.ly/PascoMovie

“We really, really want people to know this is a good movie,” he said. “A lot of hard work went into it and it’s funny.”

Charboneau personally provided the movie’s about $80,000 budget, saying he was at the perfect time in his life to bring this story to the screen in the manner it should be — as a two-hour feature film. He hired local actors and a director of photography.

One of the biggest stars of the film — the music — was a little harder to bring on board.

But Charboneau got a little help from the Steve Lynch, lead guitarist for the 1980s rock band Autograph. He lent him the band’s biggest hit, “Turn Up The Radio,” along with helping Charboneau navigate the world of music licensing.

Lynch even appears in the movie’s trailer.

Movie 30 years in the making

With the technology, crew, actors and music here in the Tri-Cities, they moved forward with a 14-day initial filming schedule, earlier this year, including recruiting extras for a day of filming at Tumbleweeds.

Charboneau’s son, Damien, who is one of the stars, said playing on the set was like getting the band together.

“It was cast well,” said actor Patrick Killoran. “I do a lot of comedy. I do a lot of improv. I do theater, as well. The casting and the directing was excellent.”

Charboneau is no stranger to being behind the camera. His 2004 short file “The Promise” won best drama at the New York City Independent Film Festival.

The triumph of bringing this story 30 years in the making to big screen will be made a bittersweet by two empty chairs in the audience. Charboneau is leaving one seat for his father who died four years ago, and one for his brother and band mate David, died earlier this year after a battle with kidney cancer.

“How cool is it that I get to honor my brother with a movie,” he said. “When they get to laughing at some of the lines, it will be — ‘There’s my brother.’”

This story was originally published February 24, 2019 at 2:52 PM.