Close encounters are coming to Quincy: “The Lemurian Candidate” lands at the Town Hall Theatre from Oct. 10 to 13, with an immersive opening night Friday, Oct. 10. Look for Lenny the Lemurian on Main Street during a preview appearance Tuesday, Sept. 16, and again on Oct. 10, promoting the locally made film about three friends whose healing trip to Mount Shasta veers into cosmic misadventure. Watch the trailer at thelemuriancandidate.com/the-film.
Written and directed by Casey Cooper Johnson, the film follows three former college friends on a backpacking trip that melds into psychedelic misadventure and local alien myths.
With “The Lemurian Candidate,” local angler and actor Jack Trout debuts his first turn as a co-producer and appears on screen for what he calls a “small but funny” bit. Trout, a Screen Actors Guild member, has appeared in films with Academy Award winners Kevin Spacey and Leonardo DiCaprio. This time, he collaborated with writer/director Casey Cooper Johnson.
“There is no better director in Hollywood than Casey Cooper Johnson,” Trout told The Plumas Sun. “He is the most talented, caring, kind human being I have ever worked with. After you work with Casey Cooper, you get spoiled to how fun making a film can be.”
Trout frames the movie as “’Sideways’ meets ‘Fear and Loathing’ meets ‘Pineapple Express’ meets ‘Hot Tub Time Machine.'” He reports that early audiences have been “going absolutely bananas.” After the industry strikes two years ago, he added, “there is a huge shortage of comedies.” Test screenings drew big laughs, Trout said.
What sets it apart? Trout points to place and tone: “Filming in Mount Shasta is a first, and Casey dreamed up situational comedy that does not depend on violence. It pokes fun at both sides of politics, more of a Jay Leno approach, so everybody can sit together and laugh.”
The Oct. 10 opening night in Quincy brings music, giveaways, a merch table, an alien-themed selfie spot and a roaming Lemurian before showtime. “People are looking for a reason to go back to the theater. They want to come to an event,” Trout emphasized.
Behind the scenes, Trout’s role grew quickly. Hired for a cameo, he began untangling permits and weather delays during a tight schedule. “They started calling me ‘the fixer,’” he recalled, crediting community help and on-the-fly problem solving for keeping the production moving.
For Johnson, the film is a love letter to friendship and the region. He drew on memories of time spent around Mount Shasta and with a college friend who struggled with schizophrenia. “It is the trip I wished we had taken, a way to reconnect and help him,” Johnson recalled. The result blends buddy comedy with elements of drama, science fiction and a strong dose of psychedelic whimsy.
Producing on what Johnson called “a very low budget,” the filmmakers relied on family, friends and local support to stretch every dollar. “My wife and I have been at this for three years without paying ourselves. Our daughters took the summer from college to help. Jack has been relentless. We wanted a movie that does not feel small, even though we made it with almost nothing,” he added. Producer Casey Fenton captured the team’s ethos with a three-word motto: “Bros before UFOs.”
The event in Quincy is part of the film’s West Coast tour. Quincy’s run follows a sold-out Los Angeles premiere on Sept. 12, a week of screenings in Mount Shasta and Grants Pass from Sept. 19 to 25, and a special Sept. 23 date in Oakland. Next up is Oct. 3 at the Galaxy Victorian Theatre in Sparks, then Oct. 10 to 13 in Quincy. Full tour details and ticket links are posted on the film’s official site; Sparks showtimes are live now, and Quincy’s movie listings will be posted soon.
Johnson encouraged northern California audiences to show up if they want more small town arts events. “Supporting independent cinema matters,” he urged. “Buying a ticket, showing up at places like <Quincy> Town Hall Theatre, even renting later on streaming — it all signals there is demand for original stories.”
