Again I must apologize to my out-of-state friends, but just the same, you may enjoy this mostly pictorial update about our various premieres of my little comeback film, Blue Christmas.

First, let me mention the upcoming final premiere event, which is in Davenport at the great Last Picture House (325 E 2nd St), the brainchild of Quiet Place creators (and local boys made very good) Beck and Woods. Thank you, guys!

It’s this coming Friday, March 22, and as I write this only 17 seats remain. Again, much of the cast and crew will be there, including Director of Photography Phil Dingeldein, Producer/Editor Chad Bishop, and the Writer/Director (me). Cast members who’ve confirmed appearing include stars Rob Merritt, Alisabeth Von Presley, and Chris Causey. Quad Cities actors Tommy Ratkiewicz-Stierwalt, Scot Gehret and Dave Juehring are expected to be present as well as a number of Muscatine actors in our talented cast of 24 (!).

This will be the last of our advance screenings of Blue Christmas until the holiday season later this year – with the notable exception of two screenings at the Cedar Rapids Independent Film Festival, at which Blue Christmas is an official selection (that’s coming up on Saturday April 6, again at the Collins Road Theatre in Cedar Rapids) (info here). The VCI Blu-ray and DVD should be out by November of this year, and we hope to be on several streaming services as well.

These premieres have been thrilling for this rapidly aging sometime filmmaker. Rob and Alisabeth are genuine Iowa celebrities – with Rob having appeared in over 100 films (shorts and features) and Alisabeth famously appearing on American Idol and The American Songwriting Competition – which guaranteed a packed house in Cedar Rapids.

Producer/editor Chad Bishop and M.A.C. at the Cedar Rapids premiere.

Alisabeth Von Presley, MAC and Barbara Collins at the Cedar Rapids Premiere.

MAC and Collins Road Theatre manager/owner, Bruce Taylor at the Cedar Rapids premiere.

M.A.C. with Alisabeth Von Presley at the Des Moines premiere.

Considering the fact that seeing me in person is hardly a rarity in Muscatine, since I’ve been playing gigs locally with my band Crusin’ since 1974 (and with the Daybreakers from 1966-1971), I could not have anticipated the packed, sold-out house Blue Christmas attracted at the Palms last Saturday night. Honestly, it was so crowded that it wasn’t till after the fact that I discovered any number of my friends and acquaintances were there and I hadn’t seen them. If you’re in that unacknowledged group, please know you were not snubbed – I was a bit overwhelmed by the response, and also I have notoriously poor eyesight.

The support we got from the Palms 10 staff and from the Fridley Theater chain, especially Chris Kottman, was absolutely incredible. And we are in serious talks with Iowa’s major theater chain to bring Blue Christmas into all of their theaters in the 2024 holiday season.

Seeing the film on a big screen (and it was huge at the Palms 10) was overwhelming. You have to understand that all of my filmmaking over the years – I don’t mean Road to Perdition or other things I’ve written that have gone out theatrically – has always been intended for television, both physical media and broadcast (now, streaming). Mommy hit the ball out of the park in 1995 by landing a chain-wide Blockbuster deal as well as a movie-of-the-week slot on Lifetime cable. Never did we even seriously consider having our Bad Seed tribute seen in theaters, and our premieres were at the local high school auditorium (and later ones were at Muscatine Community College).

My only regret is that my father, Max A. Collins Sr., didn’t live to share the experience with me. An investor in Mommy, he was frustrated that we didn’t take it out to theaters, didn’t understand why it couldn’t play there. He did know about the Road to Perdition sale to DreamWorks, but did not live to see the film…including the well-known father-and-son driving scene that was based on his first driving lesson to me on a country road (the only time I ever scared the man). Well, Blue Christmas is a ghost story. Maybe Pop attended one of the premieres, after all.

My grandson Sam was there and I’m told by my son Nate that Sam was excited and kept telling people, “My grandpa made this movie!”

Now that’s a review.

M.A.C.

Question and answer session after the Muscatine screening with much of the cast and crew.

The lobby of the Palms 10 with red carpet before the crowd was let in.

The executive producers of Blue Christmas (left to right, Chad Bishop, MAC, Phil Dingeldein and Brian Wright.)

Chad, MAC, and the three lovely Baker women: Claire, Rece and Jennifer.

The lobby of the Palms pre-screening.

Budding star Sam Collins and entourage.

The writer/director picked up by 2nd camera assistant Jeremy Ferguson for deliver to the premiere by Rolls Royce.

A packed house at the Muscatine premiere at the Palms 10.

Blue Christmas on the big screen at the Palms 10.

Tags: Blue Christmas