New Jersey Filmmaker Still Working on Movie Theater Usher Saga

Way back in 2006, the short version of The Art of Theatrical Ushery earned its director and star Christopher Banks a Robert Prosky Award for Best Acting at the New Jersey State Film Festival. Maybe he should have stopped then and there, but he chose not to.

Six years later, he's still working on turning his short into a full-length feature and is hosting a fundraising event tomorrow night at an Italian restaurant in Galloway. In many ways, Banks' overbearing title character of usher Ronnell is the kind of movie theater employee most patrons can only dream of.

This referee-shirted usher browbeats customers for talking during the presentation, polices the outside parking lot and makes sure non-concession food is stopped at the door. Perhaps that last aspect of his M.O. is a problem for some, but personally, the phenomenon of people who picnic at Multiplex drives me crazy.

To further support his efforts, Banks has been cobbling together a behind-the-scenes mini-documentary. That portion of his six-year movie theater usher saga efforts includes various testimonials in support of his artistic ambition.

 

Whether Banks manages to put it all together by fall, he's been dreaming of showcasing his own stuff on the big screen for years. As he told his local Patch, it all began at age nine when he set a science-fiction musical to the songs of Billy Joel.