MONROE, CT — A movie crew shot scenes for the feature film “She Cries Murder” at Whitney Farms Golf Course on Shelton Road in Monroe last Tuesday. Among the cast is Monroe native Joey Ambrosini.
The story begins when Gary Simmons, a degenerate gambler and a cheat, is found dead. Police rule it a suicide, but his wife insists he was murdered … and there is no shortage of suspects. She hires private investigators, brothers Jason and Eddie Flores, whose floundering agency is struggling to stay in business, to find the truth.
One of the people Simmons owes money to, co-worker Terry Green, played by Ambrosini (“Johnny & Clyde”), is the prime suspect, but Director Tony Capes, of Enfield, promises a series of twists and turns along the way, keeping the audience guessing.
“I just want to create a mystery where all the pieces don’t come together until the end,” Capes said. “There are a lot of red herrings in ‘She Cries Murder’ and other suspects emerge.”
Capes, who has done a lot of short films, has always had an interest in detective stories.
“This is my first feature film,” he said. “I mostly do dark comedies with an element of crime, so this story is in my wheelhouse, so to speak.”
The Flores brothers are played by Tristan Rizzuto (“Article 92”), as Jason, and Kazuya Folger (“New Year’s Death”) as Eddie.
“This entire experience has been so surreal and being part of this film has truly been a blessing,” said Rizzuto. “It’s helped me reconnect with my artistic roots and reminded me why I fell in love with acting in the first place.”
Folger said his character, Eddie, is a troubled man, who always attempts to mask deeper emotions with humor.
“He’s a bit of a cornball, but intelligent and lovable nonetheless,” Folger said. “Most importantly though, he treasures the bond between himself and his brother more than anything. So far, it’s been an amazing experience bringing this character to life! Getting the opportunity to meet and collaborate with some of New England’s best artists honestly feels like a dream too.”
“I like that he feels he’s way smarter than everyone else,” Ambrosini said of his character. “It allows me to play my serious side, something in contrast with roles I played before. It gives me a little more of a dark side. This movie is a little more serious … a thriller.”
During Green’s run-in with the private investigators, he pulls out a gun and two police officers arrest him.
The lawmen, Glenn Mate, of Monroe, who stars as Sgt. Preston, and Bobby Garrafa, of Fall River, Mass., who plays as his partner, Officer Barreto, are honest cops in a department with corruption at the top.
However, they are uncooperative with the private investigators at first.
“As things evolve, we start to understand where the brothers are coming from,” Mate said.
Among the notable cast members starring in “She Cries Murder” are Johnny Launonen (“Impractical Jokers”), Laura Mazziotti (“The Sisters Kardos”), Tony Bonsignore (“The Featherweight”), Isabel Lysiak (“Candlewood”), Tony Spera (“The Conjuring”) and Peter Anthony (“The Death of Snow White”).
Among the extras in the movie are Monroe First Selectman Terry Rooney, who plays the role of a politician, and Barbara Fahr, known in town as an administrator of the Monroe CT Residents Facebook page, who plays as a member of Rooney’s campaign team.
“We’re really excited about it,” Ambrosini said of shooting the movie in his hometown. “I love people seeing what this town is made of. It’s another thing for Monroe to be known for.”
Both Rizzuto and Folger said they enjoyed the location, despite working under a scorching sun for the outdoor scenes on the greens of Whitney Farms.
Rizzuto said Tuesday’s filming was the most challenging shoot he has ever done, with nine hours on the set in 95-degree-heat. “And countless takes later, we finally wrapped for the day,” he said.
“Monroe is a beautiful town, and it was a privilege to film here,” he added. “Some of our crew are actually locals and, without them, this shoot wouldn’t have been possible.”
“Huge shoutout to the town of Monroe,” Folger said. “The golf course was beautiful and the food was great! Looking forward to the next time I cross through here and I couldn’t be more appreciative of the experience.”
