CAST OF CHARACTERS: Fan Scrooge (Amanda Rae Dodson), Leland R Prater (Assistant Undersecretary for Undead Affairs Simon Onyx), Jerry Parisi (Ebenezer Scrooge ), Michael Bertolini (Jacob Marley) and • Jacob Marley (Tiny Tim).
Photo courtesy of Gravitas Ventures.
We all know and love the historical tale of Ebenezer Scrooge and his Christmas adventure. It ends with the cold-hearted money-grubber changing his ways after a visit from the three different Christmas spirits. However, what happens after the happy and cheerful ending? Long Island’s Woodward City Productions continues the tale in their new film, “Ebenezer the Traveler.”
Created by Smithtown’s Jerry Parisi, this holiday movie was acquired by the film distribution company Gravitas Ventures. It will premiere in the United States and Canada on Apple TV on December 6, followed by Amazon Prime Video and 18 other carriers. Two-thirds of the movie was shot right here on Long Island. That notably includes Babylon Village’s Jack-Jack’s Coffee Shop and parts of Bayshore that were used to shoot the modern-day scenes.
“It’s a comfortable feeling shooting on Long Island,” said Parisi, a Long Island native.
Leland Prater is the producer and writer behind the continuation of the Scrooge storyline. Joe Valenti of Valenti Visions directed it, and Parisi’s wife, Joann Sciascia-Parisi, served as the executive producer and chief financial officer. Jerry Parisi sang high praises for all of them, “Valenti is a fabulous director, and my wife (Joann) is a fantastic producer,” he exclaimed.
Parisi has been in the screen acting business since 1981, when he began acting as a child. He’s been playing the character of Ebenezer Scrooge for over 13 years at the Old Bethpage Village Restoration Theater and dubbed “Long Island’s Mr. Scrooge,” according to the film’s website. This directly fueled Jerry’s hunger for the creation of what happened to Scrooge after that happy ending.
“I was thinking about this concept for years. To get there, you have to portray what happened to Jacob Marley (Scrooge’s dead business partner) first,” Parisi explained. “I love Scrooge and feel I was always able to portray him well.”
According to the film’s synopsis, that is precisely where the movie takes us. Scrooge did awaken to change his ways after that spirit-filled Christmas Eve. However, the next day, he finds himself dead, re-united with Marely in Purgatory. Along with him is Tiny Tim, who has also passed away because Scrooge’s death stopped him from receiving the medical help he needed, and Scrooge’s sister, Fan. Together, the four souls stuck in Purgatory go on a Christmas Spirit adventure and must redeem themselves by helping others do so. This mandate brings them to modern-day Oklahoma where they must help a young mother and her family.
The movie has been featured in many film festivals, including the Las Vegas International Film Festival, where they cleaned house, being named “Best Family Feature Film.” They also were recognized for “Best Costumes,” and Parisi was named “Best Actor in a Family Feature Film.”
The motion picture is set to bring a fresh twist story to Charles Dickens’s “Christmas Carol” classic and the holiday movie scene.
“It’s a wonderful feeling to contribute to the Christmas spirit,” Parisi said. “I love the idea of providing warmth and joy to people.”
As this film gets set to air, the motions for parts two and three have already begun with the Scrooge crew. Three books are available on Amazon if you want to quench your Scrooge thirst.
“It’s nice because there are stories within the stories of the books,” Parisi explained.
Long Island’s radio stations WBAB and WBLI will also air a song from the film “How I Missed You Christmas” by Emily Jeanne Phillips during the holiday season. The “Ebenezer the Traveler” cast will attend WBAB and WBLI’s special Christmas show and will be there in character if you want to meet them.
Parisi’s favorite line from the movie is Marly telling Scrooge, “Don’t muck it up.”
So do as Marly says and add this flick to your Christmas watch list.