RAVENNA − Ravenna residents got a unique view of a city landmark during the premiere of a movie filmed there.
“The Last Shop on Walnut,” a motion picture filmed mostly at Ravenna’s Riddle Block 9, premiered May 28 at Ravenna 7 Movies, next door to the storefront at 115 S. Chestnut St., where filming took place. After the movie, supporters gathered at West Main Winery, where Jason Richardson, a Kent resident who wrote and directed the film, and cast members answered questions.
What is the movie about?
“The Last Shop on Walnut” tells the story of Marvin Statler, portrayed by Peter Lawson Jones. Statler owns a lamp repair shop and lives upstairs.
He hasn’t spoken to his family for years. His business is failing and he is behind of his taxes. But now, because of gentrification, he is getting many offers to sell his building.
But Marvin has agoraphobia, and he hadn’t left his building for 15 years. And the unexpected arrival of a family member forces him to confront painful memories from his past.
Portage County mentions
Most of the movie was filmed in Riddle Block 9. In addition to the Chestnut Street storefront that houses the shop, an Airbnb unit doubled for the apartment featured in the movies. But in the movie it looks like they are connected.
Viewers don’t see the outside of the building except for moments such as the film’s opening. That’s by design, Richardson said. Because Marvin never leaves the building, most shots are from the inside. When he looks outside, that’s the only time viewers see Ravenna’s streets.
The setting was inspired by another Portage County business that featured a store downstairs and a residence upstairs.
As a Kent resident, Richardson frequently purchased film and camera equipment at Campus Camera and Imaging. One day, he noticed the business owner locking the door.
“I thought, what if he never left?” Richardson said.
‘Always a standout’
Among those who crowded into the movie theater for the premiere was Ann Womer Benjamin, mayor of Aurora. Womer Benjamin was a high school classmate of Lawson Jones, and later served with him in the Ohio House of Representatives in the 1990s.
“He was always a standout,” the Aurora mayor said of her former classmate.
Lawson Jones said he and his wife personally invested in the film. His son also has a small role, he said.
Ravenna Mayor Frank Seman said when he married his wife, Joan, her father was a plumber, who put him to work in Ravenna’s Riddle blocks.
“The Riddle Blocks are something special,” he said.
Chelsea Gregor, Ravenna’s clerk of council, worked behind the scenes on the film, arranging filming locations. She also found many lamps. Richardson said he still has several lamps.
Richardson said he filmed the movie in Ravenna because it’s close to home. He made the lamp shop because of “aesthetics.”
“They look great on film,” he said.
Several cast members talked about their favorite scene.
Phil Elam, who portrays a real estate agent, said Lawson Jones is his acting teacher. In the film, the real estate agent said his mother used to shop in the his store. When Marvin mentions her name, the agent said his mother bought an orange lamp. Elam said that was because he wanted the orange lamp. Richardson told him, “We’ll see.”
Brian Fronk said his favorite scene was when his character bought flowers for the store owner, who had a date. He asked Richardson if he could go off script, he said.
“I had a lot of fun with that scene,” he said.
What’s next for the movie
The film also premiered May 14 at Cedar Lee Theatre in Cleveland Heights, and was screened June 3 in Los Angeles.
After that, the film will hit the festival circuit, with a goal of a wider release in theaters or a popular streaming service.
Richardson said he hopes that the film will be screened at theaters, and hopes that there will be more local screening opportunities.
“It’s clear that people enjoy watching it,” he said. “This is the kind of movie that needs to be seen on the big screen.”
Reporter Diane Smith can be reached at dsmith@recordpub.com.
This article originally appeared on Record-Courier: Ravenna landmark on display in ‘Last Shop on Walnut’
Reporting by Diane Smith, Ravenna Record-Courier / Record-Courier
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By Diane Smith, Ravenna Record-Courier | USA TODAY Network
