web1_kicking-tees-and-football-holder-kickstand-all-america-package.jpg

Wyoming Area rolls past Holy Redeemer

web1_TTL101118Baby-Frankenstein3.jpg

‘Baby Frankenstein’ filmmakers talk shop as debut nears

<p><a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1179669/?ref_=tt_ov_wr" target="_blank">Mike Rutkoski&#8217;s</a> beginnings will sound familiar to many Wyoming Valley residents.</p><p>He was raised in Plains Township and attended Coughlin High School in Wilkes-Barre.</p><p>&#8220;I had a great childhood growing up there,&#8221; Rutkoski said.</p><p>Then he left at 18 and joined the U.S. Air Force. What happened next kind of breaks the mold, though.</p><p>After the Air Force, Rutkoski moved to New York City and got into show business, following his older brother, Bill, who had moved to the Big Apple a few years before, in 1977.</p><p>&#8220;New York is fun,&#8221; said Rutkoski, a veteran actor who will be seen on the big screen in Northeastern Pennsylvania later this month when <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4949388/?ref_=nm_ov_bio_lk2" target="_blank">&#8220;Baby Frankenstein&#8221;</a> has its local debut at R/C Wilkes-Barre Movies 14.</p><p>Both Mike and Bill Rutkoski appear in the film. But its existence owes much to a collaboration between Mike Rutkoski and <a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3090755/?ref_=tt_ov_dr" target="_blank">Jon </a><a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3090755/?ref_=tt_ov_dr" target="_blank">YonKondy</a>, a West Pittston native and Los Angeles-trained filmmaker who translated Rutkoski&#8217;s original work into a screenplay, which YonKondy directed and co-produced.</p><p><a href="https://www.timesleader.com/news/721458/baby-frankenstein-filmmakers-talk-shop-as-debut-nears" target="_blank">Our interview with YonKondy can be found here</a>.</p><p>&#8220;Baby Frankenstein&#8221; was born as what Rutkoski called an &#8220;off-off-off-Broadway&#8221; live production.</p><p>&#8220;It started as a sketch, and then we put it into play form,&#8221; he recalled. &#8220;That was a lot of fun, but I always wanted something bigger for it.&#8221;</p><p>He began shopping for directors. Several individuals expressed an interested, but none was exactly the right fit.</p><p>Then Rutkoski discovered YonKondy, who had co-directed a film called <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3954876/?ref_=nm_flmg_dr_4" target="_blank">&#8220;Don Quixote&#8221;</a> with actor James Franco while studying at USC in Los Angeles.</p><p>&#8220;It had gotten some good reviews,&#8221; Rutkoski noted. &#8220;I saw that this guy had many talents, and he happened to be from my home area.&#8221;</p><p>Rutkoski had a few talents of his own.</p><p>He had started out in New York as a stand-up comedian, and spent some time in Chicago with the prestigious Second City comedy troupe. He also has starred in Hollywood comedies including 2006&#8217;s &#8220;Last Request,&#8221; which included Danny Aiello and Joe Piscopo.</p><p>He also wanted to write, which led him to produce plays and sketches, including &#8220;Baby Frankenstein.&#8221;</p><p>Not only was YonKondy the right director, it turned out that home was the right place.</p><p>&#8220;Part of it was budget. We&#8217;re not low-budget, we&#8217;re micro-budget,&#8221; Rutkoski said. &#8220;We knew that here we could possibly get all of our locations for free. That helped.&#8221;</p><p>Nostalgia didn&#8217;t hurt, either.</p><p>&#8220;I have a lot of fond memories,&#8221; Rutkoski said. &#8220;I just said, we&#8217;re not shooting there in the dead of winter!&#8221;</p><style>
.neFileBlock {
	margin-bottom: 20px;
}
.neFileBlock p {
	margin: 0px 0px 0px 0px;
}
.neFileBlock .neFile {
	border-bottom: 1px dotted #aaa;
	padding-bottom: 5px;
	padding-top: 10px;
}
.neFileBlock .neCaption {
	font-size: 85%;
}
</style>
<div class='neFileBlock'>
<div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/web1_BF_fishtank-2.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Plains Township native Mike Rutkoski, left, and Rance Nix, are seen in still image from the film &#8216;Baby Frankenstein,&#8217; which will be shown at R/C Wilkes Barre Movies 14 on Oct. 26 and 27. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/web1_BF_fishtank-2.jpg</photo0><caption0>Plains Township native Mike Rutkoski, left, and Rance Nix, are seen in still image from the film &#8216;Baby Frankenstein,&#8217; which will be shown at R/C Wilkes Barre Movies 14 on Oct. 26 and 27. </caption0><photoCredit0>Submitted </photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Roger DuPuis</p><p>rdupuis@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><factboxMeta><p><strong>SEE THE MOVIE</strong></p><p><strong>&#8226; Friday, Oct. 26 </strong></p><p>The red carpet premiere will begin at 6 p.m. at R/C Movies 14 in Wilkes-Barre. Hors d&#8217;oeuvres, snacks, refreshments, and beer (21+) will be served and included in price of admission.</p><p>Tickets are $10, but kids 14 and under dressed in Halloween costumes will be admitted free. Tickets can be purchased online at www.eventbrite.com or at the event.</p><p>The screening will start promptly at 7:30p.m., and A Q&amp;A with various members of the cast and crew will begin directly after the film.</p><p><strong>&#8226; Saturday, Oct. 27. </strong></p><p>A second-chance Screening will start promptly at 1 p.m. </p></factboxMeta></div>

Plains native Rutkoski gave birth to ‘Baby Frankenstein’ concept