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<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8212; Jon YonKondy brought his baby home Friday night &#8212; that is &#8220;Baby Frankenstein&#8221; the movie that played at R/C Wilkes-Barre Movies 14 to the delight of 300 family, friends and guests.</p><p>YonKondy, born and raised in West Pittston, is the director/co-writer/co-producer of the comedy-drama. He partnered with Plains Township native Mike Rutkoski, who now resides in New York City, to give birth to what YonKondy hopes becomes a cult classic.</p><p>The film&#8217;s debut came with a red carpet event from 6 to 7:30 p.m. before patrons were ushered inside for the 83-minute flick. A question-and-answer session took place in the theater following the movie.</p><p>YonKondy, a Wyoming Area graduate, got the bug for the movie industry when he took a film class in his freshman year at Penn State. &#8220;I was never a movie guy as a kid, but I loved drawing, I loved writing, I loved taking photos as a kid too,&#8221; YonKondy recalled. &#8220;It was something that combined all these things and after taking an Intro to Film class in college, it blew me away.&#8221;</p><p>What interested YonKondy the most was the behind-the-scenes work that brought a film together. &#8220;It was like the &#8216;Wizard of Oz&#8217; when you finally got to see behind the curtain. I got to see how movies really are. They are creations. They are not just a slice of time and space and somebody is the master of these worlds.&#8221;</p><p><strong>Started as sketch</strong></p><p>YonKondy says &#8220;Baby Frankenstein&#8221; is throwback to the 1980s &#8212; a wholesome, family-friendly monster flick that takes place in a small town with a lot of soul and heart. The entire movie was filmed at local spots such as Chacko&#8217;s Family Bowling Center and Boscov&#8217;s in Wilkes-Barre and Pizza L&#8217;Oven in Exeter.</p><p>YonKondy&#8217;s partner, Rutkoski, has worked as an actor and comedian in New York City and created an off-Broadway play called &#8220;Baby Frankenstein.&#8221; Eventually, he turned the play into a screenplay and sent it to YonKondy three years ago. The duo then worked on the script to convert the storyline to film.</p><p>&#8220;The movie appeals to a very broad audience,&#8221; YonKondy said. &#8220;It&#8217;s a cult movie, as well as a kid&#8217;s film. It has horror elements in it, it has action elements and fantasy and sci-fi.&#8221;</p><p>Rutkoski said &#8220;Baby Frankenstein&#8221; actually started as a sketch.</p><p>Over time, he thought he could make it into a screenplay but it needed to be re-written. &#8220;After the 12th draft, I finally said, &#8216;I&#8217;m ready to make this into a film.&#8217;&#8221; He began to interview directors and eventually found YonKondy.</p><p>&#8220;Jon and I totally re-wrote the screenplay,&#8221; Rutkoski said. &#8220;It&#8217;s so different from the original. He (YonKondy) made it more dramatic and it flowed even better.&#8221;</p><p>In addition to co-writing/co-producing the film, Rutkoski is one of the lead actors.</p><p><strong>Local actress</strong></p><p>Eileen Rosen, of West Pittston, also plays a lead role. She is no stranger to film work. She&#8217;s appeared in movies such as &#8220;Blue Valentine&#8221; with Ryan Gosling and &#8220;Captives&#8221; which was also filmed locally.</p><p>&#8220;I did not know Eileen before the film,&#8221; said YonKondy. &#8220;She came in and read for the film and she blew us away. I could not believe she lived in the same town as me. I remember her in a particular scene in &#8216;Blue Valentine&#8217; where she played a nurse. She&#8217;s very good.&#8221;</p><p>&#8220;I was in New Hampshire when he (YonKondy) emailed me and asked me if I wanted to do it,&#8221; Rosen said. &#8220;I got home from New Hampshire and began to film two days later. It was fast.&#8221;</p><p>Rosen said her film experience was great and everyone on set was like family by the end of the project.</p><p>&#8220;It was really, really fun and I&#8217;ve seen the movie twice and I love it,&#8221; Rosen said. &#8220;It&#8217;s fun to see all the local spots in the movie.&#8221;</p><p>An after-party was held at Rodano&#8217;s in Wilkes-Barre where the band Family Animals, whose music was featured in the film, provided entertainment.</p><p>The &#8220;Baby Frankenstein&#8221; premiere was in partnership with the Times Leader Media Group and The Weekender.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">&#8216;Baby Frankenstein&#8217; lead actress Eileen Rosen, of West Pittston, center, poses with relatives at Friday night&#8217;s premiere in Wilkes-Barre. From left to right: Henry Rosen, 13, Mallory Nobile Strubeck, Rosen, Margy Nobile, and Mark Nobile. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/web1_Baby-Frankenstein-2-1-1-2.jpg</photo0><caption0>&#8216;Baby Frankenstein&#8217; lead actress Eileen Rosen, of West Pittston, center, poses with relatives at Friday night&#8217;s premiere in Wilkes-Barre. From left to right: Henry Rosen, 13, Mallory Nobile Strubeck, Rosen, Margy Nobile, and Mark Nobile. </caption0><photoCredit0>Tony Callaio | For Times Leader </photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/web1_Baby-Frankenstein-3-1-1-2.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">&#8216;Baby Frankenstein&#8217; actress Cora Savage, far left, poses with filmmakers Mike Rutkoski, center, and Jon YonKondy at Friday night&#8217;s red-carpet premiere in Wilkes-Barre. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/web1_Baby-Frankenstein-3-1-1-2.jpg</photo1><caption1>&#8216;Baby Frankenstein&#8217; actress Cora Savage, far left, poses with filmmakers Mike Rutkoski, center, and Jon YonKondy at Friday night&#8217;s red-carpet premiere in Wilkes-Barre. </caption1><photoCredit1>Tony Callaio | For Times Leader </photoCredit1></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/web1_Baby-Frankenstein-4-1-1-2.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Film co-producer, co-writer, and director Jon YonKondy, second from left, stands with his mother, Donna, far left; father Jon R. YonKondy, second from right, and sister Jill YonKondy. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo2>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/web1_Baby-Frankenstein-4-1-1-2.jpg</photo2><caption2>Film co-producer, co-writer, and director Jon YonKondy, second from left, stands with his mother, Donna, far left; father Jon R. YonKondy, second from right, and sister Jill YonKondy. </caption2><photoCredit2>Tony Callaio | For Times Leader </photoCredit2></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/web1_Baby-Frankenstein-5-1-1-2.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Jon YonKondy addresses 300 audience members with his partner Mike Rutkoski by his side prior to the screening of &#8216;Baby Frankenstein&#8217; at R/C Wilkes-Barre Movies 14 on Friday. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo3>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/web1_Baby-Frankenstein-5-1-1-2.jpg</photo3><caption3>Jon YonKondy addresses 300 audience members with his partner Mike Rutkoski by his side prior to the screening of &#8216;Baby Frankenstein&#8217; at R/C Wilkes-Barre Movies 14 on Friday. </caption3><photoCredit3>Tony Callaio | For Times Leader </photoCredit3></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/web1_Baby-Frankenstein-1-1-1-2.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Film partners Jon YonKondy, far left, and Mike Rutkoski, far right, get playful with Alex Norris, 11, left center, Evan Dweck, 10, center, and Hayden Jones, 6, at Friday night&#8217;s premiere of &#8216;Baby Frankenstein&#8217; at R/C Wilkes-Barre Movies 14. YonKondy is a West Pittston native. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo4>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/web1_Baby-Frankenstein-1-1-1-2.jpg</photo4><caption4>Film partners Jon YonKondy, far left, and Mike Rutkoski, far right, get playful with Alex Norris, 11, left center, Evan Dweck, 10, center, and Hayden Jones, 6, at Friday night&#8217;s premiere of &#8216;Baby Frankenstein&#8217; at R/C Wilkes-Barre Movies 14. YonKondy is a West Pittston native. </caption4><photoCredit4>Tony Callaio | For Times Leader </photoCredit4></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><subheadMeta>Monster movie filmed locally with West Pittston man at helm</subheadMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Tony Callaio</p><p>For Times Leader</p></bylineMeta></div>

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Locally made monster movie ‘Baby Frankenstein’ premieres with WB red-carpet event