EMMAUS, Pa. — Jiah Peck’s love for the big screen goes back to when he was in high school, and "Star Wars: Episode III" hit theaters.
“I was so excited, I bought like 20 tickets on my mom’s credit card,” Peck said.
“We all dressed up, waited in line for five hours at the Quakertown Regal, and my friend even turned his car into the Millennium Falcon.”
"Popcorn Pushers: is really about how awesome and magical movie theaters are.”Comedian/screenwriter Jiah Peck
That experience captured the magic of going to the movies — a feeling Peck said he’s been pushing toward ever since.
And now a comedian/showrunner, Peck's newest series, "Popcorn Pushers," celebrates his love of film — and the Lehigh Valley.
It will make its debut at 7:30 p.m. Saturday in Emmaus Theatre, 19 S. Fourth St., Emmaus, before its premiere on social media, slated for January.
Tickets to "Popcorn Pushers," at $12.24 each, are available on the Emmaus Theatre website and at the theater box office.
"As you get older, it’s harder to recreate that kind of excitement, but I still try," Peck said. "For me, it’s like a pilgrimage.
"You go with friends, make a day out of it — dinner, travel, the works. That’s what "Popcorn Pushers" is really about: how awesome and magical movie theaters are.”
Mob plot
Set in a mob-owned movie theater, the series follows the Lumbago family as they try to keep their century-old business alive amid superhero fan fights, secret piracy rings and their loan-shark bosses breaking kneecaps between screenings.
That nostalgia extends Peck's fondness for mob movies such as 1995's "Get Shorty" and David Chase's HBO series "The Sopranos."
“I’m probably the second-biggest 'Sopranos' fan in the world — only because I don’t live in New Jersey,” Peck said.
“The mob angle just gave 'Popcorn Pushers' an extra layer of danger and comedy.”
All 13 episodes of the first season — about 90 minutes total — will screen Saturday.
“This show was a passion project 15 years in the making,” Peck said.
“I wanted to tell a story about a family with history running a business, not just a bunch of slackers making movie jokes.
“If you love movies, weird workplace comedies, or anything a little dark and a little ironic, come see it."
A love letter to the theater
Peck, who said he grew up working in both small art houses and big multiplexes, said the show pays homage to movie theaters at a time when many are vanishing.
The series was filmed entirely in the Lehigh Valley, including scenes at Emmaus Theatre, Lehigh Valley Apparel Creations in Bath, SteelStacks in Bethlehem, and on location in Nazareth and Pennsburg.
The production team built a miniature model movie theater for establishing shots.
“It’s a small but growing scene."Comedian/screenwriter Jiah Peck
The series, now filming its second season, also features a cast and crew of about 60 local and Philadelphia-area comedians, many of whom are active in the local comedy circuit.
“It’s a small but growing scene,” Peck said.
“I started taking classes at SteelStacks about 10 years ago and formed my sketch group, Pigeon City. We’ve been doing shows and videos ever since — kind of like 'Saturday Night Live,' but homegrown.”
The cast includes Steven Bost ("The Valleyweird Squares"), Anthony DeSanctis ("The Sequel Show"), J.J. Ellis ("Pigeon City"), Terrence Haynes ("Pigeon City") and Gabrielle Huggins ("The Clique").
Also, Evan Stutts ("We’re Good, You’re Great"), Erica Sylvester ("Synced Up"), Danielle Tampier ("Synced Up"), Lisa VanArsdale ("Lisa Joins A Cult") and Justin Vrona ("Steelstacks Improv House Teams").
Peck, who teaches sketch writing at SteelStacks, says he’s excited about the future — including a possible partnership with ArtsQuest comedy venue expected to open in the new Creative Factory powered by PPL next year.
"We’d love to make a splash there with a new sketch show,” he said.
For more information about the series, visit the Popcorn Pusher's Facebook page.
