Productions
Chambers turned down the potential deal when Disney wanted to turn it into a PG movie. It was later released, rated G, by indie film label Freestyle Releasing. Directed, produced, and written by Tim Chambers, the film also stars Ellen Burstyn, Marley Shelton, and David Boreanaz. Most scenes were shot in and around West Chester, including at Jimmy John’s sandwich shop, the Armory Building on High Street, and of course, West Chester University, the team eventually upset in the championship game.
QVC is an internationally televised home shopping corporation founded by Ben Mecher in 1986 right here in West Chester. The 80-acre, $100 million QVC Studio Park, which serves as the base for all broadcasts and operations in America, is still here today. QVC broadcasts in five countries and receives orders from the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, Japan, and Italy. This amounts to broadcasts in more than 200 million households. Back in 1986, the first item ever sold was a “Windsor Shower Companion” shower radio, presented by host John Eastman. Today, QVC is supported by 27 program hosts and broadcasts live 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and is not only the largest home shopping network, but the number two network in terms of revenue. Fun fact: The corporation strives for Quality, Value, and Convenience, hence the name QVC.
Marley & Me, starring Jennifer Aniston
and Owen Wilson, was released on December 25, 2008 and set a record for the largest Christmas Day box office ever with $14.75 million in ticket sales. This tear-jerking comedy was based on the memoir of John Grogan, a former newspaper reporter who frequently wrote about his lovable but mischievous Labrador Retriever, Marley, and was shot on location in Florida’s West Palm Beach, Fort Lauderdale, Hollywood, Miami, Philadelphia and, of course, West Chester. The movie includes many scenes filmed in West Chester, and for one scene in particular, hundreds of locals crowded around as Gay Street was painted with pretend snow in the middle of May. Aniston and Wilson were seen frolicking through our borough later that evening while shooting their wedding night. In the film, when John’s growing family relocates to the Philadelphia area, they move into a house
Fun fact: Seven members of the original 1972 Immaculata championship team appear as nuns in a church scene.
Much of this blockbuster was set in town located on the 1000 block of Meetinghouse Road, about five minutes outside of the borough. The property, which was built in 1831 on 16 acres of property, went up for sale shortly after the film wrapped. The asking price was a hefty $1.2 million, partly because of its tie to the movie. Fun fact: During filming, most of the original owner’s furniture, quilts and artwork remained in the house in addition to other items brought in from the movie’s Florida set.
The Might Macs, originally titled Our Lady Of Victory, was later released under its current title in 2011. It tells the story of the Immaculata University women’s basketball team as they set out to record their first ever women’s NCAA Championship. It stars Carla Guino, in the lead role of Cathy Rush, a Hall of Fame women’s basketball coach. Cathy became head basketball coach in 1971 where she struggled against constant powerhouses. Although Disney originally offered to produce The Mighty Macs, director Tim
Jackass sports a tagline that sums up the entire franchise: “Do not attempt this at home.” If you’re unfamiliar with the Jackass MTV television series, it was a censored version of the later production of Jackass: The Movie. The film was produced by MTV Films and Dickhouse Productions and released by Paramount Pictures. It features the original cast of the television show, including West Chester’s own Bam Margera, Brandon DiCamillo, Raab Himself, and the late Ryan Dunn among others. The MTV series and movie were both filmed in and around the West Chester borough. The film had a budget of $5 million and quickly became the number one film in the United States and grossed nearly $80 million worldwide. Fun fact: Since some scenes of the film were shot in Tokyo, Japan, a special edited version was created and screened for Japanese audiences.
Parallax was shot in the borough of West
Chester and was written, directed and produced by Henderson High School graduates Graham Nolte and Tommy Stackhouse. Fun fact: There is a lot more information on this film in our feature story on page 32. WCP
Immaculata University sets the scene for a great sports movie
The world’s largest home shopping network has its headquarters here in West Chester
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the wc press | voice of the borough
Many members of the Jackass crew are from West Chester