Gunplay and foul deeds in Idaho City — but don’t fear, it’s just for a movie

It’s unclear when the last Wild West shootout occurred in Idaho City, an old mining town that was the largest city in the Northwest in the mid-1860s.

But we know when the next one will be.

The city’s police chief put out a Facebook notice on Monday about filming July 7-9 that would involve armed actors.

“There are some scenes with prop weapons so don’t be alarmed,” Chief John Krempa said in the message to the town, now with just under 500 residents.

The weapons that will be used in the film are handguns and rifles.

The name of the film is “Pinewood.” It’s a “horror thriller / neo-western” that will be shot at a private cabin and other locations around Idaho City and Boise County, said executive producer Jennifer Levy.

Want to be an extra? They have a few openings, and you can sign up on Pinewood’s Facebook page.

“The movie is a psychological thriller about a man working through the turmoil of his past while trying to survive the hell he finds himself in,” Levy said. The synopsis describes an escaped convict who finds an unusual town in the Idaho wilderness, featuring townsfolk “in a gleeful trance,” murderous hillbillies and “paranormal hurdles.”

The film’s teaser trailer ends ominously: “When people come to Pinewood, they never leave.”

Three Boise-based companies have teamed up to produce the film: Clear as Mudd Films, Northwest Motion Pictures and Tetro Productions. Its stars include Todd M. Rich, Kelton Schomburg and Rob Namer.

No release date has been set but they anticipate early 2018. They plan to screen the film in Idaho City and Boise.

In promotional info about the film online, Pinewood writer and director Matt Mudd said it grew out of a personal tragedy — the loss of his little sister in 1994.

“I was just 6 years old, and the trauma has followed me into my adult life,” Mudd said. “I have developed PTSD from the event, which primarily manifests itself in a very vivid nightmares. One such nightmare was the inspiration for this story.”

He said the underlying story of “Pinewood” is “being trapped in a personal hell, surrounded by the demons of your past with no way out.”

Mudd has been a theater and film actor for 19 years. He has written screenplays for a decade and done behind-the-camera work for about six years.

Mudd co-owns Clear As Mudd Films LLC with Levy. The company has made five feature-length films, one short film and several festival shorts. They’ve set up an Indiegogo account to raise $18,000 for “Pinewood”; so far, eight supporters have donated $575.

This story was originally published June 27, 2017 at 12:51 PM with the headline "Gunplay and foul deeds in Idaho City — but don’t fear, it’s just for a movie."