ON SCREEN Veteran on mission for Hollywood success

Nick Palmisciano was a U.S. Army infantry officer who was Ranger-qualified. He served in the military for six years, including a deployment in the Balkans and Kosovo in 2000. So he understands what veterans go through in battle and what happens to them when they come home. His perspective and that of other veterans makes “Range 15,” a new film, an authentic slice of life.

According to Palmisciano, “Range 15” is the first ever film written and produced by, and starring, veterans. For that reason, he said the film gives a more accurate depiction of the military than Hollywood usually does.

“We wanted it to look and feel like it really does in a unit,” the Somerset native said.

In “Range 15,” five military buddies wake up in a jail drunk tank after a night of partying. The same buddy always seems to get them in trouble. While they are locked up, they find out a zombie apocalypse has broken out and they have to get to a place called Range 15 to find a cure.

Palmisciano said it’s a “wild ride” kind of movie.

“It’s a band of misfits trying to save the world,” Palmisciano said.

As they travel to Range 15, the characters encounter other people along the way, including characters played by William Shatner, Randy Couture and Keith David.

Palmisciano said Shatner, the legendary “Star Trek” actor, was “awesome.”

“He was the most professional, prepared actor,” Palmisciano said.

After Shatner agreed to be in the film, Palmisciano said it became easier to get other well-known actors, such as Sean Astin, to appear.

“It became a real movie the moment he said yes,” Palmisciano said of Shatner.

Palmisciano said some of the actors play themselves, but Shatner plays an attorney and Astin plays a pilot.

Palmisciano said he and others involved in the film are excited about its June release. He said the film would be shown locally at Swansea Regal Cinema, among other locations.

Palmisciano is the founder of Ranger Up, which he says is the largest military lifestyle brand of military clothes in the country. He said he was looking to film a movie involving veterans and had written several screenplays, but never fell in love with any of them. Palmisciano said Article 15, another military apparel company, came to him with a script concept that he liked. He said he worked on developing a production company and rewrote the script.

“The mission was to show the military community that veterans can get out of the community and do the impossible and that’s what we set out to do,” Palmisciano said.

The movie was directed by Ross Patterson, known for his acting in the 1990s and early 2000s, but who now concentrates on independent films.

Palmisciano said he sees a growing military/civilian divide for those coming back from wars today. He said the global war on terror has the lowest percentage of the country’s population serving in the military than in all other wars. Palmisciano said servicemen and women go from a mission that is bigger than life during the war to a civilian world where they have problems finding work. He said they start thinking they are alone and don’t matter anymore, which he thinks contributes to suicides. With the movie, Palmisciano said he wants to show that veterans can accomplish great things when they come home.

“We want to be an example for others coming out to show them that one, you’re not alone and two, there’s always another mission for you to accomplish, if you want to,” Palmisciano said.

Palmisciano said he had never acted in anything before “Range 15,” aside from some silly Facebook videos.

“It was a much more serious endeavor,” Palmisciano said. “We had to practice a lot because this was our first time ever doing it.”

The movie was filmed in Hollywood in about a month.

Palmisciano said “Range 15” is also the first fully independent big-screen movie ever. He said the film has partnered with the company Tugg to help get the film distributed. He said more than 300 theaters around the country are scheduled to show the movie June 15. He said that number could grow to 600 or 700 before that date.

Palmisciano said $1.4 million is the record for the most money made by an independent film and he hopes “Range 15” will crush that record.

The veteran said he wanted to cause some disruption in Hollywood. The movie-making process is difficult partly because of cost and because studios aren’t as willing to take risks as they used to be. When “Range 15” was presented to movie companies, some wanted to change the script, produce it with well-known actors and make the rating PG-13. Palmisciano said because the movie is being distributed by Tuggs, it does not have a rating, but if it did, it would be an R. He said the reason for the R rating would be the language and violence.

“We blow up a lot of zombies and swear a lot,” he said.

Palmisciano said the model being used to produce the film could work for anyone who wants to make a movie.

He said he wanted a movie on which veterans could hang their hats, that they would want to watch over and over again, whether in the theater, at home or while deployed.

Mindy Robinson, a Fall River native who works in Los Angeles as an actress, also appears in the film.