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K-State Today

May 10, 2012

Going Hollywood: Wartime movie early screening at university; actors, directors and military leaders in attendance

Submitted by Communications and Marketing

"Memorial Day," a soon-to-be-released wartime movie, will be screened at Kansas State University on May 23 -- making the Manhattan and Fort Riley communities two of the few in the nation to see the film before it is released to a national audience.

The movie will premier at K-State on Wednesday, May 23, at McCain Auditorium. A red carpet event with the director, producer, several of the film's actors and senior military leaders from across the state will begin at 7 p.m., followed by invitation-only showing of "Memorial Day" at 8 p.m. The red carpet event will include a Humvee used in Iraq and a World War II jeep.

The public is invited to the red carpet event.

"This is a great, unique opportunity to host a Hollywood-level event in our community and advance our work in building a military-inclusive university and community," said Art DeGroat, director of military affairs at the university. "The film is inspiring and moving."

Perspective Films, the studio that produced "Memorial Day," chose to screen the movie at K-State because of the university's unique relationship with Fort Riley, according to DeGroat.

"Memorial Day" is about two generations' experiences in war. Thirteen-year-old Kyle Vogel discovers his grandfather's World War II footlocker. Kyle's grandfather, Bud Vogel -- played by James Cromwell -- never talks about the war but makes a deal with his grandson: Kyle can pick any three souvenirs and Bud will tell him the story behind each one. As the story progresses, the film parallels Bud's complicated wartime past with Kyle's wartime future as the men share their combat experiences with each other.

A trailer for "Memorial Day" can be seen at http://www.memorialdayfilm.com.

"Memorial Day" will be released nationally on Tuesday, May 29.