Film screening, director Q/A to benefit Colonial Theater, Hobart’s Run

PHOENIXVILLE — The Colonial Theatre again will serve as the setting for a fundraising event orchestrated by media producer Grady Craig to benefit the Hobart’s Run neighborhood improvement initiative in Pottstown as well as the iconic theater in Phoenixville.

The event, to be held Friday, May 2, beginning at 6 p.m., will include a screening of the independent feature film “Paradise City” starring John Travolta and Bruce Willis.

That will be followed by a live, virtual question-and-answer session with director Chuck Russell, also known for directing “A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors,” “The Mask,” “Eraser,” “The Scorpion King,” and the 1988 remake of “The Blob” — a sci-fi classic originally shot in 1958 using the Colonial Theatre as a setting.

“The Colonial Theatre holds the legacy of ‘The Blog,’ so it’s an honor to reconnect with that franchise through this special event,” Russell said in a press release.

General admission tickets to the “Paradise City” event are available now at thecolonialtheatre.com under the Films tab for $25; Colonial members may pay a reduced price.

This is the third charitable event Craig and The Colonial have presented. Russell is a personal friend of Craig’s.

In 2023, the venue saw a sold-out fundraising screening of the film “Dig,” and in 2024, Lionsgate provided the exclusive privilege to screen the film “Scrambled” ahead of its wide theatrical release.

Chester Springs native Grady Craig is a 2014 Hill School graduate with a passion for giving back to his home region and his high school home-away-from-home — the Pottstown community — through Hobart’s Run.

He is the Senior Vice President of BondIt Media Capital, a Santa Monica-based film, TV, and content financing firm, where he also serves as the President of BondIt’s production arm, Buffalo 8.

Hobart’s Run is a 501(c)(3) neighborhood initiative founded by The Hill School in 2016 to create a clean and safe community, foster inclusivity, provide incentives for home ownership and property pride, and generate quality business development.