A movie shot at Warren County Fairgrounds last year will be coming to Three Star Cinema later this month.
“Desperate Riders” is a Western starring Drew Waters and Trace Adkins. It was filmed exclusively in Tennessee, including two full days at our fairgrounds where director Michael Feifer capitalized on the rustic charm of Fairfield Village.
Feifer said he saw a picture of Fairfield Village on a film commission website and knew it would be a perfect spot.
“I wanted to have Trace Adkins so we decided to shoot in Tennessee, mostly around Nashville, so he wouldn’t have far to go,” said Feifer in an interview with the Standard on Tuesday. “There are no Western movie sets in Tennessee so it’s hard to find a Western town. This is set in the 1880s, so your fairgrounds was a perfect spot.”
Warren County residents may remember Adkins was once the headline performer at the Warren County A&L Fair as an up-and-coming star some 15 to 20 years ago.
Feifer said the crew spent three weeks filming the movie in February 2021. Despite Tennessee getting hit with a heavy layer of snow at that time, filming continued.
“It was shot in the snow, which is something you don’t see in a lot of Westerns,” said Feifer. “With the wind chill, we shot in 9- or 10-degree weather some days so I have to hand it to the actors for toughing it out.”
Adkins plays the bad guy in “Desperate Riders,” an outlaw named Thorn. He kidnaps a woman and tries to make her become his wife, but a posse is hot on his trail led by Waters playing Kansas Red.
“It has a lot of great characters and it’s a classic story,” said Feifer. “Westerns don’t get much support outside North America so it’s a great chance to support a film shot in Tennessee and in Warren County.”
Three Star Cinema owner Bob Bassham said Tuesday he is scheduled to have “Desperate Riders” when it opens in theaters, which is Friday, Feb. 25.
Andy Parton is one of the few local residents who was selected to be an extra during filming at the fairgrounds. Parton said he bought cowboy boots before heading to the fairgrounds.
“For someone who had never seen a movie in production, to be there and witness everything was just awesome,” said Parton. “They told me to look as natural as possible then asked me if I had any experience around horses. One of my main roles was to lead a horse through Fairfield Village. I led that horse around in a circle all day. I felt like a kid again.”
Parton says he hasn’t viewed the finished product and has no idea how prominently he may been seen in the background of some shots, if he can be seen at all. He said crews filmed all day and all night at the fairgrounds with some scenes getting about 10 takes each.
After “Desperate Riders is released in theaters Feb. 25, it will be released on Blu-ray and DVD on April 5.
