Brothers behind the camera

By HOLLY NORTON

After watching Gordon and Greg DelGiorno’s film “Getting Even,” I concluded that, yes, they did have a sick sense of humor as promised. If the casts of “The Sopranos” and the “Golden Girls” had an orgy, this 70-minute movie produced by the Film Brothers would be the demented, white-haired step-child.

The film follows a group of mistreated senior citizens living in a Wilmington retirement home who go on a killing spree. And it’s funny.

But that was last year’s production. Since then, the Wilmington natives have moved on. Matured, even.

“Now we’re driven by a target audience. This is more of a family film,” Gordon said.

You mean you sold out.

“It’s a heartfelt comedy, but still it has the Film Brothers edge,” Greg was quick to add.

Good. A unique and twisted perspective is just the thing that will separate the DelGiorno brothers from the rest.

The brothers began their film company a little more than five years ago and have produced two short films (“The Lesson,” and “Routes”) and two movies, “Franks and Weiners,” which in 2001 developed into a sketch comedy show on Comcast, and “Getting Even,” all of which have been in heavy rotation in independent film festivals.

The story line from their latest yet-to-be-named production involves a 30-something man whose probation includes working at the Boys and Girls Club of Delaware. The lead character sees himself in some of the kids, and they help him heal. Awww. They hope to begin filming this summer.

Greg is the muscular and soft spoken younger brother who handles most of the creative end of Film Brothers, with co-writer Patty Blanchfield. Gordon is the slim and animated older brother who handles the business end. Together, they are constantly drawing upon local connections in the incestuous world of low-budget movie making.

They have cast Larry “The Captain” Walker – a 72-year-old Wilmington native that you can spot in Trolley Square on any given day – in everything they’ve produced so far.

Since then, the Captain has reached local celebrity status – meaning he’s recognized in the Trolley Square Acme as “that guy in that movie.” But hey, before, he was just “that guy in the sailor hat in Trolley Square.”

This time, the Film Brothers’ plan to work with a budget well over the $40,000 they shelled out for “Getting Even.” They’ll use Hedges-Hoffman Casting, a Philadelphia-based casting company. Potential location shots include Banning Park, the Delaware Museum of Natural History and the Delaware Center for Contemporary Arts.

And yes, the captain will be featured.

“He’s going to be like the Alfred Hitchcock of Wilmington,” Gordon said. “He’ll have at least a cameo in everything we do. Right now we have a part for him singing Grandmaster Flash.”