Slacker Finds Calling in Ghost Hunting Article by David Jakubiak October 25, 2007 pioneerlocal.com Just in time for Halloween, a Palatine-based film production company is set to launch a Web series about a slacker with visions of grandeur and a taste for the paranormal. The series, "Irving Renquist, Ghost Hunter," will open with a premiere at Hotel Indigo in Palatine at 3:30 p.m. Sunday. The show was written by Palatine's David B. Grelck, who describes it as a cross between "Fletch" and "Buffy, the Vampire Slayer." Renquist (played by Barrington's Brian Wohl) is an aimless 20-something who talks about wanting to be a ghost hunter. But he doesn't really do anything until his friend, a struggling journalist named Julia Kelby (played by Chicago's Erica Lynn Schmeck) drags him before a tormented ghoul. "What I like about him is that he captures the general malaise of a 20-something," said Grelck. "He'll only do something if he's thrust into it, and he gets distracted by every pretty girl, and it doesn't hurt to have 'ghost hunter' on your business card when you're chasing girls." Originally written as a novel, "Renquist" ended up coming to life in a different medium. "Mike Noens, the artistic director at CNGM Pictures, had come to me and said he wanted to develop a TV series, so I pitched him this idea that I had written as a novel," Grelck said. "He immediately liked the idea because it was something strange, quirky and funny." Grelck leapt at the opportunity. He has had previous scripts developed by CNGM, a group that is dedicated to developing independent cinema created by Chicago-area artists. "It's really nice to say, 'Here's what I'd like to make,' and then we talk about it, and we usually make it," he said. Produced like a traditional TV show, the first season of "Irving Renquist," which comprises nine episodes, will be shown for free, online at www.irvingrenquist.com starting at 7 p.m. on Halloween night, Oct. 31. "The great thing about going online for people at our level is that we can give this to a large audience, for free, and give people a chance to see what we, as an organization can do," Grelck said. The Hotel Indigo premiere of "Irving Renquist," will serve as a major fundraiser for CNGM and will include a showing of the show's first three episodes and will also include a question and answer session with the cast and crew and a silent auction of script books and other items from the show. And, the fundraiser will include one more item that Irving would probably think is pretty cool. "The Hotel Indigo named a drink after us," Grelck said. "They will be selling a Ghost Hunter for all of October. I think it's a caramel apple drink, but I haven't been able to get in there to try it. I'm working really hard on post-production get this thing ready." 'IRVING RENQUIST, GHOST HUNTER' 3:30 p.m. Oct. 28 at Hotel Indigo, 920 E. Northwest Highway, Palatine. $30 for adults, $15 for students. (312) 278-3771 or www.irvingrenquist.com.   << Go Back to Press