Day of Vengeance has connections to the Island City.

Recently, a young man came to the office. He explained that he had been born and raised in Alameda. He and a few of his friends had made a movie. Would I be interested in watching it? While I am by no stretch of the imagination a movie expert, I am always interested in seeing what local artists are up to. The movie, titled Day of Vengeance, arrived in the mail a few days later.

Although the movie is shot entirely in Mendocino County, it has many Alameda connections. Sebastian Pasanissi, who was born and raised in Alameda, wrote the screenplay. The film's director and editor, Isaac Pingree, was also born and raised in Alameda. He attended the TV Media class and Dell Martin's Film As Literature elective class at Alameda High, and is currently a substitute teacher in Alameda.

As a high school student, Pingree worked at The Video Station, where copies of the movie are available to rent. In high school, Pingree also cleaned docks when the lagoons were drained to raise money to make his movies, hence the name of the production group, Lagoonside Productions. Pingree met the star of the film, Tony Kitchin, when Kitchin moved to Alameda from Michigan. The film made its premiere at the now defunct Central Cinema.

Day of Vengeance is about Jake Reid, a young man whose father died in a bloody massacre 15 years ago in Covelo, California, after participating in a botched robbery — the loot from which was never found. Jake comes to this small western town to dig up the past and to dig up the money — he digs too deep. As he uncovers the circumstances of his father's death, Jake enlists the help of the daughter of a man his father killed, and fends off the town's brutal sheriff. But Jake isn't the only one looking to haul away the money. Escaped from prison, and on the run, Jake's father's surviving partner in crime shows up in town to finally collect his ill-gotten gains. The sheriff, the outlaw, the locals and the girl go straight to what they know — the gun — and Jake, caught in the crossfire, has to decide whose side he is on.

I expected and looked forward to an entertaining, amateurishly shot B movie. What I saw rivals any movie I have seen recently. The story line was engrossing. The characters were fascinating. The cinematography was gorgeous, and the editing was incredible. I was so caught up in the movie that I forgot to be amazed that this had come from a few of Alameda's own.

Day of Vengeance has not been rated. The film contains graphic violence and strong language. The movie is now available for rent or purchase at The Video Station, 1929 Broadway, Alameda.