TOUCHBACK a new release by Anchor Bay Films is getting positive reviews. The star is Brian Presley and he has an interesting sports background for sure. He was a high school football star in Midland Texas. As in the film, this former Jenks High School quarterback has some fond memories.

“Yeah I played high school football and we won a state championship,” he said.

But unlike most former players as an actor he had a chance to relive those days, over a decade later which is no easy feat.

“It’s been a good 15 years since I put on pads. I’m in pretty good shape,” Presley added and then he talked about the physical nature of performing these scenes over and over again. “It was controlled hitting but I think shooting a sports movie is harder than playing. We would film for 12 hours straight, Not a 3-4 hour game.”

They filmed the movie just outside of Grand Rapids, Michigan and many of the locals were in the movie and Presley had a chance to frequent a very popular eatery.

“There were real people making the crowd noise. They stayed through the night,” he remembered. “Pal’s Diner had the best burger and milkshake in town.”

The legendary Kurt Russell is in the movie and he did add a lot to the movie set as well as the film.

“Kurt and I really hit it off. He has two boys who are close to my age. We really had a fun experience. He and I clicked. We had chemistry.”

Chemistry is important to a movie. This isn’t a hardcore sports movie as Presley explains.

“I categorize it as “It’s a Wonderful Life” meets “The Blind Side”,” said Presley. “It’s a movie for a wide audience. It tested as high as “The Rookie” and it should have a strong word of mouth. The love story is pretty powerful. They liked Christine Lahti. It’s so much more than football.

“This movie deals with foreclosures, tough economic times, and storms in life that we go through. It takes us to a humble place.”

Getting back to the football. To get into shape they let Presley work out with the local high school football team.

“I was the old man out there,” he joked. “I still have a little juice in the arm. It was nice to dust it off.”

Even when you star in a movie it’s always a bit of a guessing game trying to figure out if the movie will be a commercial success.

“You always hope to have success,”Presley said. “You sign on and do the best that you can. It has an impact and it executes on all cylinders. I think it works and resonates with audiences.”

Here’s some more information about the movie.

"Attitude" Clip Download: http://bit.ly/TOUCHBACK_Attitude

"High School Flame" Download: http://bit.ly/TOUCHBACK_HighSchoolFlame

TOUCHBACK is now playing in the following cities - for specific theaters and ticketing, please visit

http://www.touchback-themovie.com/showtimes.html

ARIZONA
Chandler, Glendale, Mesa, Peoria, Phoenix, Tempe, Tucson
COLORADO
Colorado Springs
IOWA
Johnston, Council Bluffs
KENTUCKY
Louisville, Okolona
MICHIGAN
Grand Rapids, Grandville
NEBRASKA
Omaha
NEW MEXICO
Albuquerque
OHIO
Columbus, Dublin, Pickerington, Richmond Heights, Sheffield Heights, Willoughby
OKLAHOMA
Norman, Oklahoma City, Shawnee, Stillwater, Tulsa
TEXAS
Abilene, Austin, Corpus Christi, Dallas, Edinburg,
El Paso, Frisco, Garland, Grapevine, Houston, Humble, Irving, Katy,
Lake Dallas, Laredo, Mesquite, Midland, Odessa, Stafford, Sugarland, Temple, Tomball, Waco,
Wichita Falls
UTAH
Centerville, Lehi, Ogden, Provo, South Jordan
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TOUCHBACK - Now In Theaters!
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Starring: Brian Presley, Melanie Lynskey, Mark Blucas, Kurt Russell, Christine Lahti
Directed By: Don Handfield
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Official Trailer: http://brgd.net/TOUCHBACK_Official_Trailer
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Official Poster Download: http://brgd.net/TOUCHBACK_OneSheet
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Official Website: http://www.touchback-themovie.com/
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Synopsis
Former high school football star turned farmer and family man, Scott Murphy (Brian Presley) finds himself with a unique opportunity to revisit his glory days during the Ohio State championship game where he permanently injured his knee in a game-winning play. Given a second shot at his destiny, Scott seeks counsel from Coach Hand (Kurt Russell), Scott's longtime mentor on and off the field, to help him decide whether to let his fate unfold, or follow a path that will change his future.

Written and Directed by Don Handfield, Touchback also stars Melanie Lynskey (Up In the Air, Sweet Home Alabama, CBS' "Two and a Half Men"), Marc Blucas (Knight and Day, The Jane Austen Book Club) and Christine Lahti (Smart People, CBS' "Chicago Hope").