Cinematic Surge
'Surge of Power' brings super powers to Reel Affirmations Xtra
The boys — and girls — in blue are in for some crime-fighting help. Superhero Surge and his blazing-blue “battle suit ” are headed for the mean streets of the nation’s capital, as Surge of Power: The Stuff of Heroes kicks off the One In Ten’s Reel Affirmations Xtra series this Friday, March 18.
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As executive producer, writer and star, Vincent Roth is the force behind Surge. And lest anyone try to make comparisons between his hero and another recent gay superhero — Rage, as seen on Showtime’s Queer as Folk — Roth is quick to set the record straight.
“Rage is a gay superhero made for gays. There is sex, nudity — it’s darker, ” Roth says. “Surge is very, very different. He’s about being fun, campy. There’s no sex. There’s no nudity…. It’s not a coming-out story or an HIV story. It’s about what fun we can have. [He’s the] Ally McBeal of superheroes. ”
Along with the camp, come the cameos. Surge of Power is full of them. Lou Ferrigno and Nichelle Nichols offer some heroic advice to Surge. Even Noel Neill — Lois Lane in the 1950s Adventures of Superman — pops up.
It’s notable that Jesus Christ has a role in the movie, too. Jesus is represented as a figurine in Surge’s home, providing validation for the hero to add a cape to his suit, among other things. “A lot of people don’t think that much about the spiritual elements in their lives, ” says Roth. “I wanted that to be subtle, in the background. He’s never praying. He just has these casual conversations. ”
It can be argued that the biggest star of Surge is the hero’s suit. And Roth sees to it that where the movie goes, the suit goes. “I ship it Fed Ex, ” he says. “I’ve never actually taken it on the plane. I’m afraid it will get opened and something might get lost or stolen. The suit cost more than $7,000. It’s all leather. ”
Surge of Power plays tomorrow night, Friday, March 18, at 7 and 9 p.m. at the DCJCC, 16th & Q Streets NW. Tickets are $9 and are available at the door or in advance at boxofficetickets.com/oit or call 1-800-494-TIXS.
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