Riotous Comedy ‘GONE FOR THE WEEKEND’ Available Now on Amazon Prime

GONE FOR THE WEEKEND tells the story of Phil, an aspiring actor who is suspicious that his wife is cheating when she goes on a business trip with her boss. Enter his buddy Jesse, played by Burbank himself, the ringleader of a group of middle-aged pals who rallies the boys for a weekend of good old ‘80s fun. Jesse leads the gang on a hell-raising weekend that includes shenanigans at strip clubs, picking up girls and sneaking into concerts.

Drawing comparisons to 1984’s Bachelor Party and the more recent Hall Pass, GONE FOR THE WEEKEND is an unapologetically fun film with characters that you can’t help simultaneously love and hate. “It’s funny and you will laugh,” director Troy Burbank says. “There’s a lot of drinking, partying and hollering.”

GONE FOR THE WEEKEND features a guest appearance by renowned rock photographer Mark “WEISSGUY” Weiss, who shot some of the most notable album covers of the ’80s including Bon Jovi’s Slippery When Wet and Twisted Sister’s Stay Hungry. Weiss’ role in the movie grew from a quick cameo to a full-on role when the acting bug bit. Weiss also began to involve some of his musician buddies like Tesla’s Brian Wheat, who makes a cameo in the movie, and Chip Z’Nuff ofEnuff Z’Nuff, who performs the band’s hit song “Fly High Michelle” during a fantasy scene in the movie. 

In addition to the re-recorded version of “Fly High Michelle,” GONE FOR THE WEEKEND’s soundtrack recalls the fun-loving ‘80s with songs from Chip Z’Nuff’s solo album, Strange Time, and appearances from Missing Persons’ Dale Bozzio, Cheap Trick vocalist Robin Zander and formerGuns N’ Roses drummer Steven Adler – both Rock and Roll Hall of Famers – as well as New Jersey-based artists Colossal Street Jam and Wayne Olivieri, who wrote and performed the movie’s theme song.

GONE FOR THE WEEKEND received a nomination at the 17th Annual Garden State Film Festival earlier this year.

Writer, director, producer and Leonardo Boyz Films founder Troy Burbank was born and raised in the Leonardo section of Middletown, NJ. He traveled extensively as an amateur boxer, won championships and then boxed professionally for several years. “I saw the movie ‘Rocky’ when I was nine and that was it,” Burbank says. “I decided I wanted to be a professional fighter. I started boxing at age 13.”

His passion for boxing would soon collide with his future passion for film making when a production company began filming the Mickey Rourke movie Homeboy in Asbury Park, and Burbank was hired to play a boxer.

“I got paid for hitting the bag for two days as a background actor,” he says. “They cut the scene and I never made it into the film, but it changed me. I had the passion for fighting professionally and I also caught the bug at a young age for film production. Professional fighting was my passion, but simmering on the back burner was always the dream of writing a script and making a movie. It was always evolving.”

In 1992 Burbank met filmmaker and pop culture icon Kevin Smith, before he rose to fame with his independent film Clerks, which was filmed in Leonardo, NJ. Who would think that their brief conversations about life and movies would one day inspire Burbank to make his own film? Burbank says, “I’ve known Kevin Smith since his early days shooting ‘Clerks’ at the Quick Stop. He has always been an inspiration to me; I figured if he can do it, I can do it. I lived five minutes away and would go there for milk and lottery tickets.” Burbank got movie fever and did whatever he could to be close to the action and learn the tools of the trade.   

GONE FOR THE WEEKEND online:

Click here to share YouTube videos

For interviews and hi-res images, please contact Mark@markweiss.com or visitwww.leonardoboyzfilms.com/movie-stills for still photos from the film.