About 9 miles southwest of Watseka lies a place steeped in folklore known as Lantern Lane.
It’s there, legend has it, that a farm couple met their untimely demise in the early 1900s. And people say they see a lantern appear on the road as one of the couple searches for the other.
Watseka native Justin LaReau, now a Los Angeles-based filmmaker, remembers the tale and has produced and directed a horror film, “Lantern’s Lane,” that was released earlier this month.
“To characterize it, it’s a pretty standard kind of Hollywood horror film,” LaReau said from his West Coast base. “I think it’s a fun, relatable story that has the scares but also has the comedy in it. It’s almost like ‘Scream’ meets a little of ‘The Strangers.’ ”
According to the legend, a farmer one winter night ventured out with his red lantern to check on his cattle. After waiting several hours for her husband to return, his wife headed out to check on him.
Come the spring thaw, their bodies and the mutilated bodies of the cattle were found near the house.
For decades, area high school students have ventured out to try and see the mysterious lantern by parking in the middle of the road and waiting. As the fable goes, an amber light will appear afar off and come closer. Some have said they’ve seen the lantern resting on the trunk of their car.
LaReau made the trip to the site.
“I saw what looked like a glowing ember of light moving across the lane on one occasion,” he said.
In the movie, a group of young people meet at the local pub and decide to head to Lantern Lane. They enter the boarded-up house of the slain couple and are unable to leave. Mayhem ensues.
LaReau said when he and friends visited the site, “There was always this scary house. We always talked about sneaking in but never did.”
He’s heard stories about people entering the house and being injured, possibly by squatters. The house was demolished years ago, but another key piece of the tale, a mailbox that supposedly goes on for infinity when you stick your hand inside, is still there on the old farmstead.
“No matter where you go around the country, ... all these areas have their” place of urban legends, LaReau said.
The movie stars Brooke Butler (“Ozark,” “Animal Kingdom”), Andy Cohen (“Grey’s Anatomy”), Ray Donovan (“NCIS”) and Lisa Roumain (“Yellowstone,” “Grey’s Anatomy”).
A multi-sport star in the mid-’90s at Watseka, LaReau had two main interests growing up — sports and film.
After coaching basketball for about 10 years at Donovan and Kankakee Bishop McNamara high schools, South Alabama University, Southeastern Illinois College and Kankakee Community College, he decided to make the move west while he was still young enough.
“I loved sports,” LaReau said. “Eventually I knew what I truly wanted to be doing for the rest of my life was making movies and telling stories. At some point I just had to make that jump.”
The 43-year-old LaReau earned master’s degrees from Olivet Nazarene University in teaching and from The New York Academy, Los Angeles, in producing.
For most of those in the film business, it’s a slow climb. LaReau is no different. He initially worked in accounting on several movies before creating a microbudget horror movie, “A Demon Within” that was shot in the Watseka area and that earned a worldwide distribution deal with Blue Fox Entertainment.
LaReau joined with his producing partner, Lydia Cedrone, a former producer for Disney, to form Tidal Wave Entertainment to create films. It takes about three years to make a film. The company has made three so far.
The pandemic made things more difficult to create “Lantern’s Lane,” which was filmed in 2020 in a small town near Yosemite that LaReau said “had the feeling of the Midwest.”
LaReau said “Lantern’s Lane” is available on numerous video-on-demand services from Apple TV to Amazon to Dish Network as well as through cable networks and Google Play, Vudu and Fandango. The film is also available in select cities theatrically.
LaReau said his company is in various developmental stages with more movies. He enjoys the work despite long hours.
“I love telling stores,” LaReau said. “I love making movies. It’s all a growth process for me. I feel fortunate that we’ve done three movies and (there’s) optimism of future films to continue to grow the budgets.”
LaReau said the work is “a grind every day.”
During busier times, work days can run 14 to 16 hours “with no real weekends.”
A couple of nights a week, LaReau also mentors grad students who are making feature-length films, and has spoken in Russia on the art of pitching stories and directing.
His parents, Earl and Carol LaReau, live in Watseka.
STEPHENS
Horizon Hobby founder writes faith-based book
“In Plane Sight: Making Faith the Bedrock of Your Career” is a new book by Rick Stephens.
Released by Morgan James Publishing, Stephens said the book shows that faith works in business.
After being fired from two organizations that he led, Stephens, who lives in Champaign and Sanibel, Fla., started Horizon Hobby in his basement with three employees. He grew the business to one that exceeded $330 million in revenues, employing more than 700 people with facilities in Illinois, California, London, Hamburg and Shanghai. In 2006, the business became 100 percent employee-owned, and in 2014 sold to private equity on behalf of the employees.
Stephens said “In Plane Sight” details his successes and failures in business along with his personal faith and family experiences. It demonstrates that applying biblical principles will lead to “high adventure, excitement, joy and personal peace” and is an extremely effective way to run a business.
‘“In Plane Sight’ is a series of stories about my business career and how my spiritual life was intertwined in decision-making and the experiences I had,” Stephens said. “The stories have seemed to resonate with entrepreneurs and business leaders, especially those who want to live life to the fullest.”
The 17 Danville Area Community College students who were named all-star Jaguars.
17 students named All Star Jaguars
Seventeen students have been selected to serve as All Star Jaguars at Danville Area Community College.
In their roles, they will serve as student ambassadors on campus and in social media and will be included in the college’s promotional efforts.
They were selected through an application and interview/casting call process during the early weeks of the current semester.
They will serve through the fall and spring semesters. In exchange, they receive a tuition discount and college gear.
The All Star Jaguars:
— Carla Bastida, a basketball player and international student from Spain;
— Laura Duncan, current DACC student trustee, a graduate of Schlarman Academy;
— Jalon Glover, graduate of Schlarman and part-time student;
— Alexia Ham, a softball player from Beech Grove, Ind.;
— Carey Heatherly, a psychology major, E-sports athlete and DJ;
— Tamara Jimson, a part-time student returning as an adult with a disability, studying early childhood development;
— Autumn Lange, a first-year Presidential Scholar from Salt Fork High School majoring in business administration;
— Hunter Lange, a second-year Presidential Scholar from Westville High School majoring in nursing;
— Makayla Learned, a freshman from Armstrong Township High School who plans to go to vet school and is currently the FFA Section 18 president;
— Sydney Long, a Hoopeston Area High School graduate majoring in surgical tech;
— Savanah Mattingly, a softball player from Evansville, Indiana majoring in health science;
— Jenesis Maynard, a Danville High School graduate majoring in criminal justice;
— Raven Morrison, a softball player from Mattoon majoring in education;
— Brianna Phebus, who is taking all her classes online so she can be a stay-at-home mom to two young children;
— Sydney Scholz, also a young mother who is in the DACC nursing program;
— Danielle Shuey, a softball player from Bloomington majoring in Finance;
— Mikayla Williams, a Danville High School graduate who is majoring in psychology and pursuing a bachelor’s degree through the Franklin University/DACC 3 + 1 partnership.
TAMARA AND AARON FORMAN
New leadership set for Danville church
The Rev. Aaron Forman and the Rev. Tamara Forman will assume the leadership roles of Danville’s New Kingdom Christian Church.
The church was founded 30 years ago by Elder Willie Forman. After his death in 2002, the Rev. Mellissa (Forman) Hooker assumed the reins of leadership at her father’s request.
The Formans will take over the church leadership from Hooker.
The church initially met in the Sears Center building of Garfield Park before finding a permanent home on 430 Love Street.
In addition to the Formans, Assistant Pastor Terry and Shanae Beasley served the church, having been ordained to the ministry in 2002.
Terry Beasley was destined to be Hooker’s successor, but said God directed them instead to establish their online Sunday worship services called “Taste & See Ministries.”
Aaron Forman, who will serve as senior pastor, was ordained in 2009, and Tamara Forman in 2014.
“I am excited about this transition and the future of New Kingdom,” co-founder Peggy Forman said.
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