She Likes to Watch

Locally made “Lizard Boy” premieres tonight in San Luis Obispo

There’s something running loose in our sunny California town.

Something mean. Something with scales, fangs and a killer tail. Something that looks, strangely enough, like a blend between Godzilla and a Hawaiian martial arts trainer.

The movie “Lizard Boy” makes its Central Coast premiere tonight at The Palm Theatre.

Renowned geneticist Dr. Gino Conti (Pete Punito) is developing a top-secret hybrid animal at Gen-T Laboratories, headquartered in a small California mountain town.

Distraught after being dumped by his fiancee (Miranda Allgood), Gino does the unthinkable. He combines human and reptilan DNA to create Carlo the Lizard Boy (Steven F. Zeigler, aka Sifu Z), a scaly surrogate son with anger issues, martial arts moves and a taste for human flesh.

Soon reports of brutal attacks are heard throughout Cuesta County. What’s a dad to do?

Described as “an entertaining sci-fi thriller with plenty of action, drama, humor and bits of gore,” “Lizard Boy” imbues a modern concept — genetic researchers playing God — with all the cheesy horror of a classic monster movie.

What’s more, the film was produced and shot locally by Picture Stable LLC of San Luis Obispo.

Writer-director Paul Della Pelle and photography director Adonis Cruz shot most of “Lizard Boy” in Castro Canyon off Highway 101 between San Luis Obispo and Avila Beach.

The cast features a mix of local and Los Angeles talent, including Mark Strano, David Gregory, Rachel Riley and Domiziano Arcangeli. Bruce Brown, who plays kindly Sheriff Johnson, co-wrote the screenplay.

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“Lizard Boy” screens at 7 p.m. tonight and 10:30 a.m. Saturday at the Palm Theatre, 817 Palm St. in San Luis Obispo. Tickets are $6.

For more information, visit the “Lizard Boy” Web site.