"Spring Breakers" movie to show Bay's seedier side | News

St. Pete Beach, FL.- A new movie is about to hit theaters, set to put St. Pete and surrounding beaches in the spotlight.

"Spring Breakers" is scheduled for release March 22nd and those who work to attract movies to the Bay area couldn't be more excited.

"Well I think it's great," said Jennifer Parramore, Film Commissioner for Visit St. Pete/Clearwater. "I think it's the pot of Gold at the end of the rainbow. That's what film commissioners work for, live for, dream of!"

But it's this film's darker side of drugs, violence and drinking that have some worried about the Bay area's image.

PHOTOS: "Spring Breakers" films at Coral Reef Resort

"Its definitely not going to give a candy coated version of what St. Pete is," says J.J. Henry who plays a featured extra in the movie. "It's definitely going to be real- got a lot of grit to it, not all beaches and sunshine."

Henry's friend, local rapper "Dangerous" is the person one of the movie's main characters is based on.

"I think it's going to surprise some people," said Dangerous, whose real name is Russ Curry.

We showed the movie's R-rated preview to visitors from out of town.

"I think it could have a huge impact on this area. There are a lot of elderly people here they don't care for that," said Ruth Jarcho visiting from Minnesota.

Others agree the movie may not show Tampa Bay in the best light.

"If I'm going to see a movie about St. Petersburg, Tampa or somewhere that I've lived, I didn't want it to be that," said former Bay area resident Joe Rice who now lives in Virginia.

But most believe "Spring Breakers" won't be enough to scare people away from actually visiting Bay area beaches.

"It wouldn't because it's a movie. It's not real," said another visitor who viewed the movie trailer.

Dore Herman owns Larry's Ice Cream on St. Pete Beach near where a portion of the movie was filmed.

"People will realize it's a movie," Herman says. "You go to certain places where they make James Bond movies and James Bond is not on the Beach."

"What I saw in the background was beautiful sunsets and palm trees and warm sun-fun," said Rice.

Film commissioners agree and say they're most excited about the movie potentially attracting future films to the area.

"This type exposure for all these movies, it's invaluable."

SEE ALSO: Vanessa Hudgens shows off curves in tiny bikini while filming spring breakers

Follow 10 News Reporter Beau Zimmer on twitter @Zimm10

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