“Street Survivors" Film Set for Release On June 30, 2020

“Street Survivors: The True Story of the Lynyrd Skynyrd Plane Crash” will be available on DVD, Blu-ray and video on demand on June 30, 2020. The film premiered in Los Angeles at the 'Hollywood Reel Independent' Film Festival downtown in February of 2020. Director Jared Cohn remained determined and persistent to complete and distribute the film, after some well-documented and contested controversy surrounding Cohn’s and Cleopatra Entertainment’s right to release the film. Already achieving success, the film has garnered recognition as the “People’s Choice” for “Best Feature Film” at the ‘Hollywood Reel Independent Film Festival.' The movie centers on drummer Artimus Pyle’s experience as a band member in Lynyrd Skynyrd, and the tragic day on which the plane that they had chartered crashed, in the late evening of October 20, 1977.

According to actor Tom Jenkins, who portrays pilot Walter McCreary in “Street Survivors,” the plane had an older engine that burned a combination of oil and gas. “This mixture had to be checked and well-balanced. One actually had to go out on the wing, and stick a dipstick in the fuel tank to see if the mixture was properly balanced.” Continuing, “When the trouble started, the co-pilot accidentally dumped fuel, rather than shifting to the reserve tank. This not only caused a shortage of fuel while in the air, it also caused the flame out.” Jenkins concludes, “the plane basically became a floating tin can hitting the ground.”

Five people on the plane died that night from the crash. There were 20 survivors. The tragic plane crash which occurred on October 20, 1977 was just several days after the fifth full album release. The album Lynyrd Skynyrd had just released days before was entitled, ‘Street Survivors.’ This would be the final full album with all of the original Lynyrd Skynyrd band members. The plane crash occurred during the late evening in Gillsburg, Mississippi. Singer Ronnie Van Zant, guitarist Steve Gaines, his older sister who was a backup singer for Lynyrd Skynyrd, Cassie Gaines; road manager, Dean Kilpatrick, pilot Walter McCreary, as well as co-pilot William Gray, lost their lives that night. The band was en route to Baton Rouge, Louisiana to perform at Louisiana State University. They were aboard a 1947 Convair CV-240. It was a chartered airplane. The band had just wrapped a performance at Greenville Memorial Auditorium in Greenville, South Carolina.

Through Artimus Pyle’s account in the film “Street Survivors: The True Story of the Lynyrd Skynyrd Plane Crash,” the story is told from his perspective as a survivor and one who helped some of the other survivors escape the plane following the crash. Following earlier controversy, regarding the release of ‘Street Survivors,’ The Second U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan overturned a previous years injunction against the film’s production company. This was discussed on October 10, 2018 in a press article published by 'Rolling Stone,' entitled, “Lynyrd Skynyrd: Court Rules That Plane Crash Film Can be Released.” Artimus Pyle is a consultant on the film. As discussed in the article, “Heirs of Van Zant and Gaines, along with founding guitarist Gary Rossington, sued Pyle and Cleopatra Records over the biopic, ‘Street Survivors’ in June 2017. Eventually, the lower court order, which was based in part on an agreement entered into in 1987, citing the reason for the lawsuit in the first place was reversed. It was reversed through a Court of Appeals’ by a 3-0 Ruling to include the following verbiage, simply as stated “Cleopatra Records, Inc. is now free to distribute the film.” The article continues, quoting the court’s ruling, “That crash is part of the history of the band, but it is also an ‘experience’ of Artimus Pyle with the band, likely his most important experience,” the ruling reads in part. “Provisions of a consent decree that both prohibit a movie about such as history and also permit a movie about such a history and also permits a movie about such an experience are sufficiently inconsistent, or at least insufficiently specific, to support an injunction.” Concluding the excerpt from the article, Even Mandel, a lawyer for Cleopatra, described the ruling as a “victory for filmmakers, artists, journalists, readers, viewers, and the marketplace of ideas.”

The director of the film, ‘Street Survivors,’ Jared Cohn is also the writer on the project. During a recent interview with Tom Jenkins who portrayed pilot Walter McCreary in the film, he stated that he saw the original Lynyrd Skynyrd band members perform in 1976 in Charleston, West Virginia. Staying, “I am the only one old enough from the cast to have seen the original group perform.”

It is important for Artimus Pyle to be able to tell his story and the story of what he endured to speak in a way of shining his light, where through the film he greatly honors the memory of the lead singer of the original Lynyrd Skynyrd, Ronnie Van Zant. He speaks of their strong bond of friendship and brotherhood. There is no question that this is a beloved Southern Rock Band, and he is telling his story as a survivor of a tragic plane crash, and to honor the memory of those who lost their lives in that tragic crash.

Thomas Delmer “Artimus” Pyle is an American musician who played drums with Lynyrd Skynyrd from 1974 to 1977 and again from 1987 to 1991. Lynyrd Skynyrd was inducted into the ‘Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2006. Artimus Pyle is being portrayed by Ian Shultis in “Street Survivors."

Director Jared Cohn's film, "The Reactor' was recently acquired by Saban Films, relating to the North American and U.K rights to the film. "The Reactor" stars Bruce Willis, directed by Cohn, and written, as credited on Imdb.com by Jared Cohn, Cam Cannon, and S. Cyrus Sepher. Actor Tom Jenkins, who portrays pilot Walter McCreary in the "Street Survivors" biopic, also recently guest starred in "Yellowstone" Season three, which stars Kevin Costner. Jenkins Co-stars on the TV Series "Claire-ity" alongside Marybeth Masset. "Claire-ity" is on the ballot for the 72nd Annual Primetime Emmy Awards. Emmy nomination voting will commence July 2, 2020.
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