Major Dodge stood in the wrestling room at New Albany High School and shook his head in disbelief . “ This is kind of surreal being back here ,” said the 1996 alumnus . “ This is kind of where all my hopes and dreams originated .”
The actor-producer whose talents are now getting major ( forgive the pun ) buzz in the world of film for the movie Bomb City , Dodge recalled his humble beginnings . “ I was the worst wrestler when I started as a freshman . By the time my senior year rolled around , I ’ d won over 30 matches . … I often tell people : If you can start off in something and not be very good at it , if you put forth the effort and work hard at it , you can overcome anything .”
After graduating from the Southern Indiana high school , Dodge went on to wrestle at the University of Indianapolis before grappling with an acting career . “ I attribute a lot ( of my success ) to wrestling : There ’ s no one to blame but yourself ,” he said . “ I think that ’ s what a good producer does , they take the blame for everything and make sure everything is going the way it should .”
Dodge ’ s acting career now spans 17 years and counting , ranging from Broadway to upcoming appearances on NCIS , Reelz ’ Murder Made Me Famous and Lifetime ’ s River Run Red . His producing credits include a variety of short films , as well as being credited as executive producer on An Act of War and associate producer on Racing Legacy .
But it ’ s his upcoming feature – Bomb City – that is especially close to Dodge ’ s heart in the great ring of filmmaking and generating positive reviews from the industry . The now-Texas resident produced , executive produced and plays the role of Officer Denny in the film .
Bomb City tells the true story of Brian Deneke , a punk rocker from Amarillo , Texas , who was murdered in 1997 by a popular football player driving a Cadillac during a violent conflict between the “ punks ” and “ preps ” within the community . The assailant “ didn ’ t spend a day in jail ,” Dodge explained . “ It ’ s gritty , tough , loud . It ’ s a crime drama about punk rock .”
The subject matter of Bomb City is handled passionately but based very much in realism . Both punks and preps are given perspective through a “ beautiful , documentary-style film exploration ,” said director James Brooks , who went to school in Amarillo and was 12 at the time of Deneke ’ s murder .
“ The main antagonist is the criminal justice system ,” Dodge said . “ The football player ( who murdered Brian Deneke ) didn ’ t spend a day behind bars for the murder . The jury basically decided the punk rocker deserved to die because of the way he looked . The attorney was so good , he put the punk rocker ’ s dress and lifestyle and culture on trial rather than the actual event .”
Bomb City displays the cultural tragedy of judging others based on appearance with a contemporary edge .
“ It ’ s a very current film even though it happened in 1997 ,” Dodge said . “ People are still getting judged with how they dress , skin color , income and all that .”
The anti-bullying aspect made the movie personal for Dodge , who gained his confidence and overcome-anything mindset through wrestling and hard work to achieve his dreams .
This wasn ’ t the only personal connection to Bomb City , however .
What Dodge originally imagined as a personal , character-driven film with “ the beautiful dichotomy of punk rockers in dusty , open fields surrounded by steers ,” became something more after speaking with Brian Deneke ’ s father , Mike Deneke .
“ I have a son , Major the Fourth . He ’ s seven years old . People ask what it ’ s like to have a son . It ’ s like God ripped your chest open , pulled out a piece of your heart and made another human being ,” said Dodge .
“ Sitting across from ( Mike Deneke ) 17 years later , knowing he lost his son and still seeing this pain behind his eyes … that ’ s what got me into movies , man . The human connection .
“ It was no longer about punk rockers in the middle of steer pastures . It was about this man wanting his son ’ s story to get out there . I gave him
20 EXTOL SPORTS / SEPTEMBER 2017