Middletown's Lakeside Inn makes its Hollywood debut Friday

Jun. 18—Middletown's Lakeside Inn 2.0 will be have its Hollywood debut Friday when "The Bikeriders" opens in theaters.

The Tytus Avenue tavern built in 1921 served up drinks and food to the neighborhood and the notorious for decades before closing about 11 years ago.

Then the Mack family took on the project on to reopen in 2022. Brian Mack said he and his son Josh and daughter Sierra were formulating plans for Macks Lakeside Inn when movie producers came knocking.

Movie filming took several months and, through the Hollywood magic, the building "burned" for a scene in the film. Very little of the bar was damaged with the exception of the awning, which is now brand new.

But the inside does have a newer look — gone are the dropped ceiling tiles and wood paneling. There is also a stage for live music.

Brian Mack said he and the staff plan to catch an early showing of the movie starring Austin Butler, Tom Hardy, Jodie Comer, Michael Shannon and Norman Reedus at the Austin Landing theaters on Friday afternoon then return to the bar for a party.

The Lakeside will have special nights for bikers fitting in with the lore of the movie, but Mack said it is a neighborhood bar that is a part of the gentrification of the area.

"It is more of a neighborhood, family bar," Mack said. "The way we look at it we are movies, music, media and motorcycles. Bikes aren't here all the time, and everyone is welcome."

The family matriarch stops in often, "and she is 82," Mack said.

For now the Lakeside Inn's kitchen is not open, but food is available and delivered to bar patrons from Starvin Marvin's next door at 2021 Tytus Ave. It, too, is a new business that also offers ice cream treats that opened last month.

"The Bikeriders," was also partially filmed in Hamilton, It will be released in theaters, and it will stream on AppleTV+.

The full trailer for "The Bikeriders" was released in September 2023. It may be viewed online on YouTube.

The fictional movie is inspired by the Danny Lyon photography book of the same name. It is about the rise and fall of a Midwestern motorcycle club in the 1960s.

"The Bikeriders" is written and directed by Jeff Nichols and is inspired by true events.