See 'So Cold the River' Friday in Bloomington — and see a sneak peek now

Can mineral water heal you?

Can vodka?

When adapting Bloomington-native author Michael Koryta's novel, "So Cold the River," Pigasus Pictures went straight to the source: French Lick.

'So Cold the River':Filming wraps up for film adaptation of Koryta novel

They not only filmed the chilling horror story at the resort — they also collaborated with West Baden Springs Hotel and Cardinal Spirits to create another elixir of sorts.

In the film, based on the novel of the same name, an acclaimed documentary filmmaker is paid to profile an enigmatic billionaire. As part of her research, she finds herself with a bottle of water from a local spring that seems to have some terrifying properties.

Produced by an Indiana film company, with Cook Group's Carl Cook and Pete Yonkman attached, it's full of Hoosier connections.

Here's a look at what's happening in Bloomington to celebrate the film.

See 'So Cold the River' at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater

A special screening is scheduled for 7 p.m. Friday at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater, 114 E. Kirkwood Ave. in Bloomington. A pre-show cocktail hour starts at 6, and there'll be a Q&A with filmmakers after the screening. Tickets are $5-$10.

Zachary Spicer, CEO and founder of Pigasus Pictures, called Friday's event a 'full-circle moment' for the Bloomington-based production company.

"Local community members played an integral role in the creation of this film, so we’re looking forward to experiencing the final project with them at the iconic Buskirk-Chumley Theater," Spicer said in an emailed statement. "With such strong ties to this region, we couldn’t think of a better place to host this event than right here in Bloomington."

So Cold the... Vodka?

Cardinal Spirits has launched a new vodka in honor of the film. It'll be available starting Friday and will be served at the BCT during the event.

The new liquor is a nod to the famed mineral elixir in the story, Spicer said. "Filmed on-location at West Baden Springs Hotel, 'So Cold the River' centers around southern Indiana’s mysterious past and Pluto Water, which bubbled up from the hot springs in the early 20th century," he said in an emailed statement.

Cardinal Spirits said in an Instagram post that the vodka also will be available at Big Red Liquors.

About the novel and the adaptation

"So Cold the River" was Koryta's sixth novel, and the first to cover more supernatural territory. Before the book's release, he told Herald-Times reporter Mike Leonard that it was "the most fun I've ever had writing."

He was inspired very early on to think about the dilapidated resort as a child, Leonard wrote, when he visited with his parents. As he grew up, the Cook Group would further his interest as they renovated it. He knew it would be a great place to set a novel, and he wanted to be first.

“Nobody in New York could imagine this place,” he told Leonard in 2010. “I kept getting praise for the details and description of the dome (at West Baden) and I’d have to say, uh, no, I didn’t make that up. That’s what it looks like."

Koryta wasn't available for this week's screening in Bloomington, but ahead of the event, he lauded local screenwriter Paul Shoulberg, who he said "did a brilliant job of turning my ungainly novel into a film that showcases the magical setting."

'So Cold the River':Pigasus film based on Michael Koryta's novel features area residents as extras

"Paul understood that the hotel needed to be a character, with all of its unique beauty and resilience and, yes, menace. When the hotel was restored, it was called the "save of the century" for a reason — there's truly nothing else like it," Koryta wrote in an email. "Then to see a Bloomington-based distillery create a fresh spin on Pluto Water just continues the great fun of this for me, the sense of the story inspiring different creative forms, and carrying the incredible history of Springs Valley into a new era.

"To play some small part in that legacy is special. My dream is that someone will unearth one of these vodka bottles a hundred years from now and decide to tell a new story about it. You always want the story to outlast you. The hotel will certainly outlast me — and so will that creepy little devil on the bottle. He's got staying power."

Read the book

Buy "So Cold the River" online or in Bloomington at Morgenstern's, or find it at your local library.

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: Buskirk-Chumley Theater in Bloomington showing 'So Cold the River'