MING CHEN
By Mary Ann Bourbeau
ATLANTIC HIGHLANDS – For many years, there have been rumors that the Victorian-era Strauss Mansion is haunted. That’s what drew writer and director Troy Burbank to film his latest horror flick there.
“What Lives Here” was filmed in the Strauss Mansion Museum on Prospect Circle in Atlantic Highlands just after Halloween 2023. Burbank, a Leonardo resident, cast several locals in key roles, including Ming Chen of “Comic Book Men” fame. The story involves a junk removal company from out of state that is hired by a real estate agent to remove the contents of a mansion with a sinister past.
The 85-minute film, produced by Burbank’s company, LeonardoBoyz, will begin streaming Aug. 26 on Amazon Prime, Direct TV, Dish Network, Google TV, In Demand on cable and in November on Tubi.
“Filming ‘What Lives Here’ was a strange, fun and bloody experience,” said Chen. “I play a character named Andy, a deliveryman who meets a supernatural fate. I think I have one of the best death scenes in the movie.”
Other locals in the cast include Andrew Bane of Leonardo, Peter Hogan of Rumson, Ernest O’Donnell of Middletown, Catherine Parish of Little Silver and Jeff Swanton of Atlantic Highlands. Burbank’s wife, Michele, who helped write the script, has a small role, as does their son Nicholas. Burbank portrays the owner of the debris removal company, which mirrors his day job in the construction industry. A big get for the filmmaker was casting Ron Millkie, best known for his memorable role as Officer Dorf in the original horror classic “Friday the 13th.”
“My director of photography, Marc Fratto, knew him,” said Burbank. “It was great working with Ron. He did a great job!”
Burbank has created about 10 short and feature films, all in the horror genre.
“Even as a young kid, I loved being scared,” he said. “I loved the ‘Halloween’ movies and was a big John Carpenter fan. I enjoyed watching scary movies on TV in the dark and freaking myself out.”
Growing up in Middletown, Burbank was always aware of the Strauss Mansion, which now serves as home to the Atlantic Highlands Historical Society (AHHS).
“We used to take our kids there for the Halloween tour,” he said. “A few years ago, my wife and I went out to dinner and met the woman who runs the museum. She said to let her know if we ever wanted to make a movie there.”
The next day, he and Michele toured the building and made an offer to rent the premises for filming, contacting Patty Bickauskas, historian for the AHHS board of directors. When the offer was accepted, he went home and immediately started working on a script.
In addition to the 10 days of filming at the Strauss Mansion, scenes were also filmed at Jaspan Hardware in Atlantic Highlands, the Leonardo Motel and American Legion in Leonardo, a scrapyard in Belford and in the Catskills in New York.
As for the experience of filming the horror scenes? “I’ve never done anything gory or violent before,” said Burbank. “It was fun creating the kills and seeing them come to life on screen.”
Built in 1893, the wood-shingled, Queen Anne-style house was the summer residence of millionaire importer and businessman Adolph Strauss, who lived and worked in New York City. The house was sold in the 1960s, divided into apartments and ultimately condemned in 1981 for code violations. The AHHS subsequently bought the building, made renovations and opened the imposing structure in 1986 as a museum representing the golden age of Jersey Shore town development. It is now listed on the New Jersey and National Registers of Historic Places.
As for being haunted, several paranormal investigations took place in 2014, led by former board member Greg Caggiano. He noted that there were disembodied voices, shadows moving, footsteps upstairs when no one was there and items being moved on their own, including a piece of furniture dragged several feet. In October 2014, Caggiano said a picture frame flew off the wall in the parlor in front of 40 people as he was giving a lecture on AHHS’s findings.
In an essay posted to the organization’s website, Caggiano wrote that the identity of the spirit was found to be a man named Bob who lived in a third-floor apartment in the 1970s when the mansion was used as low-income apartments. Caggiano said Bob told the group he loved rock music and Bob Dylan. Bob also revealed that he had died in the bathroom. During another investigation on Halloween night in 2014, the ghost hunting group captured a shadow moving in the second-floor bathroom window.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if the house was haunted,” said Burbank. “A few nights when I was alone on the third floor, I got that little chill like somebody is watching you.”
Cast member Peter Hogan doesn’t need convincing that a ghost inhabits the mansion.
“The Strauss Mansion is such a legendary piece of Jersey history, but is creepy as hell,” he said. “While we were filming, a big plate crashed unexpectedly. Everyone was freaked out. It’s 100% haunted.”
In December, Burbank will begin filming his next horror flick called “Christmas at Aunt Betty’s” in Rumson, Leonardo and Atlantic Highlands.
The official trailer for “What Lives Here” and several of Burbank’s other films can be viewed on his YouTube channel @troyburbankfilms.
The article originally appeared in the August 21 – 28, 2025 print edition of The Two River Times.
