“The Da Vinci Code” might not be faring that well with critics, but the folks behind “The Norman Rockwell Code” have plenty to cheer about. The spoof of Ron Howard’s film, based on Dan Brown’s bestselling novel, was written and directed by Alfred (Freddie) Thomas Catalfo and co-produced by Catalfo and Marc Dole of Hatchling Studios. It offers a vision of what would happen if a similar scenario to that outlined in the Da Vinci Code actually unfolded at a small New England museum, with Barney Fife’s son, a correspondence-course symbologist, arriving on the scene to investigate the message left in code. The filmmakers got substantial press coverage during the production phase, 60,000 hits on their Web site to view the trailer, and a request for a review copy of the film by the producers of “Ebert and Roeper.” No local premieres have been set yet, but the 33-minute film is available online at www.thenormanrockwellcode.com.

The film was shot on location in Dover and at Mill River Custom Framing and Gallery in the Salmon Falls Mill in Rollinsford. It stars Mike Walsh as Langford Fife; Danica Carlson as the sophisticated Sopha of the Quebec Secret Service; Fritz Wetherbee as the Curator; Gregory G. Athans as the Gatekeeper; Ralph Napolitano as Skipper; Catalfo as the Detective; Tom Seiler as the Police Captain; and Christopher Roblee as the Actor.“The War Tapes,” winner of the International Documentary Competition at the Tribeca Film Festival in early May, won’t be seeing a New Hampshire premiere in Portsmouth, as previously hoped. Although filmmaker Deborah Scranton seemed keen on opening the film here, she doesn’t govern the details of its release, says Trevor Bartlett, film series manager at The Music Hall. Bartlett reports that the producers, SenArt Films, decided that after its strong opening at the Tribeca Festival, they wanted to give it as quick, as large and as long a distribution as possible. They required no less than a week-long slot to secure a book it at The Music Hall, but the SummerFilm series only allows for three-day runs.

They ultimately decided that they would prefer for its N.H. opening to be more geographically central in the state, and in venues where the film could spend a little more time. “From their point of view, it makes perfect sense, so no hard feelings. It’s an extraordinary piece of work, and we’re still hoping to lure Deborah Scranton here after SummerFilm to attend a screening here, and to discuss her film with a Seacoast audience. We’ll keep trying, and hope for the best,” Bartlett says.