Actually, it probably would kill Dean Wareham (featured here in Piggie) to smile (Photo: Pioneer Theater)

So any self-respecting NYC rock fan over the age of 30 (OK, let's make it 35) knows they spent collective weeks or even months of their youths absorbing the nifty tapestries of Dean Wareham's bands Galaxie 500 and Luna. And admit it—you know you were thinking that whole time: "You know, this guy has got to have leading man written all over him."

Or at least it appears writer-director Alison Bagnall had that premonition (God bless her) as evidenced by Piggie, which opens tonight at the Pioneer Theater. Wareham plays opposite Savannah Haske as a petty criminal from NYC with whom an awkward upstate girl (Haske) falls in love.

"The character of Nile as written, was supposed to be irresistible to women - young and old," Bagnall told The Reeler in an e-mail. "Dean had that effect on women, from what I observed. Namely, female Luna fans would have to wait til their boyfriend or husband was out of earshot before they could answer my question - 'What do you think of Dean Wareham?' - so that they could gush and swoon over him.

"Secondly, Nile is an ex-junkie, and all the actors coming through the casting director's door were way too buff. Dean is skinny and craggy. But most of all, Dean has a real moviestar quality. To me, he looks like a cross between Alain Delon and Terence Stamp. He's really photogenic, has a natural screen presence and, basically, can carry a movie."

Ahh.... hah.

Wareham--who is also in the spotlight as the composer behind Noah Brumbach's buzz-packing The Squid and the Whale--will be in attendance with Bagnell at tonight's screening, and Haske (whose performance has generated some attention of its own) will join the pair Friday. Please, though--no shouting requests.