Everyone needs to experience some indie horror in their life. It can be an adventure and one may regret it later. Sometimes though, it is worth the risk. With regards to the independent film world, the horror genre seems to attract the most creativity. Mainly because the filmmakers are not blessed with the budget and equipment all the major studio productions are privy to. Although, the latest batch of studio produced horror have been lacking something. That said, in this genre, less is more, and that seems to be the formula the creators of Jon executed.
Here’s what writer/director William Instone had to say about his first film effort…
“For my debut film I wanted to make something that felt real to me. I knew I wanted to do a horror film, but didn’t want to do the same old psycho killer in woods hacking up teen aged kids. Jon came to life when I recalled an event in my life when my real life friend Jon met a drag queen at a bar, and some of the online dating stories I had heard about. While driving to work one morning I came up with the basic idea of the story, three days later the script was written. It was important to me to make my characters as real as possible, almost every character in this story I modeled after real people I have known through out my life, in the end I feel strongly that this approach to the writing really paid off and made it very easy for my actors to embrace their character and breath life into them.”
“Making Jon has been a very enjoyable learning experience. Shot in guerrilla style; the film was made with a two man crew and limited budget. This truly was film school by doing. I not only learned what to do, but I learned what not to do and that is something that you only learn by doing it. I’m very proud of what I created and hope that others will enjoy watching it as much as I enjoyed making it.”
Check out the attached trailer and below you can read the film’s synopsis. My thoughts on the trailer and info available perks the interest levels a bit. A couple characters could be engaging. There is a chance this story could be long-winded and eventually lose its intensity. Definitely dig the soundtrack on the trailer though. If a screener is sent my way, perhaps a formal review will be executed.
SYNOPSIS: Jon Sloan, a socially challenged computer engineer doesn’t have any luck with the ladies. A desperate loner looking for love, Jon finds himself the constant victim of rejection from the local bar girls. In a state of depression Jon questions his sanity as he begins seeing a large man in black through out his daily life that he recognizes, but can’t place who the man is.
After an online date goes wrong, Jon finds himself thrust into a world of darkness when the man in black turns out to be Blackie; Jon’s sociopath, childhood imaginary friend that has returned to his life to taunt and entice him to live out a life of lust and murder.
Jon debuts on February 12th in some Texas markets and then will have a DVD run thereafter.