One of the Best Compliments Ever – And CDI Film Updates
I’m up on a sunny Michigan morning and sipping my hazelnut coffee. Fall is in full effect and I’m loving it. We wrapped filming on “Devil’s Pass” our recent western and I’m happy to say things went smooth. Only a few bumps with most being a few spots of rain but in many cases it added to the mood of the moment. I’m always hesitant about collaborations because the wrong one can lead to much strife between parties. I’ve got 30+ year into my relationship with the McGraws and so that was predictable and smooth. I was not the screenwriter on this film and we worked with two companies out of GA and I really connected with these owners. We shared many of the same creative and business views. It was more involved the management of this film because I wanted to make sure everyone knew why we did certain things. I recall the first day of pre-production asking the barriers between cast and crew at the base camp dining area be removed. I understand first through the food line if there is a reason due to crew needing to pre-light a set or whatnot. But eating segregated is not something I ever agreed with and so we’ve eliminated that at CDI since the early days. The idea of this is what the big studios do gets an “I don’t care this is CDI” response from me. Over the years I’ve had several things brought to my attention that we do differently. As an actor on visiting sets I saw things I agreed with or did not agree with and it allowed me to customize a company that is exactly how I like it. Most of those changes are about unity and inclusion before these were buzz words. We have diversity without trying because we pull from a collective base of artists. All we ask for the short run is to put the story first. It is also a company where you can get true opportunities in this business. I always say, who you know may get you a first opportunity but your efforts get you rehired. We had so many wonderful artists and some were stepping up into 1st key positions for the first time. What I love about this film is the overwhelming positive attitudes we had on set. There were tense moments where a piece of wardrobe ripped or a horse that might not have cooperated in the moment but with grace all issues were dealt with quickly and professionally. I think this crew was just incredible and I see a strengthening of our infrastructure that will carry us forward.
Casting was a long process but was well thought out right down to the featured players. As CDI is ran by actor/producers it is one area we take very serious. A talented and on-point cast will not only bring elevated performances but will help you make your day. Weather, horses and odd variables can drag you back time wise but when the actors were on things moved just swell. A film will truly live or die by the performances. To have strong heroes you need strong villains. We had strength across the board bringing the roles to life. I’m proud to say that I got to play one of the most unique roles to life in my career. Both the character and how the character interacted throughout the film. As a supervising producer I often like to put a little distance between myself and production and observe. I look for issues or elements of production that can be streamlined or improved upon. This distance plays into my character ‘McBride’ save one character whom I was very much in their personal space. In THE QUEST TRILOGY I got to write a role akin to mine in “Devil’s Pass” for others. Those others being Joe Cipriano, Tamour Ghazi and Rance Howard playing the devil. I would suggest going to watch FORTY NIGHTS, CHASING THE STAR and THE CHRIST SLAYER. I play a very challenging role in 2 of those 3 films. I loved the role of ‘McBride’ and I’m so curious to see how it manifests on screen. But I enjoyed seeing many actors I’ve watched over the years create marvelous characters do it once again. In some cases they took it all to new heights and it was awesome to see. On day four our directors put together a highlight reel so that everyone could see just what we were creating. And it was…amazing.
We enjoy bringing legends into our fold and allow them to play and perform in new and challenging ways. Several can make a living just engaging with the fans of their previous roles they made famous. But to allow them to create anew is a special thing. Darby Hinton is a great example of someone who even later in his career is actually challenging himself more and more. He found fame early on the Daniel Boone TV show and survived into adulthood. I think he is starting to create some of his best work as he opens to the opportunities that challenge him. Butch Patrick (Eddie from The Munsters) was also a child actor who has carries on with creating new roles but also cherishes the one that put him on the map. I’m a huge fan of the show with Herman and Grandpa among my favorite “buddies” in a show. Butch had great stories of this time and also gave us something comedic and special and I believe we will all work together again one day soon. But I was very impressed by Mitch Vogel a Golden Globe Nominee from co-starring with Steve McQueen and the last surviving principal actor from Bonanza the last two seasons. I’m not sure he was aware of it but he gave me one of the greatest compliments. We were in wardrobe preparing and he told me that all this (the production) was impressive and so well ran. He said that the last time he felt such a family like vibe on a set was on Bonanza and not since. This was an outside opinion and not something I asked for. But I will say that it really made me feel like a million dollars. There are things in our business that money cannot buy. I work every day to try and get to larger budgets to benefit the artists that work so hard. But we still run things as professional and prepared as possible and that doesn’t just happen. HARD WORK makes that happen. So I will cherish those words always from someone who has been there and done that. Thank you Mitch and I know we will work together again. Thank you for coming out of retirement for this film and I’m so thrilled you felt it was a good choice to do so.
Before getting into the wonderful updates I will say that the CDI tribe lost two past members in one day. Dennis Haskins best known for SAVED BY THE BELL passed away. He was a dramatic powerhouse in AN ORDINARY KILLER the true life crime drama we released in 2002. You can watch it now streaming. I met Dennis on set of TANGY GUACAMOLE a crazy Spring Break romp in 2000. We also attended several events in Las Vegas and Dennis was Mister Vegas knowing everyone in that town. I will cherish the times. At the end of the day I heard that David G. Smith “Smitty” our DP and editor on FROM VENUS had passed away. He struggled with health problems the last few years but I will always remember the long rendering times working in his basement studio. “It is what it is” was his favorite saying and he was a jolly soul who LOVED movies and music. Their journey has come to an end and so we push on. I create for all those whose journey has ended. RIP to all my artist friends.
EXCITING FILM UPDATES- Now onto some more upbeat updates!
- October is spooky month and my first feature starring role as Alex Kerwood, monster hunter has been going strong since 1999 when it released. Hollywood Video, Blockbuster and dozens of countries. The film was mastered to Blu Ray last year with the classic cut and a new director’s cut. That new cut is going to be playing several night shows at the Spectacle Theater in Brooklyn NY. Sat Oct 10th at midnight! Oct 12th at 10 pm, Oct 20th at 7:30 pm and Oct 28th at 10pm! Look up http://www.spectacletheater.com for more details. The film has never been released streaming and we will be setting that up for 2027!
- 2026 and I’ve finally done another film in the comedy/horror genre ROM COMS MUST DIE. On 10/2/26 is began streaming and is for sale on DVD. It showcases the frustrations of artists worldwide and comedically goes to the Nth degree. I love my co-star Adam Towner in this film. A humorous person in real life and a winner of several comedic shorts this was a chance to see how he played in a feature length film and it works. The supporting cast works on every level and I personally LOVE Melissa Anschutz and Dean Teaster as the ROM COM stars kidnapped in this film. Both are amazing actors and they once again show why they are great. It is now on Amazon Prime and appearing on more and more streaming platforms. If you watch it and like it please leave a review on Amazon Prime and/or our IMDB page. It is closer to R rated vs PG 13 for language and mild violence. It may not be everyone’s cup of tea but I think many will get a few great laughs and relate to the frustrations of Amos and Clem. I see already some SUCKER MC gave us (1’s) where you can vote. Even if not your cup of tea the film is not a one. I would bet that the rating came from an artist which is the funny irony of it all. Millions watch our films and never review and vote so I’m not sweating a few rocks thrown. You just best hope Amos and Clem don’t come knocking and send you to the pigs. So give it a fair shake and let us know what you thought. Even a video review would be fun. Do you blog, podcast or whatnot- give us a shout. WATCH IT HERE: https://www.amazon.com/Rom-Coms-Must-Travis-Hayward/dp/B0H9CNXQ6B/ref=sr_1_3?crid=8M50EWYTF7UA&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.8dwmiRr6bKlk4mL0ZRtVHw7yFF38HqBoX2sob9TcijHrfbPfQokstPOAbQ4ZRltkd9g-ekVn1uknyGmDAAtoqssEnxLTxnCZkxokU5tzQlHBdOzU_mDEfqRYDbHg58aijtc1qJRNZEe_qewKd2i8t4tddd39DMQ5I7GnPxmgLFrYWKBvuhOwkltgoltMGa-UGTDojJ4S6QmHQw9Z3QWGVOr4yFyujFblzRwacsW440s.9h5GKlFXmlb5soZyo7JYgPtSvMNrkY858Kp9XzH6KXU&dib_tag=se&keywords=Rom+Coms+Must+Die&qid=1791121997&sprefix=rom+coms+must+die%2Caps%2C139&sr=8-3
- AI JESUS: The Secret of the Kingdom Chip – The PR will start on this film as it releases to DVD and streaming on October 30th, 2026. This film centers on the highly discussed topic of AI. This film was inspired by true events and I added a SciFi spin to it. Strangely the spin might not be too far off and I think this film will have folks talking. PRO AI, CON AI, this film will question it all and do some with a good comedic element to it. At the same time it examines spirituality and technology coming together. Watch Amazon for DVD pre-orders and follow our FB page just like all our films.
- On 11/3/26 the wait is OVER! WILD FAITH CHRISTMAS the follow up to the hit WILD FAITH releases on DVD and streaming. Upward of 30 million have seen the first film and the follow up as been long awaited. We made a run at the TV series but the potential funding came with strings attached that I could not live with so we did a second feature. The TV series has been updated to take place after the 2nd film and we’ll see – but I’m well into a 3rd feature film so even if the TV series doesn’t launch the franchise will go on! But I think audiences will really love this story and the Christmas angle is so beautiful.
- As the holidays approach THE QUEST TRILOGY, LOST HEART, SILENT NIGHT IN ALGONA and all the CDI films are there for you as the cold arrives and a good story is what you need. I’ve had several random encounters with folks who tried telling me I should “check out” this film or that film only to find out that is OUR film. I had someone recently telling me how much they loved this bootlegger film HARSENS ISLAND REVENGE only to discover they were talking to Axel. Or most recently a billing person telling me about a great western WILD FAITH only to realize Ben Lily was standing in front of them. I had to show a picture to convince them. I love the way our films are finding their way into the public pop culture.
DEVELOPMENT – When I was in the heat of battle on the last film I did not like looking too far ahead but now the dust is settling and I’m getting back into development. I’m examining a great comedic who done it film that we’ve almost done twice but had fully funded projects bump it. Also RETURN TO ALGONA the follow up to SILENT NIGHT IN ALGONA has a good amount of funding committed and I will look to put the final pieces in place. I will finish WILD FAITH 3 and MBF2 this winter which will allow me to project budgets. I will also be developing a mutual slate with our new GA partners after a very successful “Devil’s Pass” shoot. We have several other projects looking to put solid pieces into place. I even had a very productive talk recently with a friend and major player in the Las Vegas film scene Jaki Baskow. Many doors of opportunity to explore and the key is to follow the proper order of business. I will say that ANGEL STUDIOS beat me to the HERSHEYS story I wanted to tell. It looks like they did a great job and I cannot wait to see it. They were our product partners on our WW2 drama.
WRAP UP – I just freshened up my coffee as this blog has been a touch longer but had more to say. I talked about the wonderful adventure our cast and crew had filming “Devil’s Pass” and it will always be uniquely ours. The beautiful compliment that made my heart soar. The new releases and the new development. This end of year will be pushing these films out while prepping for 2027. End of October I will travel with some of the CDI team to Oklahoma to receive the Will Rogers awards for screenplay, producing and production company. We will have end of year disbursements to investors and also the year’s end wrap up that should be easier due to the holding co our legal and accounting team helped to put into place.
I’m working on getting the property cleaned up before winter arrives. I harvested all the herbs save the mint which may happen today. I’ve got most all the production gear stowed save a few creates I will pick up this week during an interview at the historic village in Corunna, MI. I’ve dealt with a few personal and family situations that are part of life. I’m looking forward to the holidays and catching my breath from a wild year. I’m going to bring it to an end here until next week when we chat. Thank you all for showing up each week. That goes for all the artists around the world. Coffee Cheers! DJ
Powerful Posters, ‘Harsens’ Post-Production and Premiere Info and ‘Wild Faith Christmas’ Pre-Production Updates
A light rain and cool breeze is welcome versus the horrible storms they’ve got down south from the hurricane. I checked in with many of my friends and some like my cousin outside Tampa, FL had nothing but wind. Others like Robert Bradley in Maggie Valley, NC are good but their town and region is not. Highways washed out and roads impassable. The main drag of Maggie Valley is flooded out. Just sad that so many are facing the hardships they are. Knock on wood- but we’ve been lucky being on a high hill and our property is sandy and absorbs water quickly. My thoughts and prayers with all those suffering in the aftermath.
I want to welcome out new readers from France, Netherlands and more. I really love the global artists circle we have. I had several folks comment and we’ve had lots of new subscriptions which is great. I’m going to provide some great updates and I hope give some insights that you can apply to your own endeavors. I’m going to do a warm up on my hazelnut coffee and we’ll get into this. Speaking of coffee we’ve been enjoying the new enhanced deck for sipping coffee and watching the morning nature. The dogs enjoy having a better view of the surrounding area and the gate allows me to have them enclosed. That helps at night if I smell skunk in the area which anyone who had had to bathe a dog who has been sprayed knows. I built a small step deck off the office/fort porch and a new compost bin from some of the old deck wood. I still have a good amount left for some of my projects. I’m still harvesting the end of season herbs and using them in cooking and for tea. So many great compounds that are in plants.
NOW TO THE PROJECTS!
With every CDI film we really try to let the director’s pick, choose and oversee one poster, the theatrical one. Because marketing staff at the home video level will put together the artwork that will best serve their purpose. This is the beautiful picture that our director Carl Weyant put together for our theatrical run. Below is some moody shadows and reminds me of the old detective posters of the 20’s and 30’s. Above you see The Purples, a glimpse of the Harsens militia and the innocents put at risk with this conflict. I’ve had a lot of people talking about wanting to buy a poster and all in good time.
We will be getting an RSVP for main cast and crew to see who can attend a private showing in Alpena. Following the screening they will have another show for sale for the public and it will play for several weeks in Alpena. That is what the deal is looking like. The theater controls how many screens and times so we are limited. But as I’ve said before, the more the demand the more screens and times they might open. Currently the invite is for just cast and crew and not plus one. Folks will be responsible for their own travel and lodging. I’ll keep you all informed here and of course we’ll be posting on the Harsens Island Revenge Facebook page. Now in January 2025 we’ll start our theatrical run. Several runs might be kicked off with a special event party like in Owosso, Lansing, Grand Rapid and Detroit so that might be closer for many of you!
We’ve been working hard on end credits trying not to miss any or misspell any names. That said, it happens every film because of the sheer amount of names and sometimes handwriting by people. Lastly, it is passing through human hands and we all make mistakes but we try to keep that as low as possible. The music, color correction and VFX are being finished and polished up. Next week they start to pull that all together. Dennis Therrian has been working a powerful musical score and every artists has been putting his all into the film. Final posting and mixing always requires an increase in focus and communication. Something I myself also work on and try to encourage. If you send something let the party know it has been sent. If you are the receiving party let the sender know it has been received. There is a reason the military is so effective with their communication. The thing to remember is that you all have the same goal and you’re trying to make a process as smooth as possible. Bottom line is the film is getting close to being done.
AN ORDINARY KILLER streaming will be on December 15th and I’m hearing that it will be going to XUMO and The ROKU CHANNEL. Likely it will go to AMAZON and possibly PLEX and PLUTO TV.
DEAN TEASTERS GHOST TOWN is streaming on TUBI and various platforms. We do plan to start selling the special edition theme park DVD’s prior to Christmas. For those that know Robert Bradley this was filmed in his home town and he co-stars.
KNIGHT CHILLS is starting to deliver assets for the streaming release. I also wrote my foreword for the new release of the novel. I’ve been collecting some materials to put together a nice script and making of book also. I’m excited that this film is out there on HD Blu Ray and will soon be streaming! I would like to see this franchise take another step and we’ve got a script. So we’ll see what happens!
Looking Ahead!
This year saw three of the films from CDI’s library (Dean Teaster’s Ghost Town, An Ordinary Killer, Knight Chills) get set up for a new release. We’ll tackle a few in 2025 also. We have to get the technical correct in order to HD remaster the films.
WILD FAITH CHRISTMAS is in the final weeks of pre-production. We had a great meeting on Friday looking at the remaining TO DO’s. I’m happy to say that the main cast is all DONE! We found our last two leads and we could not be more happy! The sets are on point and we’re working on the last of the logistics. I met with our associate producer and legal over sushi and he’s putting the final pieces in motion. As I was reviewing the new official script and highlighting my Ben Lily lines I was so taken by the story again. I’ve been up to my neck in the business of it but it was pure joy to do lines and re-read the entire story. We have some new sponsors coming onboard with DEANS TREE FARM, SPORTS UNLIMITED and ANCHOR CONSTRUCTION CORPORATION! Thank you to all the fine companies and individuals helping to make this film be everything it can be.
ROM COMS MUST DIE is still on deck for the first of the year. We’ve been quiet as of late but that is because we have a lot out there. That said, we do keep moving pieces on the board. We’ve added Ian Griffin as the AD and will be playing a role in the film. He is an amazing actor that I met in 2002 on AN ORDINARY KILLER. He’s been in many of the films such as BEST YEARS GONE (The police officer) and he’s Boozy Jack the bootlegger in Harsens Island Revenge trailer that says he would sell to the devil himself.
Tis a good season to watch some scary films like IN THE WOODS, now on Blu Ray!
WRAP UP:
We have lots of things in development but like I mentioned we’ll wait until we have more in place. It is rainy and so I’ll likely work on getting some stuff done here in the house and at the desk. I like to get a jump on the week so I’ll soon switch to hot tea and keep at it. I am going to try and catch up on a few calls too. So until we chat next week I hope you all have a great day and week ahead. Remember that everything happens by slowly chipping away at the TO DO’s. I’m going to FOCUS and try to COMMUNICATE and promote better COMMUNICATION This week. We have a lot of exciting things ahead. Happy Sunday and coffee cheers!
DJ
