Good morning! I’m starting this sunny morning with a hot cup of hazelnut coffee. A Happy Mother’s Day to all the Mother’s out there. I’m taking the momma’s in my life to the movies today as it was deemed a bit too chilly for the park picnic or a few out the outdoor ideas. I’ve been so enjoying seeing the green that is springing up everywhere. Plants sprouting, squirrels building and birds are singing. Our chickens have been loving it and happily kicking out the eggs on a regular basis. Already some of the herbs like chives are growing steady. I’ve been getting the grill ready for some grilling and chilling. I had to fix one fence that divides off the raspberries and I still have a bit of property work to do. Having the ability to go work on the property while pondering decisions is helpful. So let’s get into some of the updates from that world.
Film Updates-
The first draft of a business proposal for three films between CDI and Katharsys Media is done and being refined. These are three genre films with Lynn Drzick (In the Woods) directing.
The first polished draft of RETURN TO ALGONA is done and sent to the parties in Algona we are working with. If everything follows plan we just might be filming that in 2027. The story is a powerful look at how time had marched on from WW2 to 1968 and the Vietnam War. It also has many lessons and examples that are applicable to what is happening in our world today.
Following that script I now plan to finish up on MBF2 and the Wild Faith 3 script underway. Both of these don’t have a plan to shoot but better to have them waiting in the wings. I’m really happy with how both of these follow up stories are coming along.
Wild Faith Christmas – Shane Hagedorn and I traveled to ICFF in Florida and had a great trip representing our film. From our nominations we won for Melissa Anschutz’s role as Hester! Before we left Florida, we heard that she had also been nominated for the RED LETTER AWARDS for Best Actress taking place outside Nashville, TN in August. We are nominated for Best Picture, Best Supporting Actress Addy Paddy, Best Supporting Actor Dean Teaster and Best Actor Shane Hagedorn. This train is a rolling and we are so grateful to everyone loving this film. We will work with our theatrical partners at Dreamscape Productions and see if they can book any additional theatrical showings but the film releses to streaming on 11/03/2026!
ROM COMS MUST DIE is having its first kick off showing May 18th at the Sun Theater in Williamston. The full public is invited and tickets are $10 cash at the box office that opens at 6:30 with sNyte
Adam Topwnerhow at 7:00. Come out and enjoy this comedy with many of the cast and crew. June 11th Adam Towner and I will be appearing on The Baron & Sindee Nyte Show that livestreams 7pm EST. Other theatrical bookings will start with a proposed Q3 streaming release.
AI Jesus: The Secret of the Kingdom Chip is having a full review on Monday with our composer/sound designer before a producer’s review. The end credits are being built and soon this film will be ready to start some theatrical bookings. We’ll be heating up the PR on this film very soon. I think audiences will find the film heartfelt and will stimulate many discussions.
DEVELOPMENT: Moving soon out of development and into pre-production is DEVIL’S PASS. This adventurous tale is an 1800’s piece brought to CDI by Dan Searles. We will be working with Dan’s company and again McGraw Multimedia. John and Eldon McGraw will be directing and heading up the camera, grip & electric departments. We’ve worked so well with them on the last two feature films and I’m excited to launch them with this motion picture. We’ve set our shoot dates in September and we’ll be again shooting in Michigan. We’ve been working on placing some of the keys and early casting. There will be many upcoming announcements as we bring more good folks onto the film. We had an amazing scout trip last Thursday and found all our locations and more. Some locations are so cool that we might re-stage a scene at a different location for cinematic reasons. If your company, business or brand want to align with us we’ll soon be approaching our sponsors and product partners that help all these films get done. It took several months for CDI to agree to supervise and produce this film. Things have to come together the correct way and I’m happy that it did. So many moving parts and you have to have excellent communications. The schedule is being worked upon and soon I’ll have a rough actors day of days that helps with the casting process. We have an IMDB and Facebook page that we’ll keep adding updates to. We will be doing some local casting once we get done the road just a little bit more.
WRAP UP:
I will say that one of my most interesting experiences I’ve had was last Thursday at the scout. I had driven to John McGraw’s house and we were going to drive from there. I go to get into this car and the handle bewildered me. It was a TESLA. I got in and the entire roof is transparent and that car DROVE us to pick up Adam Towner and out to the scouting location. I’ve always said, “I don’t know” about driverless cars/trucks. But as I moved to the backseat giving up the shotgun seat to mister Towner, I was amazed. It backed out into traffic and started us on our way. The power and pick up to this car with no oil or standard brakes again left me speechless. Now having experienced it, I have to rethink my feelings on that entire process. I truly felt for the first time in my life like a JETSONS moment. Look it up kids, it is an old cartoon. But I could see the day of owning one. It can take you right to its own refueling stations and…just incredible.
I also wanted to mention that on Friday we attended a beautiful wedding as CDI’s Melissa Anschutz’s eldest son tied the knot. It was a beautiful venue and after was an elegant cocktail hour and dinner. Being there with several of the CDI old guard to celebrate with Melissa and her family was just wonderful. Congratulations to Alex and his new bride Catrina. We work hard and it was so nice to just have a little time to relax, laugh and enjoy each other’s company. I even got to try out a few wardrobe pieces I might wear in the upcoming film. Yes. I will be acting in Devil’s Pass but we’ll leave those updates to another date. I’ve got a fresh coffee and I’m going to go eat a few eggs, shower up and get ready to go spend time with the moms. Until next week- be good to one another and don’t just DREAM but DO!
Hazelnut coffee cheers to you all! Let’s hear it for Mother’s and to those who mother. I’m blessed to have my momma healthy and still with us as we journey through this life. Today we have a planned picnic at a park we use to go to as kids. It will be fun and I’m looking forward to some good family time. I have soccer on the telly which is getting me excited for our season that will start in a few short weeks. To say that things have been busy would be a major understatement. Let me jump into some of that.
As we have just completed our first theatrical run of Harsens Island Revenge in Alpena we are beyond thrilled. The audiences showed up in force over two weeks with many sold out shows. I was blown away by the people who went and saw the film three or four times but they said they saw something new each time. Our director saw a few things that others did not pick up that he wanted to adjust and so he did. Now we are in a crunch to move this new version down the work flow line to be ready for Celebration Cinema’s release in Lansing (May 16th- 21st) Grand Rapids (May 16th-18th) and Muskegon (May 16th-18th) and NCG theaters that will release May 17th-21st in Owosso, Michigan. We have our first Detroit area dates for the end of May but want to firm up the run dates but know the film is coming!
So many moving parts where one email that someone isn’t CC’d on or an updating text or phone call can disrupt the flow so easily. Everyone wants to create the best experience for the audiences. An afterglow will happen after the Owosso first show on the 17th announced at the show. Lansing’s kick off on the 16th will likely have an afterglow at the Midtown Brewing Co as one of our sponsors. And I would not be surprised at other pop up afterglows. Alpena went all 1920’s with their dress and that too is welcome. We are working on many out of state showings and we’ll be rolling this film out into theaters until Oct 1st!
If you have seen Harsens Island Revenge and want to help you can leave reviews at places like ROTTEN TOMATOES, IMDB, GOOGLE and LETTERBOXD. Also you can request the film at your local theaters and if you can get a manager/booker contact we will try to set up directly. The film has been nominated for Best Picture at Red Letter Awards. We’ve had several nominations and wins over the years most recently was 2023 SILENT NIGHT IN ALGONA won Best Screenplay and Best Picture beating out some heavy competition. They have also started to roll out individual nominations and David Reardon has been nominated for Best Actor thus far. I’m sure we’ll have more nominations as this film really did all come together in a powerful way. We are not all about awards but it is a wonderful thing to have all the hard work recognized. This train is moving and just getting started!
Wild Faith Christmas is deep into music and color correction with our director working on an opening credit sequence. This is another beautiful film sequel to our very popular WILD FAITH movie. Watch the first film if you are interested in getting to know some of the characters ahead of time. I do want to explore putting the original back into theaters for a few weeks before we release Wild Faith Christmas into theaters. We planned the trailer in front of the ‘Harsens’ movie in Alpena and we will see if we can do that for our other releases. If you are reading this and own or work at a TV station/platform and are interested in the TV spin off reach on out. We have a season one scripted and ready to film.
ROM COMS MUST DIE – This comedy-thriller post work kicked off our week in the McGraw studio making some final adjustments and notes to the edit and the color. We are experimenting with credit sequences and a first trailer is being cut. I’ve been having fun learning some AI and creating comic panels of our characters in the film. You can see them on the Facebook page and on CDI’s Instagram page. Once we lock the picture all final VFX and sound design will be finished. Once Wild Faith Christmas is done we will have Dennis Therrian do the musical score and mix.
Development:
Three films moving right down the line 1, 2, 3 and meanwhile I’ve been having development talks over a few of our scripts looking to film this year. We are exploring the main actors, directors and DP’s and I’m having talks with funding folks. I try to match the films up with the right folks and give first rights to participate to those who have supported us. But we have turned funders away on the last few films because when we have what we need that is all we require. But we also have a growing list of sponsors from over the years.
I do still have a few possible book to script projects. Until you have a real solid script it is hard to do any real development. It is a busy time and getting some call times set up has been challenging. But I’ve always lived by “one film getting one more” and so if that continues to hold true we’ll be making another three films in the not too distant future.
The Week Ahead:
Get the new improved version of Harsens to the theaters.
PR via newspaper, TV, radio and podcasts and more. Let us know and we can get some of our cast and crew to participate.
New BEST YEARS GONE and LOST HEART campaigns. Both great films if you have not seen them yet. Just Google them up!
Several CDI literary works underway with the Ghost Town book up next. But also work has started on a coffee table book that will be for THE QUEST TRILOGY. It will cover the grand three film adventure we had filming Forty Nights, Chasing the Star and The Christ Slayer in Yuma, AZ.
Knight Chills recently released to TUBI which many were waiting on!
WRAP UP: I could wax on a while on everything underway. I had some great talks this past week with folks we’re working with. I love people getting opportunities and growing in their craft. I was lamenting a few folks who’s communication is sub par to severely lacking. People outside our immediate circle seem to respond better when we’re casting, crewing or generally giving. I am thankful for my old school friends from before all the movie madness. They keep me grounded and appreciate me for me. Many of my feelings about our industry I put into the writing of ROM COMS MUST DIE. The desperation many have to succeed that twists them and haunts them. I feel super lucky to have been born before technology ruled people’s lives. When I see pictures of people gazing into their phones I see a mirror. Mesmerized by vanity. Identity and self worth tied to their likes, follows or comments. 90% of the social media seems like poison. Peddling fear, insecurity and such to be able to sell a cure. Like Public Enemy says, Don’t Believe the Hype.
The property is looking beautiful with grasses, flowers and clover starting to grow. Dandelions and Violets everywhere with busy bees hard at work. Waking to birds is one of my favorite things and watching the squirrels play and carry on with their business is amusing. With the deck we’ve decided to tackle it ourselves. I’ve been doing a light spot sanding focusing on the railings and imperfections. A new chicken coop community center is about to be constructed. I’ve been working on a retaining wall for the underside of the deck. I have plants growing all over the place and friends already excited for herbal teas. Just having my hands in the dirt is really helpful to balance all the desk work. I’m going to wrap this up to actually go tend a few things in the yard. After I have to get things around for the picnic and before that a stop at the flea market. I hope you all have a wonderful Sunday and recharge. I’ll be ready to hit the ground running on Monday. I was up early today and enjoyed my peaceful quiet time with that first cup of coffee.
DJ Perry's Official Blog 'Clawing My Way to the Middle' 
Mother’s Day, New Theatrical Releases, Post-Work Updates, Development and More…
(Me and my beloved momma)
Hazelnut coffee cheers to you all! Let’s hear it for Mother’s and to those who mother. I’m blessed to have my momma healthy and still with us as we journey through this life. Today we have a planned picnic at a park we use to go to as kids. It will be fun and I’m looking forward to some good family time. I have soccer on the telly which is getting me excited for our season that will start in a few short weeks. To say that things have been busy would be a major understatement. Let me jump into some of that.
As we have just completed our first theatrical run of Harsens Island Revenge in Alpena we are beyond thrilled. The audiences showed up in force over two weeks with many sold out shows. I was blown away by the people who went and saw the film three or four times but they said they saw something new each time. Our director saw a few things that others did not pick up that he wanted to adjust and so he did. Now we are in a crunch to move this new version down the work flow line to be ready for Celebration Cinema’s release in Lansing (May 16th- 21st) Grand Rapids (May 16th-18th) and Muskegon (May 16th-18th) and NCG theaters that will release May 17th-21st in Owosso, Michigan. We have our first Detroit area dates for the end of May but want to firm up the run dates but know the film is coming!
So many moving parts where one email that someone isn’t CC’d on or an updating text or phone call can disrupt the flow so easily. Everyone wants to create the best experience for the audiences. An afterglow will happen after the Owosso first show on the 17th announced at the show. Lansing’s kick off on the 16th will likely have an afterglow at the Midtown Brewing Co as one of our sponsors. And I would not be surprised at other pop up afterglows. Alpena went all 1920’s with their dress and that too is welcome. We are working on many out of state showings and we’ll be rolling this film out into theaters until Oct 1st!
If you have seen Harsens Island Revenge and want to help you can leave reviews at places like ROTTEN TOMATOES, IMDB, GOOGLE and LETTERBOXD. Also you can request the film at your local theaters and if you can get a manager/booker contact we will try to set up directly. The film has been nominated for Best Picture at Red Letter Awards. We’ve had several nominations and wins over the years most recently was 2023 SILENT NIGHT IN ALGONA won Best Screenplay and Best Picture beating out some heavy competition. They have also started to roll out individual nominations and David Reardon has been nominated for Best Actor thus far. I’m sure we’ll have more nominations as this film really did all come together in a powerful way. We are not all about awards but it is a wonderful thing to have all the hard work recognized. This train is moving and just getting started!
Wild Faith Christmas is deep into music and color correction with our director working on an opening credit sequence. This is another beautiful film sequel to our very popular WILD FAITH movie. Watch the first film if you are interested in getting to know some of the characters ahead of time. I do want to explore putting the original back into theaters for a few weeks before we release Wild Faith Christmas into theaters. We planned the trailer in front of the ‘Harsens’ movie in Alpena and we will see if we can do that for our other releases. If you are reading this and own or work at a TV station/platform and are interested in the TV spin off reach on out. We have a season one scripted and ready to film.
ROM COMS MUST DIE – This comedy-thriller post work kicked off our week in the McGraw studio making some final adjustments and notes to the edit and the color. We are experimenting with credit sequences and a first trailer is being cut. I’ve been having fun learning some AI and creating comic panels of our characters in the film. You can see them on the Facebook page and on CDI’s Instagram page. Once we lock the picture all final VFX and sound design will be finished. Once Wild Faith Christmas is done we will have Dennis Therrian do the musical score and mix.
Development:
Three films moving right down the line 1, 2, 3 and meanwhile I’ve been having development talks over a few of our scripts looking to film this year. We are exploring the main actors, directors and DP’s and I’m having talks with funding folks. I try to match the films up with the right folks and give first rights to participate to those who have supported us. But we have turned funders away on the last few films because when we have what we need that is all we require. But we also have a growing list of sponsors from over the years.
I do still have a few possible book to script projects. Until you have a real solid script it is hard to do any real development. It is a busy time and getting some call times set up has been challenging. But I’ve always lived by “one film getting one more” and so if that continues to hold true we’ll be making another three films in the not too distant future.
The Week Ahead:
WRAP UP: I could wax on a while on everything underway. I had some great talks this past week with folks we’re working with. I love people getting opportunities and growing in their craft. I was lamenting a few folks who’s communication is sub par to severely lacking. People outside our immediate circle seem to respond better when we’re casting, crewing or generally giving. I am thankful for my old school friends from before all the movie madness. They keep me grounded and appreciate me for me. Many of my feelings about our industry I put into the writing of ROM COMS MUST DIE. The desperation many have to succeed that twists them and haunts them. I feel super lucky to have been born before technology ruled people’s lives. When I see pictures of people gazing into their phones I see a mirror. Mesmerized by vanity. Identity and self worth tied to their likes, follows or comments. 90% of the social media seems like poison. Peddling fear, insecurity and such to be able to sell a cure. Like Public Enemy says, Don’t Believe the Hype.
The property is looking beautiful with grasses, flowers and clover starting to grow. Dandelions and Violets everywhere with busy bees hard at work. Waking to birds is one of my favorite things and watching the squirrels play and carry on with their business is amusing. With the deck we’ve decided to tackle it ourselves. I’ve been doing a light spot sanding focusing on the railings and imperfections. A new chicken coop community center is about to be constructed. I’ve been working on a retaining wall for the underside of the deck. I have plants growing all over the place and friends already excited for herbal teas. Just having my hands in the dirt is really helpful to balance all the desk work. I’m going to wrap this up to actually go tend a few things in the yard. After I have to get things around for the picnic and before that a stop at the flea market. I hope you all have a wonderful Sunday and recharge. I’ll be ready to hit the ground running on Monday. I was up early today and enjoyed my peaceful quiet time with that first cup of coffee.
Coffee Cheers!
DJ
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May 11, 2025 | Categories: Blogroll | Tags: 1920's, AI, Alpena, Best Actor, Best Picture, Best Screenplay, BEST YEARS GONE, birds, blog, books, CDI, Celebration Cinemas, Chasing the star, chickens, coffee, comedy, comic, comments, coop, crew, dandelions, deck, Dennis Therrian, development, eggs, fear, film, follows, Forty Nights, ghost town, google, Grand Rapids, Harsens Island Revenge, haunt, hazelnut, herbs, horror, hype, IMDB, insecurity, knight chills, Lansing, Letterboxd, likes, Lost Heart, McGraw, Michigan, Midtown Brewing Co, momma, mother, Mothers, movie-review, movies, music, Muskegon, NCG, oscars, Owosso, picnic, plants, Public Enemy, Rotten Tomatoes, sanding, script, Silent Night in Algona, soccer, technology, The Christ Slayer, The Quest Trilogy, theaters, thriller, Tubi, TV series, twist, VFX, violets, Wild Faith, Wild Faith Christmas, Yuma | Leave a comment