AI JESUS Premiere, Release Dates and More…
A hazelnut cheers to you all. I see many of you stopped by to join us last week from all over the world. We all love stories and by storytelling we preserve history and entertain. Like the days of the bards who would capture a story with a song. The authors of the books that recorded our stories. And now with our wonderful medium of film and TV we play out those stories like the theatrical stage before it. So again thank you to everyone who has stopped by to join us each week.
With the juggling of personal and professional I’ve been tested in new ways but I feel actually stronger on the other side of it. Before we get into film talk which there is plenty of that, I do like to touch base on life. I’m feeling quite blessed with all I do have and that I’m allowed to do what I love to do. But I do truly feel like I earned it. I sacrificed much building a foundation that many could not see. Now we build upon that foundation year by year telling new stories to entertain and often educate along the way.
In the spirit of the season I’ve watched a handful of TV or film that has that spooky vibe. The new CARRIE Tv series was quite well done. And it makes me want to go back and watch the original film. After I tried BATES MOTEL and two shows in I’m struggling to care. It lasted five seasons so it must get stronger as you go. A Russell Crowe (An actor I admire) Exorcism film fell short for me. I found the movie to drag with dark camera work that was often confusing and…not a strong showing for me. To be fair I don’t find much scary by way of horror films. My favorite is still PSYCHO. I love that Norman is not a seven foot monster with a scary mask.
I’m happy to have thrown my hat back into the horror genre but with comedy added. ROM COMS MUST DIE I think is super original and should get chuckles from any artists watching. The film is streaming now on ROKU, Amazon Prime and more. It will expand onto new platforms starting 10/30/26. IF you have seen this film do leave us a review on Amazon, IMDB, Letterbox or even a video of you. I have had a few great conversations from folks who enjoyed it. I love all the roles in the film but the judges played by Dean Teaster and Melissa Anschutz really tickle me every watch. BESTSELLER, KNIGHT CHILLS, GPS, AMERICAN LIAR, THE 8TH PLAGUE, DEADLY RENOVATIONS, DARKEST NIGHT…I could rattle off another half dozen films or so that fit the genre. So get some hot apple cider and a good blanket (My spell check tried to turn blanket into blunt, maybe not a bad idea either) but have yourself a spooky, fun night.
OTHER FILM UPDATES:
- AI JESUS: The Secret of the Kingdom Chip is easily one of the most intriguing films we’ve done at CDI. Proudly made with our friends at McGraw Multimedia it will arrive on the small screen streaming and DVD on 10/30/26 (PreOrder DVD on Amazon now). But we wanted to celebrate with our cast, crew, sponsors and backers and their friends and families. So in the spirit of the film we are have a big screen premiere on November 18th at 7:00 at the East Lansing Hannah Community Center at 819 Abbot Rd, East Lansing, MI 48823. The entire screening will benefit NEW HOPE PET RESCUE. What that means is the admission to the show will be what you can donate to this wonderful organization. I’ve got to see how this amazing group of people take some very sad cases of neglect and abandonment, heal them and find forever homes. We have three foster fails here as they also help cats out. Our ‘Old man Fred’ who passed recently was an end of life case that came to us and he had a wonderful last eight months. So the cost of admission is what you can give and 100% of it will go to the New Hope Pet Rescue. We’ll be reaching out to the folks involved with the film but it will be open to any who wish to donate. The hope is that after the event folks will talk about the film to others and even go watch it at home with their extended family and friends. I’m really excited about this because I love animals.
- Weds of this week I’ll be traveling with a small group to TULSA, OK to represent WILD FAITH CHRISTMAS at the Will Rogers Medallion Awards. We are being recognized as a production company, as the supervising producer of an amazing team and as CDI the production company. On our 30th year anniversary this is a great honor. We know we won because they invite only the three winners in each category. At the event we will find out if we won Gold, Silver and Bronze. That might be for each category or all as one. As the screenwriter I am very honored be the results Bronze or Gold. Same with the producing and production company.
- Days after we return 11/3/26 audiences around the world will finally get to return to the world of WILD FAITH with WILD FAITH CHRISTMAS. That movie has already gathered a lot of recognition and had a good run in theaters last year. So for the tens of millions who watched the first one we are proud to bring you the sequel. In the wake of what we expect will be another enjoyed installment we are prepared to go a third time into the world. I’ve written and adjusted eight 44 min shows that take place after the second film. Funds are what kept the series from going before. Or funds that came with too many strings attached. So we made the second feature film instead. We will see if the series finds any traction after the new release. But should the right deal not land we are preparing to do a third feature film. I’m excited to say I’m working on the last act of the third feature film draft. We will see but watch/rewatch the original WILD FAITH and get ready for the sequel.
- I noted I’ve been working on WILD FAITH 3 and I’m also almost done with a first draft of MBF2. I also have been reading and evaluating two scripts for possible production. On the CDI front we are looking at A CHRISTMAS SEANCE, a great who-done-it as a possible 2027 production. And RETURN TO ALGONA the follow up film to SILENT NIGHT IN ALGONA our true story WW2 drama. I’ll be working on the last chuck of funding. We’ve been dealing with organizations and product sponsorships first. But we will be opening up the remaining chunk to private investors. We have a good circle of supporters so I expect to get this green lit going into the new year.
- My end of the year will include an end-of-year disbursements of money to our investors. And the end-of-year taxes which we’ve made some good moves to streamline this and direct even more revenue back towards our investors. Many of these good people love being part of this artistic endeavors. Often capturing stories so they will not be lost in time.
- While meeting over the AI JESUS premiere with the McGraws I just might have seen some of the DEVIL’S PASS edit. They are still polishing it up and taking a few beats to ponder a few transitions and moments. They finished a first pass and will start to comb through next week. I don’t envy the job of looking at so many moments and choosing the strongest to weave together. So many things can influence what stays or goes but as an actor I know that if something isn’t working in a moment, cut it. I love the saying, you can’t use what you don’t have but better to have it and not need it. Energy and pacing become a big decision making factor. Moments of a sequence of scenes shot on different days need to flow. As an actor I always ask myself what I just came from and where am I going. What is my energy previous to a moment and after a moment. From the clips I saw we have a very cool story that has some really unique story arcs. I could rave about many of the performances I saw but I will say that the women of Devil’s Pass really kicked ass. In many films the female element can be dressing or an accent to the male heroes but this film has strong lionesses. I look forward to see where it all lands but it is coming together nicely. I know composer and sound designer Dennis Therrian is already experimenting and is ready to get the film around Christmas if not sooner. But I think we will have a moody, action packed film that mixes traditional with something special. Thank you to the McGraws for the hard work they are putting into the edit.
WRAP UP:
This year has been a wild ride to be sure. But what a great time to be alive as a storyteller. As a writer, I’m excited for the ROM COMS MUST DIE, AI JESUS and WILD FAITH CHRISTMAS to release. I did a soft look at literary representation to possibly option/sell off a few scripts either too big of budget or just not an immediately interest. None of the proposed books to script happened this year. We will see about next year. I’m excited that this year audiences get to meet Amos who with his cousin Clem struggle to get their second film made. I once again play Jesus but in a way I never expected. And ole Ben Lily is once again blazing the trail with Hester. And next year people will meet McBride in DEVIL’S PASS. In production, the Will Rogers award is a nice recognition. And I also mentioned that when Golden Globe nominee Mitch Vogel said our set was the most family-feeling since working on BONANZA I took that as a great honor. We had many folks step from secondary to key positions and knock it out of the park. We are preparing to perform just as we do when a larger budget is on the line.
This week starts with a good meeting on Monday over some film work. Tuesday a lunch with my cousin and dad to pick up some venison for the freezer. Venison is my main meat that I eat all year long. I have to pack because on Weds I am off to Oklahoma and I’m looking forward to that. Upon my return we’ll keep promoting the releases and relax into the holidays. I love to look at my goals from Jan 2026 and see where I fell with those. I also start planning my 2027 goals. Today I’m going to blow some leaves and get a few things done on the property. I hope all of you are enjoying your Fall-time. I look forward to reporting to you again next Sunday or maybe Monday pending a late return. Until we meet again be good to one another! Coffee Cheers! DJ
Dream, Devise, and Detail plus Chickens, Bees and Butterflies
Good morning good people. I’m once again here sipping the hazelnut coffee. This morning I was looking over some questions on schedule with our developing film. Pieces fit. Pieces don’t fit. Readjust. It fits! This is what I do. I dream. I devise a plan. I work with others to detail the plan. From the plan comes the budget. From the budget comes what is needed. Time windows. Trying to get everything to meet at the right point in time. Every film is hard work and that is why so few can actually achieve it. It is also a reflection of my life aside from the precious moments spent with family and friends. I am discussing with others the merits of these stories from preserving history to a unified endeavor that brings together artists for a short period of time. Only so many a year and only so many in a lifetime. This is what I do. This was the answer to my meditation this morning.
This past week was nurturing several projects in post production and putting pieces together for the upcoming. This coming week I’ll also be writing checks to the investors/supporters of the previous CDI films. We have a great group of supporters who help make these endeavors happen. For some they go without a new ‘toy’ in order to make these project happen. They want to be part of a positive, powerful story that will live on beyond them, me, us. On the new SECRET OF THE KINGDOM CHIP, I finally released the PR on my own involvement acting wise. I’ve got the long hair and beard in this humid heat and it is truly suffering for your art. You can read about it here: https://www.prlog.org/13086932-ai-jesus-movie-moves-into-production-this-fall.html – I’m excited to tell this story. The script alone has created so much energy and feedback. It will be a worthy addition to the CDI group of films. We ended the week with another step towards full financing but still have a little ways to go. The goal is to have it completed this month and we are on course to do just that. We’ll be opening the LLC and bank account soon. The business paperwork will soon be drafted and we’ll be starting the more intense pre-production work. This week we are also going to start fishing for product placement partners and sponsors. We’ve had many large and small who are just as important as our investors. They help with the unseen issues. They help make the ride a little bit more special and memorable. Let’s look at some of the other developments.
Harsens Island Revenge – I’m told that we have dates for Riverside Cinemas by this coming Tuesday. It is close to the actual Harsens Island and should be a great showing. Also Forest City in Iowa is looking like September and I’m guessing Fridley’s in Algona and other Iowa locations. I think we’ll start booking and finish the Summer strong. We are putting things in motion for the home video release on 10/6/2025. They are also working on DVD artwork which will be exciting. This is a special movie and we’re so happy to be ever-expanding our audience.
Wild Faith Christmas – The film minus a few tweaks and a few VFX shots plus final end credits is about done. Director Shane Hagedorn and composer/sound designer Dennis Therrian are extremely happy with the story we have. Very moving and the beautiful score just magnifying powerful performances. We have a date for a producer’s watch through. From there we will start our theatrical planning which will be here in no time. Holiday 2025 will be theaters and holiday 2026 will be home video. This is a follow up film to CDI’s successful WILD FAITH. Please do watch that film or rewatch it to get ready for the sequel.
ROM COMS MUST DIE – This dark comedy is also powering towards a finish line. VFX and sound design is being laid atop the color corrected cut. I watched it just recently and loved the flow. It is so funny and makes fun of our beloved industry. The idea here will be a premiere. A few festival showings. Theatrical followed by home video. The trailer is waiting to swap out the shots for the best res and color corrected shots. I think folks will really enjoy this film that surprisingly somehow has you cheering for the bad guys. Go figure.
DEVELOPMENT – We talked about The Secret of the Kingdom Chip which is a stand alone film but has loose tie-in’s to CDI’s biblical trilogy part 1 Forty Nights, part 2 Chasing the Star and part 3 The Christ Slayer. If you haven’t seen these three films they are also worth a watch and it will give you some background information.
The SPIRIT LAKE MASSACRE film developing in Iowa behind our SILENT NIGHT IN ALGONA is gaining more supporters. I have to set up a few calls this week about this project. It would be a powerful, ‘based on a true story’ historical drama. Also I’m exploring a few avenues with the GOTCH biopic also to be filmed in part in Iowa.
I teased that I had started on another sequel script to one of the films. This film I’ve been asked about sequel more than any of the others. I don’t have any plans for active or immediate development but I wanted to get the blue print where I like it. In the original film the protagonist was left in jail heading to prison. Any guesses?
WRAP UP – Once in a while I feel the difficulty of managing all the variables but with a team many things can be achieved. I also am a diligent worker putting one foot in front of the other. You have to have faith in yourself, your team, the story and the life path you’ve chosen. I had a great talk with a VERY successful 88 year old businessman this week. Neither of us truly believe in retirement. There is always something to create. He had some wonderful things to say to me and I was appreciative and humbled. I have faith that this week a few more pieces will fall into place. I have some great meetings being set up this week.
On the personal we are back at soccer after a rain out and two weeks off. We had an off game and lost but the battle is the reward. I like that pushing oneself to the max. As for the homestead – we keep waiting for a time to seal and stain the deck but we keep getting rain. The plants are growing like a jungle and I’ve kept it more wild because of the chickens, bees and butterflies but I think another mow is on deck. The berries are at their sweet peak and we’ve got tomatoes about to ripen soon. The herbs are really growing and I need to step up my harvesting. I will keep working to keep up with it all. I have several friends with more property and that must be a chore to keep up with.
There is a flea market which I might attend. But I think today I will focus on taming some of that yard stuff I mentioned. I will end with a little story that I’m sure many artists deal with or have dealt with. I was looking up some of the ad-based video on demand platforms now carrying SILENT NIGHT IN ALGONA like Tubi, Roku, Xumo and Encourage TV. I saw someone from our state being negative towards the film. While I’m not sure I have the resources to ever make a film that is a 10 I can say that even if something isn’t your cup of tea we’ve never created a 1 or 2 rated film. But when people trash a film 9 out of 10 times jealously is at the heart of it. They want to know why their script, their team, their film never gets made when others do. We simply out work people. It is that simple. It is always hard work and even our crew members never know all the work that goes into a project months or years before ever hitting set. But this individual was checked by one of our past crew members. They have moved onto some full time endeavors but it was nice to see the gesture. It is like that saying of what people do or say when you are not in the room. I’ve done horror films, action films and what some might consider ‘cool’ films versus our positive, heart felt films. That feeling of healing ala helping people cope with issues they have is hard to beat. Those films give back to the storytellers and is a real motivator. I’m not against a good scare film or taunt thriller but I’m also about character development. I’m about unique perspective and stories. If I just wanted to make genre fluff I would be missing something. Anyway, I commended this past crew member for his words in defense of 200 plus artists. A story that captured a true story from history so it would not fade away. An endeavor that had our cast and crew in another state fighting the elements and the day to day issues of production. Many truly love the film and it plays yearly in theaters. Many people travel to the museums that hold the remaining history. The film will have a special place at the museum as big things are being planned. Or we could have made a film of teenagers poking around in a scary place and random psycho with this or that mask kills them one by one maybe leaving one alive for a sequel. Been there. Done that. Got that tee-shirt. Nothing wrong with those films they are early proving grounds for storytellers but try creating a new time period and that is challenging.
I’m off to make some breakfast. One of the new chickens has started kicking out eggs. I hope you all have a great week ahead and wish me luck as I try to put the remaining pieces in place on the new film. We are close as I mentioned, and once we get this schedule worked out we’ll be locking in the final cast and crew. We are awaiting some cast reads and some of the crew are already planning ahead. You only have this one life so don’t be afraid to go after your dreams. I’m living proof that you can achieve it.
Until next week, coffee cheers!
DJ
Hometown ‘Best Years Gone’ Premiere and CDI Updates
Hazelnut cheers on a nippy Michigan morning. I’ve got the fire going by my chair as I sit and reflect on a very busy week of life and work. Last night we gathered at the NCG theaters in Lansing to debut our new CDI film BEST YEARS GONE, directed by Shane Hagedorn. We had a strong crowd for the 1st show which they moved into the bigger screen to handle our sales. Also they extended the theatrical run until Oct 21st, so have day out going to see a movie. It really did play great there and I was happy to see so many family, friends and fans of the films. I love that every day more folks will get to see the story we told. The feedback has been strong ands I know the ‘haters’ always find their way but so do those who appreciate the stories. And at a kick off event I get to shake hands, take pictures and meet some of these fine people.
(Shane Hagedorn and DJ Perry greeted and chatted with many folks at the Lansing premiere)
My dad still wonders how I’m able to weave the story and all the dialogue into a script. I told him all those times of being assured of not paying attention or having my head in the clouds – THAT – whatever it is – IMAGINATION – it allows me to get lost in the story and manifest it. I’m awaiting word on another deal that would have me writing a script this winter and produce it next year with CDI. Add in the TV series of HASTINGS that is gaining momentum and 2022 could be a fun year of storytelling. Here are the Lansing showtimes- https://www.showtimes.com/movie-times/best-years-gone-156830/lansing-mi/
But before we get to 2022 we have a very exciting and important story to be told – SILENT NIGHT IN ALGONA! I cannot believe that the pre-production caravan will depart next Saturday. Producers, director, art, AD, office and transportation will be doing final prep for the shoot that kicks off on Halloween. I had a wardrobe fitting last week and between the scene study which is feeling on point and the dapper WW2 uniform – game on.
We have some additional sponsor support from the Iowa State Bank so we want to thank them. This past week we filled several of the few cast and crew spots remaining. Just one or two cast/crew to go and that will work itself out. We had a few changes from illness or unexpected commits but our team will go and end the year with one great story. This week I need to pull together final props and production stuff traveling with me. I have to finish packing my clothes which needs to include cold weather gear. The nice part is this film I have like one uniform and a few hats unlike the multiple wardrobe pieces worn as Gil in BEST YEARS GONE. I am going to enjoy this final week of prepping things. There are several friends I only get to see while filming so again I’m excited to tell this story with our artists.
I know that this is the perfect season to release BESTSELLER, our thriller getting a campaign reboot but I do not have dates yet. My favorite film of the season is the animated ‘The Legend of Sleepy Hollow’ and Hitchcock’s PSYCHO, which I’ll be watching to this week. WICKED SPRING HD is heading out to streaming and might be playing on certain platforms. I need to circle up with our distributor on a few projects but I’ve been quite busy with one film releasing and one going into production in under two weeks. FOR THE LOVE OF CATCH feature-length doc is in the post-mixing phase and I was thinking of premiering SMOKE & MIRRORS with it at the same time. Like the cartoons you use to get before a show.
I’m putting the coffee away this morning because of the chill. I just poured the last cup and I’m going to finish this up. My next update will be from Algona, Iowa! Today we might hit the flea market seeking prop items and a stop at Tractor Supply to get some food for the chickens. They are putting on winter weight and still giving the eggs out. It is nice to always have that abundance of eggs and you do taste a difference. My alumni MSU had another good game yesterday but our Lions still struggle. I want to again thank each and everyone of you who attended our showings. If you want to leave a review you can go to our BEST YEARS GONE page on http://www.imdb.com and vote and leave your thoughts. I hope you all have a productive week ahead. Be good to one another.
Coffee Cheers!
DJ
New Distribution & New Projects – Full Steam Ahead
The cold is creeping into Michigan and our bodies fight to adjust to the biting chill. The cold rain will soon become something else – snow. I’m sipping at the coffee trying to get the sinus pressure to let go of the vice grip on my head. It has been a very busy time for me as I try to wrap up business for the year and manage lots of new business that is emerging for the year ahead. I’ve been doing some heavy training prepping to play my role in December. I’m giving myself that physical edge that one would require to live and survive in a harsh alien world. WASTELAND shoots just before the week of Christmas and I’m looking forward to that change of pace. Let’s take a moment to look at some of the developments this past week. I’m glad many of you survived the ghosts and goblins of Halloween.
ASHES OF EDEN – I think our last festival play is over and I’m happy to be moving on to distribution. We announced our deal with the Winters Film Group to release the film nationally on DVD, VOD, PPV, TV. The distributor in our meeting this week praised the marketing as the buzz is out there. He already had a PPV (Pay Per View) faith company reach out to license the film. This film walks a great edge that will appeal to audiences who enjoy faith and non-faith films. We’ve got several more reviewers watching the film to release ahead of the film. I’ve also been in talks with several foreign territories and we will get this film out to all of you also.
BESTSELLER – This film has been in transition as we prepare to build the music and sound FX. We had a great meeting with much of the post team. We went through the entire film and plotted what and where each of these audio elements would go. We talked about the FX which has already begun. Some amazing work already created and next week we should have the opening credits done. What I love about this film so much ties into my watching of PSYCHO this past Halloween. The film has elements of the classic thrillers of days gone by. A true stylistic edge that will help the film stand apart from the same old, same old that can tend to be the norm. This film has some new team members working on it and so getting these folks up to speed and on the same page workflow wise can be an effort. But you are molding a team for future work. The key is to look at it less as an individual piece by piece and more like a group of runners passing the baton. The key is to be ultra focused as you pass the baton to the next person. The clean up and organizing of files can make it easier for the next runner who has to take the baton. That said, I think we are getting into a groove and communication is going good. That is the key to all of this. In this new age of technology text messages or emails do not or should not replace phone calls or face to face meetings. The baton is passed much smoother between the “runners” and so your run times get better. Communication is the key to good leadership and so if you are a key out there make sure to communicate well. You will become valuable and find much more success.
WASTELAND – Prop building is underway and also some key decisions on equipment. This coming week we are doing a read through with the director and key cast. I’m looking forward to it. A Sci-Fi western is going to be great fun. I’m awaiting some concept art on one of the space craft. Exciting stuff for sure.
DONORS another thriller of ours has an offer forthcoming. WICKED SPRING also has interest to get a Special Edition out this spring and so we will be discussing that this week. We actually have a few distributors taking interest in the CDI library.
Our legal team finally got our domestic rights back on a pair of CDI films that got stuck. Long story but now that we have them back one I can get those film back out to market. I also have wanted to release a collection of the early CDI films together. Now with this deal that is possible.
We also have some possible reboots, sequels, prequels and new films launching. I’m beyond excited about a few of them and once the ink dries we will be discussing. Of course, all of you who follow the blog here will get some early updates.
On the acting front – I was informed that two films I was slated to be in have been green lit and will be moving forward. Both are quite large projects and will be great fun to play. I think I will be back in action with Ray and some of the “Book of Ruth” team in 2015. There are lots of projects closing their deals that will allow them to shoot in 2015. I’m excited to participating in them. 2015 will see the release of several films while we film those that will come to you in 2016. That is the way of the business. Develop. Produce. Post. Release. – Repeat often:)
Enjoy your weekend and the coming holidays –
DJ
