Surviving the Storms and 10 Movie Updates
Hazelnut cheers on a chilly morning in Michigan. Slept with the window open and woke up to a cold foot. I’m going to try and do a better job this week with my typing and posting. Last week I lost an hour plus of work on this blog. But you got to watch three video updates from me instead. You got to see my new 1920’s haircut for the upcoming movie Harsens Island Revenge that shoots in less than three weeks. We will arrive on location in less than two weeks. So many cool things happening and I’m excited to pull this group of artists together.
In Michigan we had a big storm roll through including seven tornados across the state. So many branches and trees down and we had a big tree on our property line break in half at the trunk. It fell right where our buddy Finn’s daily race track is. Finn is our furry son (He just turned 5 last week) who races daily with his friend Jake on the other side. The huge tree is still hanging by bark and fiber and is a death trap for any below it. I cleaned up our side in about four hours with a chainsaw. The city will need to drop that big boy and I hope do some clean up on the city easement side. I got to experience most of the storm from inside a car. We had our play-off soccer match in the brutal humid heat. Lightning and thunder started ending the game with ten minutes or so to go. We won 3-2 which was cool but I stayed in my buddies car to cool down and he ran to the clubhouse to have a quick beer toast with a few of the guys. The storm hit and they were stuck in the clubhouse. I was in the car counting a 100 lightning strikes, sleets of sideways rain and hail. He finally made the run out and we made the adventurous drive home avoiding flooding and downed trees across the roads. Sadly one woman and her dog died when a tree fell through her roof while they were in bed. You have to respect nature.
Let’s do a top 10 updates just off the top of my head.
- This article hit The Alpena News as we get close to filming our next story – https://www.thealpenanews.com/news/local-news/2023/08/feature-film-to-be-shot-in-northeast-michigan-locations/
- We announced several new Harsens Island Revenge (HIR) sponsors such as Reinert Pottery, Nash Nurseries and Red Cedar Spirits. We’ll have even more to announce as we get closer.
- A Model German tank, wood model boats, actual boats, cars, trucks and even airplanes are all being assembled to help tell this 1920’s story. Our hard to find props list is getting smaller. Still looking for a still:) A moonshine still that is. It is fun to bring all this history back to life.
- Wardrobe fittings and discussions have been full ahead. My pants should arrive tomorrow which are reproductions by one of our sponsors Warreplica! I’m still trying to find that perfect coat and a second pair of outdoorsmen boots.
- One of our sponsors UAI is not only supporting the film but will be entering a development deal on a video game based on the film. Would you be a WW1 veteran or a Purple Gang mobster? Pick your side!
- SILENT NIGHT IN ALGONA (SNIA) artwork for the home release is almost complete. Also the technical fixes are almost complete. I will give dates on DVD, broadcast and streaming as soon as I get them on our FB page so go join that also to stay up on updates.
- SNIA also has The Red Letter Awards happening outside Nashville, TN about the time we start shooting on HIR. We are up for several awards and I believe Donna Kitzinger our Algona coordinator will be going to represent us.
- I met last week with Steve Young over the upcoming streaming release of THE PATCHWORK GIRL OF OZ on Sept 5th! We also discussed another Oz book to turn into another animated movie.
- On older films getting new life – I mentioned in prior blog entries about my first starring role in the creature feature IN THE WOODS that is getting the HD treatment. A new director’s cut is done and I’m told it looks fantastic. I think some sort of showing is planned for late October. I’m anxious to see it and of course this is all laying the foundations for a sequel. Maybe a re-release into theaters?
- On another CDI film getting this same sort of HD treatment – I’m still under a hush order for another week or two. I think they will start making announcements on Sept 1st. So forgive the mystery of it all just need to be respectful of the business. Thank you to those parties working hard on this new release!
WRAP UP:
To all of you out there – I want to again express our appreciation for your support. I’m going to be doing some organizing of props for pick up this week. Prepping some more of my character wardrobe now that I’ve done a breakdown. I might still have to chainsaw up a few logs from the storm damage and might put a mow on the lawn. I’ve been harvesting hops and rhubarb still and the herbs are still growing well. The chickens are all safe and happy and so the egg factory is all good.
Until next week, be good to one another.
DJ
Hints of Fall – August Updates
I’m sipping the hazelnut coffee and appreciative of my time here with all of you. I want to welcome our new readers from Canada, Ireland and Singapore. It has been a wild week in the world and one of the top events is the awful fires in Maui. I got an opportunity to be there in the very district that was destroyed by fire. The poor people, animals and property lost is heartbreaking. I hope they are able to rebuild but life on that island will not be the same for quite some time. Fire also played a part in our own endeavors as one of our locations to be used in the next film had a fire. Water damage is the main issues thanks to the quick efforts of the local fire departments. I think they will be okay in a month when we film otherwise we will have to make some adjustments.
This past week I put a major grooming on the yard which was growing wild with all the rain. The plants are loving it and growing strong. Tomatoes, herbs, hops and rhubarb are all growing well. I will keep harvesting and nurturing the plants. The hints of fall are all around. Our Detroit Lions football team won their first pre-season game. I had another soccer match that we lost. I saved a goal towards the end but took the kick to my upper thigh. It has been sore but should be good by this next Thursday. We went to a Mint festival in a nearby town and that was enjoyable. We have a flea market in a bit and I’ll be on the look out for more props. That will take us into talks on our films-
Harsens Island Revenge– We had a great meeting with our director this week. We’ve made a few more casting choices and one is a special cameo by multi-national wrestling champion Gabe Dean who will play a bodyguard and enforcer for our lead gangster. We will continue this week with locking down our final cast, crew, locations and props. We had a great change to one of our scenes that will give us more bang for our buck. Some of our prop weapons arrived yesterday and we’ll be excited to bring out the Tommy guns this week. It is truly a fun scavenger hunt for props. We’ve been locking in our agreements and flights will likely start end of the week or the week after. We have some new sponsors that have added this past week. WarReplica out of India and the Michigan Community College Association. We have more meetings and talks this week with more brands wanting to align with us. I look forward to every week working with our team to take us closer to a launch. The cars, boats and even a plane is in the planning. We are about a month out from moving into our on-location prep and shoot.
SILENT NIGHT IN ALGONA – We’re about to officially close our theatrical and do a first dispersement to our backers. The final tech prep on the home video version of the film is progressing. It will be exciting that everyone who wants to see the film will be able to. The story which is real has such a moving and uplifting message. It will be the perfect holiday film and we hope will become a classic for families everywhere. I’m also excited to see the new artwork that is being worked on.
SPIRIT LAKE MASSACRE is a truly moving story again taken from history. We will really start working to put the financial pieces in place in mid October once we get past our Harsens Island Revenge shoot. I had a wonderful talk with a historian in the Iowa area about the event and our take on the story. It will be another great piece of history that will be saved. It also has the ability to give the local Spirit Lake museum some great attention.
MISC –
We have several other pieces of news that will unfold here towards the end of the year. The music video we just shot went great and could also lead to another. I’m excited to see the first cut of this one. I believe I have another one of the Revel books I contribute to having a release this holiday season. The audio book series I narrate FOR GENERATIONS TO COME keeps rolling. I’ve been listening to some of those I’ve narrated and I’m very happy with it all. I have a few interviews that I’m lining up for the end of the year promoting some of the projects. CDI’s first feature film (Do you know it?) will be getting a special blu-ray release and that will start promoting next month. In the same vein, I’m excited to see the new director’s cut of IN THE WOODS, which was my 1st starring role in a feature film. We might do a theatrical run with the new cut. The director and I have been discussing the sequel ideas as we have an interested party in funding that and another supernatural thriller. It will be fun to return to my genre roots in a few select projects.
WRAP UP: This week it will be business as usual. Each week we just knock things off the list. We’ve been addressing questions on the next film pertaining to extras, vehicles and props. Each week the list of TO DO’s gets shorter. I had a great end of week meeting discussing a new film back up system we’re about to put into play. We all had a beer that just so happens to be my Mexican-Style chili beer and it seems to be a favorite. I just obtained the material needed to make a milk stout style beer. Something I haven’t tried but should be a good winter beer. The ‘Rocking Rhubarb’ wine will be going to bottle pretty soon. Springtime captured in a bottle.
I’m going to get after a few eggs before hitting another flea market today and see if I can find any good props. I hope you all have a productive week. Be kind to one another and be kind to yourself. I’m looking forward to spending time with more of our team as we prep on ‘Harsens’ and get closer to being on-set. I’m ready for the rain and humidity to pass. Fall is truly my favorite season and we’re not there yet but it is around the corner. I’m going to go fill the coffee cup and get on with my day. Again I appreciate all of you stopping by as I try to share some of my insights and updates. Until next week.
Coffee Cheers!
DJ
DJ Perry's Official Blog 'Clawing My Way to the Middle' 