Jon Jacobs Movies
The brain-child of director and executive producer Straw Weisman, Man of the Year is billed as a reality/surveillance/improv/drama. In fact, the film was shot in one night, with no script and a cast of about 20 being followed around by an equal number of cameras. The story centers on Bill, a successful oil company executive played by John Ritter. At a party in honor of Bill, the audience is introduced to a number of people in Bill's life, including his wife, Carol (Heidi Mark); his bookie, Mickey (Dan Ponce); and his mistress, Vanessa (Khrystyne Haje). As the evening progresses, the mood of the party goes from festive to angry as all of the secrets in Bill's life become exposed, and his life begins to crumble around him. Suddenly, a gunshot is heard, someone is dead, and no one knows who the killer is. Completely improvised based on a loose story outline and a set of predetermined motivations for each character, Man of the Year premiered at the 2002 Method Film Festival in Pasadena, CA. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Ritter
- 2003
A stuttering street fighter becomes the voice of a new revolution in the first film structured around a shamanistic ritual and designed to have a transformative effect on the viewer by awakening the dormant areas of the mind with the power to fuel transformation and growth. Lou is a determined boxer with a stutter that belies his prowess in the ring. After receiving a closed head injury that forces him from fighting and threatens to rob him of his livelihood, Lou determines to make a name for himself as a fight trainer. When the 30-second-round format becomes too much for Lou to handle and his seemingly logical career choice receives a devastating blow, the dejected former fighter takes to the streets to create a volatile situation the likes of which have never before been seen in cinema history. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bret Carr
- 2001
Two outlaws discover the harder they try to escape the hangman, the closer to him they seem to get in this impressionistic Western. Jake Finney (Jon Jacobs) is a small-time gunfighter who is arrested by a sheriff (Stephen Polk) who is keen on having him hung as soon as possible. As Jake is led off to jail, he meets a fellow prisoner, Steve West (Michael Kastenbaum), a second-rate horse thief. Steve discovers that Jake has an escape plan which involves a realistic looking phony gun Jake has carved out of wood; Steve is desperate to break free, and offers Jake a cache of gold if he'll help him escape. The jailbreak is a success, and Jake and Steve head for the Canadian border, with the sheriff in close pursuit. After a run-in with the law, Jake and Steve have to shoot their way out of a tight spot; they get away, but Steve is hurt, and they're forced to turn to a local woman, Annie May (Dawn Kapatos), who helps tend Steve's wounds. Before long, Steve and Annie May have fallen in love, and while Steve recuperates, Jake decides to renew his relationship with Stella (Haley Gilbert), a former girlfriend. Stella, however, turns her back on Jake, and once Steve is better, the outlaws are once again on the run from the law, with Annie May in tow and the Canadian border always out of reach. Actor and director Jon Jacobs directed The Wooden Gun in collaboration with his co-star, Michael Kastenbaum; the film was shot on 16 mm stock for only 7,000 dollars, but the final product went unseen for several years until it was screened at a retrospective of Jacobs' work in 2000. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jon Jacobs, Stephen Polk, (more)
- 1998
Jon Jacobs wrote, directed, and stars in this fantasy drama set amid Beltane, a Druid celebration. Seeking a mate, wizard descendant Jason (Jacobs) returns to Earth, arriving in New Orleans where members of the local witch coven concoct spells to attract Jason. Eight years earlier, Jason had a child with witch Lucinda (Christina Fulton), now a coven dropout and a prostitute who seeks legal custody of their child. With a clever blend of coven comedy and supernatural social drama, this film won the Golden Warrior prize at the "Cannes You Dig It" alternative sidebar event held during the 1998 Cannes Film Festival. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jon Jacobs, Christina Fulton, (more)
Told in an unadorned straightforward manner, this drama looks at a very strange relationship between two European wanderers who become hopelessly entangled in an LA loft. Joshua met Ana in a Hollywood bar. She offers him a warm bed and a little comfort in her loft and he accepts. Unfortunately when he awakens the next morning he finds himself chained to an ancient Oldsmobile with his wallet missing. Turns out that Ana is a heroin addict and she has decided to keep Joshua locked up so he can supply her the cash she needs. Despite his forced captivity, Joshua finds himself strangely drawn to Ana and she to him. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1995
A female vampire is on the loose. She mostly preys upon those who try to exploit her in this low-budget horror movie dedicated to Fritz Leiber (the movie is based upon one of his short stories). The story begins in 1937 as the beautiful Louise, a popular fashion model who also owns the Tides hotel, commits suicide. She is despondent when she discovers her fiance and photographer has been lying and cheating. The film switches to the present. The hotel is abandoned and rapidly decaying. Louise returns and is obsessed with restoring it. She has also come back for revenge against all men who treat her as an object. She keeps up her vendetta until she meets a sensitive Cuban refugee, Carlos, who is also a photographer. They begin a strange relationship. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
