MicroCinema Scene

By John Oak Dalton

Jon McBride has acted, written, scored, directed, and produced a large number of productions, from commercials and television programs (Days of Our Lives, Golden Girls, Silver Spoons, Moonlighting ) to movies in all budget ranges (The Running Man to Blades). But Jon is perhaps best known for a series of cult favorites, including the infamous Cannibal Campout, Woodchipper Massacre, and Feeders.

Jon surprised me with a phone call on New Year’s Day 2002, eager to talk about the microcinema scene. Eighteen months later I was in the Pennsylvania backwoods watching him co-direct my screenplay Among Us. In between, I found Jon to be one of the great fonts of wisdom — much from hard-learned experience —in the micro world, and he helped me out on many occasions. His enthusiasm and interest in the industry, and his willingness to give and share advice, led me to ask him for this on-line interview.

What, in your formative years, best prepared you for making movies?

I’ve been making movies all my life so I’ve always had a fairly good idea of what it took to put one together. I’ve always loved movies and when I was a kid I started with a super 8 camera. At school I was always involved with student video productions and shoots. I was also fascinated with low budget films at a fairly early age and I lived for the weekends and a night at the drive in or local theater that showed the low budget horror fests.

I remember thinking to myself how much fun it would be to work in those types of movies. I never thought that watching a Hollywood film. The low budget horror films just seemed to fuel my imagination more and eventually when I got into acting whenever someone asked me what kind of part I wanted to audition for my answer was always "A really gory horror movie." I just loved them.

What is your earliest movie-going memory?

The first movie I remember seeing in the theater was Bye Bye Birdie and I instantly fell in love with Ann Margaret. I was so young that I had no idea what was actually going on in the movie but watching her was a mesmerizing experience. According to my parents I sang the title song around the house for weeks afterwards.

You’ve written, directed, and acted in, various television shows and movies, as well as composed music and done print ads and commercials and other facets of the industry. What do you like doing best?

It really depends. They’re all enjoyable. I suppose that I spread myself too thin insofar as I don’t really specialize in doing just one thing and that may have hurt me in the long run however I’d get really bored if I had to focus on just one aspect of the media and/or movie making. I just enjoy being creative and immersing myself in whatever project feels right at the time. Some days I want to express myself musically, other days it’s writing, it all just depends on my mood at the time. Print ads and commercials pay really well and don’t take too long to do which makes them the icing on the cake for any actor whereas TV and film work can take forever and be a lot more draining.

Each job is really so different and carries varied weights of responsibility. As an actor I tend to enjoy the roles that are quite different from myself and allow me the chance to stretch and play a totally different person. The best compliment I’ve ever gotten is someone telling me that they didn’t know it was me in the part. I’ve always thought that was what real acting was all about.

Working as a director is enjoyable in a different way. Directors are usually puzzle solvers. They find a way to make things fit, regardless. There is also a certain satisfaction pulling a scene together and seeing it come alive. Although directing can have its share of headaches too, especially when you’re working low budget. You don’t have the cushioning around you that a major production has thus you find yourself having to do much more than directing sometimes.

Producing can have different connotations too. Sometimes producing just means coming up with the money. Other times it’s taking control of every aspect from pre-production to post and distribution as well.

Above all, my favorite part of the actual movie making process is post production. I just love seeing a project come together and it’s definitely the most rewarding experience. I am most at ease in the editing bay and would live in one if given the chance.

Also, so much of it depends on who I’m working with and the people who are involved. Whether it’s TV, film, video, commercials, print, whatever, it’s the people that ultimately make it fun and enjoyable. Or a living hell!

What are you most proud of that you’ve done?

I’m proud of all my projects. Some may be considered clunkers but I’m still proud that they were completed and distributed. I can’t even count the number of people I’ve met who’ve tried to make a movie and have had to abandon the project for whatever reason. It’s really tough to see a project through and I’ve always taken a great deal of satisfaction in knowing that the stuff I worked on didn’t end up on some basement shelf just gathering dust.

If you could go back and change anything that you’ve done in the industry, what would it be?

As far as my work goes, nothing. As far as working in the industry though, I would have liked to have been more guarded and suspicious of others motives as there really are a lot of shady people that you have to watch out for. I’ve always been very trusting and at times downright gullible which makes one exceedingly vulnerable in Hollywood. You really do have to watch your back there since it’s truly run by a lot of non talented people whose entire financial existence hinges on the exploitation of the truly talented.

The one lesson I have learned and the one I like to share with others is this… DON’T BE AFRAID TO SAY NO. If you get into a situation that doesn’t feel right then walk away. Don’t be swayed by deals or people who are "Keeping your best interests at heart". Stick to your vision and don’t compromise because if you do then you’ll end up working on a project that bears no resemblance to the one you wanted to do or cared about. Saying "No" in Hollywood is one of the most difficult things an artist can say, especially if they’re trying to get in, but in the long run it will make you a happier person and your self-esteem will remain intact.

When you were making Cannibal Campout way back when, did you think people would still be talking about it today and that would have its cult status?

Are you kidding? No way. At the time I didn’t think anyone but the people involved were going to see it and when it was actually picked up for distribution I was shocked. The fact that it’s achieved any kind of cult status is totally amazing to me. Even after Cannibal was distributed I thought only a handful of people had seen it and it would disappear into video heaven. It wasn’t until the Internet craze took off that I started to hear from tons of people who had seen the movie and even own it! I was incredulous. I still am. It’s also a bit overwhelming.

The only explanation I can give for it being as popular as it is stems from the fact that everyone involved really loved low budget horror and I think it shows in the movie. We didn’t take ourselves too seriously and the fun factor shines through.

Cannibal Campout and Woodchipper Massacre seemed to come out at just the right time to make a splash. How has the Microcinema world changed since you made those features?

Well, it’s all changed quite drastically. Back then video equipment and editing time was very expensive. It was a new medium as far as the consumer goes so very few people were able to make movies that way. That’s not the case now and for a modest amount of money people can basically buy their own equipment and edit movies on their computer. It’s insane how accessible movie making is today. It’s great too. That means that anyone who wants to make a movie can do it.

The big problem that faces moviemakers today is getting distribution. It’s easier to get stuff seen by sticking it on the Web but as far as real distribution goes I’d say it’s much tougher today than when I started out.

Back in 1988 video rentals were at red hot and distributors were scrambling to pick up anything they could get their hands on so that’s why so many of the really low budget stuff got out there. But back then most video stores were local mom and pop establishments and more people were interested in a title that they had never heard of. I think people were a bit more adventurous when it came to renting movies too. With the advent of the Blockbusters and Hollywood Videos most of the smaller stores went out of business and the rarer titles went with them. Places like Blockbuster just don’t carry anything that isn’t mainstream. Just look at their inventory. They’ll have thirty copies of any new Hollywood release but that’s about it. And people can only rent what they see. If they don’t see a copy of Cannibal or Woodchipper on the shelf they can’t pick it up.

You were a major player on Feeders, a feature that (love it or hate it) broke the SOV barrier at the major chains. What is your most vivid memory of that time?

Just that I was amazed that Feeders was distributed by Blockbuster. My jaw actually dropped when I heard the news. I still think it was a major fluke that it happened though. At the time Independence Day had just been released theatrically and Blockbuster was specifically looking for a sci-fi movie. If that hadn’t been the case I don’t think Feeders would have gotten nearly the exposure it did. Or any at all. Really, so much of getting a low budget movie out and distributed highly depends on luck and timing.

What’s next for microcinema in the new century?

I think the Internet is helping considerably and turning around the whole independent/no-budget/Microcinema scene. It allows people to see what’s out there, what’s available and offers more choices. The Internet is also providing the no-budget movie makers a whole new audience, people who would normally never get to see their movies. I know that the interest in my movies has really escalated as a result of the Internet and I’m pretty awed by it. It’s going to be a wonderful opportunity for the Microcinema world.

You are well known for horror roles, but you once told me that you actually preferred comedy. Why is that, and how has your career ended up on this path instead?

Well, horror is easier to do than comedy. In a way the two are linked but, face it, when you’re making no budget movies it’s a lot easier to run around in the woods throwing blood on people than it is to stage a complicated comic scene. Comedy is just so much harder to pull off. Cannibal definitely has some comedy elements to it and Woodchipper is a total black comedy that is really just an expanded sit-com episode. Comedy is also a lot more subjective than horror and not all comedy styles are embraced by the same people. Horror is usually more profitable financially than comedy which is the reason so many low budget movie makers do them.

I actually do prefer comedy to horror but the comedy I enjoy isn’t exactly mainstream comedy. I like offbeat comedy and tried that approach when it came to Woodchipper which ended up being totally hit or miss with the people who saw it but those who got what I was doing just howled, which pleased me immensely.

Personally I just get more satisfaction out of making people laugh than I do grossing them out, plus I think a comedy can really raise people’s spirits and just make them feel good.

What’s your unlimited budget, anybody cast, "Dream Project"?

Honestly, it varies on a daily basis. I have a number of projects I’d like to see happen but there really is no "Dream Project". A pipe dream of mine is to one day make a musical version of Woodchipper but I don’t know if that will ever come to pass.

What are you working on now, and what’s coming up in the near future?

I’m working on a number of different things, all in various stages of development. There are a few scripts that and completed projects I’m trying to get interest and/or funding for so we’ll see what happens with those. A lot of the movies I worked on with the Polonia Brothers are being released on DVD this year which is very exciting, and we’ve been very busy adding supplemental material as well as making commentaries for them, which is a blast. Our latest movie Among Us has just been completed and that’s scheduled for a DVD release in early 2004, so it’s going to be a busy year indeed.

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