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Jason Paul Collum (November Son)

jason_windowJason Paul Collum: Getting Safe Inside with November Son’s Haunting Creator. By Brian Kirst

www.ariztical.com  www.tempevideo.com

www.myspace.com/13924296  (JPC on MySpace)   www.octobermoonthefilm.com

Despite the troubled economy, director-writer Jason Paul Collum (Something to Scream About)  is beginning to see an upswing when it comes to responses for his latest thrilling feature, November Son (the sequel to his popular October Moon). “It came out when the recession was in full swing, but we’re doing okay. I’m starting to get fan letters.”

It’s interesting to note that many of those letters are more likely to be from adults than college age creep fans, though. “Kids like the Spielberg touches in October Moon, while the 35 and up crowd likes November Moon more because it’s much more serious and straightforward, an elaborate soap opera. We’ve done some theatrical double feature promos and you can see the absolute difference in people’s reactions.”

Indeed, November Son (whose troubled production was chronicled in the pages of Fangoria) not only faces the scrutiny of our current financial depression but of its filmic predecessor (currently available, “super cheap”, at www.tempevideo.com ) – “October Moon is more popular now then when it came out,” Collum states. October Moon also reveals a bit more in the male flesh department, as well. “There was supposed to be a male nude scene in the model sequence of November Son, but the location guy (who previously knew all the specifics of the shoot) changed his mind and said we couldn’t. I actually prefer the guy in his tighty whities, though, it’s more erotic.”

While the out Collum appreciates all that Ariztical Productions has done for November Son as well, he also misses being associated with Tempe Video who allowed him to be “much more hands on. Tempe makes the director more of a part of the process.”

november_sonNovember Son (featuring horror film stalwarts Brinke Stevens, Judith O’Dea, Debbie Rochon and Robyn Griggs) also embraces a variety of genres (part drama, part mysterious thriller with a little horror thrown in as bloody dressing) – which might lend confusion to viewing audiences but it is something the eclectic and challenging Collum is embracing with further projects.

His latest – “Shy of Normal” (a trio of stories in one film, featuring Stevens and Felissa Rose) is “a dark comedy – a sick and twisted look at new life experience based on three different student plays. Brinke is an author who has lost her groove. Felissa tries to help her get it back by observing society.”

Another future project, Safe Inside (currently in pre-production and early stages of planning) is “Repulsion meets The Strangers meets Julia Wept (one of Collum’s first short films).”

Collum, though, who has boldly and proudly brought about a new wave of cinema by including queer characters and plotlines in many of his horror-like projects, is rethinking his path a bit. “I don’t want to be known as just the gay director,” he states. Like any true artist, he doesn’t want his options to be limited to future features where built madman slash flailing go-go boys, so  he is even considering changing the sexuality of a main couple in Safe Inside.

“They are just a gay couple – with no agenda or story to them – they just are. But now I’m thinking about making them a man and a woman”.

Still, no matter what direction he takes, Collum (currently working on two children’s books and a couple of film guides) will rightfully always be honored as one of the first directors who emphatically brought the queer to fear – a true accomplishment especially considering (present) society’s unbalanced bank accounts and the many horror fan boys who seem to have a true resistance to acceptance and change.

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