MY NAME IS JERRY Review

Ah, finally - the long awaited MY NAME IS JERRY review. You crazy Fan-Sapiens have been waiting for this, haven't you?

(And you ARE crazy - don't try to deny it. I troll your message board sometimes.)




I'm happy to report that you won't be disappointed. JERRY is definitely what you had been hoping for: Doug Jones playing a romantic lead in a sweet independent comedy. And the film works. Doug hits just the right tone with his performance. He is melancholy, funny, likeable and most importantly - he creates a character that you want to root for. You want Jerry to get the girl. You pull for Jerry to get the new job. All of these things are integral to the movie succeeding, and Doug pulls it off well.


So, you ask, what is it about?


It is about a man that is lost, and his name is Jerry. Jerry has a mundane job as a salesman and a lonely home life. He is divorced. He is estranged from his daughter. He eats TV dinners at night and turns down invitations to socialize with his co-workers.


But one day, something sets off a spark inside him. Looking for a co-worker's party, Jerry mistakenly goes to the wrong address. Answering the door is Jordan (Katlyn Carlson). She's young and quirky and fun - everything that Jerry is not. As Jerry walks off the doorstep, a slight smile touches his face and the transformation begins.


Soon, he finds himself in a record store, learning about punk music, and making friends half his age. Is it a mid-life crisis? Not really - more like a mid-life awakening. He meets Jordan by chance at a bar where she works and a relationship begins - a relationship that is more of a mystery to Jerry than to Jordan.


The drama begins when Jerry's daughter returns to him after her mother's death. Soon we realize that the mistakes of his past are the biggest obstacle for him to build a new future. To Jerry, it's not only that he doubts his daughter will forgive him - he doubts if he can forgive himself.

Jerry and his daughter have a long overdue conversation

The cast was strong throughout, with Don Stark (That 70's Show) playing Doug's encouraging co-worker, Catherine Hicks (7th Heaven) as Jerry's forgiving boss, and Allison Scagliotti as Jerry's daughter. Especially good was Carlson as Jordan - her character reminds me of that really cute girl in high school that was always nice to me, but I was always too scared to ask her out. Her performance made me want to go back in time and try again.



I suppose the big question you are wondering is this: will this independent film find a distribution deal? I would say unlikely. The film is good, and director Morgan Mead and writer David Hamilton did an wonderful job of telling a story with a lot of heart, but it does fall a little short in some categories. I would have liked to have seen the film probe deeper into the punk rock scene. Also, some of the comedy falls flat at times, especially with Jerry's college-aged buddies. I feel like there was room for more laughs in the film overall. It slows down with the number of dramatic scenes. As it stands, the film is more drama than comedy. I think Mead missed an opportunity to make the film...well...more fun. Still, it is a good film and has some potential to have a cult following on DVD (particularly among the Fan Sapiens out there - you know who you are).


All in all, I would recommend MY NAME IS JERRY to my wife for a cozy night on the couch, and honestly that is a pretty good compliment for any film.

MY NAME IS JERRY Test Screening Report!

Last night I had the great privilege of attending the MY NAME IS JERRY test screening in Muncie, Indiana.

As most of you know, MY NAME IS JERRY is an independent film from Clothespin Films and Ball State University - the first time ever a university has developed a commercial film. The star of MY NAME IS JERRY is Ball State's distinguished thespian alumn (and GDT film veteran), Doug Jones.

As webmaster of DelToroFilms.com, I keep a close eye on Doug's film career - a lot of GDT fans are Doug Jones fans as well, and hey, you can't help but love the guy - he's a hoot. But when I heard he was filming an independent film in Muncie, IN, I knew I was in a unique position to cover this project as I only live about an hour or so away. I was lucky enough to make a set visit a year ago, and finally, last night, I got to see an early cut of the film, along with 800 other lucky people.

Ball State sponsored a test screening, which was meant not only to get feedback from viewers, but to raise funds to allow the film to be submitted to various film festivals and such. It is clear that the city of Muncie, IN - which serves as the backdrop of the film and is host to Ball State University - is fully behind this film. The event was sold out, and it was shoulder-to-shoulder in the VIP area. Attendees were decked out in their finest film premiere attire, and for at least one evening, it was "Hollywood in the Heartland." With attendees sipping wine, enjoying appetizers, and rubbing elbows with the cast and crew, I could tell this was a special night for Muncie. Folks were giddy with excitement - most notably the director of the film, Morgan Mead. Morgan was so impressed with the turnout, and knowing how hard he worked on the film, I couldn't be happier for him.

Morgan Mead at the premiere

And Doug was definitely in his element - he was like Mick Jagger - working the reception floor like a rock star (only with more hugs and without the surliness). He was definitely the man of the night, as he signed every autograph and took every picture before and after the film, up until the very end of the evening (I didn't last that long, but I'm sure security had to "encourage" him to leave!)

Doug signing autographs...on the floor

The screening was in the auditorium in the Horizon Convention Center. I had an assigned seat, which made me feel important until I realized that so did about 300 other people!

Doug spoke to the audience and the sense of community at this event really came through - not only did the residents of Muncie cheer Doug, but it was clear that friends from every part of Doug's life - high school, college, internet (he gave a special shout-out to the Fan Sapiens) had come to support him in one of his finest career moments.

You see, Doug has had a lot of fulfilling moments - most notably PAN'S LABYRINTH and HELLBOY I'm sure, but he has never had such a commanding role in commercial film before - he is the lead actor. He is JERRY. His dream role.

Jerry is a man unhappy with his life. He is a salesman. He has an estranged daughter. He is lonely. But something snaps - he makes a decision to make a change in his life - his first step is to walk into a music store and buy a punk rock album. This begins a chain of events that will change Jerry's life forever.

I will save my review of JERRY for another day - but for today's blog, I just want to describe what a special night this was for Doug and the community of Muncie. I will say that all the Fan Sapiens out there (Doug's fan community) will love him in this film. It really is a perfect role for Doug and he plays it beautifully.

Will it put the town on the map? No - not any more than Ball State University already does, but it will make any resident of Muncie feel, if only for a couple of hours, a little more special about themselves.

Just as Mr. Jones does with everyone he meets.

"Jerry" Rests on the Shoulders of Ball State Students

Ball State University is redefining the term “educational film.”

During the hot summer months in Muncie, IN, Ball State University filmed its first professional, commercial film – MY NAME IS JERRY, starring Guillermo Del Toro favorite, Doug Jones.

And it is being made with the help of veteran filmmakers…and BSU students.

Producer Rodger Smith, director of the Institute for Digital Entertainment and Education (IDEE) and director Morgan Mead were able to convince the College of Fine Arts at Ball State to help finance the film, and in return, students at the college get to be part of a real commercial film…and perhaps get a head start on a dream career in the film business.

“We want situations where we can take students and put them into a real live situation where they are either using tools that they’ve already learned or they’re developing new tools by being in that environment,” says Smith. But he adds, “For that to be successful, the project has to have some sort of successful outcome, i.e. a product – one that has commercial value.”

Enter Doug Jones – a marketable name who has graced the screen in the Academy Award winning PAN’S LABYRINTH, and the blockbuster films FANTASTIC 4: RISE OF THE SILVER SURFER, HELLBOY, and HELLBOY II. Not only is he a renowned actor in Hollywood, he is also a Ball State alumn, graduating in 1982. His participation, along with a strong script by Mead and fellow alumn David Hamilton (who is a professional scriptwriter in Los Angeles) was enough to greenlight this commercially viable immersion project about a middle aged man who escapes a mid-life crisis by associating with young people from the punk rock scene.

Director Morgan Mead, Doug Jones, and Katlyn Carlson

The students, who are diligent and professional on the set, are getting rave reviews from the industry professionals. Actor Don Stark, perhaps best known for his role as Donna’s dad on THAT 70’S SHOW, plays a main character in the film

“I’ve been doing this for 35 years, and this is one of the best experiences I’ve had. When you work with professionals that are coming to do it for the love of the project, its not for money,” he says. “And when you’ve got students who are wide-eyed and wanting to learn – they haven’t been tarnished by the Hollywood scene. They don’t know what they can’t do, therefore they can do everything.”

Doug Jones is more than impressed…he gets emotional about these young filmmakers. “I could cry,” he says. “These kids are amazing.”

The kids do everything on the set –acting, costume and makeup, working crew, assistant directing…even marketing and administrative work. Aspiring actress Betsy Holt is still in awe of the experience.

“I stay up with Doug Jones until 3am at the Sunshine Café and read lines with him. How cool is that?”

For those serious about turning this experience into a career, Smith acknowledges that it is quite a challenge.

“The best most of them can hope for is a job as a PA [personal assistant]. That’s where everybody starts, but it’s also they don’t know enough to be more than that. They need to spend 2, 3 or 4 years on a set, and they get enough skills that they can be a third A.D.”

This project, he says, gives them a head start on their goals. “These kids are picking up that kind of experience,” he says. “You can only get that [experience] from doing a commercial film. You just can’t get it any other way.”

MY NAME IS JERRY will be released in 2009.

My Name is Jerry Official Website

Ball State University

All photos by Kyle Peters.

'Skin & Bones' Review

I finally got around to watching Doug Jones's FEAR ITSELF episode, "Skin & Bones." Doug had some really great moments, playing a rancher ("Grady") who has returned from being lost in the wilderness and has somehow acquired a supernatural taste for human flesh.

This was the first time I can recall Doug being really E-V-I-L. Like a violent kind of evil. If you ever meet Doug, he is such a kind and generous soul, so it is fun to see his talents as an actor shine through - he really is able to inhabit the soul of Grady.

One thing that really stands out for Doug is how he uses his hands so expressively. I have a feeling that this is one of the things that Guillermo likes about Doug. His hands move at times in an almost "other-wordly" manner - it creates a "dreamy" or "supernatural" effect in his performance. His portrayal of the faun in PAN'S LABYRINTH is a great example of his hand motions, and I think this episode of "Skin & Bones" showed it as well. There was a moment when Doug's hand reaches out to open a barn door that was positively chilling.

Overall I thought the episode was average. I had never watched a FEAR ITSELF episode before, and I was hoping it would be a show that I could set the DVR for every week. Unfortunately, I thought it eventually went too heavy on the cheap scares and horror, and could have benefited from a little more psychological drama and character development. But that's the difference between "good" and "great". "Skin & Bones" was just a "good" show - but still, it is a quality "horror" program returning to network television. For that reason alone it will get my support.

Doug had a tough role, and he made it work. His performance was chilling and spooky. Can't wait to see what he can do with a more understated part in MY NAME IS JERRY.

Doug Jones is 'Skin & Bones'

On Thursday, July 31, our pal Doug Jones is starring in Skin & Bones an episode of the NBC horror show FEAR ITSELF.


Here is a description of the show's plot from an article in Fangoria magazine: "..it focuses on Grady, a rancher who returns to his horse farm after a week lost in the surrounding mountains. His emaciated appearance is startling enough, but his loved ones soon discover that what now resides inside him is far worse.."


I have never watched this show, but I'm excited to see Doug carry a horror story - it sounds great. Director Larry Fessenden spoke very highly of Doug's performance, saying, "He is so spectacular, it’s really remarkable and I believe it’ll be remembered as an iconic episode, and this little minifilm of Doug’s performance."


So be sure to watch tomorrow, support Doug, and let us know what you thought of Skin & Bones.

MY NAME IS JERRY Trip Preview

Hi, everyone. As many of you know, I made the trip to Muncie, Indiana, on July 27th to meet Doug Jones on the set of his new film, MY NAME IS JERRY. I had a great time - Doug was wonderful and was gracious with his time and allowed me to ask A LOT of questions. I will have a full report at some point, but it will take me quite awhile to go through all my taped conversations, as I not only spoke with Doug, but I spoke with cast and crew. I also took a few pictures.

But I know many of you have some questions you are dying to ask, so here we go - DOUGIE FAQ'S!

What was it like to meet Doug?

A real trip - the man is a goofball. A very friendly, outgoing goofball who makes you feel like an instant friend. I first saw him on set while they were putting down the marks for a scene, and he walked over and gave me a big hug. Later, before I really got to sit down with him, he was striking a silly pose in his wardrobe for the scene - a snappy business suit and tie. Its obvious the crew loves him - he is not just approachable, but he often approached THEM, which caught some of the young students off guard (My Name is Jerry is an immersion study/work project with Ball State University). Doug is also very sincere and passionate about his work - especially MY NAME IS JERRY, which he has often called his "dream project." He is very grateful for his chance to be a leading man in a film - and he feels the pressure a bit and is working really hard to give his best performance. When I finally sat down with Doug, we had a chat for what felt about 30 to 4o minutes or so, and he was funny, enthusiastic, down-to-earth, warm, intelligent, caring, and goofy. I can tell you that he loves his fans, and he loves meeting them at the many conventions that he attends. When my meeting with him was finished, it felt like I made a new friend - and its a great feeling to have someone you respect return the favor.

What is MY NAME IS JERRY?

My Name is Jerry is an independent film starring Dougie that is being produced by the College of Fine Arts at Ball State University, the Institute for Digital Entertainment and Education, and Clothespin Films, LLC. Doug plays a forty-something door-to-door salesman ("Jerry") who, in the midst of a mid-life crisis, finds excitement when he meets Jordan, an engaging young punk rocker. The comedy/drama centers around Doug's encounter with the punk world and his reconciliation with his daughter, who hasn't seen him in nearly 10 years. What is truly special about this production is A) Doug gets to step out from the makeup and prosthetics and carry a film as the lead actor and B) The production is an immersion project with Ball State students, who work on set with professionals to learn the ins and outs of the film business. Part "B" is very important to Doug and the producers (Bruce Economou and Rodger Smith), as it is giving young men and women a real jump start towards their dreams to work in the film industry.

Did you get to see Doug dressed up in "Punk" wardrobe?

Unfortunately, no. He was doing a scene at the office - but perhaps this production still will work for now:




It may take me several weeks to transcribe my interviews, but I promise you will really enjoy my set report when it is published. Doug talked about all the stuff you love to hear about - Guillermo, the Silver Surfer, Frankenstein, The Hobbit, his fans, etc.. Be patient!!!