A new horror anthology is premiering at the Madison Theater in time for Halloween. Creeping Crawling is a three story anthology created by director Jon Russel Cring and will be showing from October 26, through November 1. His three story anthology will make you itch, squirm, and scream while you sit on the edge of your seat. Creeping Crawling is the type of movie that will make you check your bed twice for bed bugs.
While I was asking Cring a few questions, it was obvious he was very excited about his horror anthology and other future projects.
- How many films have you made?Jon: I have directed 15 Feature films and dozens of shorts, web series,music videos, and television programs.
- What is your favorite horror film?Jon: I think you can make an amazing film in every genre but my two favorite horror films are John Carpenters’ The Thing and Brian De Depalmas’ Carrie. Two movies where the characters, not the gore dominate the story.
- What inspired you to create this film as an anthology of three tales?Jon: Our house got infested with fleas and it drove my wife half mad. We wrote the stories together drawing from personal tragedy and an Anthology was the perfect vehicle.
- What was the most challenging part of making 12 feature films in 20 months?Jon: Well 6 of those were made in 6 months.Making that many movies that fast is like being stuck in a film making convent. When you’re not praying or fasting, your whipping yourself.
- Do you have any fears?Jon: I have many fears. That is what keeps the process going. We tap into our insecurities and ask the big questions on camera and I hate small spiders too.
- What kind of film do you plan on making next?Jon: We have a LGBT feature written by my friend Anna Shields which we already shot called Little Bi Peep and in the Spring a Hotrod film called Car Nival. I love my job!
- What was the most prestigious moment of your movie career, so far?Jon: They both happened this year, being in Fangoria Magazine and becoming friends with legendary actress Karen Black and watching her tell stories about making Five Easy Pieces.
- Who is your favorite director of all time?Jon: Francis Ford Coppola is the king of grand storytelling, but I love the way David Cronenberg takes reality and twists. I could talk directors all day. Let me just say that directing has got to be about performance. Somehow this has gotten lost on the young crop of filmmakers.
- What do you enjoy doing when you’re not directing?Jon: I really have no hobbies. I watch films and think about my next movie, listen to music and apply it to a film, make dinner while my wife calls me in to see her latest editing masterwork and then we don’t eat for an hour. I guess we are pretty single minded.
- What is one piece of advice you would give to anyone hoping to become a director?Jon: All the cliches, write what you know or at least be truthful as Stephen King says “just do it”, “don’t let anyone stop you”, and one new cliche “shock”. My first question when my wife and I write or read a script is “Have I seen this before?” Shock can start a heart and people need to emotionally connect with film. It’s hard to connect without first shocking the heart and sometimes the brain, films that are memorable had detractors. Shock is powerful and my film Creeping Crawling that plays October 26, through November 1, has plenty of voltage.
