constructing JACK BROOKS: MONSTER SLAYER

Cast + Crew

Robert Englund, PROFESSOR CROWLEY
After five years of success in regional theater Robert Englund returned to the west coast where he had grown up. His very first audition landed him a starring role in the 1973 film Buster and Billie directed by Daniel Petrie. Far from living the classic hand to mouth existence of a struggling actor, Englund worked steadily through the 70s playing best friends, bad guy #1 and southern red-necks, starring opposite Henry Fonda, Susan Sarandon, Jeff Bridges, Sally Field and Arnold Schwarzenegger among others. In the 70s, regarded as the second Golden Age of American movies, Englund was privileged to work for such classic film directors as Robert Aldrich, Robert Mulligan, J. Lee Thompson, Bob Rafelson and John Milius. During this time Englund was living in Malibu, fishing off his porch at high tide and surfing when not slogging through traffic on the seemingly endless rounds of interviews and call-backs that fill the days of every working actor. He guest starred in scores of TV shows as well as working alongside some of the biggest stars of that decade including Barbra Streisand, Richard Gere, Burt Reynolds and Charles Bronson. Finally audiences could put a name to his familiar face when Englund was cast as Willie the friendly alien in the hit mini-series and subsequent weekly TV show V. Within weeks, Englund went from questions like: "Didn't I go to high school with you?" to "Aren't you that lizard guy on TV?". Twenty years later Willie still generates fan mail from science fiction devotees both in America and around the world. The series was a huge success. As a result Englund figured he would be eternally typecast as a sweet and lovable alien. To counter-balance this public image, he looked for a role that would allow him to demonstrate another side of his talents. During one hiatus from filming the series, he auditioned for a hot young director making an interesting low budget horror movie for the independent studio New Line Cinema. Englund's interview with Wes Craven landed him the role playing the burn scarred dream demon Freddy Krueger in A Nightmare on Elm Street and launched him into horror history. An international hit, the movie made New Line Cinema a major Hollywood player and prompted seven sequels and a syndicated TV series. The character of Freddy Krueger has appeared on talk shows, comic books, rap videos, and even a cartoon appearance as a guest on The Simpsons. There are numerous Freddy Krueger action figures, dolls, and attendant merchandising. Gottlieb came out with a very popular pin-ball machine based on the movies. Englund's portrayal of Freddy Krueger blasted him into the pop culture vernacular as heir apparent to the horror icons of the past, destined to stand alongside Bela Lagosi's Dracula and Boris Karloff's monster in Frankenstein. In the mid 80s Englund starred in the hour long network TV series Downtown, a serio-comic look at parolees. The short lived series also starred Blair Underwood and Marishka Hargitay. Acting on the small screen afforded Englund the opportunity to work with such diverse talent as Lillian Gish, Jack Warden, Sissy Spacek, Martin Balsam, Richard Thomas, James Earl Jones, Bruce Davidson, Lou Gosset and Lea Thompson. The international success of V and the Nightmare on Elm Street sequels opened the door for film work abroad. Englund has starred in movies shot in such exotic locales as Budapest, St. Petersburg, Tel Aviv, Johannesburg, Madrid, Palermo, Bucharest and Zagreb. Englund is sought after as a guest at film festivals all over Europe, has served on juries and has been celebrated with awards at festivals in Paris, Rome, Brussels and Sitges (Spain) to name a few. After over 60 feature length films, four TV series and countless episodic guest star roles, Englund is looking forward to continuing as a busy working actor.

Trevor Matthews, PRODUCER
Before graduating from the New York Film Academy in 2002, Trevor studied Anthropology at Carleton University in Ottawa. Not only acting as the lead in Teen Massacre (2004) and Still Life (2005), Trevor also produced both The Other Celia (2005), an adaptation of Theodore Sturgeon's short story, and Still Life, based on the award-winning script by Charles Johnston. Teaming up with both Jon Knautz and Patrick White, Trevor Matthews formed Brookstreet Pictures Corp. Along with having both acted and produced numerous short films, Trevor is excited to move forward and face new challenges. Being the CEO of Brookstreet Pictures Corp., Trevor is in the midst of producing as well as starring in his first feature film, Jack Brooks: Monster Slayer.

Patrick White, PRODUCER
Pat's passion for film is evident in all his experience. After obtaining his BA from the University of Windsor in Communication Studies, he was awarded a scholarship to attend the Vancouver Film School. Patrick met Jon Knautz at the VFS in 2001 where they collaborated on the award winning short film Apt. 310. Driven by this new partner-ship, Patrick and Jon teamed with Trevor Matthews to form Brookstreet Pictures Corp. Since then, Patrick has produced three of the company's short films, and is currently entrenched in producing Jack Brooks: Monster Slayer, set for release in early 2007.

Neil Bregman, PRODUCER
Neil Bregman is President and founder of Sound Venture Productions, one of Ottawa's largest and most successful independent film and television production companies.
Originally formed in 1980, Sound Venture Productions started as the first radio commercial and audio production company in Ottawa. In 1989, Sound Venture turned its focus to the bigger challenge of competing in the international world of film and television production.
Under Bregman's direction, Sound Venture has established itself as a leader in the production of performing arts, documentary, cultural, and children's programming. Bregman continues to produce new programs every year, adding to the 200+ hours of proprietary titles in Sound Venture's catalogue. Bregman acts as Executive Producer on all of these programs, as well as Producer on most of them.
Since 2002, Sound Venture has aggressively expanded into the world of film and television drama production, promoting Ottawa as a viable production centre for TV movies, serial dramas and feature films. Today, with over 25 movie credits under his belt, Bregman has helped establish Ottawa as a viable destination for North American film producers.
Bregman has been an active member of the industry, having sat on the Board of Directors of the Canadian Film and Television Production Association (CFTPA) for 9 years, acting as Treasurer as well as participating actively on many other committees.
www.soundventure.com

Jon Knautz, DIRECTOR
As early as high school, Jon was developing his craft. After gaining experience in directing, producing, camera, writing and editing, Jon completed the Film Foundation program at the Vancouver Film School, graduating in the top five percent of his class. Apt. 310 (2002) played eleven film festivals and garnered two awards for Best Short Film, leading to its sale to Hypnotic, a short film distribution company, as well as being shown on the television network TMN.
Based on these successes Jon received a grant from the Ontario Arts Council to direct the short film The Other Celia (2005), followed by the critically acclaimed Still Life (2005). Both films played numerous festivals and Jon was awarded Best Director for both Still Life and The Other Celia at the Malibu Film Festival in 2006. With the Toronto International Film Festival, Slamdance Film Festival and Clermont-Ferrand Short Film Festival behind him, Jon is looking to create another success with the upcoming Jack Brooks: Monster Slayer.

J. Michael Dawson, 1st ASSISTANT DIRECTOR
Having grown up in Ottawa and always wanting to shoot there, Michael is excited to be part of the Monster Slayer cast and crew and return to his home town for principal photography. Since graduating from the Vancouver Film School and moving to Toronto in 2003, Michael has worked on numerous feature and short films creating an evolving AD career in a short period of time. Currently Michael is shooting a feature horror movie entitled Left For Dead in Hamilton, Ontario.
Michael is also the founder and executive producer of the Toronto Film Challenge, Toronto's premiere film competition. Michael has lead the growing film festival through 4 separate events, the next one right around the corner, taking place June 23 - July 7. Throughout these festivals, over 1,000 filmmakers have competed, creating over 130 films and winning over $50,000 in prizes.
When not working on set and running the Film Challenge, Michael enjoys a variety of hobbies, and is committed to life long learning and education, taking classes and courses to better himself both personally and professionally.
www.torontofilmchallenge.com

Charlene Hymers, PRODUCTION MANAGER
After graduating with a diploma in graphic design from the Sheridan College School of Visual Arts, I moved back to my birthplace of Toronto. In between freelance design jobs, I fell into a job working as a Production Assistant on a commercial. That one day turned into 15 years of making commercials, music & corporate videos. Predominantly working as a production manager, I've worked for many Canadian, American & international production companies. I'm very excited about putting my expertise into this project's success, and it's a bonus that I have always loved this genre of movie.

Joshua Allen, DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY
Joshua Allen is a cinematographer for both film and video, shooting all types of programs and formats. His bold yet elegant style of lighting and use of color combined with his compassionate and collaborative spirit results in a director of photography that consistently exceeds expectations and creates moving images with a rare sensitivity. Raised in Long Beach, California, he moved to Toronto with his family at age eleven. His passion for filmmaking began at York University's Department of Film & Video, where he garnered many awards during the course of his studies, including the Academy of Canadian Film and Television's Kodak Cinematography internship. Since graduating, he has shot several short films, commercials, music videos, television programs, and other industrial/corporate and experimental videos. One such short film, entitled "Pop Song", premiered at the 2003 Toronto International Film Festival in the Perspective Canada program, and was the topic of an article in the October 2003 issue of Kodak's "In Camera" magazine. Additionally, he has shot many other successful short films that continue to be screened in film festivals around the world. Joshua completed a series of music videos for the inter-nationally acclaimed group Grandaddy, which accompanied their live performance and were projected on stage during the band's tour. He also shot music videos for two of the singles from their album Sumday entitled El Caminos in the West and The Nachure Anthem, which were internationally broadcast. Additionally, Joshua has shot several music videos for the up and coming, cutting-edge music video and commercial production house, Soft Citizen (a sister company of Radke Films). There, he shot several very successful music videos for artists such as Masia One, one of which was nominated for the 2005 MuchMusic Video Awards for the Best Rap Video category. In 2005, Joshua shot a totally unique experimental film for the Italian photographer/filmmaker Olivo Barbieri entitled Site Specific: Las Vegas 05. This film featured some striking visuals shot handheld out the open door of a helicopter one thousand feet above Las Vegas, the Grand Canon, the Hoover Dam and the surround-ing regions. The film has gone on to be screened thus far in the 2005 Toronto International Film Festival and the 2006 Sundance Film Festival. Joshua Allen currently resides in Toronto where he continues to hone his craft. www.joshuaallen.net

Jonathan Hobin, PRODUCTION DESIGNER
Jonathan Hobin is a photographer and art director who creates iconic images based on the obscure literary, cinematic, and historical references that inspire him. Jonathan was born and raised in Ottawa Canada where he was trained in a number of fine art disciplines. He has since relocated to Toronto where he graduated from Ryerson University's photography program and established a career in film and photography. More recently Hobin has been working almost exclusively in film. Ottawa's growing demand for film talent has the Ottawa film community welcoming talent such as Hobin back home. In the last year alone, Jonathan has art directed 5 American made for television movies and 1 hour-long feature. Jonathan Hobin's photographic work has been featured in numerous national magazines and his art direction credits include films for Bravo, The CBC, and The Lifetime Channel (U.S.A.).
www.jhobin.com

Matthew Brulotte, EDITOR
While Matt's academic background is in film studies, he is primarily self-taught in post-production and film editing, his passion. He began collaborating with Jon Knautz early in his career and produced and edited Teen Massacre in 2004. He teamed with Brookstreet Pictures in 2005 to edit the short film Still Life, which has won several prestigious awards and played numerous festivals, including the Toronto International Film Festival, Slamdance Film Festival and the Clarmont-Ferrand Short Film Festival, the largest short film festival in the world.
Ottawa born and bred, Matt is excited to work with Brookstreet on their upcoming feature film, Jack Brooks: Monster Slayer.

David Scott, SPECIAL EFFECTS KEY
David Scott (Form & Dynamics) has been creating creatures and makeup effects for film and television since 1987. During this time he has worked for three Oscar winning makeup artists and contributed makeup and effects to such films as Dawn of the Dead, Resident Evil: Apocalypse, Wrong Turn, and Jason X, as well as Terry Gilliam's upcoming feature Tideland and Zack Snyder's 300, scheduled for release in 2007.

Marcus Rait, SPECIAL EFFECTS COORDINATOR
A graduate of Humber College's Film and Television Production Programme in 1996, Marcus apprenticed with the pre-eminent special effects company, Malivoire Pictures in Toronto. Since 1998, Marcus has been a freelance special effects technician and special effects committee member with IATSE 873. His filmography of more than 25 major feature films, includes technician work on Urban Legend, Exit Wounds, X-Men, Tuxedo, The Day After Tomorrow, and Dawn of the Dead, and supervisor position on films such as Dracula 2000, Wrong Turn, 16 Blocks, and the Oscar-winning Chicago.

John D. Ross, STUNT COORDINATOR
John was born in Ottawa, Canada and grew up in Nepean, Ontario, Canada. He currently lives in Los Angeles and has worked on features such as Pirates of the Caribbean, Mission Impossible III, and Network Television Shows such as Alias, 24 and Numb3rs. He is excited to be coming home to visit family and friends and to be a part of the Monster Slayer team in their first feature film.
John is also the Publisher and Chief Editor of Inside Stunts Magazine, the worlds only trade publication for the stunt industry. Visit www.InsideStunts.com to download free copies.

Brandi Boulet, KEY MAKE UP ARTIST
Brandi Boulet is an accomplished make up artist who has worked on various film, television and fashion projects in Ottawa, Montreal and Toronto. Brandi received her "Make up for Film and Television" degree from the Vancouver Film School in 2002, where she graduated at the top of her class. Past "Key Make Up" credits for Brookstreet Pictures include Teen Massacre and Still Life.
www.brandiboulet.com

Sarah Armstrong, COSTUME DESIGNER
New to Brookstreet Pictures, Sarah is thrilled to be a part of the team. Based in Toronto she works in film, television, theatre and dance as a costume and set designer. Recent film credits include costume designs for the feature films Finn's Girl and The Third Eye, both due to be released in early 2007. She has also been an assistant designer working on recent projects such as feature films Beowulf and Grendel and Heyday!, the CBC mini-series Above and Beyond and the third season of Slings and Arrows. Her work as a theatre and dance designer has graced the stages of the Stratford Festival of Canada, Manitoba Theatre Centre, the Bangkok Playhouse, Harbourfront Theatre Centre and the Cameron House. A Dora-Award nominated designer she will be returning to theatre in the fall to work on a play about Kung-Fu movies at Humber College and to continue on the Video Cabaret series of history plays continuing her design work with the talented artists at the Cameron House, a Toronto historical landmark. Sarah also works as a textiles artist in scenic art and her work has traveled to New York, Bangkok, London, Vancouver, Banff and Moscow. But her favorite project by far has to be designing offices for her mother, a child and family therapist. Her favorite colour is turquoise.