Midwest Movie Maker

Filmmaker James L. Edwards on the set of Satan's Peak  >>> Akron has given the world a lot of entertaining gifts, like Chrissie Hynde , Jim Jarmusch , DEVO , and, if you grew up roaming the horror aisle at your local video store, indie fright favorite James L. Edwards . While the rest of us were memorizing every jump scare in The Evil Dead , Edwards was actually inside the Ohio horror machine. “I grew up in scenic Akron, Ohio,” he says, “and I was fortunate enough to join the independent horror scene at the early age of 12.” 12?!? Yes, 12. “My mother saw a write-up in our local newspaper about a director looking for people who wanted to be extras in a zombie movie,” Edwards says. That movie was The Dead Next Door , written, produced and directed by Akron’s own J.R. Bookwalter (who was one of the first to answer our 5 Horrific Questions ) and executive produced by horror master Sam Raimi . Just a part of the Zombie Squad “At the time, I wanted to be a special effects make-u...

Filmmaker Roger Connors >>> Some kids discover cartoons. Others find baseball. But growing up in Westlake, Ohio, filmmaker Roger Connors found something a little … different. “I discovered horror at a very young age,” he says. “After my mother passed away when I was 18, I was seeking a means to vent those feelings and frustrations. Acting in film, especially within the horror genre, proved extremely cathartic and a great tool to help me get through that experience and deal with the emotions that stemmed from it.” Once he found some light within those shadows, Connors never left.  From local indie sets to a growing catalog of scream-worthy stories, including his latest horror masterpiece, Meat , he’s turned fears, both personal and universal, into cinematic nightmares ever since. “I always try to face my own fears, and I often translate that into the scripts and films I work on,” Connors explains. “I often infuse themes of discrimination, homophobia, body dysmorphia, mental...

Filmmaker Jonna Lutz >>> For Columbus-born filmmaker Jonna Lutz, the spark for storytelling began in the classroom. “When we would watch documentaries,” she recalls, “I always wondered, ‘How did they make this?’ My dad also introduced me to a lot of his favorite films growing up, and I found myself fascinated by movies more and more until I decided I wanted to pursue filmmaking.” When Lutz paired it with her love of visual storytelling with a newfound passion for writing, she saw cinema not just as entertainment, but as a calling—one she’s been chasing ever since. Finding comfort, creativity, and community in the horror genre That path led directly into the shadows of horror, a genre Lutz says feels as natural to her as breathing. “Growing up, my mom and I always watched spooky shows and movies,” she says. “Mom would always recall her time living in a haunted house. I think that’s where it really started.” Later came the internet’s “golden age of creepypastas ,” when Lutz woul...

Actor Christopher Meloni hanging with the Cleveland Browns (photo Christopher Meloni) >> Does Hulu’s new streaming series, The Land , focus on the Cleveland Browns? Maybe? Here’s everything we know about Hulu’s The Land  streaming series. What is The Land  TV series about? Nothing official has been announced, but some digging suggests that The Land , aka 17 Sundays , is This Is Us creator Dan Fogelman‘s upcoming Hulu series set in the world of pro football, starring Christopher Meloni and William H. Macy. Meloni was spotted in Cleveland over the summer in Berea, attending a Browns' training camp session, according to News 5 Cleveland . Meloni’s Instagram account confirms it, with snaps of Meloni alongside Miles Garrett and other Browns players. Meloni also visited the Cleveland Museum of Art and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum. On August 27, Deadline reported that “'The Land' … got the largest allocation (of California tax credits) … with nearly $43 milli...

Filmmaker Henrique Cuoto >>> When Henrique Couto was 12 years old, he found himself volunteering at his local cable access channel in Dayton, Ohio. He didn't know it then, but that experience would become the catalyst that sparked his lifelong obsession with filmmaking. Early exposure to the mechanics of storytelling and production laid the groundwork for a career that now spans dozens of films, podcasts, and digital series. “From that moment on, I couldn't imagine doing anything else at all with my life,” Couto says. An eclectic taste Though Couto is often associated with the horror genre, his creative output today is far more eclectic. “It’s about fifty-fifty between horror and other genres,” he explains. “The last 5 or 6 years, horror has been a soft market and hard to make solid money in, so I've expanded a lot.” Horror remains close to his heart, he admits, not just for its narrative possibilities, but for the community it fosters. Forming those relationships...

Chris Pine and Jenny Slate set to star in 'Carousel' Actor Chris Pine was recently spotted at Akron-Canton Airport filming scenes for his new project, Carousel . Local news outlets confirmed the title with Christian McCauley, the airport’s marketing and communications manager. Joining Pine is Jenny Slate , who has her own connection to the region after shooting My Blind Brother in Cleveland a few years ago. Information about the project is scarce, but a little sleuthing suggests Carousel is based on a well-regarded screenplay from writer-director Rachel Lambert . Lambert is best known for the drama Sometimes I Think About Dying , starring Daisy Ridley, which premiered at Sundance in 2023.  Lambert's films often center on intimacy, vulnerability, and the small details of human connection, suggesting Carousel will be more of a character-driven drama than a flashy studio picture. Writer/director Rachel Lambert on the set of 'Sometimes I Think About Dying' What we k...