By John Alexander Reese
“This is a true independent movie in every sense of the word.”
I recently sat down with Director John Cook at his entertainment studio Illusion Islands, in Glendale, Ohio.
Cook, a native of the Cincinnati area, has made his directorial debut with the new movie, “The Private Eye”.
Cook, who was originally an actor and even attended the New Actors Workshop in New York City, stepped into the directing role for “The Private Eye.” This mystery/romantic comedy focuses on Mort Madison, a private eye, whose life is spiraling downward. One day, a beguiling, slightly familiar woman hires him for his most unusual case.
Matt Rife, a comedian and rising actor, plays the lead role of the Private Eye. Many have seen Rife in his recent Netflix special “Matt Rife: Natural Selection” or on TikTok where he has 18.2 million followers.
The film also features an ensemble of talented actors and actresses, which include Clare Grant, Elliot, Denzel Whitaker, Eric Roberts, Petri Hawkins Byrd, Jay Reeves, and more.
A fascinating part of this film is the way it is planning to be distributed.
Cook is taking a page out of Taylor Swift and Beyonce’s playbook and not distributing the film through a major film studio.
The film is being distributed through film exhibitors such as AMC, Regal, Cinemark, and others, thereby skipping the need for any major Hollywood studio involvement.
Taylor Swift and Beyonce found great success with this tactic when they released their concert films last fall. It is a bold tactic, and one that could play out well.
In addition, you must admire the artwork for the poster of the film. In a day and age were it seems like movie posters have no originality, the poster for “The Private Eye” was designed by the legendary Steve Chorney. He is known to put a unique twist on movie posters and has illustrated posters for movies such as “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”, “The Great Escape”, “The Distinguished Gentlemen”, and more.
The film, which was shot on a tight budget and schedule. As Cook put it, “This is a true independent movie in every sense of the word.”
It will be interesting to see where Cook’s career will go from here. The director, who is super charismatic and has a deep love for independent cinema, has a passion for cinema that you must see to believe. He has several more film projects on the way including “A Soul to Squeeze,” “From Dark Eyes to Winter’s Eternity,” and “A Pocket Full of Bullets.”
“The Private Eye” will debut in theaters nationwide February 9, 2024. Get your tickets now.
Editor’s Note: The views expressed in this commentary piece do not necessarily the express the opinions of The Cincinnati Herald.