Local film "Girl of My Dreams" brings a slasher with a heart to the big screen. Set in the 1980s, Jacksonville filmmaker Samuel Farmer wrote, directed and co-produced this throwback, which will premiere tomorrow at Sun-Ray Cinema at 1 p.m., for those fortunate enough to have procured tickets.
"The idea for this movie sprung from mutual adoration for '80s films like 'Nightmare on Elm Street' and the kinds of characters often painted in John Hughes movies," said co-producer/art director Corina Seaburn, who appears in the film as Suzie Neon. Click here to watch the trailer (which "has been approved for Nostalgic Audiences by the filmmakers").
The film stars Jacksonville native Christopher James Forrest as teenager Trey, who bombs out with his love interest Molly (Amy Crews). Enter Patricia (Michelle Eggers), the beautiful new girl of Trey's dreams, both figuratively and literally. And, lo and behold, she's interested in him too. Strange, though, that Trey dreamed of her BEFORE he met her.
While the most popular couple at school attempts to break them up, Trey has bigger problems, as his nightmares involve Patricia killing off his friends. And the terror escalates as Trey finds the outcomes of these dreams manifesting in the real world.
Forrest's voice may sound familiar from his over 200 commercial voice-overs and his film reviews which air on NPR. Click here for cast bios and here for crew bios.
Pre-production began in May of 2011 with filming in August and September at Ridgeview High School in Orange Park, which Farmer attended, as well as private homes in Deerwood, the WJCT studios, and downtown's Burro Bar, where local band Blue Monday performs as fictional band Neon Bombshell. Local musician Eric Dietz, who appears in a cameo as the bass player in the club scene, composed the film's original score. Several local bands and musicians wrote music for the film.
Farmer and Seaburn, who met working at WJCT, have produced several shorts and music videos prior to this first feature. Seaburn calls Farmer an "extremely talented and sincere artist" and she's "convinced he is one of the few directors in town with such earned respect from his cast, crew and peers."
Seaburn says special effects artist Jeh Howell was "instrumental in upping the production value" and hopes he will work with them again on their next feature, currently in pre-production. She says they "absolutely could not have completed this without our VERY dedicated cast and crew" ... who "donated time and energy for no more than meals on set and a job well done." Funds for the project were donated through the Indigogo.com website and friends even donated home cooked meals.
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