Brentwood Strangler
2016 JURY WINNER: Best Horror Short - Hollywood Reel Independent Film Festival (Los Angeles)
2016 AUDIENCE AWARD WINNER: Best Horror - Phoenix Intl ComicCon
2016 FilmQuest NOMINATED: Best Screenplay - Short
"A mini-masterpiece in story-telling" - Horror Society
"A Surprisingly Ingenious Short" - HorrorBuzz.com
"...a phenomenal story with a perfectly paired cast and astonishing camera work" - We Are Indie Horror.
It's the Christmas season in Los Angeles; Maggie, a lonely woman goes on a blind date unbeknownst to her that her date is an active and notorious serial killer, The Brentwood Strangler. Is this love at first sight? Or is Maggie in the worst (and last) date of her life?
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John FitzpatrickDirectorSkypemare, Scary Endings
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John FitzpatrickWriterSkypemare
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Adam J. YeendProducerLust for Love, Skypemare
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John FitzpatrickProducerSkypemare, Scary Endings
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Ryan DillonProducerSkypemare, Scary Endings
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Sarah FitzpatrickProducerSkypemare, Scary Endings
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Jennifer Van Gessel (Exec. Producer)ProducerThe Canyons
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Nina Friis (Exec. Producer)ProducerLast Tree Standing
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Jordan LaddKey CastQuentin Tarantino's 'Death Proof', 'Cabin Fever', 'Never Been Kissed'
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Adam J. YeendKey Cast'Liz & Dick', 'Skypemare', TV's 'Scandal'
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Maximilian OsinskiKey Cast'Love & Other Drugs', 'In Time', TV's 'The Last Ship'
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Annika MarksKey Cast'The Sessions', TV's 'The Fosters',
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Ryan DillonKey Cast'Littlerock', 'Lake Los Angeles', 'Skypemare'
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Cameron DaddoKey CastTV's 'Models Inc.', 'Wild Things 3'.
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Atsuko OkatsukaKey CastLittlerock, Pearblossum HWY, Lake Los Angeles
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Project Type:Short
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Genres:Thriller, horror, romantic comedy
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Runtime:18 minutes
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Completion Date:November 1, 2015
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Production Budget:17,000 USD
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Country of Origin:Australia
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Country of Filming:United States
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Language:English
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Shooting Format:Digital
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Aspect Ratio:16:9
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Film Color:Color
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First-time Filmmaker:No
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Student Project:No
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A Night of Horror International Film FestivalSydney, Australia
November 3, 2015
World Premiere.
Nominated: Best Narrative Short -
Hollywood Reel Independent Film FestivalLos Angeles, CA
February 3, 2016
North American Premiere
JURY WINNER - BEST HORROR SHORT -
Tri-Cities International Film FestivalRichland, WA
October 14, 2016
In Competition - Best Short Film -
Crimson Screen Horror Film FestN Charleston, South Carolina
May 13, 2016 -
Phoenix Comicon Film FestivalPhoenix, Arizona
United States
June 2, 2016
Arizona Premiere
WINNER - BEST HORROR -
FilmQuestSalt Lake City, UTAH
United States
June 18, 2016
Utah State Premiere
NOMINATED: Best Screenplay - Short -
Westercon69 - "Friday Fright Night"Portland, OR
United States
July 1, 2016
Oregon Premiere -
Fantasmagorical Film FestivalLouisville, Kentucky
United States
July 30, 2016
WINNER: BEST HORROR COMEDY -
Horrible Imaginings Film FestivalSan Diego, CA
United States
September 11, 2016
NOMINATED: Best Actress in a Short -
Scream in the Dark Film FeastivalOmaha, NB
United States
October 15, 2016
TBD -
Motor City Nightmares Intl. Film FestivalDetroit, Mich.
United States
September 17, 2016
SPECIAL SCREENING + Q&A with Jordan Ladd -
Bram Stoker International Film FestivalWhitby
United Kingdom
October 28, 2016
U.K. Premiere
TDB -
Fright Night International Film FestivalLouisville, KY
United States
November 25, 2016
TDB -
16th Shriekfest Horror Film FestivalLos Angeles, CA
United States
October 9, 2016
In Competition -
Spooky Empire Horror Film FestivalOrlando, FL
United States
October 8, 2016
In competition -
Tri-Cities International Film FestivalTri-Cities, WA
United States
October 15, 2016 -
Scream in the Dark Film FestivalOmaha, NE
United States
October 16, 2016 -
Freak Show Horror Film FestivalOrlando, FL
United States
October 22, 2016
In Competition -
Bram Stoker Intl. Film FestivalWhitby
United Kingdom
October 28, 2016
U.K. Premiere
In Competition -
Twisted Horror Picture ShowWoodward, Oklahoma
United States
October 29, 2016
In Competion -
F.A.S.H. Fest (Fantasy, Animation, Sci-Fi, Horror Film Festival)Santa Monica, CA
United States
November 19, 2016 -
Fright Night Intl. Film FestivalLouisville, KY
United States
November 26, 2016 -
New York City Horror Film FestivalNew York City
United States
November 13, 2016
New York Premiere
In competition -
Haunted Horror Film Festival
United States
October 8, 2016
Best Director, Best Short, Best Villain, Best Short Screenplay -
Dam Shorts Intl Film FestivalBoulder City, NV
United States
February 25, 2017
WINNER: Best Horror Short
John Fitzpatrick is an award winning independent film director and professional editor known amongst horror fans as the writer/director of 'SKYPEMARE' and the 'SCARY ENDINGS' web-series. He holds bachelor’s degrees in Media Arts and English Literature and began his filmmaking career at a young age. His first festival film was a documentary short for his high school’s science department at the age of fifteen. Since moving to Los Angeles in 2001, John has edited numerous TV shows, music videos and promotional material for WARNER BROTHERS, NBC, TBS, BRAVO, MTV and DC COMICS. He served as supervising editor on three cable shows: 10 Items or Less (TBS), Unbeatable Banzuke (G4), and The Dub Magazine Project (MTV2). The latter ranked highest in MTV2 history.
John has directed over 20 shorts with numerous accolades and festival screenings. His twelve episode web series, 'PHANTOM RABBIT HITMAN' premiered at the Los Angeles Comedy Festival and is partnered with YouTube. In 2013, John wrote and directed the short thriller 'SKYPEMARE' starring Cerina Vincent and Annika Marks which was met with widespread critical acclaim and following a successful one year film festival run, has received almost a million views online.
Taking a break from the thriller genre, he directed a series of water conservation PSA's written by his 'Skypemare' cast members Cerina Vincent and Annika Marks.
For BRENTWOOD STRANGLER, Fitzpatrick united with his 'Skypemare' creative team and joined Far From Everything Films to bring audiences a smart, fun, and often brutal character based film with a strong cinematic flair in keeping with the style of film making pioneered by Alfred Hitchcock in films like 'Psycho' and 'Marnie'.
Brentwood Strangler had its world premiere in Sydney Australia for their 2015 A Night of Horror International Fim Festival where it was nominated for Best Short. It premiered in Los Angeles in Feb of 2016 for the Hollywood Reel Independent Film Festival where the film won Best Genre Short by the festival’s jury.
John lives in Los Angeles with his wife and producing partner Sarah and is currently working on the monthly online thriller series 'SCARY ENDINGS' - the 4th episode 'Yummy Meat' had it's world premiere at the 2015 Screamfest Film Festival in Hollywood, as well as working on the long-running CW cult series 'Supernatural'.
I will be the first to admit; I love a great blockbuster. The magic of the spectacle carries with it some of the fondest memories I have of childhood. The flickering lights of the movie house formed everything I am today. Sadly, the format and spectacle of what were once great movies, as of late, are letting me down.
We have lost something in translation. And so when I contemplated making my latest short, I turned back the clock to the days of Michael Curtiz, Billy Wilder and Alfred Hitchcock and began to take a look at the basic building blocks of what made 'Cinema' Cinema and I could only come up with one word. Simplicity.
'Brentwood Strangler' is a truly unique film; a story simply about two people whose worlds collide, who perhaps never should have... and from there it takes its course and there is where it also ends. The film makes an effort to allow you to feel its simplicity; its economy of shots and affords you the chance to quietly just watch as the fated duo of Floyd and Maggie play out there slice of life for the viewer. This is something I think is tragically missing from films today and my hope is that film festivals around the world will recognize that this is what is unique about our film.
This film has been such a rewarding and thrilling experience. "Brentwood Strangler" represents so many things as I move forward with my directing career, but mostly it represents a true sense of the independent spirit; the motivation to try something that one might never attempt and to embark on a challenge that, on the surface, appears, well, simple but actually is one of the greater challenges I've ever faced.
Simplicity, as it turns out, is quiet complex.
And for that I am grateful...
Sincerely,
John Fitzpatrick,
October 1, 2015