On February 25, 2008, prolific b-movie filmmaker John Polonia passed away of a heart aneurysm. He was 39 and leaves a wife and young son.

In 1987, Pennsylvania twin-brothers Mark and John Polonia produced “Splatter Farm” and even though they were still in the teens, they were able to secure a distribution deal that would get their film placed in numerous mom and pop stores across North America. Intrigued by their modest success, the pair would embark on a career making low-budget horror movies and garnering a respectable fan base around the world, as well as, a host of detractors.

The pair became minor cult figures when theur film "Feeders" was picked up by Blockbuster Video. It became a surprise hit gaining first place in the chain’s Independent Rental Selection for 1997. It also marked the first time the pair collaborated with Jon "Cannibal Campout" McBride on a film. This business relationship would evolve into a lifelong friendship.

From there the trio went on to produce and direct over 30 films in a career that spanned over a decade, including “Razorteeth”, “Peter Rottentail”, “Holla If I Kill You”, “Dweller”, “The House That Screamed”, “Blood Red Planet”, "Among Us" "Hellgate: House That Screamed 2", "Gorilla Warfare: Battle of the Apes", “How to Slay a Vampire”, “Hellspawn” and “Splatter Farm”. John also wrote "Carnage Road" for his friend Max Cerchi and edited "Blood Sisters" for friend Joe Castro. He did a lot of things for a lot of people, and I for one should know, but I'll get to that later.

John (along with his brother) rarely received any kind of critical recognition, but those films, his films, weren't about profit or getting recognition, it was simply about making movies. It was about having an honest passion for filmmaking that no amount of critical lashings can counter. Amongst b-movie fans, he was something of a legend. Jeff Dylan Graham referred to him as "a hero" and I think many b-movie fans feel the same way. He simply embodied the joy of independent filmmaking, no other way to put it.

Personally speaking, when I stumbled upon a copy of "Dweller" in 2004, I was hooked. "Dweller" was written by John and starred himself, his brother, Mark, and Jon McBride as well as Leslie Culton. Even though the budget was visibly limited, I found the story to be quite engaging and fun -- a hallmark of most John Polonia scripts. Afterwards, I couldn’t resist seeking out more information on the this filmmaking trio, and that’s when I discovered a whole other universe of indpendent movies. In time, I struck up a friendship with Jon McBride, and became an even more devoted fan of the brothers and their work.

In 2006 their Bigfoot film “Among Us”, written by John Dalton, and directed by McBride and John and Mark, was premiered across Canada on The Space Channel. I never told the Brothers this, but I was absolutely ecstatic about it. It felt so good knowing that a much larger audience would have a chance to experience a Polonia Brothers film, and knowing that the Brothers had finally garnered some much deserved recognition for their work

In the aftermath, I was asked to flesh out an early script draft by none other than John Polonia. The rough draft was called “Primordial”, which ultimately became “Wildcat” -- a film that, ironically, brought together much of the "Dweller" cast. I’m so proud to have worked with the Polonia Brothers on the project and I am forever indebted to them I wouldn’t trade that experience in for anything. I am also incredibly proud to share a screen credit with John, as well.

Even though I never met John personally, I was so heartbroken to hear of his passing and I feel nothing but sadness for his family and his friends. When I heard it, I felt as though a great friend had been removed from my life, something I believe that anyone who had any kind of interaction with John can attest to.  

Thank you for entertaining me. Thank you for being apart of my world, if only briefly. We will all miss you John.