The Jones is the second segment in the upcoming Forces of Horror: Volume 1 anthology currently being produced by Force of Nature films. To be honest, I was kind of on the fence when it comes to the movie’s previous entry, Revelations, though one of my co-workers at HorrorSociety.com had a much different, more positive opinion. Still, I was interested enough to check out The Jones based on the one sheet pictured to the left. Here’s my review having watched the short film.
The Jones is written and directed by Roger Sampson. Cast members include Sheri Davis (Snake With A Human Tail), Gracie Whitton (Scary Movie 5), Robert Johnson (“Lonestar”), April Hartman (Blood Reunion) and Lance Eakright (“Salem”). The film follows, “a zombie family who must cope when their daughter turns human.”
In the opening moments of The Jones I thought, “Oh, no, not again.” The setting looks the same and all three of the lead characters are played by the same actors from Revelations. For some reason, though, this didn’t affect me as much as I thought it would. I can’t harp on the mansion, it’s stunning and high class. And, really, all of the actors are so fantastic in their portrayals here. Sheri Davis is continuing to prove why she’s one of the most promising up and coming scream queens in the game. Lance Eakright has a personable, familiarity to him that is very warm and inviting. April Hartman and Robert Johnson are terrific and believable as the villains. Let me not forget to mention Gracie Whitton. What a little powerhouse she is! There’s definitely big things in store for her in the future. Together they all formed an extremely talented and charismatically diverse cast that sailed this short film along.
I think the biggest thing I liked about The Jones is the fact that it is new and original. I haven’t seen the concept of a zombie child that turns human tackled before in a horror film. One thing I will always champion and give extra points to is a writer, in this case Roger Sampson, who is able to inject something new into a stale subgenre of horror. It’s invigorating to see a fresh idea, an idea that was expanded upon so smoothly in this short film. A lot of your questions about the plot will be answered through subtext during The Jones, but it’s still easy to follow and makes for a story that is both heart wrenching, suspenseful and original. Plus, you add in a little bit of zombie goodness and a few comedic lines and it’s a really cohesive, astounding short film. Finally I can see that Sampson is a talented and creative thinker!
There’s not really anything for me to talk negatively about here or even give constructive criticism. As with Revelations, The Jones is a top quality production with virtually no production errors and sleek editing. The cinematography from Aaron Sparks was impressive as were the special effects and zombie make-up from Kristal White. This short film just hit the mark on all of the right spots. There’s nothing left for me to say. Final Score: 8.5 out of 10.
