Polonia brothers explained

Mark Polonia
Birth Date:30 September 1968
Birth Place:Wellsboro, Pennsylvania, United States
Occupation:Film director, film producer, screenwriter, actor
John Polonia
Birth Date:30 September 1968
Birth Place:Wellsboro, Pennsylvania, United States
Death Place:United States
Occupation:Film director, film producer, screenwriter, actor

Twin brothers and filmmakers Mark Polonia and John Polonia (born September 30, 1968) founded Polonia Bros Entertainment and Cinegraphic Productions. Between them they have written, directed and produced over 40 feature films, often shot-on-video and mostly in the horror and science fiction genres, making them low-budget or even no-budget film cult icons.[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6]

When John Polonia died suddenly at the age of 39 on February 25, 2008,[7] Mark Polonia continued to make films.

Life and career

The youngest of five siblings, the brothers were interested in and making films from a very early age. Their first commercial release was Splatter Farm, released on VHS by Donna Michele Productions in 1987,[8] a shot-on-video offering, written, acted, directed and filmed by the teenage brothers and a high school friend.[9]

In 1996 the brothers' alien invasion film Feeders was picked up by Blockbuster in the aftermath of the commercial success of Independence Day, and became Blockbuster's No. 1 independent-film rental for the year.[10] Starring John Polonia and fellow-B-movie maker Jon McBride (Cannibal Campout, Woodchipper Massacre) in their first foray together, this film about an invasion of Earth by small rubbery flesh-eating monsters with no mouths marked the Polonias' first wide distribution and paved the way for future releases – perhaps 20 more of them before John's death in 2008.

Jon McBride became a regular collaborator with the brothers.[11] [12] The themes approached in their collaborations include killer piranhas, killer Easter bunnies, haunted houses, trips to Mars, assorted demons,

In 2007 they released a new and improved cut of Splatter Farm, on DVD through Camp Motion Pictures.[13] The new version is missing a couple of the more outrageous scenes that made the original a 'cult classic'.[14]

Within the indie film community, the brothers were known for their kindness and generosity to aspiring film-makers.[15]

Polonia Brothers Entertainment and Cinegraphic Productions released Halloweenight, based on a screenplay by, and dedicated to the memory of, the late John Polonia, in October 2009.

According to Film Threat ”Mark Polonia is best known (if he is at all) for his ridiculous, though insanely fun, output such as Shark Encounters Of The Third Kind and Deadly Playthings. These productions intentionally trade on their low-budget schtick with absurd premises that ask the viewer to laugh and have fun, as the movie is in on the joke."[16]

Filmography

Films directed by Mark and John Polonia

Films by Mark Polonia only

As director

As writer and producer only

As producer only

External links

Notes and References

  1. Book: Lindenmuth, Kevin J. . Making Movies on Your Own: Practical Talk from Independent Filmmakers . 1998-07-01 . McFarland . 978-0-7864-0517-6 . en.
  2. Book: Waltz, Douglas . Monstervision: The Films of John and Mark Polonia . 2021-01-07 . Amazon Digital Services LLC - KDP Print US . 979-8-5566-1091-0 . en.
  3. Web site: Symchuk . Adam . 2023-12-01 . The Best 'So Bad It's Good' Christmas Movies . 2023-12-26 . MovieWeb . en.
  4. Web site: Nark . Jason . 2019-07-05 . Pennsylvania filmmaker passionate about bad taste, piling up bodies . 2023-12-26 . Inquirer . en.
  5. Web site: Woinski . Bart . 2022-03-04 . A Vampire Shark Terrorizes Townsfolk in Sharkula Trailer . 2023-12-27 . ScreenRant . en.
  6. Book: Albright, Brian . Regional Horror Films, 1958-1990: A State-by-State Guide with Interviews . 2012-11-08 . McFarland . 978-1-4766-0042-0 . en.
  7. Web site: 2008-03-05 . Outsider – John Polonia: 1968 – 2008, PopMatters . 2023-12-27 . PopMatters . en-US.
  8. http://www.bleedingskull.com/dvd/splatterfarm.html Bleedingskull.com
  9. Web site: Mark Polonia: The Hardest Working Man in the Bad Movie Business . 2023-12-26 . Paste Magazine . en-US.
  10. Web site: Jeff Dylan Graham . 2023-12-27 . www.b-independent.com.
  11. Web site: Francis . R. D. . 2021-11-20 . Exploring: SOV Filmmaker Jon McBride . 2023-12-27 . B&S About Movies . en.
  12. Web site: (re)Search my Trash . 2023-12-27 . www.searchmytrash.com.
  13. Web site: DVD Talk . 2023-12-27 . www.dvdtalk.com.
  14. Book: Ziemba . Joseph A. . Bleeding Skull!: A 1980s Trash-Horror Odyssey . Budnik . Dan . 2020-10-29 . SCB Distributors . 978-1-909394-14-8 . en.
  15. Web site: 2011-07-15 . We Took Your Mom Out For a Seafood Dinner and Never Called Her Back. - John Polonia: In Memory . bot: unknown . https://web.archive.org/web/20110715110613/http://potentiallyoffensive.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=101&Itemid=2 . July 15, 2011 . 2023-12-27 . Potentially Offensive.
  16. Web site: 2022-02-15 . Reel Monsters Featured, Reviews Film Threat . 2023-12-31 . en-US.
  17. Web site: 2021-03-15 . Church of the Damned (Review) . 2023-12-27 . Horror Society . en-US.
  18. Web site: Review: Hallucinations (1986) . 2023-12-27 . CONFLUENCE OF CULT . en-US.
  19. Book: Miller, Steve . 150 Movies You Should Die Before You See . 2010-10-18 . Simon and Schuster . 978-1-4405-0902-5 . en.
  20. Web site: American Genre Film Archive LETHAL NIGHTMARE . 2023-12-31 . www.americangenrefilm.com.
  21. Web site: SAURIANS The Bedlam Files . 2023-12-31 . en-US.
  22. Web site: 2015-09-20 . Hellspawn (1993) – No Budget Monster HORROR MOVIE REVIEW . 2023-12-31 . SCARED STIFF REVIEWS . en-US.
  23. Web site: Nanarland . Feeders - la chronique de Nanarland . 2023-12-26 . www.nanarland.com . fr.
  24. Web site: BLOOD RED PLANET . 2023-12-27 . www.b-independent.com.
  25. Book: Lamberson, Gregory . Cheap Scares!: Low Budget Horror Filmmakers Share Their Secrets . 2014-01-10 . McFarland . 978-0-7864-5202-6 . en.
  26. Web site: Razorteeth . 2023-12-30 . TVGuide.com . en.
  27. Web site: DVD Talk . 2023-12-27 . www.dvdtalk.com.
  28. Book: Rowan, Terry . Halloween A Scary Film Guide . 2015-02-07 . Lulu.com . 978-1-312-86727-7 . en.
  29. Web site: Moore . Debi . 2016-11-11 . Land Shark Coming Ashore in Spring 2017 . 2023-12-27 . Dread Central . en-US.
  30. Web site: 2021-03-16 . Nightmare Vacation (Review) . 2024-01-31 . Horror Society . en-US.
  31. Web site: 2023-10-11 . BattleBots (2018) - Moria . 2023-12-29 . www.moriareviews.com . en-GB.
  32. Book: Berry, Mark F. . The Dinosaur Filmography . 2015-08-31 . McFarland . 978-1-4766-0674-3 . en.

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