AHS grads to premiere their first movie

By Michael Picarella Acorn Staff Writer

Agoura Hills High School graduates and brothers Jeremy Pollack, 24, and Blake Pollack, 21, will premiere their 45-minute sci-fi drama film "Perfect Sec-Illusion" next month in Hollywood. The Pollacks hope the movie will jump-start their careers in the entertainment industry.

Jeremy graduated from the University of Southern California with a degree in literature and works as a writer in Santa Monica. Blake is an assistant to producer Barry Bernardi, a friend of the family who has had several successful films, including "Anger Management."

Blake also has worked with director John Carpenter.

"Basically, the movie is our demo reel for me and my brother," Blake said. "We intend to go to film festivals first. But we have some distributors that are coming to look at it, and it would be nice if they wanted to pick it up and distribute it. That would be the ultimate goal."

"Perfect Sec-Illusion," a play on the words perfect seclusion, is ‘Adaptation’ meets an episode of ‘The Twilight Zone,’" according to Jeremy. It’s about a writer who tears down his home and in its place builds a giant room, a secluded place for him to write. The writer must decide if he’s created perfect isolation in reality—or perfect isolation in his insanity. Or maybe the audience will have to decide.

Jeremy said the movie is based on several short stories he wrote.

After creating the concept in October, the Pollacks immediately began developing their movie. The brothers worked on professional motion pictures previously, according to Jeremy, but this was the first major movie of their own.

Portions of the film were shot at Calamigos Ranch in Malibu and other locations around the county.

The film is currently wrapping up with post-production chores.

The brothers attained funding for the movie from various family members. They worked with a budget of about $100,000.

Jeremy wrote and directed the movie and Blake was a producer. While "Perfect Sec-Illusion" is the brothers’ biggest project to date, they hope it’s not the biggest ever. They have plans for much more.

Jeremy just finished a feature-length screenplay and a novel that he hopes will be discovered with the help of any success from "Perfect Sec-Illusion." He said he also has a magazine planned that’s geared toward Generation X.

"I love filmmaking, but writing prose is actually the gateway to what I really want to do," Jeremy said. He started writing music and poetry when in high school and it grew into writing prose, he said. Now his writing is all about filmmaking.

Blake just finished work on the movie "The Haunted Mansion," based on the Disneyland ride.

Blake said he jumped into the movie industry, thinking it would be fun. Now he says it’s all he wants to do.

The brothers say they’re ready for another opportunity and the prospect of someday "making it big."