by Seth Metoyer, MoreHorror.com
Jonathan Weichsel is an up and coming screenwriter that producers and filmmakers should keep their eyes on. He's been gaining a lot of buzz and recognition for his recent scripts. Most recently, his script The Cat Lady of Gramercy has been named a finalist for the upcoming R.I.P Horror Film Festival and Shockfest. Check out the official details below.
From The Press Release:
The Cat Lady of Gramercy, the unproduced screenplay by horror screenwriter Jonathan Weichsel that is sweeping the festival circuit, has just been accepted into R.I.P. Horror Film Festival and Shockfest Film Festival of Hollywood.
2014 is going to mark Jonathan Weichsel’s third appearance at Shockfest. He previously won first place at the festival for his screenplays Alter Ego and Ebu Gogo, in 2012 and 2011 respectively. “Shockfest is my favorite film festival,” says Jonathan Weichsel. “I could not imagine a more supportive and encouraging environment. Shockfest has done more to advance my career as a screenwriter than any other festival, and it is a real honor to have been invited back for a third year.”
The Cat Lady of Gramercy is about a disturbed, urban woman who confronts her past abuse after inheriting a cat-filled country house haunted by her dead grandmother, a crazed cat lady.
Filmmaker and chair of The Viscera Organization Shannon Lark has this to say about The Cat Lady of Gramercy: “I got the chance to read your script and I just couldn’t put it down. It was awesome! I love it when she wears the cat fur sweater, and when her grandmother licks her asshole- amongst a million other things. You are fucking funny. The role of Kara would be a prime role for any actress, especially any woman who works in horror, particularly the asshole licking part.”
A few fairly big horror producers, however, have objected to some of the content in the screenplay, specifically the torture and dismemberment of cats. Weichsel responds to this criticism with befuddlement. “Wait a minute,” he muses. “These people make movies in which people are killed, but they are offended by the killing of cats? I’m sorry. I just don’t get the controversy. Personally, I can’t wait to watch cats get ground up alive in a meat grinder and then get fed to other cats on the big screen.”
The Cat Lady of Gramercy was also an official selection in PollyGrind, a cool underground film festival in Las Vegas, and Oaxaca FilmFest, which is kind of like Sundance except in Mexico. In Oaxaca Mr. Weichsel was asked to record a video pitch for his screenplay that was sent to producers worldwide. Check out the pitch video if interested: https://vimeo.com/78449400
