The latest film by 蜜柚直播 filmmaker will have its world premiere Tuesday, Dec. 1, just in time for the holidays.
But while 鈥 takes place at a Christmas party for a bunch of friends in a cozy cabin on a snowy mountain, don鈥檛 expect any Hallmark Channel warm-and-fuzzies.
鈥淭he Last Kiss鈥 is what Leon likes to call a horror-comedy 鈥 lots of blood and gore mixed with absurdist comedy.
鈥淚n 蜜柚直播, you tell people you鈥檙e working on a vampire Christmas horror movie, and people are genuinely interested,鈥 said the 36-year-old 蜜柚直播 native and .
鈥淭he Last Kiss鈥 is a story about a group of friends who get together for a holiday party on Mount Lemmon. Holiday cheer is mixed with ghost stories and a few Festivus-style grievances when one of the friends tells the scary tale of the Summerhaven Vampires that come out once every 100 years.
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Yep, this is that once-every-100-years night.
The film, which Leon and his cast of friends made last winter before the COVID-19 pandemic set in, will be shown at Century 20 El Con.
The audience will be limited to about 170 with social distancing protocols that cut the theater鈥檚 capacity by at least half, Leon said.
This is Leon鈥檚 eighth full-length feature film and his first vampire flick since he started making movies when he was a kid.
鈥淢y friend got a camcorder when he was 8 years old, and we made our own movies, and I still kept doing it ever since,鈥 said Leon, who admitted his early movies were not exactly blockbusters. But his last three or four films were pretty good, he said.
Leon鈥檚 actors are his friends, and everyone volunteers, to keep costs down. And although he has entered some of his films in festivals, he has mostly made movies for himself.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a passion really. It鈥檚 not necessarily a financial goal,鈥 he said, adding that he has invested thousands in equipment over the years from cameras to lighting and sound equipment. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 the main drive behind me doing these films because it鈥檚 generally just about me. If nobody showed up at the theater, I would still be making them for myself.鈥
Leon cowrote 鈥淭he Last Kiss鈥 with who also acts in the movie. Leon and Ohlde have worked on a couple of Leon鈥檚 films.
Contact reporter Cathalena E. Burch at cburch@tucson.com. On Twitter: @Starburch
Cathalena E. Burch
Reporter
