Polonia brothers
Twin brothers and filmmakers Mark Polonia and John Polonia 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.
When John Polonia died suddenly at the age of 39 on February 25, 2008, 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, a shot-on-video offering, written, acted, directed and filmed by the teenage brothers and a high school friend.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. Starring John Polonia and fellow-B-movie maker Jon McBride 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. 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. The new version is missing a couple of the more outrageous scenes that made the original a 'cult classic'.
Within the indie film community, the brothers were known for their kindness and generosity to aspiring film-makers.
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 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."
Filmography
Films directed by Mark and John Polonia
Church of the Damned; 1985, released 1985Hallucinations; 1986, released 2007 as an extra on Splatter BeachSplatter Farm; 1986, released 1987 Donna Michelle Productions, released 2007 Camp Motion PicturesLethal Nightmare; Filmed 1987 – released 2013 Sub Rosa / SRS Limited ReleaseSaurians; released 1994 on Polonia Brothers EntertainmentHellspawn; released 2003 on Brentwood 4-pack "Spawn of the Devil"How to Slay a Vampire; released 2004 on Brentwood 4-pack "Blood Hunt"Savage Vows; released 1995 on Brentwood 4-pack "Illicit Affairs, Savage Vows"Feeders; released 1996 Blockbuster, released 2003 Sub Rosa StudiosFeeders 2: Slay Bells; released 1998 Sub Rosa StudiosTerror House; released 2004 Sub Rosa StudiosNightcrawlers; currently re-released 2003 on Brentwood 4-pack "Spawn of the Devil"Bad Magic; released by Sub Rosa StudiosThe House That Screamed; released 2000 Sub Rosa StudiosDweller; re-released 2004 on Brentwood 4-pack "Sleazy Slashers"Dinosaur Chronicles; re-released 2004 on Brentwood 4-pack "Galaxy of Terror"Blood Red Planet; released 2000, re-released 2005 on Brentwood 4-pack "Galaxy of Terror"Night Thirst; released 2002, re-released 2004 on Brentwood 4-pack "Sleazy Slashers"Hellgate: The House that Screamed 2; released 2001 Sub Rosa StudiosGorilla Warfare: Battle of the Apes; 2002; co-directed by Jon McBridePreylien: Alien Predators; released 2005 on Brentwood 4-pack "Galaxy of Terror"Among Us; released 2004 Sub Rosa StudiosPeter Rottentail; released 2004 Sub Rosa StudiosRazorteeth; released 2005 Sub Rosa StudiosBlack Mass ; released Cine Excel Entertainment in JapanWildcat; released Cine Excel Entertainment in JapanSplatter Beach; released 2007 Camp Motion PicturesForest Primeval; released 2008 Tempe EntertainmentMonster Movie; released 2008 Tempe EntertainmentFilms by Mark Polonia only
As director
Halloweenight; released 2009 Tempe EntertainmentArmy of Wolves; 2010E.V.E. of Destruction; released 2012 Cine Excel EntertainmentEmpire of the Apes 3D; released 2013 Sterling EntertainmentChainsaw Killer; released 2013 Sub Rosa StudiosFeeders – Directors Cut; released June 2013 Sub Rosa StudiosCamp Blood First Slaughter; released 2014 Sterling EntertainmentJurassic Prey ; released 2015 Wild Eye ReleasingAmityville Death House; released 2015 RetromediaBigfoot Vs. Zombies; released 2016 Wild Eye ReleasingSharkenstein; released 2016 Wild Eye ReleasingAmityville Exorcism; released 2017 Wild Eye ReleasingLand Shark; released 2017 Camp Motion PicturesRevolt of the Empire of the Apes; released 2017 Sterling EntertainmentNightmare Vacation, 2017Camp Blood 7; released 2017 Sterling EntertainmentGhost of Camp Blood ; released 2018 Sterling EntertainmentWar Raiders; released 2018 Sterling EntertainmentFrozen Sasquatch; released 2018 Sterling EntertainmentAlien Surveillance; released 2018 Wild Eye ReleasingRobowar ; released 2018 Sterling EntertainmentCamp Blood Kills; released 2019 Sterling EntertainmentDeadly Playthings; released 2019 SRS CinemaBride of the Werewolf; released 2019 Sterling EntertainmentAmityville Island; released 2020 Wild Eye ReleasingShark Encounters of the Third Kind; released 2020 Wild Eye ReleasingReturn to Splatter Farm; released 2020 Wild Eye Releasing Children of Camp Blood; released 2020 Sterling EntertainmentInvasion of the Empire of the Apes; released 2021 Sterling EntertainmentCamp Murder; released 2021 SRS CinemaVirus Shark; released 2021 SRS CinemaDune World; released 2021 SRS CinemaJurassic Shark 2: Aquapocalypse; released 2021 Wild Eye ReleasingNoah's Shark; released 2021 Wild Eye ReleasingHell on the Shelf; released 2021 SRS CinemaSister Krampus; released 2022 SRS CinemaR.I.P. Van Winkle; released 2022 Alpha Home Entertainment ; released 2022 Wild Eye Releasing Reel Monsters; released 2022 Camp Motion PicturesHouse Squatch; released 2022 SRS CinemaFeeders 3; May 2022 release Wild Eye ReleasingSharkula; June 2022 release Wild Eye ReleasingAmityville in Space; July 2022 release Wild Eye ReleasingDoll Shark; released 2022 SRS CinemaMotorboat; released 2023 SRS CinemaR.I.P. Van Winkle Part 2; released 2023 Alpha Home Entertainment R.I.P. Van Winkle Part 3; released 2023 Alpha Home Entertainment Cocaine Shark; released 2023 Wild Eye ReleasingJurassic Shark 3: Seavenge; released 2023 Wild Eye ReleasingYule Log; released 2023 SRS CinemaSnow Babes; released 2023 New Dynamic Pictures Revenge of the Empire of the Apes; released 2023 Sterling EntertainmentSaurians 2; released 2023 Wild Eye ReleasingCocaine Werewolf; released 2024 Cleopatra Entertainment Teddiscare; released 2024 SRS Cinema The Last Chainsaw Massacre; released 2024 Sterling Entertainment Once Upon a Time in Amityville; released 2024 Wild Eye Releasing Pandasaurus; released 2024 Wild Eye Releasing Jurassic Exorcist; released 2024 Wild Eye Releasing One Million Babes BC; released 2024 Sterling Entertainment- The Girl Who Wore Yellow Lace; released 2024 SRS Cinema
- Camp Blood: Clown Shark; released 2024 Sterling Entertainment
- Mummy Shark; released 2024 Wild Eye Releasing The Stalking; released 2024 Wild Eye Releasing