Forbidden Pictures is a Maryland based independent film company who's primary (but not exclusive) work is based on the scripts and stories written by company CEO, JimmyO Burril. With the cult success of FP's second feature film, Chainsaw Sally, the company and it's founders have become more established and respected in the horror world. With the support of such horror and independent royalty as Herschell Gordon Lewis, Gunnar Hanson, Debbie Rochon, and others, Forbidden Pictures continues to make modest budget films for an audience that is ready for something original, new, fun, and not just another Hollywood money sopping, CGI laden remake of their favorite films. Also, it is the continued effort of writer JimmyO to give the audience smart, well developed and most of all likeable characters for them associate with while watching the story. Forbidden pictures has many exciting new projects coming up, and will continue to follow the path that they love.
WHO IS?
JimmyO Burril - writer / director / producer / editor / art design / marketing
April Monique Burril - actress / artist / dancer / singer / costume designer / props
Jeff Meek - producer / business manager
Shawn Jones - cinematographer / producer / editor / asst. director
HISTORY
Originally started as JAMO in 1994, the theater company was a vehicle for the works of it's founders, writer JimmyO Burril and composer James Taylor in Biloxi Mississippi. The team had started by writing two children's musicals, Jungle, a campy take off from The Jungle Book, and The Milky Way Mars, and Other Candy Bars. The two founders along with their quickly growing cast and crew had a nice little success on a local level with their musicals, but wanted to do something more for their age. With JimmyO's passion for horror and Halloween, he took it upon himself to write a musical haunted house that would lament some of his favorite classic horror films. Soon, in October of 1996 Silver Scream was brought to the stage live, in glorious black and white. The show became a local sensation, and continued to play even thought JimmyO had moved to Maryland, leaving James to head "JamO South."
Once in Maryland Jimmy continued with a whole new group of performers which now included his sister, Katie Hutchinson who would choreograph, and wife to be, dancer / singer- April Wetherell. For several years Silver Scream was performed along with Milky way Mars, and Attack of the Killer Space Vultures from Planet X. The shows went well, even though there was little to no money to put into them. Laboring under the motto "Always turn your liabilities into assets" the group started purposely making sets and costumes look cheap, as a campy way to play up the B-horror flicks they were portraying. More importantly, Jimmy and April decided to create someone who would forever change their lives.
The knew that Scream was geared to a younger audience, but it was almost impossible to get the correct age horror fan to give it listen due to the stigma of the term "musical." So, they added a little bit punk rock, a little Elvira, a little Tank Girl, and a little Freddy Kruger... all wrapped up in a cute Bettie Page-ish slasher chick and Viola'- they had their very own horror hostess aptly called, Chainsaw Sally. Jimmy came up with the name and put words in her mouth, but April was the embodiment of Sally. They made a web site, and started pushing Silver Scream. In no time, the Chainsaw Sally site had far surpassed the Silver Scream site in traffic... which was fine, but not really what was intended... at first.
Jimmy, frustrated at trying to get more recognition for Silver Scream, was talked into making a no budget film of the stage show, by Justin Alvarez, one of his leading stage actors. Jimmy really didn't know much about film making, but it sounded like fun, so, perhaps this way, a good video could be made to use as a demo of the show. Almost a year past with the JamO group shooting and recording when they could on weekends, after work, or just when and where they could. Finally, the movie was complete. A trailer was made and hosted by April as Chainsaw Sally and off they went to screen at conventions, festivals, where ever they could.
BIOGRAPHIES
JimmyO Burril
The multi talented JimmyO was raised in a musical family, who encouraged him in all aspects of the arts. A musician, artist, writer, actor, director, designer, web master, singer, sculpter, father and husband, JimmyO can be a one man show on his own. Jumping into acting at a young age he learned to love the stage as a child. Later he turned his time and talents to performing with bands in clubs and on tour in the south. Soon tired of the club life he returned to his first love, the theater, honing his acting chops as well as learning lighting, sound design, Scenic art and set construction. As the opportunity presented it’s self, JimmyO began to write his own plays for children, including “Mr. Green and the We Saw it Machine” and “Harriets Happiest Halloween.” In 1994 Jimmyo wrote his first full scale musical, “Jungle”, and his second “The Milky Way Mars and other Candy Bars.” In 1996 JimmyO wrote a musical that would change his direction forever, Silver Scream. Silver Scream was a horror musical, and became such a local hit that it ran every Halloween from 1996 to 2001. He was also granted two awards by the Maryland Council for the arts for the show, one for the stage play, and one for his theater company “JamO.”
In 2002 JimmyO made his first film for little to no money at all. An indi-movie version of his stage play Silver Scream, which would become a small cult hit at film festivals, and horror conventions. This surprising success lead to his next movie, Chainsaw Sally, which only fueled the fire of JimmyO’s success. His growing amount of fans and support climbed as he saw the demand for his new character “Chainsaw Sally” grow in ways he could not have imagined. Tattoos, T-shirts. Posters and of course DVDs. As the demand for Sally rose he decided to make a different kind of film, simply to stretch his writing and directing chops. The critically acclaimed The Good Sister’s, has become one of the best reviewed films by critics and fans alike.
Never wanting to do the same thing twice, JimmyO turned his attention to TV. He saw the success of other popular cable series, and decided to make what is now become the iconic Chainsaw Sally Show. Eleven episodes, on very little money, and the success of the low budget experiment was nothing short of epic. JimmyO, Chainsaw Sally, and Forbidden Pictures following of fans and friends grows daily, with no sign of slowing any time soon. In film, JimmyO has found the perfect melting pot for all of his talents, and his fans have found someone with no fear to give them exactly what they want.April Monique Burril
April Monique Burril is an actress, artist, dancer, singer, and model, but she is best known as her killer alter ego, Chainsaw Sally.
April has starred in several films from Forbidden Pictures (formerly Planet X Entertainment), the self-distributed “Silver Scream” (which she also co-produced), “Chainsaw Sally,” released by Pop Cinema in February 2007, and she co-starred with Debbie Rochon in Forbidden Pictures’ next film, “The Good Sisters,” shot in May 2008, released on Feb. 2nd , 2010. April made a return as Chainsaw Sally in the slasher-sitcom-webcast “The Chainsaw Sally Show”, aired in Fall 2009, and released on dvd in Dec. 2009 and a new cut to be released by Troma in Sept. 2010.
She has a background in live theatre beginning with her time with Harford Dance Theatre in 1993, and a number of years multi-tasking as actress, scenic artist, and costumer from 1997 till 2001 with Jamo Alturnative Theatre group. In that crazy and glorious 4 years, she danced under the choreography of Katie Hutchinson in the very original musical works by partners Jimmyo Burril and James M. Taylor – “Silver Scream,” “Milky Way, Mars, and Other Candy Bars,” and “Attack of the Killer Space Vultures from Planet X.”