We recently connected with Joe Knetter and have shared our conversation below.

Joe, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

Every project I work on is meaningful in some way so it’s hard to narrow it down to one. They each stand out for their own reasons. But I will say the film “Blind” is very meaningful to me. That was the first time I got to work closely with Marcel Walz, the director of the film. He was a friend and was a part of our Taco Tuesday group. We met each week at El Tejano in North Hollywood for discount tacos and drinks. It also has a self service tortilla chip station which is great for those conserving money, which most of us in the industry have to do. It was just friends getting together. That was the beauty of the situation. We all generally liked each other. I shouldn’t say all, since a few have dropped off from the group. Basically, almost the entire cast from Blind except for Jed Rowen, who plays Pretty Boy and Ben Kaplan who plays Sushi Boy. I guess we just kept the boys. This is unfortunately common in the film business. Friends drift, egos clash. It can really be like a junior high lunch room.
Anyway, we talked often about our group doing a project together. Marcel had a dream one night that he was shooting a movie in his house. In the movie there was a blind woman and someone stalking her. I ran with it and six weeks to the day of his dream we wrapped. It was a small budget, small crew, small cast but Marcel and I found we could be a good match on set. He is absolutely amazing with visual storytelling. He makes everything beautiful. I focus on the characters and story. Its a great dynamic and one I’m super happy with.
In the film Faye, played by Sarah French, is a Hollywood actress that just did her big film. The one that will open so many doors. She buys a home in the Hollywood Hills that has amazing views of the city. The entire back of the house is glass. She decides to have laser eye surgery and ends up going blind from it. The film follows her a year later as she’s trying to put her life back together. She’s depressed and alone. She has a couple of new friends that try to cheer her up and bring her out of the funk. But she isn’t as alone as she thinks. A creepy stalker watches her.
It’s a slow burn drama, thriller more than a horror film. A tone poem so to say.
The film sold worldwide, won a ton of festival awards and even has a mask and costume available from Trick or Treat Studios. It was the film where I really felt like I finally found my team and I was so thankful for that. I recently watched the film and think it holds up well. It was my love letter to Sarah French, who at the time I was in a relationship with so I have conflicted feelings on it now. But I am so proud of what we accomplished on so little.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I’m a screenwriter and producer that specializes in horror. I got my start writing fiction. I have a handful of short story collections that have come out, a couple novellas and a couple novels. I was a mainstay on horror conventions in the early to mid 2000s were I made a ton of contacts. I eventually branched out into film, where I found my true love. I’m a lifelong horror fan so getting to play in that world has been a dream come true. But I love all genres and have written comedy, action and drama. For the producers out there, I’d love to do a romantic comedy so hit me up. I love romcoms and am not ashamed to admit it.

I have my own production company with Marcel Walz where we make projects the way we want to make them. In addition, I also work as a screenwriter for hire and have worked on many awesome projects like Space Wars: Quest for the Deepstar which is Garo Setian’s ode to early 80s Star Wars style rip offs. He’s amazing and I had so much fun writing an old school Space Opera.

I also co-wrote Twilight of the Dead. George Romero’s planned final zombie move that was going to end his saga. Unfortunately, he passed away before completing the script. It was an honor to be able to work on that project. Brad Anderson is directing and Milla Jovovich and Betty Gabriel are starring. I’m super stoked about that one.

I write quirky and compelling characters and love to add depth and subtext to whatever project I’m writing. I’m big on every viewer being able to get everything on the surface level but love those that look deeper into it. There’s always something going on beneath the proverbial blanket.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

For me the rewarding part of being a creative comes in steps. First getting hired to write something is amazing. It means they trust you and believe in your abilities and that is so amazing since they are paying you and expecting you to deliver.

The next thing is the actual writing. You’re coming up with the recipe for the meal. It all starts with that. You’re providing the base. But it takes a ton of kitchen staff from front of the house to back of the house to bring a delicious meal forward. You need every single person to fully deliver.

Seeing the characters get brought to life and working with everyone on the project is very rewarding. With our projects we want everyone to have a good time on set. We are professional and relaxed. It’s stupid we get to do what we do for a living so we should never forget that.

The most rewarding thing is probably the premiere. It’s where everyone gets to see their hard work pay off. You develop bonds on set and sometimes a film wraps and you may never see those people again. The premiere is always a chance to reconnect and celebrate.

Then you have to sell the film which is a total clusterfuck of epic proportions. The industry has shifted so much. You have to hustle and do so much of the work yourself.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

My goal with a film with my company is to merge art with commercial ability. At the end of the day, a film has to make money. I want the investors to make money. But that doesn’t mean you have to sell out. Even the most commercial film we do is still very much us. Weird, beautiful and a bit fucked up. But isn’t that the world we live in?

I want to get a response from the viewer. Love or hate it. Each film has a different desired goal. Take for instance Garden of Eden. That film comes out on June 20th, 2025. It’s the most fucked up thing I’ve written. But there was always purpose behind every fucked up thing you see. The goal was to do a Hostel/torture porn type movie but give it subtext and make it art and I think we nailed it. Marcel and the DP Marcus Friedlander made it so beautiful. The cast was amazing. It is an art film. The goal for me was to leave the audience thinking about what they saw for days. Replaying it. Finding things. It isn’t a happy movie. But they don’t always have to be happy.

I also love to find and work with other creatives. My best friend is an amazing trap/metal/rap singer named Hxxxd. She inspires me every day. She does her own music and videos, owns a weapons and clothing store in Hawaii and is an absolutely amazing soul that gives a fuck about people. She’s amazing. Look her up. She’s a rockstar.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joeyknetter/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joe.knetter
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@hxxxdmusic4547