Happy 77th Birthday, Jon Jost! Born today in 1943 as Jon Stephen Jost, this veteran American independent filmmaker began making films in January 1963 after being expelled from college.
Born in Chicago, Illinois to a military family, Jost later grew up in Georgia, Kansas, Japan, Italy, Germany and Virginia.
In 1965, Jost was imprisoned by United States authorities for two years three months for refusal to cooperate with the Selective Service System (SSS).
Upon his release, Jost became engaged in anti-war activities, working for the draft resistance, Chicago Mobilization, and helped found the Chicago branch of what became Newsreel, the New Left Film production and distribution group.
Among his credits, Jost is best known for directing his Tom Blair Trilogy (named after the eponymous, astonishing lead American actor).
These include the 1977 American drama/independent film 'Last Chants for a Slow Dance' (also known as 'Dead End'), the 1990 American drama/romance film 'All the Vermeers in New York' and the 1993 American drama film 'The Bed You Sleep In'.
Of these, Jost is best know for editing, shooting, composing, writing and directing 'Last Chants for a Slow Dance'.
The film was made on a budget of $2,000 and is loosely based on the Gary Gilmore case.
The film was made on a budget of $2,000 and is loosely based on the Gary Gilmore case.
It follows misanthropic working-class drifter, husband and father Tom Bates (Blair) struggling to find work in the Midwestern United States.
As the film progresses, it seems that he has little actual interest in supporting his family. Rather, he spends his time hanging out in bars and having one-night stands.
Tom continues to drive from town to town until, in an act of desperation, robs and murders another man.
According to Australian film and arts critic Adrian Martin, "...this body of work constitutes the least-known milestone of contemporary American cinema."
Since 1996, Jost has worked almost exclusively in digital video (DV and HD), completing twenty-six features and many short films in electronic formats.
Jost also works in photography and painting, and writes and plays country western songs.
Jost has been active from 1964–present.
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