Jarrod Crooks: Film Director
Jarrod Crooks, hailing from Wausau, WI, is a seasoned film director who embarked on his filmmaking journey at the age of 12. Initially, he recreated classic tales like “Faust,” “The Man in the Iron Mask,” and “The Purloined Letter.” His passion soon evolved into creating original stories such as “Ice War” and “The First Mission.” Inspired by his first Jackie Chan movie, Crooks began incorporating martial arts fight scenes into his films, starting with “Make My Day,” a precursor to action sequences rivaling Hollywood’s biggest stars.
In 2006, Crooks premiered “Deal With It” to a sold-out audience at Cedar Creek Cinema. Three years later, he released the feature film, “Thieves Like Us.” The concept for this film originated in 2003, but it wasn’t until May 2007, while acting in Ric McCloud’s “Unholy Reunion,” that the writing process began. There, he connected with talented actors such as Shannon McDonough, Casper King, Ric McCloud, and Phil Berbig, who all played major roles in “Thieves Like Us.”
In 2011, Crooks directed several short films, including:
- “Hostile Possession” (Horror)
- “Bitch Slapped” (Action/Comedy)
- “Nowhere to be Found” (Detective Cop Drama)
- “Taken Blind” (Western, shot in the Badlands, South Dakota)
- “Blunderlust” (Romantic/Comedy, filmed in St. Paul, MN)
Following “Blunderlust,” he collaborated with producer Greg Kuper on the show “Casting Call,” which documented filmmakers’ journeys to complete their films. For this show, Crooks created “Broken Home” in 2012, a poignant film about a little girl caring for her dysfunctional family.
In the same year, Crooks produced “Love, Lust and Emily,” a film about a husband grappling with the prospect of fatherhood, featuring a very pregnant Nora Romness, who had auditioned for “Blunderlust” in 2011.
After numerous short films, Crooks began production in August 2012 on his fourth feature film, “Dispatched.” This film, which would occupy the next year of his life, features actors from his previous works and introduces new talent.
