Local filmmaker retells Nutty Putty Cave death in new feature film
Actor Chadwick Hopson, left, and filmmaker Brian Halasima during filming of "Into the Mystic." The new film retells the 2009 story of hiker John Jones, who died in nearby Nutty Putty Cave after getting trapped between the rocks.
“There’s something special about this, something that really got to people,” Halasima said of the tragedy.
Film crews built a replica of the cramped crevice in which John Jones was stuck. “There was this sense of panic that came over me,” Hopson recalled of filming inside the replica.
Actress Alexis Johnson, right, plays John Jones' wife, Emily Jones-Sanchez, left. The two spent a few days together prior to filming.
The first time I read the script, I was exhausted," Hopson, right, said. "It takes a piece out of you. But no matter how scared I was, I was desperate to tell the story."
Actor Chadwick Hopson, left, and filmmaker Brian Halasima during filming of "Into the Mystic." The new film retells the 2009 story of hiker John Jones, who died in nearby Nutty Putty Cave after getting trapped between the rocks. Visit heraldextra.com/ticket to read more about the film.
It’s been almost six years since John Jones died in Nutty Putty Cave, west of Utah Lake.
Jones got trapped in a small crevice 125 feet below ground level and rescuers were unable to dislodge him. Soon after, the cave was sealed off from public use and Jones’ body was left inside. He left behind a pregnant wife, Emily, and a young daughter. It’s still deeply troubling for those close to Jones and the accident. Local filmmaker Isaac Halasima, whose new film retells the harrowing story, discovered just how fresh it all still is.
“Talking to some of these people, they’d instantly drop into tears, because it was such an emotional moment for them,” Halasima said. “And I just wasn’t ready for that.”
Having lost his younger sister in a car accident, Halasima is no stranger to tragedy. The Utah Valley native has gradually learned, though, that the accident at Nutty Putty Cave seems to be in a unique category of its own.
“There’s something special about this, something that really got to people,” he said.
Currently under the working title “Into the Mystic,” Halasima’s film is slated for release sometime next spring. It draws cinematic inspiration from some of his favorite directors, including Terrence Malick (“Days of Heaven,” “The Thin Red Line”). The emotionally charged nature of the story, as well as the cinematic references he’s including, are an ambitious undertaking, especially since this is Halasima’s first feature film. Halasima understands dramatic flair, though: He directed the music videos for the Imagine Dragons songs “Demons” and “Gold.”
The film crew for “Into the Mystic” made a replica of the crevice in which Jones was trapped. It was, understandably, an uncomfortable position for actor Chadwick Hopson, who plays Jones. Not only was he encased in a remarkably small space, but suspended head-first at a 45 degree angle for long periods of filming.
“There was this sense of panic that came over me,” Hopson recalled of filming inside the replica. “It went against every instinct that I had to tell them to push anything closer. I’m not going to lie to you, the time I spent there was kind of a blur. But I can tell you that they took me out when my eyes started to turn purple.”
Halasima described Hopson as a “Tom Cruise-ish actor” for his physical commitment to a role, that often borders on irrationality. Hopson was never comfortable during those filming sessions — but then again, neither was Jones.
“I think overall it helped the performance,” Hopson said. “The moment kind of took over. It helped get a lot more truth out of it than if I was comfortable.”
The film, and the events it retells, is about more than just Jones. It’s also about the family he left behind. Despite the inherent tragedy it is ultimately a hopeful story, largely because of Jones’ wife, Emily, and how she has handled everything. In the years since, Emily Jones-Sanchez has remarried and had another child with her new husband, Donovan Sanchez.
“She is powerful, and she’s strong, yet she’s sweet and loving,” Halasima said of Jones-Sanchez. “I’ve never met anybody like that in my life. You meet someone like that, and it makes you want to work harder.”
Actress Alexis Johnson plays Jones-Sanchez in the film. She spent a few days with her to get better acquainted and learn more about her story. Johnson echoed many of Halasima’s sentiments.
“She’s not a person that is weak,” Johnson explained. “Happiness comes and goes, but you can always still have joy in your heart. And Emily always has joy. I wanted to portray that inner joy, and vivaciousness, and that little bit of spunk that she has to her. I wanted lightheartedness and depth.”
According to Halasima, there’s still a lot of hurt and anger surrounding the accident, over what happened and how things were handled. But he hopes his film will become another silver lining to the trauma.
“I kind of wanted to give it an angle that would leave people inspired,” he said. “There’s good in so many situations, and seeing a guy like John, that had done so much in his life, to have it all end like that just didn’t seem fair.”