I remember when this was all orange groves... as far as the eye could see.
The first film I ever worked on was a MARC ROCCO film called SCENES FROM THE GOLDMINE.
Marc Rocco would go on to direct the camp film WHERE THE DAY TAKES YOU and not much else. The executive producer was John Daly who went on to magicly produce Bertolucci's THE LAST EMPEROR that same year. In fact his name was simply attached to this crappy film as producer because his company, Hemdale, was the one who distributed this turkey. So that goes to show you even in the 80's the title of producer meant YOU DO NOTHING.
SCENES FROM THE GOLDMINE (a misqouted Doors Lyric mind you) was an ambitious tale that went something like this :
A beautiful young songwriter/musician joins a rock group and falls in love with its handsome lead singer. She's living the American Dream until she gets a rude awakening, when this guy is so greedy for stardom he steals her music along with her heart.
I was approched by a woman at the newly enclosed FALLBROOK MALL while on my lunchbreak. She handed me her card and asked if I wanted to be in the new Steve Railsback movie. (shuuuh yeah!duh?) He was MANSON so like... who wouldn't wanna be in a film with him?
I was working at JC PENNEY Catalog at the time. I was one of those phone operators that sat in a cubicle for 8 hours a day and listened to the nations problems...one call at a time. I had to beg for the day off.
Begged to be paid less then half a days wages to be an extra. Whoo hoo!
The call was at a local bar called MADAME WONGS WEST. The bar has long since been distroyed. I remember showing up at 7am after I spent 2 hours doing my hair and worring that they might send me home for not really being an actor. I was a boney kid with goofy pee wee herman hair and that was... a look... I guess... so they put me in like every scene. It was an odd experiance. I remember thinking at the time that crew really treated extras like shit. In fact I dont even think I knew what an "extra" was at the time. We broke for lunch and they didnt feed us. All the extras wandered over to the newley remodled RALPH's to get some lunch. Boy what cheap bastards.I remember I was excited to see Catherine Mary Stewart in person. She was in a fav film of mine called NIGHT OF THE COMET. Cameron Dye was in the scene and I remembered him from VALLEY GIRL and was excited to be in the same room with real actors. But where the fuck was MANSON Steve Railsback? I was dissapointed he wasn't there. I got paid 40 bucks in cash and was sent home after 10 hours of standing around and pretending to drink beer.
I have never seen this film.
I know GOLDMINE was released out on VHS and now that the format is officially dead I guess I'll never see it. I doubt it will ever see DVD or if a master still exists.
That film was released in 1987 but I'm pretty sure it was shot in the early part of 1986.
So... that was my first look into the world of film... as an extra.
Thanks to Marc Rocco and the crew of that film for showing me how NOT to treat people.
I may not be able to remember all the things I have worked on but I will never forget the first time on a movie set.
Next up adventures with Albert Pyun!
Marc Rocco would go on to direct the camp film WHERE THE DAY TAKES YOU and not much else. The executive producer was John Daly who went on to magicly produce Bertolucci's THE LAST EMPEROR that same year. In fact his name was simply attached to this crappy film as producer because his company, Hemdale, was the one who distributed this turkey. So that goes to show you even in the 80's the title of producer meant YOU DO NOTHING.
SCENES FROM THE GOLDMINE (a misqouted Doors Lyric mind you) was an ambitious tale that went something like this :
A beautiful young songwriter/musician joins a rock group and falls in love with its handsome lead singer. She's living the American Dream until she gets a rude awakening, when this guy is so greedy for stardom he steals her music along with her heart.
I was approched by a woman at the newly enclosed FALLBROOK MALL while on my lunchbreak. She handed me her card and asked if I wanted to be in the new Steve Railsback movie. (shuuuh yeah!duh?) He was MANSON so like... who wouldn't wanna be in a film with him?
I was working at JC PENNEY Catalog at the time. I was one of those phone operators that sat in a cubicle for 8 hours a day and listened to the nations problems...one call at a time. I had to beg for the day off.
Begged to be paid less then half a days wages to be an extra. Whoo hoo!
The call was at a local bar called MADAME WONGS WEST. The bar has long since been distroyed. I remember showing up at 7am after I spent 2 hours doing my hair and worring that they might send me home for not really being an actor. I was a boney kid with goofy pee wee herman hair and that was... a look... I guess... so they put me in like every scene. It was an odd experiance. I remember thinking at the time that crew really treated extras like shit. In fact I dont even think I knew what an "extra" was at the time. We broke for lunch and they didnt feed us. All the extras wandered over to the newley remodled RALPH's to get some lunch. Boy what cheap bastards.I remember I was excited to see Catherine Mary Stewart in person. She was in a fav film of mine called NIGHT OF THE COMET. Cameron Dye was in the scene and I remembered him from VALLEY GIRL and was excited to be in the same room with real actors. But where the fuck was MANSON Steve Railsback? I was dissapointed he wasn't there. I got paid 40 bucks in cash and was sent home after 10 hours of standing around and pretending to drink beer.
I have never seen this film.
I know GOLDMINE was released out on VHS and now that the format is officially dead I guess I'll never see it. I doubt it will ever see DVD or if a master still exists.
That film was released in 1987 but I'm pretty sure it was shot in the early part of 1986.
So... that was my first look into the world of film... as an extra.
Thanks to Marc Rocco and the crew of that film for showing me how NOT to treat people.
I may not be able to remember all the things I have worked on but I will never forget the first time on a movie set.
Next up adventures with Albert Pyun!
posted by Gavin Elster at 1:27 AM
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