Matt Shea
RubySoho
Morgan Bell
Cibbuano
David O'Connell
Mountain Fog
Salute of the Jugger: my last film experience
February 21st 2010 07:03
Link: screentrek.com
a recollection,
by mountain fog
About fog:
A published poet, playwright, a lyricist and a stage director, both drama and opera, a sometime drama queen and irritable film critic, who is now licking his artistic and emotional wounds in a mountain eyrie, externally buffeted and battered by the ill winds of life. Internally bludgeoned by mercurially mischievous memories, of what might have been, he now stares vacantly out at the clouds, as they slowly roll past in mocking, morbid pageant, counting the moments till the Grim Reaper drags him into his gaping grave. He denies ever having been a humourist.
It was awful!
I had looked forward to working with old mates in the art department and I especially looked forward to working with David Peoples, the director, whose big claim to fame, back then, was to write the shooting script of Blade Runner. A brilliant film, in my view.
But, there was 'the problem'. It was one of those problems that had tentacles and various sources of influence. It could at any time manifest in; paranoia, depression, euphoria, complete short term memory loss and extreme social dis-ease manifesting in various ways, often phobias that appeared for brief seconds, leaving others to wonder what on earth was going on, with me!
But, I battled on. "You can go as far as you want to in this industry" said a well meaning Production Manager, on my first film, Emo Ruo. I knew I wanted to write and direct, trouble was I had been trained as a stage manager, so I naturally inhabited the realms of realising others' visions.
Still, we tiny cogs in the industry had our moments, mainly with background dressing, where we could see, with wee welling of pride, the successful result of achieving a believable environment, for next to nothing cost.
But, this story finds me at the end of my film career, short as it was. People I had started out with I now see being awarded Oscars (no kidding) and working on international blockbuster films. Sadly, seeing their success only reminds me of what I have lost, that illusive moment, of golden opportunity.
I had no idea what was really wrong with me, at the time. I blamed the type of alcohol, the type of drug, the long hours and yes, they were incredibly long, 80 to 100 hours a week was often required, not only to do your job properly, but, to also view the result of your collective toiling, the rushes (what was shot the day before) and thereby learn more of the craft, of film making.
I lived in an internal world of extremes; from 'heaven to hell', emotionally travelled in a day, sometimes in a minute, or a few seconds.
So, it was while working on Jugger that I realised I couldn't go on any further, I needed help, but was not sure what, or how? I remember standing on set, when we were filming in the old tobacco bond stores that became our sound stages, (now Fox Studios), feeling as if everyone was staring at me, when they were all staring at the action in front of the camera, or at the job at hand behind the scenes. I really was going slowly mad.
The toll drugs took, over the many years I used them, was catching up with me, like a freight train bearing down on a stranded car on a crossing. If I continued, in high pressured jobs, there was only going to be one result, disaster.
However, maybe a disaster was what I really needed to shock me into reality? I'm now sure it was. At the time, I just pretended to cope, for instance; I covered my increasingly bad short term memory loss, as best I could, with wit and disappearing acts. I remember, one day, Rutger Hauer strolled into the art department and as I was the glorified dogsbody, or assistant to the production designer and art director, it was up to me to introduce him.
Immediately I saw him, I forgot everyone's names. These were people I had worked with for some years, on various movies, people I considered friends. To avoid the ensuing embarrassment, I jumped up, "Hi, great to see you Rutger! OOPS! I forgot I have to pick something up! Introduce yourselves, byeeeee...." as I ran out the door to the slightly bemused befuddlement of everyone else.
Why wouldn't the others know there was something wrong? Well, for one thing, on a good day, I could save the art department tens of thousands of dollars. On a bad day, I might forget to pick something up that is required on set that day. it was put down to idiosyncrasies, meaner spirited folk just said, I was mad, and loved to let me know it!
My life was one torturous, stressed out moment to another. The only thing that could relieve that stress was a drug, almost any kind, well, mainly downers. I did do coke, of course, but always got ripped off, so I preferred to stay with less glamorous intoxicants, such as coke's cheap alternative, speed, and alcohol, hashish, marijuana and many, many pills, of various types. Of course, little did I know, back then, the 'solution' to my dis-ease, was also the cause of all my problems!
I wasn't the only one depressed, while working Salute of the Jugger. Our director, David Peoples, was struggling with his first big film, and was immensely depressed. I remember driving him off set one day, as I was going back to the production office anyway, for the most part we travelled in a sullen silence. I did ask him, initially, how it was going for him, the response belonged more from an inpatient in a hospital, than from the (usually) electrically charged, up beat and driven film director.
Poor David Peoples, he was wrestling with a filmic monster that looked like derailing his career. Then again, there were some fun and interesting moments, maybe I'll write about those too, another day.
by mountain fog
About fog:
A published poet, playwright, a lyricist and a stage director, both drama and opera, a sometime drama queen and irritable film critic, who is now licking his artistic and emotional wounds in a mountain eyrie, externally buffeted and battered by the ill winds of life. Internally bludgeoned by mercurially mischievous memories, of what might have been, he now stares vacantly out at the clouds, as they slowly roll past in mocking, morbid pageant, counting the moments till the Grim Reaper drags him into his gaping grave. He denies ever having been a humourist.
It was awful!
I had looked forward to working with old mates in the art department and I especially looked forward to working with David Peoples, the director, whose big claim to fame, back then, was to write the shooting script of Blade Runner. A brilliant film, in my view.
But, there was 'the problem'. It was one of those problems that had tentacles and various sources of influence. It could at any time manifest in; paranoia, depression, euphoria, complete short term memory loss and extreme social dis-ease manifesting in various ways, often phobias that appeared for brief seconds, leaving others to wonder what on earth was going on, with me!
But, I battled on. "You can go as far as you want to in this industry" said a well meaning Production Manager, on my first film, Emo Ruo. I knew I wanted to write and direct, trouble was I had been trained as a stage manager, so I naturally inhabited the realms of realising others' visions.
Still, we tiny cogs in the industry had our moments, mainly with background dressing, where we could see, with wee welling of pride, the successful result of achieving a believable environment, for next to nothing cost.
But, this story finds me at the end of my film career, short as it was. People I had started out with I now see being awarded Oscars (no kidding) and working on international blockbuster films. Sadly, seeing their success only reminds me of what I have lost, that illusive moment, of golden opportunity.
I had no idea what was really wrong with me, at the time. I blamed the type of alcohol, the type of drug, the long hours and yes, they were incredibly long, 80 to 100 hours a week was often required, not only to do your job properly, but, to also view the result of your collective toiling, the rushes (what was shot the day before) and thereby learn more of the craft, of film making.
I lived in an internal world of extremes; from 'heaven to hell', emotionally travelled in a day, sometimes in a minute, or a few seconds.
So, it was while working on Jugger that I realised I couldn't go on any further, I needed help, but was not sure what, or how? I remember standing on set, when we were filming in the old tobacco bond stores that became our sound stages, (now Fox Studios), feeling as if everyone was staring at me, when they were all staring at the action in front of the camera, or at the job at hand behind the scenes. I really was going slowly mad.
The toll drugs took, over the many years I used them, was catching up with me, like a freight train bearing down on a stranded car on a crossing. If I continued, in high pressured jobs, there was only going to be one result, disaster.
However, maybe a disaster was what I really needed to shock me into reality? I'm now sure it was. At the time, I just pretended to cope, for instance; I covered my increasingly bad short term memory loss, as best I could, with wit and disappearing acts. I remember, one day, Rutger Hauer strolled into the art department and as I was the glorified dogsbody, or assistant to the production designer and art director, it was up to me to introduce him.
Immediately I saw him, I forgot everyone's names. These were people I had worked with for some years, on various movies, people I considered friends. To avoid the ensuing embarrassment, I jumped up, "Hi, great to see you Rutger! OOPS! I forgot I have to pick something up! Introduce yourselves, byeeeee...." as I ran out the door to the slightly bemused befuddlement of everyone else.
Why wouldn't the others know there was something wrong? Well, for one thing, on a good day, I could save the art department tens of thousands of dollars. On a bad day, I might forget to pick something up that is required on set that day. it was put down to idiosyncrasies, meaner spirited folk just said, I was mad, and loved to let me know it!
My life was one torturous, stressed out moment to another. The only thing that could relieve that stress was a drug, almost any kind, well, mainly downers. I did do coke, of course, but always got ripped off, so I preferred to stay with less glamorous intoxicants, such as coke's cheap alternative, speed, and alcohol, hashish, marijuana and many, many pills, of various types. Of course, little did I know, back then, the 'solution' to my dis-ease, was also the cause of all my problems!
I wasn't the only one depressed, while working Salute of the Jugger. Our director, David Peoples, was struggling with his first big film, and was immensely depressed. I remember driving him off set one day, as I was going back to the production office anyway, for the most part we travelled in a sullen silence. I did ask him, initially, how it was going for him, the response belonged more from an inpatient in a hospital, than from the (usually) electrically charged, up beat and driven film director.
Poor David Peoples, he was wrestling with a filmic monster that looked like derailing his career. Then again, there were some fun and interesting moments, maybe I'll write about those too, another day.
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Comment by David O'Connell
Screen Fanatic
Peoples was quite a talented guy but I guess it's no surprise he never directed again. His Unforgiven screenplay was quite a piece of work though.
Comment by Mountain Fog
yes, Peoples was, and still is, an incredible talent in the script department. I felt so sorry for the guy actually, I wanted to reach out to him and tell him he wasn't to blame, but, the mental/emotional trough looked too great to traverse.
cheers
fog
Comment by Matt Shea
20/20 Filmsight
Haha! Peoples is indeed a fine screenwriter who I wish wrote more films. I'd never realised Jugger was made in Aus.
Comment by Mountain Fog
yes, to our eternal shame, Jugger was shot entirely here, in Sydney and environs.
Oh well, I do miss it actually, the good times were fantastic, and the money fabulous!
cheers
fog
Comment by JohnDoe
Film & TV on DVD
As a big fan of the film it was fascinating to get this brief insight into the behind the scenes of behind the scenes.
Again you leave me envious of your exploits
Comment by ShaunK
Screen Adventure
Comment by Mountain Fog
thanks and hehe, exploits...my poor brain was suffering from the chemical soup I inflicted upon it in those days...
cheers
fog
Comment by Mountain Fog
tanx matey, and it was as painful, at times, to experience as it is to recall those days!
cheers
fog