Behind The Scenes On Big Wednesday: Tales & Trivia From The Making Of A Photo: Stoner, Unlike many Holywood surf flicks, Big Wednesday had real surfers fingerprints all over it. The board I was riding was an 86, so it wasnt really a longboard, but it worked kind of fun. Or, subscribe to Wavelength now to get free entry to a screening of your choice.]. relative viscosity of nylon 6; predictive index cognitive assessment answers; why do baseball players spit so much; Hello world! Big Wednesday (1978) - Full Cast & Crew - IMDb In the end, the trip set the production back half a million dollars and yielded just four minutes of useable footage. As part of the sequence, the director wanted big wipeouts and snapped boards, so he roped in Aussie pro Bruce Raymond, whom he paid $200 a day a months rent on the North Shore back then to repeatedly go over the falls. The mythical resonance of the Big Wednesday, the hump-day, when the weeks beginning tips into its end, when the gods of surf and youth reach the apex of their glory, continues to fascinate new generations of viewers. She is the guide for a few of these private rail trips which travel through the Gaviota Coast. Also starring Jan-Michael Vincent ("The Winds of War"), real- life mother and son Barbara Hale . We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. But even though we did the Ranch for a month, and El Salvador for a couple of months, they still didnt have the big day, so they just said ok were going to Hawaii., were going to sit up there and make it happen. Cameras were stolen and the whole crew got sick, but in the end, it was an encounter with a local militia that really sent them packing. [7], They obtained finance from Warner Bros in June 1976. But to be perfectly candid my interest in competing on the tour dramatically diminished, because I realised there was another world out there. Several surf legends - Peter Townend, Ian Cairns, Jay Riddle and Bill Hamilton - were involved in the making of the film as stunt coordinators or doubles. It's a movie that I have never forgotten. Milius Waxes Up 'Big Wednesday' But then it just reverted back to normal from there on, it wasnt like wed bought a lifetime membership into the Hui. Did working with them that winter help smooth things over a bit? This is a faux pas of no mean eminence; after all, Miss Hale actually is Mr. Katt's mother. Official Sites All Rights Reserved. However, while Star Wars (Lucas) and Close Encounters (Spielberg) would haul in hundreds of millions of dollars, Big Wednesday was a major critical and popular wipe-out, at least initially. by Information Press, Behind The Scenes On Big Wednesday: Tales From The Set With Stunt Double Ian Cairns Wavelength Surf Magazine, Alan Nafzger's Los Angeles Surfing Drama - VERITY'S SURFING MOVIE, Kanga The Trials and Triumphs of Ian Cairns, Historic San Augustine is Set for This Weekends Heritage Days, Judge Revives Lunada Bay Lawsuit: Localism Is Illegal and Cities TheInertia.com, From Hawaii to South Africa: Top 10 surfing destinations around the world, Matthew McConaugheys dashing young son collects , Architect Ed Niles Designed This Massive Geometrical Manse on the Malibu Coast. Sign up for the Wavelength newsletter to get the latest news, announcements, special offers and event information, Wavelength Media, Unit GF43 & GF55, Winslade HouseManor Drive, Exeter, EX5 1FY, UK, Wavelength Magazine. Milius created a mythical aura around the protagonists of Big Wednesday. A lot of them died in Vietnam and OD'd on dope. We all knew it was special, we knew it wouldn't last. IC: Well in May we were in El Salvador, in the summertime, from August to September we were in the Ranch, then we did surf the winter events on the North Shore. It was written by John Milius and Dennis Aaberg, who met hanging on the beach at Malibu in the late '50s, alongside characters like Miki Dora and Lance Carson. In the last sequence of the film, the three are reunited to face the Great swell of 74, which represents the final moment in this maturation process. We were allowed to be out surfing all the time and Cojo is pretty nice its a bit like Little Rincon at Bells. Most of the shots of Gary Busey paddling out are me, so I kind of have a lot of those stunt double pieces. Did working with them that winter help smooth things over a bit? When they were shooting you werent allowed in the water. s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)}(window,document,'script', Each plays a talented . Set in Malibu over a twelve-year period between 61 and 74, it centres on three friends Jack, Leroy and Matt following them from their hedonistic youthful days, surfing, partying and talking with their fists, through their transition to adulthood in the shadow of the Vietnam War. Theories behind the failure are wide-ranging; the scars of Vietnam were still too raw, there was too much fighting, too much binge drinking and, with the transition brought on by the shortboard revolution complete, the surfing audience viewed the longboard-centric surf scenes as pass. At least half the people who participated are dead now. Release Dates When Milius saw them sat next to each other, he couldnt believe the likeness, immediately switching PTs role to that of Kats double instead. He has since had a long and illustrious career promoting surfing as a sport. (as Karen Rea Grossman) Of course, thats where you get all the stuff from Sunset that wraps up the movie. You had to have permission from the director, John Milius [to paddle out]. At some point, old cars were placed on the beach by ranchers to try to keep the surfers out. (1) George Greenough surrounded by his tools of the trade and (2) with his homemade housing. Its pretty sweet, Ill tell you that. We had a huge bottle of water, and what they didnt tell us was they were filling it up out of the well, so everyone got amoebic dysentery. His success was shortlived, as Milius sued for patent rights. IC: Well, it was pretty horrible in 76. "I've been working on Big Wednesday a long time," Milius said. In early 77, the points were counted and Peter Townend emerged as the first-ever winner, with fellow Bronzed Aussie Ian Cairns taking the runner up spot. Apple Computers was founded, NASA unveiled its first space shuttle, Concorde took its maiden commercial flight and, of equally critical importance, surfing had its very first crack at a joined-up international contest circuit. Theyre riding prop boards, made for the movie, and no wetsuits, since this was supposed to the early sixties Malibu. Events Harbour Surfboards "The part is simply too big for me to do."[7]. Warga, Wayne. The third lead, Gary Busey, had to learn to surf for the role and after just a few months, ended up joining his co-stars out in the lineup at 12-foot Sunset for the final scene. It inspired the names of things as disparate as the weekly New Zealand lotto draw, an Australian pale ale and countless storms and hurricanes. Te Herenga Waka Victoria University of Wellington, Te Herenga WakaVictoria University of Wellington, Between the Lines: Surfers during the Vietnam War. Browse the full lineup and get your ticket here. "He was going to do another gun and guts macho fight film but he decided to do this; he decided he needed this in his life. Milius was later responsible for the creation of the surf-obsessed Captain Kilgore (Robert Duvall) in Francis Ford Coppolas Apocalypse Now. We had to convince them otherwise. Other filming locations included El Paso, Texas; Hollister Ranch near Santa Barbara; Surfrider Beach (in Malibu); Ventura, California; and La Libertad, El Salvador. Unlike any other film that has been made about surfing, in this one the characters and not the waves are the most important. Los Angeles Times 21 August 1977: n7. Big Wednesday Warner Brothers' 1978 coming-of-age surfing movie directed by John Milius, starring Gary Busey, Jan-Michael Vincent, and William Katt; initially a critical and box-office dud, but rehabilitated over the years into a cult favorite. The Novel Before the Movie. "And I can tell you, it's so hard, no one will ever make it again. This is one of Terrys favorite shots. Lucky for us, Terry was a photographer, and she happened to be friends with George Greenough, who was hired as a photographer for the film. The production assistant tried to shoo her off when he saw her camera but George told them she was a regular and harmless, so they let her keep shooting. It become one of the most influential surf movies ever made. WL: Of course, that was right in the middle of the whole Bustin Down The Door saga. All of a sudden he realised hey theres a lot of shit going on out there in the water. IC: We were with the whole Hollywood crew, and the stunt coordinator was this really famous guy that did Harrison Ford in the Indiana Jones movie, a real mans man. In 1971, Milius discussed the idea of writing a book about their youth in Malibu with his Aaberg. Greenough arrived with his own custom-built water housing and proceeded to take apart the 100 grand film camera provided to him by the production to fit it inside. Big Wednesday is a 1978 American coming of age film about California surfers facing life, the Vietnam War, and use of the ever-changing surf as a metaphor for the changes in life.. The points were aggregated and surfers were informed of their standing and which competitions would constitute the second half of the tour. But to be perfectly candid my interest in competing on the tour dramatically diminished, because I realised there was another world out there. director of photography Film Editing by Casting By Karen Rea . Most importantly, upon its release, Big Wednesdays premise that passion for surfing had an expiration date was unthinkable. Other highlights included a complex dual scoring system and hilariously swollen heats sizes, often featuring up to eight competitors, (which sounds like a heavy crowd, but thanks to a lack of leashes and clean up sets, still resulted in frequent periods of entirely empty lineup. They were sure this guy was a SEAL!. They still used a stunt double for a lot of the surfing action, his was Bill Hamilton. Browse the full lineup and get your ticket here. Send her a message via her facebook page if youd like to go. [21], Janet Maslin, film critic for The New York Times, did not like the performances of the actors and wrote, "The surprise is not that Mr. Milius has made such a resoundingly awful film, but rather that he's made a bland onethe movie often seems even more uneventful than material like this need make it, and Mr. Milius's attention to his actors focuses more closely on their pectorals than on their performances. Shop Now , Home Behind The Scenes On Big Wednesday: Tales From The Set With Stunt Double Ian Cairns, [The Wavelength Drive-In Cinema is back for 2021, bringing you a range of surf cinema, cult classics and family favourites from the clifftops of Cornwall, kicking off with Surfs Up and Big Wednesday on Friday 16th July. Heres a good one from Paul Baragona. xenophon agesilaus summary; Hes riding one of the prop longboards made for the film. "The 40th-anniversary edition of 'Big . Monster waves swept into Cape Town this week, with surfers jumping at the chance to experience the unforgettable huge surf. Recently, we called him up at home in Laguna Beach to see what he could remember from his time working on the film. IC: The guys were held at gunpoint at Sunzal one morning as part of the revolution thing, but that was before I got there. In early 77, the points were counted and Peter Townend emerged as the first-ever winner, with fellow Bronzed Aussie Ian Cairns taking the runner up spot. big wednesday stunt surfers big wednesday stunt surfers NYC teen busted subway surfing just days after death of 15-year-old His presence had been specifically requested by one of the films starring trio, Jean Michelle Vincent, who happened to be a personal friend of Townends after the pair had met half a decade earlier surfing at Californias Hollister Ranch. She said it was the last shot on the roll. Privacy Policy / Terms & Conditions. We grabbed our boards from the bushes and had a session with the pros for the 45 minutes it took for the truck with everyone elses boards to show up. Wed surf and then get a filet mignon for lunch. IC: Well, we were in the Northern Ranch, where the breaks Cojo and Governments are. I was the number one money winner in 76, I earned $8000 prize money. The seemingly paradoxical juxtaposition between an ordinary day (Wednesday) and epic adjective (Big) also matched Milius double ambition to provide both a realistic account of surfing subculture and to create a long-lasting surf mythology. We pitched up at Sunzal, which happens to be where theyre holding the ISA World Games this week. I dug a Yater spoon out of David Adornettos back yard and used it as my longboard, though we also brought our shortboards. The new Point Break is hitting the theaters Dec. 25 and the movie required some death-defying stunts that have never happened before. The teen, whose name . Big Wednesday (1978) Full Cast & Crew See agents for this cast & crew on IMDbPro Directed by John Milius Writing Credits Cast (in credits order) complete, awaiting verification Produced by Music by Basil Poledouris Cinematography by Bruce Surtees . Big Wednesday (1978) Classic Movie Review 153 In addition, two-time Pipeline Masters champion Gerry Lopez, who served as one of the six surfing masters in the production of the film, also appears in a cameo as himself during the final surfing section of the film. t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0];s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)}(window, That camera looks heavy. Big Wednesday (1978) - Turner Classic Movies There was no one living there and you had to come in by boat, even until today its really uncrowded. It made only US$4.5 million (half of its original budget) at the box office. WL: Of course, that was right in the middle of the whole Bustin Down The Door saga. We had a helicopter [for filming] and all these fit surfers with really short haircuts, so these guys figured we were CIA, U.S. military or something. n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0';n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0; He flew to Hollywood and headed straight for Warner Brothers studios, where he happened to pull up a chair alongside another of the films stars, Billy Kat. Technical Specs, See agents for this cast & crew on IMDbPro, executive in charge of production (uncredited), second assistant director trainee (uncredited), sound effects editor (as Joe von Stroheim), stairs fall double for Geoff Parks (uncredited) / stunt coordinator (uncredited), camera operator: special water photography, wardrobe supervisor: women (as Ann Lambert), wardrobe supervisor: men (as Bill Minton Jr.), music consultant (uncredited) / musician: violin (uncredited), surfing photography consultant (as Roger Brown). So he took a sledgehammer and pounded Important all over Big Wednesday. They formed their own company, The A Team. We never got a Big Wednesday day down there, and I was always just saying to Milius, dude, you should have just gone to Western Australia. Made by movie fans, for movie fans.SUBSCRIBE TO OUR MOVIE CHANNELS:MOVIECLIPS: http://bit.ly/1u2yaWdComingSoon: http://bit.ly/1DVpgtRIndie \u0026 Film Festivals: http://bit.ly/1wbkfYgHero Central: http://bit.ly/1AMUZwvExtras: http://bit.ly/1u431frClassic Trailers: http://bit.ly/1u43jDePop-Up Trailers: http://bit.ly/1z7EtZRMovie News: http://bit.ly/1C3Ncd2Movie Games: http://bit.ly/1ygDV13Fandango: http://bit.ly/1Bl79yeFandango FrontRunners: http://bit.ly/1CggQfCHIT US UP:Facebook: http://on.fb.me/1y8M8axTwitter: http://bit.ly/1ghOWmtPinterest: http://bit.ly/14wL9DeTumblr: http://bit.ly/1vUwhH7 He had a lot of innovative ideas that changed surfing, and he created them. I jumped on a plane and flew down there to join the crew, who were about a week into the shoot. It was only with the films home video release in the early 80s that it began to acquire a cult following, gaining more credibility and adulation with each year that passed. It was work that you got to have fun and got paid for, which was rare back then., Being a lifelong surfer himself, Jan-Michael Vincent had no trouble pulling off an authentic-looking knee paddle. P.T. Its the artful portrayal of these hardy perennials that allows Big Wednesday to still resonate so thoroughly with wave riders over forty years on. We surfed there and down at La Libertad and it was pretty fun, just hanging out with the crew. So wed gone from death threats in 76 to having them protect us in the water the following winter. Raised in Southern California, Milius made Big Wednesday as an homage to the time he spent in Malibu during his youth. Big Wednesday went as far as moulding surfing iconography. [The Wavelength Drive-In Cinema is back for 2021, bringing you a range of surf cinema, cult classics and family favourites from the clifftops of Cornwall, kicking off with Surf's Up and Big Wednesday on Friday 16th July. With this reunion, the transition in their lives becomes the end point of what the 1960s meant to so many as they see that the times have changed, and what was a time of innocence is gone forever. Its pretty sweet, Ill tell you that. So, PT told Milius, hey, Ive got a bronzed Aussie buddy who could replace him. It's based on the lives of three friends ten years ago. !function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s){if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function(){n.callMethod? Big Wednesday is the opposite of all those "beach party" movies of the early 1960's; it takes surfing as seriously as the surfers themselves. "I don't want to put it off any further but I don't want to work on it until its ready either. I first saw this film in 1978, my father took me to see it with my brothers at the drive-in as a double feature with "Every Which Way But Loose." (1) Cairns in a Sunset tube (2) PT off the bottom. Directed by John Milius.Written by John Milius and Denny Aaberg, loosely based on their own experiences at Malibu and a short story Aaberg had published in a 1974 Surfer Magazine entitled "No Pants Lance." There, he sought advice from Gerry Lopez, brought in for the action-filled climax to play himself, who told him in the event of a wipeout, to go like a dishrag in a dryer. Sage advice, as ever, from the surfing sensei. Honestly, the whole experience completely ruined me for being back on the pro tour. In 1975, Warner Bros expressed a strong interest in Milius idea about a surf film, which in turn prompted him to buy the rights to the title of John Seversons 1961 surf movie Big Wednesday. It also illustrates the problems with many of his other movies. Lucky for us, Terry was a photographer, and she happened to be friends with George Greenough, who . A day will come that is like no other. And Denny should know, he co-wrote the film with the director John Milius! (2) PT with his signature arched bottom turn during the final sequence. They said, Hey, its Warner Brothers, do you want to come to El Salvador?. Honestly, the whole experience completely ruined me for being back on the pro tour. Here it goes, the good, old story of the dog chasing its tail. His presence had been specifically requested by one of the films starring trio, Jean Michelle Vincent, who happened to be a personal friends of Townends after the pair had met half a decade earlier surfing at Californias Hollister Ranch. big wednesday stunt surfers In the 1980s, Milius would go on to make commercially successful films such as Conan the Barbarian and Red Dawn. He flew to Hollywood and headed straight for Warner Brothers studios, where he happened to pull up a chair alongside another of the films stars, Billy Kat. Give me a break! Those [guerrillas] looked at him and absolutely freaked. This movie is about friendship: surfing is just the background. Big Wednesday (1978) - Summer Surfing Scene (2/10) | Movieclips Movieclips 58.5M subscribers Subscribe 142 Share 28K views 4 years ago Big Wednesday - Summer Surfing: Leroy (Gary Busey),. Another luminary brought in for this film was none other than Gerry Lopez. The friends reunite years later, after Barlow has served in Vietnam, for the "Great Swell of '74". You just get treated like a king, youre part of the crew, hanging out with the actors, writers and directors. document,'script','https://connect.facebook.net/en_US/fbevents.js'); Milius said that while the story was inspired by his own life experiences as a young surfer in Malibu, he was interested in achieving a balance between a realistic depiction of true events and the mythologising of surfers and surfing culture. t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0]; Milius wrote the script with his friend and fellow surfer, journalist Denny Aaberg. to hear the song and see some stills from the film. Above is George Greenough, Denny Aaberg with the guitar, Peter Townend and Townends girlfriend. They were getting $20 a day plus a whole lot of sunburn to watch perfect waves go unridden.. "What I've got to watch out for is getting lost in the surf again," said Milius during filming. I said of course, who wouldnt! Hell, we offered to smoke dope in front of them just to prove we were surfers. Ian Cairns, shown above, was the surf double for Gary Busey. Raised in Southern California, Milius made Big Wednesday as an homage to the time he spent in Malibu during his youth. So, PT told Milius, hey, Ive got a bronzed Aussie buddy who could replace him. IC: Yeah, we were all there hanging at Sunset. WL: Are there any other memories from that trip that particularly stand out? Rent $2.99. WL: I just watched it the other day and its incredible the surfing you guys are doing on those big single fin longboards. He features prominently in two documentaries about surfing: Hollywood Dont Surf and Between the Lines: Surfers during the Vietnam War. "The novel is a story about old Malibu, its waves, its local characters, and what it was like to surf there in the 1950s and 1960s," explains Aaberg. IC: We were with the whole Hollywood crew, and the stunt coordinator was this really famous guy that did Harrison Ford in the Indiana Jones movie called Terry Leonard, a real mans man. This is a great shot of Jan Michael Vincent, one of the actors that actually could surf. Director Bruce Brown Writers Bruce Brown Dana Brown Stars Patrick O'Connell Big Wednesday Collection by Roger Hinds - Bing Surfboards "Surfing was a brand new sport with its own aristocracy. Writer/director John Milius was born in 1944 and the material draws on a ten year span of his life from the early 1960's to the early 1970's. . Big Wednesday is American writer-director John Milius' attempt to use surfing as a metaphor for life. IAN will be signing his new book from 6:30 to 7:30. was also an Aussie surf legend and was the first professional world champion. This largely autobiographical film from director John Milius ("Conan The Barbarian") features truly spectacular surfing scenes. You always feel you owe it something. It's about their friendship, and the value of friendship. I tore up your lawn with my '40 Ford Matt Johnson: Took my pants off in front of your friends Matt Johnson: And I even passed out in your closet, but I never, and I don't know who could have if I didn't, but I never, and I repeat never, ever pissed in your steam iron. Then in 77, they were getting paid, so we were cordial. "[23], The review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reports a 67% approval rating, based on 12 reviews, with a weighted average of 6.50/10. According to a famous Hollywood legend, Big Wednesday was part of a three-way profit point swap between Milius and his old friends, George Lucas and Steven Spielberg. We were treated like rock stars and I still get a cheque every year from the screen actors guild. But we simply didnt take into account things like, oh, sharks, civil war and dysentery.. That's important to me because I'm a real surfer. "We very much want it to be authentic. The films success, as demonstrated by its great popularity in countries such as Italy where surfing is not a prevalent sport, was not limited to its depiction of surfing subculture. Not to mention a few vintage lenses. Sure enough, the next morning we arrived to 4-6 perfect Cojo with only P.T., Cairns, Mark Warren, and Gerry Lopez out. gerry cooney vs george foreman waterfront homes for sale in eden isles, slidell, la Billy Hamilton, above, was the double for Jan Michael Vincent. Youre not allowed to drive into the Ranch, so every day youd just wait for your car to come and pick you up. Buy $9.99. 2022 Goleta Surfing. In the background you see all the Hollywood chairs for the actors and such. There was no one living there and you had to come in by boat, even until today its really uncrowded. Buy Big Wednesday - Microsoft Store This film about three Malibu surfers in the 1960s has been branded major statement and it's got Big Ideas about adolescence, friendship and the 1960s. In a 1976 interview, when he was still at the beginning of his career, Milius claimed that my religion is surfing. Crumple Car was a nickname for Little Drakes. Here hes getting pulled behind a boat, probably just killing time between takes. They were depicted as both titanic figures who embody physical perfection and barbarians who refuse to conform to the rules of civilised society. Ian Cairns, shown above . At some point, Lance bailed. Terry Remick is now heavily involved with the marketing of vintage rail trips along the central coast. Milius was flipping out, remembers a chuckling Peter Townend in an interview with Surfline. tui annual report 8, 2022. | Although access has since opened up a little, back then it was only residents and boat owning day-trippers who could surf along the stretch. For those of you that dont know about George Greenough, you should learn. This board is deep red with the classic BEAR logo on the deck made famous by Sam Melville's character in Milius . He was also responsible for the creation of the surf-obsessed Captain Kilgore and some of the most iconic lines (Charlies dont surf) in Apocalypse Now (1979). WL: Tell me about the filming of the final sequence? Alfio Leotta does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment. Click Here to learn about Dan. PT leapt at the chance. We were paid for basically hanging out on the beach at Cojo all day. That completely changed his mind, because here was a day when the surf was barely breaking and he almost dies, and were out there on big days. "It was the most personal film I'd done," said Katt. Free Delivery on all Orders Over 80. Our best coup was stashing our boards in the bushes the night before a swell was supposed to hit. It is so very personal. We were treated like rock stars and I still get a cheque every year from the screen actors guild. With the advent of VCRs and DVD players, it is now a full blown cult classic. George had broken it up into pieces and [stuffed it into] that yellow fibreglass thing. He would then either place the big homemade housing on his shoulder while sitting on a board in the channel or balance it on his surf mat. Big Wednesday - Summer Surfing: Leroy (Gary Busey), Jack (William Katt) and Matt (Jan-Michael Vincent) enjoy surfing together.BUY THE MOVIE: https://www.fandangonow.com/details/movie/big-wednesday-1978/1MVc9480c4ac38b3b6893afc325bd943ccc?cmp=Movieclips_YT_DescriptionWatch the best Big Wednesday scenes \u0026 clips:https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLZbXA4lyCtqpK6XB5irhpNHjCf4_lmlTLFILM DESCRIPTION:Three 1960s California surfers (Jan-Michael Vincent, William Katt, Gary Busey) fool around, drift apart and reunite years later to ride epic waves.CREDITS:TM \u0026 Warner Bros. Pictures (1978)Cast: Gary Busey, Jan-Michael Vincent, Lee Purcell, Reb Brown, William KattProducer: Buzz FeitshansDirector: John MiliusWHO ARE WE?The MOVIECLIPS channel is the largest collection of licensed movie clips on the web.