Re: [DL] Ghost Rock

[Allan Seyberth <darious@darious.com>]

> I'll take a stab at it.  Earlier today Cheyenne Wright
> posted a link on the Savage Worlds list to a movie
> entitled "Ghost Rock".  Here's the link:
> http://www.ghostrock.com

Woohoo - Royalties!!!!!!


The ghostrock.com link is currently down, but here's some other things I found.

It is potentially an accident - but as Shane said, there are enough coincidences
that Rickert could be in trouble.  Especially when you look at the one of the
alternate names for the movie.  BUT - IANALNDIP1OTV - and I /think/ that what
would be the nail in the coffin is if the storyline had elements of the
supernatural in it.

Though it sounds like the martial artist usin' Western is actually being filmed.
 (The previous closest was Big Trouble in Little China).
===============================
Rising young star Michael Worth, Director Dustin Rikert  and Temple Hill
Entertainment/Grizzly Peak Films brought their feature film production of Ghost
Rock (www.ghostrock.com) to Old Tucson and Mescal between July 29th and August
17th, 2002.

Cast members included Hollywood legend and Oscar nominee Gary Busey (The Buddy
Holly Story) as the murderous villain Black Jack Pickett, plus Jeff Fahey,
Adrienne Barbeau and Jenya Lano (right). A sexy, female-driven western action
film, The Reckoning also features numerous Playboy Playmates as saloon girls and
burlesque dancers.

===============================
Ghost Rock began production in July of 2002, but the genesis of the film started
much earlier.  After working together previously, Dustin Rikert and Michael
Worth got together and decided it was time to do another film together.  The
ideas for science fiction, thrillers and even a romantic comedy were tossed
around until the genre both felt almost afraid to suggest stuck in their brains:
The Western!

Considered a hard sell in Hollywood these days, the two knew they were going to
have to do a lot of convincing to get investors sold on the idea.  So, Dustin
went about the task of putting together a business plan with their partner Renee
Roland while Michael began the task of writing the screenplay.  It was also
going to be necessary to make the film contemporary enough without losing the
essence of the genre's appeal.  Both agreed they wanted a female lead in the
film that could hold her own against any of the males in the film, a role
generally reserved for more contemporary action films.  
           
One of the other ingredients was martial arts.  Though not a martial arts film,
the inclusion of a family of Chinese characters and their traditional form of
combat, lent an added "punch" to the film yet stayed within the viable bounds of
a period piece.  The interesting idea of a traditionally structured western with
the "Hong Kong" style of action choreography, gave the film an even more
auspicious start.

To add to the films western appeal, Director Of Photography Bernie Abrahamson
was talked out of  retirement to help shoot the film.  He was the original
stills photographer on Sam Peckinpah's The Wild Bunch before continuing a
fruitful career as a D.P on films such as Up The Sandbox with Barbara Striesand.
 The screenplay  was also written "ensemble" style, slightly uncharacteristic
for a western film.  Instead of the focus on a traditional "good guy versus bad
guy" this screenplay, like Pulp Fiction or Magnolia,   follows the lives of many
characters and how they are all intricately bound together through a sudden act
of violence. 

Having gone through a morph of different titles that included Trail To
Slaughterville, The Reckoning and Two Guns Justice, Ghost Rock actually found
it's name from an old dime store novel that Michael had seen.  "It was from the
early 1900s", he recalls.  "The title was 'Fistfull Of Ghost Rock' and the old
John Sturges film 'Bad Day At Black Rock' has always been a favorite film of
mine, so it just settled in from there. "  With that, and the majority of the
crew assembled, Dustin, Michael and Renee all set out to Arizona.

The film was shot in mainly two locations: Old Tucson Studios and Mescal,
Arizona.  These locations have great historical value to the western as everyone
from Clint Eastwood and John Wayne to Sharon Stone and Val Kilmer have made
westerns on these sites.  What added to the whole atmosphere was the
environment.  Not just the desert surroundings but the people as well.  The
hundreds of extras used in the film all live and breathe the old west life style
as if it hadn't changed in over a hundred years.  There was never a shortage of
knowledge on hand when it came to creating the old west all over again.

Working in the 110 degree heat took some getting used to.  Especially the actors
who were burdened down with heavy leather outfits and at times large dusters. 
But the elements made it all the more easier for the cast to slip into their
roles.  Michael and Dustin worked overtime to try and get every shot and every
element from the screenplay onto the screen.  The tight 35 day shooting schedule
kept everyone on their toes.  

When it came to the action in the film, Dan Southworth was brought on to not
only play the part of Wu, but to lend his experience to coordinating the fight
scenes.  With the exception of the comedy Shanghai Noon, Martial arts has never
really found ground in a western.  Ghost Rock provided the opportunity to make
that happen.  There are a couple key battle scenes that take place in the local
bar, turning the traditional John Wayne punch 'em out on it's head.

With that, the gun battles were no standard gun fare either.  Combining "John
Woo-like" gun duels with the gritty feel of a western lent another interesting
element to this already innovative film.   A steady-cam was used to follow most
of the action that involved gymnastic like moves and detailed choreography.  An
entire second unit, helmed by Steven R. Monroe (The Contract), was used to
capture much of the duels and battles that are spread throughout the film. 

-- 
Allan Seyberth
darious@darious.com