Is DANGEROUS SUMMER a lost film? Can Academy Award winning cinematographer John Seale’s early work be preserved?
February 11, 2009
The recent devastating fires and tragic loss of life in Australia has made me think of the two fire safety films I made early in my career.
One, HOSPITALS DON’T BURN DOWN, is a 24 minute dramatized documentary about what happens when a midnight fire cuts a high rise hospital in half. Three weeks of 16mm night shooting on an 80K budget with a great crew - we all called it The Towering Infirmary - produced a film that won cinematography and international industrial film awards, but more importantly changed every Australian hospital’s approach to fire prevention. It was shown to joining hospital staff for 30 years, with specific lessons built into the re-enactments that would be discussed after every screening. I wince at some of my directorial choices here and there but overall the film gets your attention. So I am glad it is being preserved by Madman, who have added it to their recent DVD release in Australia of my MAN FROM HONG KONG as one of the extras.
However, the fate of DANGEROUS SUMMER, a tribute to the volunteer fire fighting brigades of Sydney’s Blue Mountains, is unknown to me. It has rarely been seen. Perhaps some of the participants named here could fill me in on its preservation. Financed by the New South Wales Film Corporation, and produced by James McEloy, DANGEROUS SUMMER, is a 20 minute theatrical documentary about a fire that roared through the Blue Mountains just before Christmas 1979, shot in 35 mm Scope largely by legendary Australian lenser John Seale. Tom Cowan and Jan Kenny also made significant contributions as we chased this fire for three weeks till it finally burned itself out at the foot of the Warragamba Dam. The photography is full of awesome images. Footage from the shoot was later used in a Blue Mountains arson thriller A DANGEROUS SUMMER, starring Tom Skerritt and James Mason, released in the US on DVD as FLASH FIRE.
Fire behavior is unpredictable, as we found one late afternoon when the wind suddenly changed and the flames were on three sides of us. FFC executive Ross Matthews, who was then my UPM/1st AD, spun the station wagon around and we hightailed out of there at 90 mph. Ross had Grand Prix skills, which is no mean feat on Australian country roads. I hear Ross has sped many an FFC investment through the process too.
We headed for the nearest fire engine which was located a few miles away defending a lone house on a ridge. The owner had sensibly cleared the brush in a wide radius around the property - another safety precaution the film promotes - so the situation did not look dire from a distance. As we arrived we saw the 70 foot flames sweeping along the opposite ridge. Gum trees well ahead of the fire front would suddenly explode in a process known as crowning, where sparks blown ahead would ignite the accumulated gum tree gases. A major blaze can accelerate at considerable speed when this happens. But from the faces of the volunteer fire fighters, we could tell they were not concerned. These were battle hardened guys. They had hosed down the building, and were watching carefully for wind shifts. Naturally nature obliged. The fire turned from the ridge, down into the gully below, then up the slope towards us. What struck me more than the heat was the noise. The roar of an approaching blast furnace. I remember helping to steer John Seale through an 180 degree steadicam shot - I cannot recall if it ended up intact in the final cut - showing fire near the front door, then moving through the house out the door at the back, with the tree line blazing and a carpet of burning leaves rolling towards us, hissing and crackling as it came.
But the good housekeeping of the owner kept the flames at bay. In the presence of the bushfire fighters we never felt in any real danger. People who serve their community in this way deserve our deepest admiration. And, no doubt, better funding. Which is why I want to see DANGEROUS SUMMER made available to the Australian public, either on DVD or right now on television. It’s not just personal vanity, or my desire to see unique Australian camerawork preserved. It is a timeless portrait of brave men, real men, doing a dangerous job purely as a public service. The world needs more of that attitude.
For one of my more ironic recollections of the bushfire adventure, here is a link to an earlier blog.
Calling all casting directors! Actors to watch…
February 3, 2009
I have had the pleasure and privilege of working with several young actors who delivered eye catching performances then went onto substantial careers. Nicole Kidman in BMX BANDITS and Chace Crawford in LONG LOST SON, to name two. 
Generally in every cast, there’s someone who totally nails it in every scene, an actor who exceeds your expectations, and you know has a future in this tough business of ours. (Remember, this is a business founded on rumor, driven by greed, ruled by fear, and operating in an irrational universe. It attracts approval seekers and rewards them with constant rejection. It is not for the faint of heart. Good luck!) So it is a particular blessing when you get a cast that not only scores high in the moments focused on their own character but also melds into a supportive ensemble behind their fellow actors. So it was with my PORKY’S cast. Their ability to work together, come up with improv to embellish a scene, incorporate a gag line I just thought of and threw at them in the middle of a take…they were just outstanding. Give me a reason to cut to you, I said at the cast reading, and they did. So they deserve The Blog of Praise. Ladies first
Whitney Anderson started in kids movies like PREHYSTERIA 3. That would have been some baptism of fire! She went on to regular television guest roles, and a recent part in the cult hit ZOMBIE STRIPPERS. She works with a sketch comedy group, so her improv ability is well honed, and she offered nice zingers. She always had a reaction to every beat of the other actor’s dialogue. So useful when editing. I’d love to see her as a lead in a sitcom. For that matter, her look would translate well to period costume.
Sandra McCoy, like Whitney, looks damn good in our pool and beach scenes, and also deserves a shot at a major role. Sandra happens to be a member of Mensa, and is closing in on her Psychology Ph.D. between acting gigs. It’s great to have brains on the set. Actors have to be good detectives. They sift through the text looking for clues, reasons why, inconsistencies to question etc. Sandra did her homework and always added nice touches or a new prop to the material Like the feather duster. Don’t ask. See the movie. Now, the guys, in order of height.
Russ Hunt played Sookie’s date in an episode of TRUE BLOOD (Love that show!) He’s 6 foot 4 inches of toned physique, coupled with an agile mind. This enabled him to play Meat, a doofus both blessed and cursed with a giant cock, (girls run from it screaming) with more range than the original dialogue offered. You have to be smart to play dumb. His delivery of “Talk to the gland” - something I threw at him in mid take of the blowjob from hell sequence - gets a big laugh. He understood how to make a doofus endearing, to embrace and build on the stereotype.
John Patrick Jordan got his start as a kid in an episode of the multi season series EARLY EDITION. He’s gone on to varied roles on television, and played in 19 episodes of PRISON BREAK. For me, he turned the part of the leader of the buddy trio into the kind of charming manipulative sociopath that got us all into trouble growing up. At times he seemed to be channeling Ray Liotta. Perfect role model for the part. John is Mr. Nice Guy, but I see a lot of villains in his future. Often the best parts.
Adam Wylie started as a child actor (KINDERGATEN COP) and has 107 credits on IMDB, including 67 episodes of Picket Fences. You’ve heard his voice on a lot of cartoons As I so tactfully told him at our first meeting, the whole movie kinda rested on him, to make the character of sex obsessed semi-virginal Pee Wee appealing in his fecklessness. Nothing like a little pressure to kick start an actor’s day. But Adam took it in stride. Calm and confident was his demeanor on the set every day. He is also an impressive magician, (he recently performed at the Magic Castle) and a surprising acrobat. When I discovered these abilities, I built them into the movie. His quick-witted improv reminded me of the young Robin Williams. We will see a lot more of Adam. 
And, alongside the young players, I have to acknowledge the talent and creativity of veteran character actor Vic Polizos, playing Porky, seen here with the guys. His improv ability was always available. In the scene where a hooker vomits on his fancy shoes, I told him to riff on his outrage. So when we heard “They’re made from the foreskin of a rhinoceros. You can’t get that shit anymore!” the crew had a hard time stifling their laughter till the end of the take. That happened a lot, throughout the shoot with all the actors. So many thanks, all of you, for that extra something you brought to the movie. You were a dream cast. Your futures are bright. May you survive with your souls intact in that long shallow money trench, overrun by pimps and thieves, where evil prospers and good men die like dogs. Hollywood.
