Blind Item #11 - Stranger Things Have Happened - A Himmmm Blind Item - Part 4

Home was Los Angeles, and the studio sound stages the production was going to shoot on were a nightmare.  It was all too sunny and distracting.  Nothing was working, the vibe of the original dark comic was gone.  It was like "Gidget goes Mall Goth", and was all wrong.  That night, hungover and jetlagged, I met Buddy and we went to the Director's house – then we three drove to the Producer's house.  After hours of debating and discussing, we had two choices: put it into turnaround and he'd sell it to recoup expenses; or find another studio lot to shoot on.  But where could we at this late date? And within our micro-budget? A few short calls later, we had another studio.  In another state.

If there was one thing that this new place could be - it was going to be dark and depressing – for me anyway.  Because as a child, it was the last time and place I'd spent time with a legend, playing on the beach with this deceased permanent A+ actress when I was only a child.  She was the sweetest, most beautiful woman I'd ever known.  Nothing like the memory of a dead Icon you loved to darken your mood.  When I told Buddy about my childhood story, he wept.  Then he reminded me that our movie was about overcoming those tragic memories.  Of rebirth, after death.  Those were his exact words to me that night.  "Don't you see man?? This is the UNIVERSE talking to US?? Just US! It's perfect! We can burn all that darkness away and make it rise from the DEAD like the story does!". His exact words that night, with his emphatic smile. Even today, all this time later…it makes the hairs on my arms stand up.

The studios in Wilmington, North Carolina were a rebuilt warehouse folly built by Dino DeLaurentiis in a dream to have his own kingdom.  He chose that location due to a relative of mine who hailed from that state, who relocated to Italy and became close to Dino.  When my relative brought Dino to the coast of NC to scout and vacation, he fell in love.  But Dino the skinflint skimped on everything, and the studio had nearly fallen down around itself in those days.  Carolco Pictures was the main tenant, with all their big 80s action films trying to shoot on the cheap.  The upshot? They gave a twenty-something first-time volunteer producer the keys and said to pay them when we could.  Pretty good deal for an entire studio lot, facilities, and a cooperative city government.

I was so proud of myself – the hubris of youth.  I had pulled off a coup, and without using my family to do it for me.  When my Dad found out he was impressed, and inflated my ego even more.  I'd never felt stronger, or prouder of myself.  Unfortunately, a very sad family situation occurred for me just before Christmas.  It was huge, and really put a dark cloud over everything in my life.  They say bad things – bad luck – and even tragedies, come in threes.  I never believed it until I realized the truth in that old superstition much later.  But by New Years it was only a bump in the road for me.

The Production Designer and Art Department had already built a lot of parts of the sets in California;  so I paid the to have those shipped to Wilmington.  We were using real, practical effects and stunts in those days.  One of the stuntmen was a good friend of Buddy, who trained at the same fighting school.  They even looked alike from a distance.  With an amazing crew from California mixed with awesome local NC crew – an entire world was created very rapidly.  In just one month – I flew from Raleigh NC airport to London Heathrow four different times to keep working on the soundtrack.  I had to make quick flights to L.A. to deal with my family drama, and lawyers in New York. But I had an amazing Music Supervisor and faith they would nail it.  It would be epic for our audience, for MTV – which were people our own age.  Running back and forth was killing me, and coupled with my family situation; zipping between California, New York, London, and Carolina… I was about to have a breakdown.  Thankfully, Nin kept me going.  Always reminding me in her optimistic way that our sunrise was right around the corner. Our paradise was ours – just hold on and make it through.

The call came at 9pm one March night: "Please get your ass back down here".  It was Buddy.  He said things were falling apart and we weren't far from wrapping principal photography.  Due to our low budget and dragging schedule, some of the more veteran crew had to depart for bigger paying gigs elsewhere.  Certain other crew were drinking and doing drugs, and too much partying with nearby college girls.  A lot of young ladies showing up for "day work" promised the night before by gaffers, gofers, and grifters.  The Director was getting hell from the producers who had a deadline for a sales festival to pre-sell foreign territory rights for the picture.  Thus, the producers were reluctant to crack a whip on some crew members for fear of them walking off so close to the end.  I jacked a ride on a private jet and flew straight down there.

I was met by Cissy at the airport, who was heading out for a quick trip – and she was in tears.  She told me everything, and that it was falling apart with the finish line in sight.  We only had a week or two left to shoot and then wrap post production.  I promised her that I would not let this movie fail.  I would not let my best friend end up in a flop in his big breakout movie.  She smiled, hugged me, and said she'd be back tomorrow but only now could she leave without regret.  "I know it'll all be fine, since you're here – you're the only one he can count on to save him", she said.  I promised her I would.

It was the most horrific promise I'd ever unintentionally break in my life.