Volume 2, Issue 10 April 20 - May 3, 2000

Sure South Park may be here, but it's coffers aren't being filled. Go to Hollywood if you want to find the real South Park. Sure there may be enough film festivals in Colorado to choke a large donkey. But don't expect to see a Colorado film at any of them. (The Denver International Film Festival is a notable exception.)

The sad fact is, very little is going on in the local film scene. As a matter of fact, it's getting worse rather than better. The Governor is firing three people from the Colorado Film Commission--the only body whose job it is to promote film--and placing it under the auspices of the Tourism Board. Meanwhile Texas, Utah, North Carolina and Canada rake in the film bucks and Sandra Bullock moves to Austin.

The whole Canada thing is contentious (maybe the real meaning behind "Blame Canada"). The exchange rate is extremely favorable to U.S. companies. It's cheaper to hire workers. The government offers attractive tax incentives. But let's keep the discussion on a different level--low budget, independent or not, film. At that level, say $3 million or less, the playing field becomes more level.

Everyone agrees that the talent is here, that Colorado is not lacking in any category. There really should be no reason why it can't be done here as well if not better then in L.A., Austin, or even Canada. Why it isn't happening is contentious also. Everyone has his or her favorite reason why.

If this were a movie, it would be an Eastwood. Think "Unforgiven." Are people good or are people evil?

Gene Hackman lies on the floor and Eastwood steps on his chest.
Hackman as "LITTLE BILL" DAGGETT:

"I don't deserve this. To die like this. I was building a house."

Eastwood looks down at him with that Eastwood look.
Eastwood as WILLIAM MUNNY:

"Deserve's got nothin' to do with it."

In rides "Dragon and the Hawk," Inferno Film, and Trygve Lode. Are they here to save the locals? Or are they just a bunch of crazy-eyed misfits come to terrorize the town?

The Movie

The Wild Card

"I usually like to start one company a year. Last year I started five." So says Trygve. Darlene Cypser, producer of "Dragon and the Hawk" and Trygve's lawyer, gives the run down. Trygve is 55% owner of Inferno Film Productions, which made "Dragon." He owns all of The Midgard Corporation, a venture capital company. Midgard has created the following start ups; Asgard Entertainment, stunt training, FX equipment rental, etc.; Lodestone Publishing, comic book publication; Valkyrie Illumination; Warrior Quest International, martial arts training and supplies. (Notice a theme in the names of all of his companies? Although Trygve is from Minnesota, his name is Norwegian.) He also personally co-owns part of Lode Data Corporation, Petro Data Source, Crossroads Trading Company, and All American Pawn. In short, Trygve is a one-man economic force in Colorado. How did it all happen? "I got a headache."

Trygve started at the University of Denver at the age of 17. ("Theoretically I could have done it at 16 but I didn't.") He was studying field theory and particle physics. Basically he was learning how the workings of the very small--protons, neutrons, quarks, etc.--determines the workings of the very large--galaxies, universes, etc. The university allowed him to take the upper level and graduate courses first, as long as he took the exam for the pre-requisite at the same time he was taking the exam for the harder course. After a year he was just on the edge of being a senior in terms of credits when the headache hit.

"It was a stressful time for me. I was working two jobs as well as going to class. Then I got a migraine that lasted 14 months." When the headache subsided he decided that what he really needed to do was make lots of money so he could buy his own particle accelerator and do any and all studies he wanted, without corporate or government oversight. He set a goal to make a million dollars by the time he was 21. The next thing he knew he had two three-piece suits, a pair of sweatpants, a bike, and he lived in a tiny basement room with no windows. Oh, and he was a quarter of a million dollars in debt.

"I would go to these business meetings and pretend I was somebody in my business clothes and then go home and sit around in my sweats and try to figure out how I could get myself up to just broke." The bottom had dropped out of the market he was in, and all of the money he had spent on marketing and production was suddenly a mound of debt. "I'll never forget the day I called a friend to tell them that I was officially broke! It was great!" Luck would have it that the low times had put everyone else out of business too, so when things shifted, Trygve was there to provide. Suddenly he was the supplier and business took off.

He never did go back to school but he does have one degree--a Doctor of Divinity from the Church of World Peace. "But that doesn't really count because I basically bought that. I have a lot of friends who wanted to have weddings that would reflect them as people so I got the degree to perform their weddings." So far he's done "more then ten" but he's sure to do more. "It's kind of like making a movie. There's a big stage production and then you have to feed a lot of people." And, yes, he did reach that million-dollar mark, just a few years behind schedule. "I was about 25 or 26. I'd have to look it up."

Tracing Lode's headfirst dive into the world of filmmaking, without testing the waters, all starts at All American Pawn at Leetsdale and Mississippi, where Julian and Ron Lee first found him. It ends up with him as the villain, Therion, in "Dragon and the Hawk" and money-man for a new local film company.

The Star

In 1988, Lee started his career in front of the camera doing some stunt fighting for the film "Bad Trip." He has since starred in "Fatal Revenge," "My Samurai" (with Mako and Bubba Smith), "Tiger Street," and now "Dragon and the Hawk." Lee is currently working on three projects: "Straight Blast," "Gate," and "Eye of the Storm." "Blast" will be filmed in the Denver area, "Gate" in Pennsylvania, and "Storm" in Vancouver. Lee is definitely one of the few good things the local scene has going for it. How does a kid from Korea become a film star with enough clout to at least get a picture made? Two words: martial arts.

"My distributor for the Asian market just told me that my rating is an A+. That means we'll get a major release in Asia." Think of what that means in terms of the big picture. Lee, Van Damme, Chan, and now Jet Li; these guys make big money and their films get major distribution even in the U.S. Julian asks, "Have you ever heard of Frank Zagarino? I ask everyone that. In Asia, his movies sell better than Mel Gibson!" Julian has a plan, and a pretty good one at that. "We need to do stuff there and generate income. Then we can motivate the big Hollywood distributors to work with us here." The Cannon Group is a good example of how it works. You may not recognize the name but you've probably seen a film of theirs, especially if you're male. (Think Chuck Norris.) They started by making low budget action flicks and worked their way into the big time. (Then, of course, egos grew with their wallets and they disbanded.) For his next film, Julian will be working with Michael Madsen ("Thelma & Louise," "Reservoir Dogs," "Free Willy.") It looks like his plan may be working already.

The Hero

He learned the craft of the stuntman here in Colorado Springs from Lars Lundgren, David Carridine's stand in. Since then he's worked on "Highlander," "Mad Love," "Three Ninjas," etc. Grove is also a martial artist and his technique was good enough to catch Julian's eye.

He is also a man of clear vision. "I want to make feature films. Anything else is a waste of my time. That may seem like a harsh attitude, but I'd rather have nothing than settle for less." It's that clear vision that just might save Colorado film.

When things went bad on the set of "Dragon and the Hawk," Grove is the one who kept it together. He rewrote the script to incorporate what was already shot and keep the budget within reason. He prepared a schedule and stepped in as director. Of course, he was still in charge of stunts and special effects. Regardless of what you may think of "Dragon and the Hawk" as a film, one thing is for certain: without Grove, it would all be in the garbage can.

Along the way, Grove and Trygve became friends. Everyone noticed that they seemed to speak the same language. Together, with Darlene Cypser, they also created Inferno Film and their plans don't end with "Dragon." They are already working on the concept for their next project.

But what really seems to drive Grove is the desire to make Colorado the place for film. "We started getting scripts from all over once the word got out that we were making films. There was an offer from Las Vegas. I told them let's do it here. I want to see [people's] dreams come true. My biggest task now is to give this an outlet."

But there is a catch, of course. "I want to see Flash Gordon. I want to see tales of heroes." Grove is nothing if not integrated. He moves fast, he talks straight, and he wants his entertainment the same way. "I want to do something that empowers people. It could be cheesy but it's fun."

The Realist

For all of that "non-negativity," talking to Schneider doesn't really imbue one with the sense that good times are on the way. You know he wishes it was different but he can't seem to see it any other way. "The future looks bleak. No one on the Tourism Board knows film and if a producer calls and no one speaks his language, he's going to turn to his assistant and say, 'Get Utah on the phone.' Maybe Colorado has too much going for it. The high tech industry generates a lot of money and so the government has decided not to go after film."

What about tax breaks or incentives for the industry? Certainly something can work? "Tell the average Joe that the poor film business wants to give tax incentives to the Los Angeles film people. No way in hell. They'll say why give it to a rich industry from California? Every week you hear how many millions everyone makes."

It's hard to argue with this kind of logic. He's right. Even if it's for local film, people will probably not buy it. "Everyone wants stuff for nothing because they're doing art." He reiterates again how he doesn't want to be negative and he really hopes this doesn't sound bad, but the fact is, sometimes the truth hurts. Schneider knows the saying about money and the world, he's a businessman and even Michelangelo had patrons. He had to get paint somewhere. The problem may be in the attitude. "Once someone is in film, they think they are owed a living. Life isn't that way."

The Outsider

Stevens was one of the members of the Creative Film Group, a group that got together and showed local films for the benefit of local filmmakers. Locals would actually get paid for showing their works. The money made at the show would be divvied up amongst them based upon how long their film was. It may not sound like much until you consider that most low budget filmmakers usually spend money to submit their work to festivals only to have them rejected most of the time.

Notice the past tense here. The Creative Film Group is no longer together. "We tried to do four shows a year and there were four people on the group's 'board' at any one time. But it was really hard to get people to do stuff. They wanted their films to play but didn't want to do the grunt work. Finally we had a vote and said that if no one wants to take over we're resigning and we'll have to vote to disband." And that's just what happened. Laura admits that it does seem to tie in with Schneider's view of the situation. "A lot of them were young, sort of fresh out of school and maybe a little immature. I'm trying to make excuses for them, but that's really no excuse."

You can see that Laura is passionate about filmmaking but she tempers that passion with a healthy dose of realism. She cut back to four days a week at her job so she would have the time needed to do the "grunt work." She's on the board of the Colorado Film Video Association (CFVA) and works with lobbying the capitol to create at least some bit of understanding of what the film community needs. "We're trying to show them that it works in other states. The tax breaks are for the low budget film--less than $1 million. They mandate that a certain percentage has to be spent on the state's businesses, something like 75%. It's good for the state. It employs people and it supports business."

But what about the average Joe that Schneider speaks of? "The heart of the problem is the misconception with tax breaks. I couldn't make a living in production. The independent needs the breaks. Only a handful of big name Hollywood people make the millions. The crew doesn't."

There is one more thing. Colorado is not known as a progressive state. Perhaps there just can't be the local support that is needed. "It is pretty right wing and family oriented. I just don't know if the interest is there."

The Heroine

"Dragon" was her first foray into the world of action films and a baptism by fire it may have been. "It was a great starting point for everyone. A great place to cut your teeth." However, there were problems. "Mark was doing 10 jobs. We lost some extras because they weren't getting paid. There may have been some bridges burned but as an actor it's all hearsay. Production is none of an actor's business. All I know is I had no problems and they treated me well. It's not my big break but it was a great experience. It's nothing to take yourself so seriously about."

Gehring sees in Trygve a person who had the chance to make his dream--and probably the dream most everyone has--come true. And so he took it. "You can't fault Trygve for any of the problems, he paid for it."

From the stories, Gehring is lucky to have been in the film and the film is lucky she was. Originally they wanted to get Bubba Smith or at least a guy. There is some contention even about how she came to be "Hawk" but the end result is, she won the part. And everyone should be thankful for that. Out of all the main people in the film, she's the only one with any experience. "The tough part was that I never had pads. All the guys had long sleeves and pants so they could wear pads. I was fighting in three inch heels and really had to learn how to fall."

Gehring works. She pieces together a living doing commercials and/or industrials. She knows what the film scene needs. "We need to stop fighting amongst each other and figure out a way to make it work. We have great actors, agencies, and casting directors. You don't have to pay extravagant prices for locations. It's sad because there's a wealth in Colorado. Film in Denver helps everyone and it gives another name to the town."

She feels the pull though. That little voice that says, "hey, you're Canadian, why not move to Vancouver where it's all happening?" And it's a tough voice to resist. "They're going to lose all of their actors to Vancouver."

The Source

"It was a hard learning experience for everybody. There were some seasoned crew there who helped out a lot but there was a lot of inexperience." Overall, though, she's on the side of local film and hopes that Inferno can pull it together.

England puts a lot of the blame for the lackluster local scene on the infamous Amendment 2. Although it's a thing of the past, it started a trend that continues today. "Everyone remembers Barbra Streisand boycotting the state. It just hasn't rebounded. We're the cable capitol of the world but even AT&T takes their work outside. Viacom used to make stuff but they don't anymore."

England is adamant about how destructive the current move to place the Colorado Film Commission under the Tourism Board is. "Some people may have had some problems with Klein (the Commission's head) but now he won't be here and no one else will be either."

Even the CPRG has been a tough road. "We were doing the guide because no one else was. Other states partially fund their guides. We're membership based and there is an annual fee to join. We are the only stronghold against the world."

The Future

There are some bright spots on the horizon. Stevens and local director Chris May are talking about getting a series together at the Acoma Center. When we first met she mentioned, "I don't know if I could have made my film if I wasn't in Colorado." She has directly benefited from the hungry nature of the local film community. Of course there's Julian Lee but his path leads to other places. Perhaps it will bring him back to his American roots, or perhaps not. And that may be another big problem.

Stevens remarks how Linklater is in Austin all the time. He even helped found a film center there. Sure, he makes Hollywood films, but his base is still Austin. How often do you see the "South Park" boys, Mssrs. Stone and Parker, around town? (Although Parker is originally from Alabama and Stone moved here when he was young.)

Maybe what Denver needs is that one big hit. Corporate America is infamous for the search and destroy. Think Seattle. One big thing comes out of there and everyone flocks to sign the next Nirvana. The national spotlight could create a flurry that would rub off on the local scene. Again, it didn't work with "South Park" but perhaps that's because Parker and Stone were already in California when it hit.

Filmmaking is about passion and, like fanaticism, sometimes passion makes you do crazy things. Not always bad, mind you, but crazy. A guy with money suddenly becomes a producer because his girlfriend wants to be a star. Seemingly sane kids max out credit cards so they can make "their film." Ivy League lawyers quit to go be assistants in Hollywood and spend their days walking Spot and going to the dry cleaner because maybe they can be just like David E. Kelley.

What ties it all together is the art of film. Passion and art: things that make life worth living. But unless they are very lucky most people's art will not sustain them financially. Appreciation for art is a learned response and Americans are not particularly learned in that department. Hence the need for government subsidies of art. But there's one thing that sets film (and music) apart from painting or poetry or sculpture. There is a primal, visceral element that doesn't need to be learned. The pace of a film, the visual experience of a motion picture, requires very little effort on the part of the experiencer. Turn on the projector and allow yourself to be drawn in. Music is the same and is a large part of the film experience. Emotions are playthings in the hands of a master craftsperson in either genre. Film just gets to have both. People will pay willingly to see that kind of art.

Increasingly, though, the draw to roll the dice and win the big stakes of film production becomes eclipsed by the world of high tech stocks. Perhaps the newest "correction" of the stock market will fix that. Entertainment is one of the few human endeavors that is always needed no matter what the economic climate and actually begins to have increased revenues as the financial ground becomes shaky. Until then however, tax breaks for the little guys mean something. It may make the difference between making a film or not. Financing is easier to secure when you don't need an army of money people or a Goliath-sized corporation.

But none of this explains why Denver's filmmakers can't seem to get their acts together. Maybe the biggest factor is as Trygve says, "There's a strong attitude that anything local can't count. If it's local, it's not real. And I found that attitude to be remarkably widespread. People are looking to California and basically begging. They want them to give money to make a film whether they deserve it or not."

Regardless, Trygve, Grove, Cypser, and Inferno Film are doing what they can to promote local film. A quick stop at their web page will show you that. They have an extensive Colorado Resources page, which they run for free. Valkyrie Illumination has excellent prices on equipment. Trygve has a definite vision for what that means to local low budget moviemakers. "If Chrysler wants to come to Colorado and film their newest SUV driving down some dirt road-- and leave out the part where it crashes at the bottom of the cliff--they can go to the high priced rental places and get all the pampering they need. The people who rent our stuff pull up in a pickup, take the stuff, and bring it back when they're finished. They change their own bulbs and don't need any hand holding."

What does the future hold for "Dragon" and Inferno Film? "I am in the process of buying 16mm projectors now," says Cypser. "We may try to hold our own outdoor film festival for locally produced films. I am also talking to the Bug Theatre about reviving its film program. They are excited about the idea. It's possible we may start it with a showing of 'Dragon and the Hawk.' Also, Julian is talking with the Aurora Asian Film Festival."

Grove's vision does extend past the "Flash Gordon" hero films he loves. "Nothing is impossible in the future. I'm not against change for growth." Already someone has approached Grove and told him he had a love story that he could do for $50,000. Grove agreed and "was ready to write a check." But the filmmaker had second thoughts and decided that really he needed more cash. Was it fear of success? Greed? Grove doesn't know. What about his own aspirations? "I don't know what the future holds. I could turn greedy but I hope I can maintain my vision."

Trygve says that most of the scripts he gets now are "from the heart" but probably have little chance of making any money. He's a businessman and nothing for something does not keep you in business.

Like the commercial says, "Image is everything." There is a story that circulated around Hollywood about how the twentysomething writers of "The Last Action Hero" got their deal. Apparently they both worked on a studio lot and would eat in the commissary. They got together their friends and hatched their devious plan. Over a period of weeks they would all stand in the line and talk about how great this script was they had read. "It was fantastic." "Best thing ever." Of course, some producer overheard and the rest is movie history.

Julian says it best when he describes the chance of making it in film, "It doesn't matter if you're independent. It could be your first time or you could be Joel Silver. Everyone has an equal chance of being successful or failing." And maybe that's the thing about film. The American dream squared. You can make tons of bucks if you could just make that next "Blair Witch Project" and if you're in your own film you can be a celluloid hero. "You can see all the stars as you walk down Hollywood Boulevard."

The Review

The movie itself follows Dragon as he comes to America to try to find his missing sister. (In the film there seems to be some confusion as to where Dragon is from.) He teams up with Hawk, a police detective who is trying to live with the legacy of her sister's apparent drug overdose. She, of course, knows that such a thing could never have happened. If you think that somehow the two are related, you get a gold star. Together the two penetrate into a crime syndicate much too powerful to be taken down--or is it? (If you figure that one out, you can write the sequel.) The evil Therion and his band of henchpeople do everything they can to stop the two from discovering the twisted truth.

Look for lots of your favorite Denver locations and be prepared for more. Inferno Films is in pre-production for their next film. What will it be? The script isn't finished yet but let's just say that those Goth outfits you see in this film may be needed to clothe the vampires in the next. Anyone who fits the bill may want to call his or her agent--or get one.

EXT. A FIELD--AFTERNOON The Bum sits on the hood of the car eating a piece of pizza from an old box he has found. The sun is warm and he tilts his face to receive some of its rays while he eats. The Chipmunk is inside the box gnawing on crumbs. They hear a SOUND and they both turn to look. On the other side of the field, near the camera, a CHILD is playing with a ball. He is dressed like a super hero and has on a cape. The ball rolls toward the camera and stops. The Child stoops over to look at the strange object. He's never seen such a thing and is careful at first. Slowly he reaches out and moves it from its spot. He turns it around in his hands. He finds the crank on the side and begins to turn it. The camera makes a funny sound and he LAUGHS. He turns and runs off towards his home, his cape flying out behind him. His ball remains where the camera once was. CUT TO: The Bum shields his eyes from the sun as he watches all of this. He smiles to himself and then turns to the Chipmunk. BUM Looks like you're going have to bunk with me for a while. FADE TO BLACK