Great feature on Big Wednesday. Denny wrote a song about it with Phil Pritchard and it was featured in this film and became quite popular. Despite what he describes as a childhood of juvenile delinquency, Milius developed into an accomplished screenwriter, penning a series of hit films in which surfing often featured. big wednesday stunt surfers big wednesday stunt surfers. While working on the script, Milius and Aaberg used Samurai stories, the Arthurian saga and Herman Melvilles Moby Dick as sources of inspiration. We were paid for basically hanging out on the beach at Cojo all day. In 1978 surfer and filmmaker John Milius (Apocalypse Now, Red Dawn) set out to make a feature length film for the big screen based on his youth surfing and growing up in Malibu Ca., it would become the iconic film of the 70's "Big Wednesday". 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. 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. "I'd lived that life since I was ten. Filming & Production An 8' 6" BEAR Surfboard single fin made for Big Wednesday. All Rights Reserved. Another famous water photographer, Dan Merkel, was hired to shoot this film. Written by Milius and Dennis Aaberg, it is loosely based on their own experiences at Malibu, California. t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0]; Either way, the cast and crew enjoyed filming at such an amazing location. When John Milius made Big Wednesday in 1978, he was considered one of the most promising filmmakers in Hollywood. 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. Join us in a beautiful clifftop location overlooking Watergate Bay in West Cornwall on July16th for a drive-in screening of the film. The water camera hes holding was one of those ideas. Browse the full lineup and get your ticket here.Or, subscribe to Wavelength now to get free entry to a screening of your choice.] I dug a Yater spoon out of David Adornettos back yard and used it as my longboard, though we also brought our shortboards. Bruce Brown, king of surfing documentaries, returns after nearly thirty years to trace the steps of two young surfers to top surfing spots around the world. I have fond memories of being one of the extras. We surfed there and down at La Libertad and it was pretty fun, just hanging out with the crew. Click Here for starters. This is a great shot of Jan Michael Vincent, one of the actors that actually could surf. Terry was commuting from the Ranch and Goleta to attend SBCC and UCSB. We were really fortunate to have those big days at Sunset. And then there was the surfing. [8], "Because I surfed, I'm the only director in the world who could have made his picture," said Milius. Multiple scenes required surfers to ride waves up to 70 feet . "But I couldn't," he said. It didnt work. I was the number one money winner in 76, I earned $8000 prize money. 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. | Free Delivery on all Orders Over 80. Originally Milius envisioned the story as a novel and he included the treatment in a letter, entitled We were gods, to literary agent Lynn Nesbit. In the background you see all the Hollywood chairs for the actors and such. . When Milius saw them sat next to each other, he couldnt believe the likeness, immediately switching PTs role to that of Kats double instead. We were really fortunate to have those big days at Sunset. And thats what the movie is. The first week was fairly fraught, beset by illness, bad waves and a standoff with a gun-toting local militia. Los Angeles Times 21 August 1977: n7. Terry Remick is now heavily involved with the marketing of vintage rail trips along the central coast. Although not a veteran himself, Milius is a war and weapons enthusiast, serving for six years on the board of gun advocacy group the NRA. So anyway one Sunday we took him out surfing at Sunzal, it was about 3 feet, and he got smashed and almost drowned and had to be rescued and brought in. I was the number one money winner in 76, I earned $8000 prize money. Recently, we called him up at home in Laguna Beach to see what he could remember from his time working on the film. Director Bruce Brown Writers Bruce Brown Dana Brown Stars Patrick O'Connell Finally, a nice shot of Denny Aaberg, co-writer of the film, enjoying the fruits of his labor. Wed surf and then get a filet mignon for lunch. Of course, thats where you get all the stuff from Sunset that wraps up the movie. Raised in Southern California, Milius made Big Wednesday as an homage to the time he spent in Malibu during his youth. [1], Big Wednesday was a box office flop upon its release, and was quickly pulled from theatres after taking in only $4.5 million. Another luminary brought in for this film was none other than Gerry Lopez. We got alot of emails regarding this page from folks that were extras. "[7], Anthea Sylbert was an executive at Warners at the time. That experience working on Big Wednesday was kind of how I hoped pro surfing would be. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. 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." Big Wednesday, and she had a front row seat. "Big Wednesday" follows three young surfers in the LA area (Jan-Michael Vincent, William Katt and Gary Busey). !function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s) 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. Surf star Gerry Lopez, who would later appear as an actor in other films directed by Milius, played himself in the last sequence of the film. "It was a special time," said Aaberg of the 1960s. Actors - Big Wednesday (1978) Returning Jan-Michael Vincent played troubled surfer Matt Johnson. The friends include Matt Johnson, a self-destructive type who has a devil-may-care attitude; Jack Barlow, the calm and responsible one of the bunch; and Leroy "The Masochist" Smith, whose nickname tells a lot about his personality. Even luckier was Denny, who got to help choose from hundreds of cute little beach bunnies. We were treated like rock stars and I still get a cheque every year from the screen actors guild. Denny Aaberg continues his life long passion for playing music. When they were shooting, they would be riding longboards and no wetsuit, or maybe a top only. IC: Yeah, we were all there hanging at Sunset. It combines brilliantly heart gripping surfing action, heart wrenching emotions, and heart uplifting humour, all set against the back-drop of the Vietnam War, teenagers growing up, the wisdom of elders (Bear) and of course, the surfing. It was a central experience in our lives. Three 1960s California surfers (Jan-Michael Vincent, William Katt, Gary Busey) fool around, drift apart and reunite years later to ride epic waves. The brand morphed into an actual successful company after the release of the movie, producing hundreds of boards, and is still active today, with various people producing Bear-branded boards in different countries. Milius and his friends George Lucas and Steven Spielberg famously agreed to exchange a percentage point of Big Wednesday, Star Wars and Close Encounters of the Third Kind prior to the release of the three films throughout 1977-1978. After the film came out, Bill began shaping under the Bear label depicted in the movie. Although today Big Wednesday is considered one of the best surf movies ever made, the path that led to its cult status was a long and convoluted one. Initially, Milus and Aaberg set out to write a novel that combined some of Malibus real characters with a grander narrative around surfings mythology. When John Milius made Big Wednesday in 1978, he was considered one of the most promising filmmakers in Hollywood. The story went through many iterations, including a short article by Aaberg entitled No-Pants Mance, published in Surfer Magazine in 74, before forming into the Big Wednesday we know today. You know theyve got craft services there so you can go to the catering truck and order anything you want. Milius and Aaberg based their script on their own stories about Malibu, which in the film would be referred to as The Point. I went there 190 pounds and ended up a 170, and in fact one night I was 110 pounds, vomiting and shitting, just incredibly sick. It wasnt just a story about somebody trying to ride the biggest wave or something. "A lot of the characters are me and in another sense none of them are me. As he remembers, it was some sort of military vehicle that was there for years and years. ABC edited 31 minutes from this film for its 1985 network television premiere. Milius was later responsible for the creation of the surf-obsessed Captain Kilgore (Robert Duvall) in Francis Ford Coppolas Apocalypse Now. The friends reunite years later, after Barlow has served in Vietnam, for the "Great Swell of '74". Press release, August 6, 2008. 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. They also created a fictional Bear Surfboards label for this movie, which became quite popular for a while afterwards. Seversons title referred to a surfing myth according to which all the great surf days of the year fall on Wednesdays. WL: Can you tell me about getting the call up to double for Busey? And Denny should know, he co-wrote the film with the director John Milius! Big Wednesday is American writer-director John Milius' attempt to use surfing as a metaphor for life. 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. When we saw these photos, we contacted surf legend Denny Aaberg to give us some more insight. Also starring Jan-Michael Vincent ("The Winds of War"), real- life mother and son Barbara Hale . Wed have certain times where wed be shooting scenes and the rest of the time we were just hanging out on the film set watching shit happen. You just get treated like a king, youre part of the crew, hanging out with the actors, writers and directors. Terry didnt bother with all that, she was already at the beach. We have found an absolute gem of a surfboard packed with provenance. IAN will be signing his new book from 6:30 to 7:30. 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. if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0'; Tell me about your experience at the Ranch? 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. And with that, Ian Cairns was in. "[7], "A lot of things [in the film] happened to me," said Milius. That camera looks heavy. This largely autobiographical film from director John Milius ("Conan The Barbarian") features truly spectacular surfing scenes. Hes riding one of the prop longboards made for the film. (1) Cairns in a Sunset tube (2) PT off the bottom. Along the way we see many of the people and locales Bruce visited during the filming of Endless Summer (1966). The points were aggregated, and surfers were informed of their standing, as well as of the remaining competitions that would constitute the second half of the tour. You can see the wave all over Instagram today, with all the surf teams there. But then it just reverted back to normal from there on, it wasnt like wed bought a lifetime membership into the Hui. WL: I just watched it the other day and its incredible the surfing you guys are doing on those big single fin longboards. While Milius has been forgotten by most contemporary viewers and critics, the legacy of Big Wednesday continues to live on. Frank McRae played a tough Army Sergeant at the induction center. Big Wednesday is a movie that follows the Hollywood cinema canons, filmed by a well-known director who embodies the surfer's spirit. WL: Of course, that was right in the middle of the whole Bustin Down The Door saga. Billy Hamilton, above, was the double for Jan Michael Vincent. 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. to hear the song and see some stills from the film. Jack's induction notice says he is to serve in the United States Marine Corps. I mean, they were all just waiting for the Big Wave. They were getting $20 a day plus a whole lot of sunburn to watch perfect waves go unridden.. Categories . The teen, whose name . "[22], The staff at Variety wrote, "A rubber stamp wouldn't do for John Milius. Some say the best surf movie Hollywood has made yet! This is a great shot of Jan Michael Vincent, one of the actors that actually could surf. She said it was the last shot on the roll. 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.. "And I can tell you, it's so hard, no one will ever make it again. Te Herenga Waka Victoria University of Wellington, Te Herenga WakaVictoria University of Wellington, Between the Lines: Surfers during the Vietnam War. Honestly, the whole experience completely ruined me for being back on the pro tour. Spielberg in particular was certain that Big Wednesday was going to be a box office hit, opining it was like "American Graffiti meets Jaws", two of the decade's most successful films.[2]. The film makers had what they refer to as a cattle call up at the Riviera theater to select the lucky folks. By what name was Big Wednesday (1978) officially released in India in English? 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. It's about love of a place, love of a time, love of your human contacts, and the loss of those things. Townend was just gearing up to embark on the tours second spin around the sun when he received a phone call from John Milius a long time Malibu surfer and Hollywood director inviting him to fly to LA to stunt double on a new film he was working on. When the film was released in May 1978, everybody the director, the producer and the prospective viewers had big hopes for it. Here hes getting pulled behind a boat, probably just killing time between takes. It was a very personal film and it really tore me up when it was attacked in such a way that no one saw it. The first week was fairly fraught, beset by illness, bad waves and a standoff with the gun-toting local militia and at some point, Lance bailed. Last accessed: December 1, 2009. Jean Micheal Vincent and Billy Kat were there but the Masochist wasnt. 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. Then in 77, they were getting paid, so we were cordial. Heres Jan Michael Vincent again. After that whole period in El Salvador, they wanted to do some shots in California so they set up at Bixby Ranch to get that really sparkling California look. While the storys original novel treatment was titled We Are Gods, after Warner Bros expressed an interest in making it into a film, Milius approached Surfer Magazine founder John Severson, to acquire the naming rights of his surf film Big Wednesday, released over a decade prior in 61. Or, subscribe to Wavelength now to get free entry to a screening of your choice.]. and the more I understood about Big Wednesday, the more I learned about surfing. And at the same time our lives were regulated by a strict chivalry code. Big Wednesday went as far as moulding surfing iconography. Because we were at a beach club far away from the city, and werent travelling back and forwards too much, we didnt see much of that stuff, but yeah, they had some bugs out there and we all got sick. Rating: The fictional Bear surfboards logo and t-shirts, originally created by the filmmaker as props for the film, went on to become a popular surf trademark owned by Milius himself. Unlike any other film that has been made about surfing, in this one the characters and not the waves are the most important. Theyre riding prop boards, made for the movie, and no wetsuits, since this was supposed to the early sixties Malibu. Which by contrast seem to contain the frustration of filmmaking."[25]. I don't think that kids today have the same kind of values that these people had then; I don't see movies being made about that kind of thing. It's based on the lives of three friends ten years ago. [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. At some point, old cars were placed on the beach by ranchers to try to keep the surfers out. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. Shop Now, 8 OF THE BEST FEMALE SURF RETREATS FOR 2023, Where To Surf In Italy The Wavelength Guide. Check system requirements. The lives of some California surfers from the early 1960s to the 1970s. Hank Worden for some reason took a small role as a guy that pushed a shopping cart around. See production, box office & company info, WHAT IS THE SONG AT THE ARMY INDUCTION CENTER ? Renew Premium Membership Now; My Account; Personal Info & Password; Payment & Settings; Premium Benefits; Site Settings; Help Center; Try Premium Free Now; My Account Seversons title referenced a popular myth that posited all great surf days fall on Wednesdays. !function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s){if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function(){n.callMethod? 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. When he comes home from Vietnam he is an Army Green Beret. Most of the shots of Gary Busey paddling out are me, so I kind of have a lot of those stunt double pieces. Click here to buy a ticket, or subscribe now for free entry. ), For starters, it was only decided that the tour was a tour halfway through the year, with a few events from the dozens of surfing comps that had already taken place around the world chosen retrospectively as the opening leg. And just like the legendary surfing movie Big Wednesday, the massive swell pulled in on a Wednesday (19 January 2022). Give me a break! 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. Published by at June 22, 2022. The surfing scenes used in the finale to Big Wednesday were not filmed in California, where the film is set, but at Sunset Beach in Pupukea, Hawaii. A lot of them died in Vietnam and OD'd on dope. After roping in a few replacements, including Billy Hamilton, to stand in for Vincent and famous Malibu surfer Lance Carson to double for the third star, Gary Busey, the crew set off for El Salvador, where the filming for Big Wednesday got underway. Te Herenga Waka Victoria University of Wellington provides funding as a member of The Conversation NZ. "It was the most personal film I'd done," said Katt. Ian Cairns, shown above, was the surf double for Gary Busey. The points were aggregated and surfers were informed of their standing and which competitions would constitute the second half of the tour. "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. I jumped on a plane and flew down there to join the crew, who were about a week into the shoot. Following on from their El Salvadoran debacle, the production set up shop at Hollister Ranch, the privately-owned 8.5 mile coastal stretch of glistening point breaks that sits to the north of LA. No Ads. PT leapt at the chance. Milius was flipping out, remembers a chuckling Peter Townend in an interview with Surfline. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. 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. big wednesday stunt surfers. The film presents a vivid portrait of a specific cultural moment both in surfing and the world at large but equally explores themes that transcend time and place, like loss, friendship and the impact of growing up on each individuals surfing path. 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. Terry knew him through friends at the beach and Denny knew him from surfing. Without going to Hawaii it would have fallen flat, but those big wave sequences at the end of the movie are pretty amazing. 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. Web Development by Phi Web Studio. 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. One day this El Salvadoran militia comes to visit our beach set, continues Milius. fbq('init', '916699485848838'); If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. Heres a good one from Paul Baragona. Terry Remick was spending a lot of her time with friends on the beaches of Hollister Ranch, enjoying her early twenties, when out of nowhere, a major Hollywood production drops in her lap. Movie Info. {if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function(){n.callMethod? We were outlaws, juvenile delinquents, anarchists and rascals. Also notice all the longboards. WL: So it was year two of the new IPS tour, and you were defending a runner up spot, did all that filming not get in the way of competing? I mean, you had George Greenough in his black and white Highway Patrol car, burning down the dirt roads and then coming into the lot doing donutsIt was more like a party than a working situation, and for me it was just like another day at the beach. The prevailing wind is offshore, summertime theres swells. So wed gone from death threats in 76 to having them protect us in the water the following winter. We were treated like rock stars and I still get a cheque every year from the screen actors guild. Surf star Gerry Lopez, who would. It never strayed from that. Warner Brothers rented the Bixby Ranch to film a major motion picture called Big Wednesday, and she had a front row seat. The talent behind the lens for the surfing sequences was equally prolific, with George Greenough (fresh off the back of Crystal Voyager), legendary stills photog turned filmmaker Dan Merkel and surf movie pioneer Bud Browne all overseen by Five Summer Stories co-creator Greg MacGillivray. Photo from the front cover of his biography: Kanga The Trials and Triumphs of Ian Cairns. They still used a stunt double for a lot of the surfing action, his was Bill Hamilton. Once you select Rent you'll have 14 days to start watching the movie and 48 hours to finish it. All Rights Reserved. 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. (as Karen Rea Grossman) 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. "I've been working on Big Wednesday a long time," Milius said. Or, subscribe to Wavelength now to get free entry to a screening of your choice.]. WL: Can you tell me about getting the call up to double for Busey? This thing would be wrapped up in two weeks. He features prominently in two documentaries about surfing: Hollywood Dont Surf and Between the Lines: Surfers during the Vietnam War. Hamilton was surfing for Jan Michael Vincents character and Cairns was the double for Gary Busey. 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.