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.. 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. You can also see a pretty nice wave rolling throughGreat photo. Big Wednesday (1978) - Full Cast & Crew - IMDb 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. I have fond memories of being one of the extras. Big Wednesday is American writer-director John Milius' attempt to use surfing as a metaphor for life. "I've been working on Big Wednesday a long time," Milius said. Big Wednesday is a 1978 American coming of age buddy sports comedy-drama film directed by John Milius. My contribution to the movie was telling the assistant director that the license plates on the cars were wrong for the period. The logo, a red diamond with a bear in it, features prominently throughout the movie, on shop windows, T-shirts, car windows and on surfboards. The attrition rate among surfers is very high. It's about growing up and relationships and the surf is the exotic background. The international distribution of the movie promoted the Bear label worldwide, with people wanting boards with the bear logo. September 10, 2020. Youre not allowed to drive into the Ranch, so every day youd just wait for your car to come and pick you up. Finally, a nice shot of Denny Aaberg, co-writer of the film, enjoying the fruits of his labor. I dug a Yater spoon out of David Adornettos back yard and used it as my longboard, though we also brought our shortboards. Seversons title referred to a surfing myth according to which all the great surf days of the year fall on Wednesdays. According to surf journalist Paul Gross, hard-core surfers found the film too cheesy. That's important to me because I'm a real surfer. Terry Remick is now heavily involved with the marketing of vintage rail trips along the central coast. 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. 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. Forty years after its release the passion and lyricism of the film are even more compelling. He looked at these little skinny surfer idiots and he thought these guys are total pussys! That experience working on Big Wednesday was kind of how I hoped pro surfing would be. It's the most personal film I'll probably ever make, and I figured I ought to do it now, before I get too far away from it. Their surfing lives are traced from the summer of 1962 to their attempts at dodging the Vietnam War draft in 1965 (including faking insanity, homosexuality, and all manner of medical ailments), and to the end of their innocence in 1968 when one of their friends is killed in Vietnam. These were all props, created for the film, since this portion of it was taking place in the early sixties. Here well present a miscellany of facts, trivia and anecdotes from behind the scenes on Big Wednesday. Browse the full lineup and get your ticket here. WL: And then you all jetted off to Hawaii. It was a full circus going on at all times, recalls Art Brewer, who didnt have an official role, but was often invited to hang out on the set. You can see the wave all over Instagram today, with all the surf teams there. Although access has since opened up a little, back then it was only residents and boat owning day-trippers who could surf along the stretch. Robb Report. 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. Rating: Multiple scenes required surfers to ride waves up to 70 feet . Click Here for starters. Of course, thats where you get all the stuff from Sunset that wraps up the movie. At least half the people who participated are dead now. She said it was the last shot on the roll. Youlll see in the movie Jean and Billy paddling out, pushing under and catching a couple of waves and then youll see the stunt doubles come in. 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. When we saw these photos, we contacted surf legend Denny Aaberg to give us some more insight. "Big Wednesday" started as a novel written by John Milius and Denny Aaberg and was initially published in 1978 by Bantam Books. Shop Now, Kanga The Trials and Triumphs of Ian Cairns, 8 OF THE BEST FEMALE SURF RETREATS FOR 2023, Where To Surf In Italy The Wavelength Guide. According to a famous Hollywood legend, Big Wednesday was part of a three-way profit point swap between Milius and his old friends, George Lucas and Steven Spielberg. Of the eight hours we were there everyday, we probably averaged about an hour of actually doing something for the movie. was also an Aussie surf legend and was the first professional world champion. 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. It's a movie that I have never forgotten. (as Karen Rea Grossman) For those of you that dont know about George Greenough, you should learn. But not just any BEAR Surfboard made for Big Wednesday -- we have for you the Original Bear Surfboard made for Big Wednesday director John Milius. Technical Specs, See agents for this cast & crew on IMDbPro, executive in charge of production (uncredited), second assistant director trainee (uncredited), sound effects editor (as Joe von Stroheim), stairs fall double for Geoff Parks (uncredited) / stunt coordinator (uncredited), camera operator: special water photography, wardrobe supervisor: women (as Ann Lambert), wardrobe supervisor: men (as Bill Minton Jr.), music consultant (uncredited) / musician: violin (uncredited), surfing photography consultant (as Roger Brown). In early 77, the points were counted and Peter Townend emerged as the first-ever winner, with fellow Bronzed Aussie Ian Cairns taking the runner up spot. There was no one living there and you had to come in by boat, even until today its really uncrowded. For those of you that dont know about George Greenough, you should learn. It was only with the films home video release in the early 80s that it began to acquire a cult following, gaining more credibility and adulation with each year that passed. big wednesday stunt surfers - newsunequipamentos.com.br 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? After the film came out, Bill began shaping under the Bear label depicted in the movie. director of photography Film Editing by Casting By Karen Rea . Above is the Silver Splendor 1956 and below is the Overland Trail 1949 Pullman Club Car . "[15], Milius invented the Bear brand of surfboard as a fictional brand to be used in the movie,[16] and even had surfboards made and arranged for a Californian designer to create a logo. Above is George Greenough, Denny Aaberg with the guitar, Peter Townend and Townends girlfriend. 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. I went there 190lbs and ended up a 170, and in fact one night I lost 10lbs, vomiting and shitting, just incredibly sick. Nineteen seventy-six was a big year for innovation. This is a faux pas of no mean eminence; after all, Miss Hale actually is Mr. Katt's mother. You can see the wave all over Instagram today, with all the surf teams there. 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. Terry loves it because it allows her to stay in touch with her old friend, The Ranch. 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. We know these are freesurfing shots because hes riding a late 70s shortboard. I tore up your lawn with my '40 Ford Matt Johnson: Took my pants off in front of your friends Matt Johnson: And I even passed out in your closet, but I never, and I don't know who could have if I didn't, but I never, and I repeat never, ever pissed in your steam iron. We were allowed to be out surfing all the time and Cojo is pretty nice its a bit like Little Rincon at Bells. IC: Yeah, we were all there hanging at Sunset. With our encyclopedic knowledge of the worlds waves, we decided there were a couple of surf points we could use there, Milius recalls in an interview with Sports Illustrated. Matt Johnson, Jack Barlow, and Leroy Smith are three young California surfers in the 1960s. IC: Well, we were in the Northern Ranch, where the breaks Cojo and Governments are. 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. 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. It inspired the names of things as disparate as the weekly New Zealand lotto draw, an Australian pale ale and countless storms and hurricanes. And at the same time our lives were regulated by a strict chivalry code. WL: Tell me about the filming of the final sequence? 1977 BEAR John Milius' Personal Cojo Point Big Wednesday In Milius film, the surfers are the last true American pioneers whose courage and heroism are forged by their ability to live at the intersection between nature and culture. (1) George Greenough surrounded by his tools of the trade and (2) with his homemade housing. ()100% To date Milius last major film-making credit is as creator of the acclaimed HBO TV show Rome in 2005. His presence had been specifically requested by one of the films starring trio, Jean Michelle Vincent, who happened to be a personal friends of Townends after the pair had met half a decade earlier surfing at Californias Hollister Ranch. 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. This is a great shot of Jan Michael Vincent, one of the actors that actually could surf. Check system requirements. But we simply didnt take into account things like, oh, sharks, civil war and dysentery.. "Big Wednesday" follows three young surfers in the LA area (Jan-Michael Vincent, William Katt and Gary Busey). big wednesday stunt surfers. WL: And then you all jetted off to Hawaii. was also an Aussie surf legend and was the first professional world champion. At some point, old cars were placed on the beach by ranchers to try to keep the surfers out. The three make the difficult transition to adulthood with parties, surf trips, marriage, and the war. Last accessed: December 1, 2009. 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. [1], Big Wednesday was a box office flop upon its release, and was quickly pulled from theatres after taking in only $4.5 million. Above is Peter Townend, with a classic arch stance. And the climactic showdown between the heroic trio and the monster waves is so good it makes up for the rest (the trio's Wild Bunch-inspired walk to destiny is by far Milius's finest cinematic moment) More than any other movie Milius directed, Big Wednesday contains the joy of filmmaking (he waited his whole career to make this movie). 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. Big Wednesday - Rotten Tomatoes Official Sites MacGillivray, in turn, supervised a team of surf cinematographers. It's all changed now."[7]. They were getting $20 a day plus a whole lot of sunburn to watch perfect waves go unridden.. Of course, thats where you get all the stuff from Sunset that wraps up the movie. Business boomed with the late 80s surfwear explosion as Bear expanded its line, replacing fishing as his main source of income. And just when they were finally convinced, out of the water comes one of our surfers, Dan Merkel, with his skin suit on and a knife strapped to his leg. Although two of the lead actors Jan-Michael Vincent and Willliam Kat had been surfing since childhood, Milius brought in an all-star cast of surfing talent to serve as stunt doubles, including World Champ Peter Townend (whose surfing shines throughout), Ian Cairns, Billy Hamilton, Jay Riddle and Jackie Dunn. Greenough arrived with his own custom-built water housing and proceeded to take apart the 100 grand film camera provided to him by the production to fit it inside. Some commentators ascribed the early critical and commercial failure of Big Wednesday to its excessive sentimentality. When Milius saw them sat next to each other, he couldnt believe the likeness, immediately switching PTs role to that of Kats double instead. When the film was released in May 1978, everybody the director, the producer and the prospective viewers had big hopes for it. The seemingly paradoxical juxtaposition between an ordinary day (Wednesday) and epic adjective (Big) also matched Milius double ambition to provide both a realistic account of surfing subculture and to create a long-lasting surf mythology. Click Here to learn about Dan. Surf is a reoccurring trope in Milius work. Copyright 20102023, The Conversation US, Inc. At 62 and 190 lbs., he was a big, powerful Australian surf star that had won lots of international contests. He created this waterproof fiberglass housing for a big, bulky 35 mm movie camera. 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. Working on big Wednesday in 77, we earned 50 grand. At some point, Lance bailed. Here hes getting pulled behind a boat, probably just killing time between takes. 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. 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. I said of course, who wouldnt! Initially, Milus and Aaberg set out to write a novel that combined some of Malibus real characters with a grander narrative around surfings mythology. He encourages such stiffness in his players that Barbara Hale, for instance, is quite unconvincing as Mr. Katt's mother. On the set, from left to right, Billy Hamilton, director John Milius, Peter PT Townend, Ian Cairns, Ray Riddle and Gary Busey. Big Wednesday: watching in between the lines - bearsurfboards Nowadays, he lives inland in Connecticut, having traded trimming the waves down the Bu for clay pigeon shooting and smoking cigars in his later years. We got alot of emails regarding this page from folks that were extras. And thats what the movie is. Above is a distant view of the set they made, a replica of the Malibu wall, complete with lifeguard tower. Other potential explanations suggested that in the late 1970s, the Vietnam wound was still too fresh and binge drinking, a prominent feature of the film, had lost its flavour. But then it just reverted back to normal from there on, it wasnt like wed bought a lifetime membership into the Hui. Photo from the front cover of his biography: Kanga The Trials and Triumphs of Ian Cairns. | Most famously, hes responsible for creating the character Colonel Kilgore in Apocolypse Now and writing the films most iconic line: Charlies dont surf.. The board I was riding was an 86, so it wasnt really a longboard, but it worked kind of fun. Big Wednesday: Directed by John Milius. IC: Well in May we were in El Salvador, in the summertime, from August to September we were in the Ranch, then we did surf the winter events on the North Shore. (1) Cairns in a Sunset tube (2) PT off the bottom. big wednesday stunt surfers - chanoyu.48s.jp We were allowed to be out surfing all the time and Cojo is pretty nice its a bit like Little Rincon at Bells. Te Herenga Waka Victoria University of Wellington provides funding as a member of The Conversation NZ. 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. Director Bruce Brown Writers Bruce Brown Dana Brown Stars Patrick O'Connell big wednesday stunt surfers big wednesday stunt surfers. Then in 77, they were getting paid, so we were cordial. 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. And with that, Ian Cairns was in. ABC edited 31 minutes from this film for its 1985 network television premiere. But to be perfectly candid my interest in competing on the tour dramatically diminished, because I realised there was another world out there. WL: I just watched it the other day and its incredible the surfing you guys are doing on those big single fin longboards. The prevailing wind is offshore, summertime theres swells. 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. [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. So, PT told Milius, hey, Ive got a bronzed Aussie buddy who could replace him. Its pretty sweet, Ill tell you that. Conceived by Randy Rarrick and Fred Hemmings, The IPS, as it was known, was a little haphazard during that first foray according to those in attendance (or chaos if a certain wounded winged Novocastrian is to be believed. The first boards were shaped in 1977, by famous board shaper Bill Hamilton. The film is set in California between 1962 and 1974 and follows the lives of three surfers: Matt Johnson (Jan-Michael Vincent), a self-destructive local surf star, and his two best friends, Leroy The Masochist Smith (Gary Busey) and Jack Barlowe (William Katt). [3] It was inspired by a short story Aaberg had published in a 1974 Surfer Magazine entitled "No Pants Mance",[4] and published by Australian surfing magazine Tracks in April 1973[5] and the lives of a group of friends who used to surf with Aaberg and Milius including Lance Carson. [6], In writing the script Milius and Aaberg interviewed a lot of their friends from the 1960s. Big Wednesday Collection by Roger Hinds - Bing Surfboards 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. WL: Can you tell me about getting the call up to double for Busey? WATCH Surfing Massive 20-30 Ft Waves in Cape Town on Big Wednesday Milius and Aaberg based their script on their own stories about Malibu, which in the film would be referred to as The Point. 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. Big Wednesday (1978) - IMDb Milius said that while the story was inspired by his own life experiences as a young surfer in Malibu, he was interested in achieving a balance between a realistic depiction of true events and the mythologising of surfers and surfing culture. The board I was riding was an 86, so it wasnt really a longboard, but it worked kind of fun. But then it just reverted back to normal from there on, it wasnt like wed bought a lifetime membership into the Hui. ABOUT A SHIPWRECK THAT (RAN AGROUND IN "53" NOW A VICTIM OF THE SEA ? IC: We were with the whole Hollywood crew, and the stunt coordinator was this really famous guy that did Harrison Ford in the Indiana Jones movie called Terry Leonard, a real mans man. Big Wednesday (1978) Classic Movie Review 153 His presence had been specifically requested by one of the films starring trio, Jean Michelle Vincent, who happened to be a personal friend of Townends after the pair had met half a decade earlier surfing at Californias Hollister Ranch. "A lot of the characters are me and in another sense none of them are me. [10] In August Milius announced Big Wednesday would be postponed because the script was not ready and he would instead make Extreme Prejudice.