I'm embarassed to ask - what film?
Don't be. The movie is on hold, stuck in post. This film is being produced by Gary Kurtz and Fred Roos and has the approval of Spielberg and Lucas. Several props were loaned to us by people like Doug Trumbull and Greg Jein, to name a few, as well as the talents of people like John Knoll.
It's called "'77", but it was originally titled "5-25-77" after the opening of Star Wars. It is a true story of a teenage kid from a Chicago suburb, Pat Johnson in 1977, who wants to be a filmmaker. His idol was Doug Trumbull ever since he saw 2001 when he was 6. Being from a small town in what he calls the edge of the edge of nowhere, he struggles with fulfilling his dream and leaving everything he knows behind.
After several home movies made with his best friend Bill in his back yard like Jaws 2, a Planet of The Apes film and some world war II movies, Pat's mother decides to call the editor of American Cinematographer out of the blue from a number she got out of one of Pat's magazines. She asks him, Herb Lightman, if he would show her son around Hollywood if she sends him out there. He agrees, though he doesn't really believe she would do it. She does. Pat arrives at his door, so he ends up doing it.
For a week he shows him around Hollywood, taking Pat with him to various places to interview people for the magazine. One place was Future General where Spielberg, Trumbull and Gein were making Close Encounters. Pat meets his idol, Doug Trumbull for the first time and is literally speechless (though they would since become life-long friends). The last place Herb took Pat was to the newly founded ILM where they were making a film with a goofy title called Star Wars. Pat is completely blown away buy what he sees. Dykstra's tour even ends with screening a rough cut of the yet to be completed film, making Pat what Gary Kurtz calls 'Star Wars Fan One.'
Pat then goes back to his home town and tries to tell everyone about this great movie coming out with Wookies and Jawas and Tie Fighters, etc. Naturally, his reputation as the town geek is only reinforced as everyone thinks he is stranger than ever.
When the movie is finally released, every plan he makes to see it on opening day is foiled, and he ends up missing it.
The rest has to do with him making the final decision to go to Hollywood to chase his dream.
In the years since, Pat was responsible for films like Spaced Invaders, Baby's Day Out, Dragonheart, Angus, When Good Gouls Go Bad, and The Genesis Code.
The film was actually screened in its nearly completed form in a few places around the country including the Star Wars Celebration in LA back in 2007. The last time it was screened was at The 2008 Hamptons International Film Festival where it played to sold out audiences and won an award.
As the film's associate producer, I still have high hopes that Pat can get it out there. It is a fantastic movie. I was able to screen the Hollywood tour scenes for my new friends at WonderFest, and they seemed to like it a lot.
Here is more information on the film and my involvement:
'77 Movie
