So much so in fact, that Milius friends Steven Spielberg and George Lucas famously agreed to trade profit percentage points on their forthcoming films Close Encounters of the Third Kind and Star Wars with the movies box office takings. He was a very popular surfer at the time, but now is best known for being the father of Laird Hamilton. The idea of the ocean as the new Far West is reinforced by the films references to Milius favourite Westerns, including The Wild Bunch (the scene in which four characters walk to the draft office) and The Searchers (Hank Worden, the actor who played Mose Harper in Fords classic was cast as one of the secondary characters in Big Wednesday). 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. 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. Malibu in the early 60s, immediately post-Gidget, when some old-timers were already arguing the breaks best day were behind her. Ahead of the release, Hollywood was abuzz with talk of Big Wednesdays impending success. Shown here walking out to the surf with Dan Merkel and one of his legendary lightning bolt boards. It's based on the lives of three friends ten years ago. 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. This thing would be wrapped up in two weeks. Vincent was covered in The Undefeated (1969). It was a lot of money. fbq('track', 'PageView'); Copyright 2020 Surfing.LA. Milius was flipping out, remembers a chuckling Peter Townend in an interview with Surfline. So, PT told Milius, hey, Ive got a bronzed Aussie buddy who could replace him. "It was a special time," said Aaberg of the 1960s. was also an Aussie surf legend and was the first professional world champion. fbq('init', '916699485848838'); [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. [10] In August Milius announced Big Wednesday would be postponed because the script was not ready and he would instead make Extreme Prejudice. All Rights Reserved. The prevailing wind is offshore, summertime theres swells. Here hes getting pulled behind a boat, probably just killing time between takes. Official Sites We have found an absolute gem of a surfboard packed with provenance. Thats not enough. Without going to Hawaii it would have fallen flat, but those big wave sequences at the end of the movie are pretty amazing. Its pretty sweet, Ill tell you that. Once you select Rent you'll have 14 days to start watching the movie and 48 hours to finish it. When we saw these photos, we contacted surf legend Denny Aaberg to give us some more insight. This board is deep red with the classic BEAR logo on the deck made famous by Sam Melville's character in Milius . I was the number one money winner in 76, I earned $8000 prize money. Surf star Gerry Lopez, who would. Browse the full lineup and get your ticket here. Heres a good one from Paul Baragona. We were really fortunate to have those big days at Sunset. The surfers and stunt doubles with director John Milius. Nature enthusiast Dean Bannatyne captured this epic video footage The points were aggregated and surfers were informed of their standing and which competitions would constitute the second half of the tour. Ian Cairns, shown above, was the surf double for Gary Busey. Privacy Policy / Terms & Conditions. Surf is a reoccurring trope in Milius work. Hamilton was surfing for Jan Michael Vincents character and Cairns was the double for Gary Busey. Im actually really stoked on the surfing in that final sequence, they did a really good job stitching it all together . Free Delivery on all Orders Over 80. 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. Rating: It was super fun. This movie is about friendship: surfing is just the background. The Novel Before the Movie. 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. Either way, the cast and crew enjoyed filming at such an amazing location. 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. And Denny should know, he co-wrote the film with the director John Milius! [21], Janet Maslin, film critic for The New York Times, did not like the performances of the actors and wrote, "The surprise is not that Mr. Milius has made such a resoundingly awful film, but rather that he's made a bland onethe movie often seems even more uneventful than material like this need make it, and Mr. Milius's attention to his actors focuses more closely on their pectorals than on their performances. WL: Are there any other memories from that trip that particularly stand out? A few of the extras,including Kym Herrin in the blue dress, working hard for their sixty bones. It made only US$4.5 million (half of its original budget) at the box office. Click here to buy a ticket, or subscribe now for free entry. When the film was released in May 1978, everybody the director, the producer and the prospective viewers had big hopes for it. This is reminiscent of Dennys brother Kemp Aabergs famous pose, captured in an iconic photo taken by John Severson, below. See production, box office & company info, WHAT IS THE SONG AT THE ARMY INDUCTION CENTER ? An 8' 6" BEAR Surfboard single fin made for Big Wednesday. 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. 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. It was work that you got to have fun and got paid for, which was rare back then., Being a lifelong surfer himself, Jan-Michael Vincent had no trouble pulling off an authentic-looking knee paddle. And we knew how good we had it. This thing would be wrapped up in two weeks. 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. Milius wrote the script with his friend and fellow surfer, journalist Denny Aaberg. It's about love of a place, love of a time, love of your human contacts, and the loss of those things. You can see the wave all over Instagram today, with all the surf teams there. Send her a message via her facebook page if youd like to go. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. . "Big Wednesday" follows three young surfers in the LA area (Jan-Michael Vincent, William Katt and Gary Busey). IC: The guys were held at gunpoint at Sunzal one morning as part of the revolution thing, but that was before I got there. There was perfect longboard waves coming through, a little groomed south swell at Cojo Point, and while the surfers managed to get out and score a few waves, it was the extras who had to suffer. Honestly, the whole experience completely ruined me for being back on the pro tour. Write an article and join a growing community of more than 160,500 academics and researchers from 4,573 institutions. 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. 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. Milius described the film in a 1976 interview: It's a surfing HOW GREEN WAS MY VALLEY: the loss of an aristocracy, the end of an era, the passing of a more innocent time to a more corrupt and complex one-all growing up is the passing of innocence. Following its home video release in the 1980s, the film gradually acquired cult status. | 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. Above he is shooting Billy Hamilton and Ian Cairns in action. document,'script','https://connect.facebook.net/en_US/fbevents.js'); 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. Jan-Michael Vincent and Lee Purcell in Big Wednesday. "I've been working on Big Wednesday a long time," Milius said. Surfing is a strange thing. I said of course, who wouldnt! The surfers and stunt doubles with director John Milius. "[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. 2022 Goleta Surfing. Unlike many Holywood surf flicks, Big Wednesday had real surfers' fingerprints all over it. PT leapt at the chance. 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. When we saw these photos, we contacted surf legend Denny Aaberg to give us some more insight. Big Wednesday went as far as moulding surfing iconography. 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. 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. s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)}(window,document,'script', By the late 1970s surfing had become a fashionable, popular global sport. Browse the full lineup and get your ticket here. Writer/director John Milius was born in 1944 and the material draws on a ten year span of his life from the early 1960's to the early 1970's. . The picture was screened at various film festivals, including: the Davao City Film Festival, Philippines; the Turin Film Festival, Italy; and others. We surfed there and down at La Libertad and it was pretty fun, just hanging out with the crew. Similarly, the ocean and the American west coast symbolise the possibility of a return to the frontier, the physical and symbolical home of the authentic American character. [24], Milius later said the film was "sort of a numb spot in my life. Finally, a nice shot of Denny Aaberg, co-writer of the film, enjoying the fruits of his labor. And with that, Ian Cairns was in. WL: Of course, that was right in the middle of the whole Bustin Down The Door saga. P.S. They were depicted as both titanic figures who embody physical perfection and barbarians who refuse to conform to the rules of civilised society. This was their first production. I first saw this film in 1978, my father took me to see it with my brothers at the drive-in as a double feature with "Every Which Way But Loose." IC: For about two months we were on the North Shore, filming mainly at Sunset, but also other places to get pick up shots. "What I've got to watch out for is getting lost in the surf again," said Milius during filming. Jean Micheal Vincent and Billy Kat were there but the Masochist wasnt. Jean Micheal Vincent and Billy Kat were there but the Masochist wasnt. By most accounts, the trip was a disaster. 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. From left, Gary Busey, Jan-Michael Vincent and William Katt in 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. IAN will be signing his new book from 6:30 to 7:30. Great feature on Big Wednesday. According to surf journalist Paul Gross, hard-core surfers found the film too cheesy. P.T. 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. The picture stars Jan-Michael Vincent, William Katt, and Gary Busey as California surfers facing life and the Vietnam War against the backdrop of their love of surfing. They were sure this guy was a SEAL!. It took an awful long time to write the script. Theories behind the failure are wide-ranging; the scars of Vietnam were still too raw, there was too much fighting, too much binge drinking and, with the transition brought on by the shortboard revolution complete, the surfing audience viewed the longboard-centric surf scenes as pass. 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. 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. I dug a Yater spoon out of David Adornettos back yard and used it as my longboard, though we also brought our shortboards. Free Delivery on all Orders Over 80. Our best coup was stashing our boards in the bushes the night before a swell was supposed to hit. 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. big wednesday stunt surfers big wednesday stunt surfers. 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. In the foreground is what Denny calls the crumple car. 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. A lot of them died in Vietnam and OD'd on dope. The film engaged with universal themes such as the passage to adulthood and the nostalgic celebration of an irrevocably lost golden age. And thats what the movie is. 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. (1) Peter Townend and actor William Katt. The nostalgic celebration of friendship is strongly associated with the critique of contemporary capitalist American society. "[7], Anthea Sylbert was an executive at Warners at the time. George had broken it up into pieces and [stuffed it into] that yellow fibreglass thing. He would then either place the big homemade housing on his shoulder while sitting on a board in the channel or balance it on his surf mat. Looks like that heavy camera setup bumped George in the eye, and hes laughing it off. 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. You know theyve got craft services there so you can go to the catering truck and order anything you want. Of course, thats where you get all the stuff from Sunset that wraps up the movie. This is a great shot of Jan Michael Vincent, one of the actors that actually could surf. Aaberg says there were about 50 extras used for the scenes shot at Cojo. He flew to Hollywood and headed straight for Warner Brothers studios, where he happened to pull up a chair alongside another of the films stars, Billy Kat. It doesn't work. Give me a break! And just like the legendary surfing movie Big Wednesday, the massive swell pulled in on a Wednesday (19 January 2022). We got alot of emails regarding this page from folks that were extras. So wed gone from death threats in 76 to having them protect us in the water the following winter. Browse the full lineup and get your ticket here. Wed surf and then get a filet mignon for lunch. At 62 and 190 lbs., he was a big, powerful Australian surf star that had won lots of international contests. The final treatment drew on many of the writers own experiences, with the trip to Mexico and the famous draft dodging scene reportedly both based on real events. "But I couldn't," he said. ), 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. [7], They obtained finance from Warner Bros in June 1976. n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments)};if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n; Another luminary brought in for this film was none other than Gerry Lopez. Did working with them that winter help smooth things over a bit? "And I can tell you, it's so hard, no one will ever make it again. Terry was commuting from the Ranch and Goleta to attend SBCC and UCSB. Along the way we see many of the people and locales Bruce visited during the filming of Endless Summer (1966). Here hes getting pulled behind a boat, probably just killing time between takes. While Milius has been forgotten by most contemporary viewers and critics, the legacy of Big Wednesday continues to live on. The production team would send him out on partially sawed through boards, to ensure that when he reached the trough of each set wave, the board would duly shatter beneath his feet. Those [guerrillas] looked at him and absolutely freaked. It's about growing up and relationships and the surf is the exotic background. xenophon agesilaus summary; He was the double for William Katt in the film. We pitched up at Sunzal, which happens to be where theyre holding the ISA World Games this week. [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. Great feature on Big Wednesday. I mean, they were all just waiting for the Big Wave. ()100% For those of you that dont know about George Greenough, you should learn. That camera looks heavy. Categories . Working on big Wednesday in 77, we earned 50 grand. MacGillivray, in turn, supervised a team of surf cinematographers. Honestly, the whole experience completely ruined me for being back on the pro tour. After the film came out, Bill began shaping under the Bear label depicted in the movie. IC: Well, we were in the Northern Ranch, where the breaks Cojo and Governments are. This is one of Terrys favorite shots. Filming for the action sequences began with a two-month stint in El Salvador, with the right point at El Sunzal serving as a nice empty stand-in for Malibu. Im actually really stoked on the surfing in that final sequence, they did a really good job stitching it all together . He has since had a long and illustrious career promoting surfing as a sport. "[11], However, Milius changed his mind again. Some commentators ascribed the early critical and commercial failure of Big Wednesday to its excessive sentimentality. Hank Worden for some reason took a small role as a guy that pushed a shopping cart around. By 1998, following a 20th anniversary showing at the Newport Film Fesival, the turnaround in opinion appeared to be complete. "William Katt: New Golden Boy of Tile Romantic Lead Katt as the Golden Boy", "Big Wednesday: four decades between surfing and myth making", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Big_Wednesday&oldid=1139114837, American coming-of-age comedy-drama films, Rotten Tomatoes template using name parameter, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 13 February 2023, at 12:40. Greenough was hired to do water shots and Townend was a surf double for William Katt, one of the stars in the film. Director Bruce Brown Writers Bruce Brown Dana Brown Stars Patrick O'Connell Nineteen seventy-six was a big year for innovation. WL: And then you all jetted off to Hawaii. Overview System Requirements Related. Movie Info. 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. Buy $9.99. 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. All Rights Reserved. Above is Peter Townend, with a classic arch stance. 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. WL: Tell me about the filming of the final sequence? Frank McRae played a tough Army Sergeant at the induction center. We were allowed to be out surfing all the time and Cojo is pretty nice its a bit like Little Rincon at Bells. n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0; You can also see a pretty nice wave rolling throughGreat photo. The international distribution of the movie promoted the Bear label worldwide, with people wanting boards with the bear logo. Milius was later responsible for the creation of the surf-obsessed Captain Kilgore (Robert Duvall) in Francis Ford Coppolas Apocalypse Now. Photo: Stoner, Unlike many Holywood surf flicks, Big Wednesday had real surfers fingerprints all over it. Too bad the movie sucked, the premiere at the Arlington was pretty exciting anyway.. In the 1980s, Milius would go on to make commercially successful films such as Conan the Barbarian and Red Dawn. His success was shortlived, as Milius sued for patent rights. WL: Tell me about the filming of the final sequence? 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? Matt Johnson, Jack Barlow, and Leroy Smith are three young California surfers in the 1960s. And then there was the surfing. Denny Aaberg continues his life long passion for playing music. There was no one living there and you had to come in by boat, even until today its really uncrowded. !function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s) There, he sought advice from Gerry Lopez, brought in for the action-filled climax to play himself, who told him in the event of a wipeout, to go like a dishrag in a dryer. Sage advice, as ever, from the surfing sensei. 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". ABC edited 31 minutes from this film for its 1985 network television premiere. "The part is simply too big for me to do."[7]. At least half the people who participated are dead now. "Big Wednesday" (1978) is a film that was made for baby boomers. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. I have fond memories of being one of the extras. All the main characters were inspired by real people, in particular surf legends Lance Carson and Kemp Aaberg and surfboard makers Hap Jacob and Dale Velzy. "[14], Milius at one stage intended to play the role of the Bear himself. Click Here to learn about Dan. Seversons title referenced a popular myth that posited all great surf days fall on Wednesdays. A day will come that is like no other. Big Wednesday (1978) - Summer Surfing Scene (2/10) | Movieclips Movieclips 58.5M subscribers Subscribe 142 Share 28K views 4 years ago Big Wednesday - Summer Surfing: Leroy (Gary Busey),. Denny Aaberg continues his life long passion for playing music. Also notice all the longboards. You know theyve got craft services there so you can go to the catering truck and order anything you want. Terry Remick is now heavily involved with the marketing of vintage rail trips along the central coast. They still used a stunt double for a lot of the surfing action, his was Bill Hamilton. Big Wednesday is a 1978 American coming of age buddy sports comedy-drama film directed by John Milius. When John Milius made Big Wednesday in 1978, he was considered one of the most promising filmmakers in Hollywood. 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. A 17-year-old boy was busted for subway surfing in Queens on Wednesday just two days after another teenager was killed pulling the same stunt on the Williamsburg Bridge.. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. Most famously, hes responsible for creating the character Colonel Kilgore in Apocolypse Now and writing the films most iconic line: Charlies dont surf.. He was also responsible for the creation of the surf-obsessed Captain Kilgore and some of the most iconic lines (Charlies dont surf) in Apocalypse Now (1979). The enforcer (played by Reb Brown) was loosely based on a Malibu icon Ray Kunze, who patrolled the lineup and looked out for Milius and Aaberg in the late 50s, while Jack Barlow was loosely based on Aabergs older brother, Kemp. t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0]; Except for Big Wednesday, none of the Milius-directed films have a satisfying conclusion. Multiple scenes required surfers to ride waves up to 70 feet . "The 40th-anniversary edition of 'Big .