I completely understand, that will be a family heirloom :)
On Sun, Jul 13, 2008 at 8:42 PM, <speleoste...@tx.rr.com> wrote: > Okay, you can come over and see it. But I'm not going to give it to the TCMA > for their auction. Like I said on Texascavers.com, I've thought about it. My > ex-wife and daughter went to LA with me on that. They were there for the > earthquake and all. I'll give the script to my daughter. It's family lore. > > Bill > > ---- Charles Goldsmith <wo...@justfamily.org> wrote: >> You lead a very interesting life, and I would like to see that script >> sometime, see how it compares with the new movie. >> >> On Fri, Jul 11, 2008 at 3:41 PM, <speleoste...@tx.rr.com> wrote: >> > Charles, >> > >> > Why thanks. True story. >> > >> > Bill >> > >> > ---- Charles Goldsmith <wo...@justfamily.org> wrote: >> >> Bill, you amaze me with your stories. That is a great one! >> >> >> >> On Thu, Jul 10, 2008 at 8:39 PM, <speleoste...@tx.rr.com> wrote: >> >> > Here's a story for you all. >> >> > >> >> > A few days after Christmas 1993 I got a phone call from a man who said >> >> > he was a producer with Disney films. I thought some caving friend of >> >> > mine was putting me on, like I've done a time or two (like the time >> >> > Rick Bridges was on TV talking about Lechuguilla, so I called him and >> >> > in my best fake French accent told him it was Jacques Costeau, and "we >> >> > should do zee projects togezer.") Anyhow, this guy said that Disney had >> >> > a script and an approved budget and they were going to make another >> >> > Journey to the Center of the Earth. Their premise was that the Jules >> >> > Verne story had happened, and now modern cavers were going to go back. >> >> > It was to be a new story, not the same one. They invited me to come to >> >> > LA and bring a duffel of caving gear, slides, and ideas of what sorts >> >> > of gadgets cavers in the future might use. So I took them up on it and >> >> > went to LA a couple of weeks later. >> >> > >> >> > The morning I was to meet at the Disney studios was the morning of the >> >> > Northridge Earthquake. It happened in the wee hours of the morning. I >> >> > was staying in well known cavers Matt Oliphant and Nancy Pistole's >> >> > guest house behind Matt's parent's house on the north end of the LA >> >> > basin. I didn't know what to do about the scheduled meeting at the >> >> > Disney studios. The phones were out. So I picked my way around closed >> >> > roads and made it to the studio in Burbank, which was closed. >> >> > Eventually I managed to get through to an associate producer and we >> >> > planned to meet at the director's home in Burbank later the next day. >> >> > >> >> > The director's (Charlie Haid) chimney on the side of his house was >> >> > laying flat in his yard. For several hours I met with him, two >> >> > producers, a set designer from England (who had designed the sets for >> >> > the movie Willow), and a couple of other people. I showed them gear, >> >> > slides of Huautla, Cheve, Golondrinas, Honey Creek, etc., and >> >> > entertained them with caving stories. They got me to speculate about >> >> > what cavers of the future might have, like lightweight lights with very >> >> > bright beams (this was pre-LEDs), radio headsets in helmets like in >> >> > Sylvester Stallone's movie Cliffhanger, and so on. >> >> > >> >> > The movie was a go and they started planning locations. They were in >> >> > constant touch with me and offered to hire me away from my job for one >> >> > year. I named a price, which I thought they would think would was too >> >> > high ($250K) and they agreed to it. They let me read their script and I >> >> > told them there were lots of things that cavers would scoff at. They >> >> > let me re-write it to the point that I thought cavers would like it. I >> >> > still have a copy of that script. I've thought about donating it for >> >> > the TCMA auction. >> >> > >> >> > Then the whole project fell through when Disney president Frank Wells, >> >> > who had climbed the Seven Summits, and was somewhat the outdoorsman, >> >> > who planned on making a series of outdoor adventure films and had >> >> > already made Iron Will, which Haid directed, was killed in a helicopter >> >> > crash while remote skiing. The Journey project was immediately shelved. >> >> > About a month later the producer called me and said he was going on to >> >> > other projects and he didn't know what would happen to the movie. He >> >> > said, and I quote, "My guess is that they'll change direction and start >> >> > making goofy animated films instead." Michael Eisner got Frank Wells >> >> > job, and the rest is history.. >> >> > >> >> > Bill >> >> > >> >> > PS - I asked them if Kurt Russell could play me, and they said they >> >> > probably could do that. >> >> > >> >> > --------------------------------------------------------------------- >> >> > Visit our website: http://texascavers.com >> >> > To unsubscribe, e-mail: texascavers-unsubscr...@texascavers.com >> >> > For additional commands, e-mail: texascavers-h...@texascavers.com >> >> > >> >> > >> > >> > > >
