Odd movie connections

[Dennis]

Today I had some free time at work and an unoccupied desk top so I went to Bad Movies just to see what was going on, my boss happened by, saw me on the computer (we only have 5 here and I never use them) wanted to know what I was doing, showed him the site, some of the posts and stuff like that. He asked if anyone ever mentioned Surf Nazis Must Die, I said yes it's been in here, turns out that a band he was in, the Tasers, was the band in the bar scene, said they were playing something called Alcholics Anthem. Needless to say I was amazed as he is now the VP of a custom sash and door company, found out he moonlites as a bass player in a group called Mama Hagglin now. I wonder, has any body else got something similar.

[Yaddo 42]

About five years ago, I worked with a guy who claimed when he lived up north that he used to carpool to work with a guy who said he was one of the stars of Attack of the Killer Tomatoes, don't remember the name. He did say the guy claimed he was never paid for his work in the film.

A good friend of mine told me that her family was recruited by their neighbor, who was struggling musician and sound engineer to record some crowd noises for an animated film of the Pogo comic strip, no idea which one, guess they farmed out some of the foley work. They were unaware of Pogo before that, and she said no one had ever mentioned it to her until I told her I was a fan of the revival when I was younger and was trying to lay my hands on books or reprints of the original, having only seen a few of the original strips. The neighbor has since gone on to be a fairly successful country and pop ballad songwriter.

My cousin was in a marching band that got to perform as a military band in a Jessica Lange film, I think it was The Music Box but it might have been Blue Sky. He said they got $50 each and had to get crew cuts, despite being so far in the background of the shot that you couldn't make out the appearance of anyone. He can't find himself in the film to this day.

So my odd movie connections are second hand, and not really mine at all.

[Andrew]

Well, I have hung around with Dr. Freex a few times.  The guy wrote "Forever Evil" and, though his own part was very small, he stole the movie from the main characters.  Did the same thing with his part as Maggot in "The Jet Benny Show."

Talking to a friend once about "Redneck Zombies" and I laughed about the nuclear waste barrel.  Turns out, Gary used to work at a TV station and they had one of the barrels used in the film in their prop room.  Amusing.

Katie used to dance ballet with Teri Polo.

[peter johnson]

Given my peripheral connections to The Business, it really isn't fair of me to play on this thread, as I have almost too many to list --
I'll give one cool one that has nothing at all to do with my meeting anyone on a project, then:
My wife went in for some physical therapy for a twisted back, and the girl who was doing her stretching massage was a former competitive skier from England.
She played the girl in the Rabbit Costume who skis downhill with The Beatles in the Beatles' movie "Help!".  I had to meet her when my wife told me about her & we had a great chat.  She lived in a fairly swank part of London, due to her sports connections, and had both Peter Cook and Spike Milligan as her neighbours at one time!!
peter johnson/denny crane

[CheezeFlixz]

At Henderson County High School  in KY where I went, Rebecca Broussard was in my class and we went to many of the same parties/functions we even went out a couple of times (whoopty-do), shes been a few films but is most famous for being Jack Nicholson squeeze for a few years and having 2 kids with him. Then later in life I was friends with Larry Gillette who was an extra in Stripes and played one of the Russian soldier that all he ever did as far as movies go, he sales real estate now. When I worked as an engineer for many, many years I flew 4 or 5 time a week nearly every week and my company flew us first class so I sat next to or near a large number of actors, actresses, singers, public figures, etc. over 1000's of flights. I lost count since I flew in and out of Nashville the number of country music stars I saw, and I'm not even a country music fan. Then I'm friend with a guy who dated and still knows Jeri (Zimmerman) Ryan of Star Trek fame, she went to school in Paducah KY and her family still lives there I think.
That's it for me, I've never been one to be star struck, the way I see it most of them are to blame as to why movies tickets cost $10+ each ... thank goodness I have a small local cinema that still charges only $3.00.

[peter johnson]

Oh, I am very easily star-struck, and really get a kick out of some of the people I've met/worked with!!
No jade on this boy! -- I even get new autographs from people I've already gotten autographs from 10 or more years ago --
peter johnson/denny crane

[BoyScoutKevin]

Oh, those type of connections. Since someone mentioned "Attack of the Killer Tomatoes" . . . I went to school with Dave Miller, who played Mason Dixon in the film. This was at least ten years before he became an actor. And I don't think anybody who knew him at that time, thought he'd become an actor.

[zombiedudeman]

not sure if this counts as a connection, but Eddie Romero's daughter in law was the one that helped my parents move to America back in the 80's. Some actors and actresses from Eddie Romero's movies live around here too. They never talk about being in the Blood Island films though cause they're deeply religious and hate that kinda stuff now.

[Poogie]

    I did some work with Rob Botin and Greg Cannom....but if I told you what I did...well...I'd have to kill you..

[Newt]

Hubby and I went to university with Michael Wincott.   We were not in any of his classes, but we spent a lot of time at the same college pub and parties.     Our kids think it's pretty freaky when we see him in his movies and laugh, "Hey there's Roxy!"

[Shadow]

I went to high school with the guitarist for Primus. They were one of the acts in the battle of the bands contest in Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey.

[Dennis]

I was talking with the wife about this topic and she reminded me of a couple things. One of my neighbors, Toshihiro Obata, has been in both Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle movies as "Tatsu", Shredder's second in comand, also played a gangster in Showdown in Little Tokyo. Interesting guy, dedicated his life to martial arts in general and the sword in particular, I guess the movie work helps pay the bills.
 My son-in-law is the nephew of Gene Roddenberry and Majel Barret,  being a fan of Star Trek when I first was told this I had visions of memoribilia, souvenirs, autographs etc., found out that he thinks that Star Trek in all its forms is quite stupid and that he is not fond of his aunt and really did not like his uncle when he was alive. This has done nothing to improve my opinion of him.

[peter johnson]

Re.  The Roddenberry nephew --
Yeah, don't you just hate it when people aren't sensitive to their place in the world?  I mean, even though you personally may not care all that much about say, your family tree, you should be aware that other people may care deeply about geneology.  Or, you may have little use for the critters on your property, but be aware that others care about wildlife a great deal.  It's no skin off your back to humour them a little.
peter johnson/denny crane

[Dennis]

Actually it's his opinion of Star Trek in general that's got me annoyed with the boy, that and the fact that he and my daughter are living together and are not really married, I just refer to him as my son-in-law, it keeps me from shooting him.