FILMMAKER MAGAZINE | Spring 1996: PRODUCTION UPDATE

PRODUCTION UPDATE

Lewis & Clark & George stars Doom Generation discoveries Rose McGowan and Salvator Xuereb and Denise Calls Up's Dan Gunther on a hunt for treasure in the southwest's great wide open.

Director Rod McCall's second feature starts out with convicts-on-the-run Lewis and Clark stranded in the desert and looking for gold. Meanwhile, femme fatale George uses her waifish wiles to scam rides and steal cars. George is full of secrets, and her biggest one is whether she can't talk or just won't. Clark falls fast and hard the minute he lays eyes on George. Lewis knows she's trouble and doesn't buy her story, but there's an undeniable sexual tension between the two of them too. "It's about rediscovering America but it's also a real metaphor for where the country's at today - romantic, greedy and violent," says McCall.

McCall had created segments for tv shows like "Sesame Street" and "Saturday Night Live," made a short that went to the New York Film Festival (Pinball Wizard) and had an illustrious career as a commercial director (five Clios) before he turned to features. His $1 million first film, Paper Hearts, starred Sally Kirkland and played Sundance '93; Trimark gave it a brief release last year as Cheatin' Hearts.

McCall says Lewis & Clark sprang from his regular commute across the desert between his home in rural New Mexico and L.A. After several false starts he hooked up with Denise Calls Up producer J. Todd Harris, who'd formed Davis Entertainment Classics with established Hollywood producer John Davis (The Firm) to produce low-budget films. Like Denise, Harris raised the $1 million to shoot Lewis & Clark in 35mm from private equity.

Lewis & Clark shot for three weeks last November in and around McCall's New Mexico home town. The filmmakers will have a rough cut by the time you read this; all rights are available.

Next up for Harris is a March start for another $1 million film, Ghost in the Machine, an adaptation of Steppenwolf Theater playwright David Gilman's piece about the disintegration of trust and friendship between two couples who spend a weekend together at a Northeastern college.

Cast: Rose McGowan, Salvator Xuereb, Dan Gunther, Art Lafleur, James Brolin, Paul Bartel, Aki Aleong. Crew: Producers, J. Todd Harris, Dan Gunther; Executive Producer, John Davis; Screenwriter/Director, Rod McCall; Director of Photography, Michael Mayers; Production Design, John Huke; Costumes, Kari Perkins; Music Supervisor, Bob Knickman; Composer, Ben Vaughn. Contact: J. Todd Harris, Davis Entertainment Classics, 2121 Avenue of the Stars, Suite 2900, Los Angeles, CA 90067. Tel: (310) 551-2266, Fax: (310) 556-3760.

Lewis & Clark & George