THOR
January 7th, 2010
Happy New Year
I have finished GREEN HORNET and started on THOR for Marvel Comics. Kenneth Brannagh is directing and I have not worked with him since HENRY V which was a while ago so I am looking forward to working together again.
GREEN HORNET went fantastically well and I had a blast working with Seth Rogan who is an amazing talent and very professional and dedicated. My brother Andy and I along with my son Scott and nephew’s James and Jesse delivered a real “Kick Ass” car chase and I think it is one of the best I have done for a long time so look out for it later this year.
January 11th, 2010 at 9:12 pm
Hello again Vic.
Those Superheroes certainly bring out the kid in us.
A strange fact I read courtesy of Wikipedia..The Green Hornet is a descendant of The Lone Ranger. Both characters were created by Fran Striker.
No doubt Captain Marvel will be in production soon. I’ve got the original serial on video. It’s corny but Dave Sharpe’s agility is astonishing. There’s a tribute to him on youtube.
Cheers Vic…Happy New Year to you all.
Arthur
January 13th, 2010 at 10:23 pm
Yes Arthur i found out when we were shooting Green Hornet that he was a descendant of the Lone Ranger hence the similar mask etc. I used to love that series when i was a kid. Happy New Year Vic
January 15th, 2010 at 12:21 am
Hello Vic thanks for the reply.
I was wondering how this bad weather was affecting your old stunt injuries. I remember steeplechase jockey Terry Biddlecombe spent some time in Austalia because our winters played havoc with his broken bones.
Think I read Terry Leonard has had three hip replacements.
Cheers…Arthur
January 15th, 2010 at 1:21 am
Yes Arthur, my bones do ache a bit in the damp in the UK which is why i like the warmth of LA.
I used to race against Terry Biddlecombe and his bother Tony in my youth and i also actually rode in a race with Fred Winter (the Greatest) and Dave Dick. Regards Vic
January 15th, 2010 at 1:34 am
Vic…maybe if you’d continued with your racing career you’d be famous now……
Arthur
January 15th, 2010 at 5:57 pm
Incredibly i would have been retired 20 odd years by now !!! Happy memories though and in fact of all the stunts i did my biggest memory thrill is being in amongst a pack of 30 horses going lickety split into a big open ditch in a race. Vic
January 15th, 2010 at 10:07 pm
You may have been retired for 20 years but you would never have had a hug off Cameron Diaz.
You mentioned L.A. earlier, we’re going there in May. Hope to take in The Walk of Fame.
Cheers…Arthur
January 15th, 2010 at 10:52 pm
I have a star on the Walk of Fame in Palm Springs if you make it there at 266 South Palm Drive. Vic
January 15th, 2010 at 11:22 pm
I knew about your star. If we go I’ll give it a quick buff.
Do you think directing Thor will be beyond our Ken.
” Is this a short-handled hammer which I see before me……”
Arthur
January 16th, 2010 at 10:04 pm
We saw Avatar recently and thought it was great. If you had to direct an action sequence for a 3D film would you have to approach it any differently ?
Arthur
January 18th, 2010 at 6:04 am
I think Jim Cameron is one of the best action director’s out there and he does it as well as it can be done. I would obviously put my touch on it which is a little like a painter painting a picture in as much as ” we all see things differently and react differently” therefore the end result is different. Thanks for your input though Arthur.
Warm regards Vic
January 18th, 2010 at 11:15 pm
Hello Vic…thanks for your time.
I’ve been interested in stunts since I was at school. I’m a couple of years older than you, but I won’t call you Junior.
I recently stumbled on a web page on ‘Avengers forever stuntmen and doubles’.There are some names I regularly saw on the end credits. Names such as Paul Weston, Rocky Taylor, Ray Austin, Peter Diamond, Peter Elliot.
I remember Rocky Taylor’s accident and there’s a film of it on youtube. There’s also a film of Ray Austin’s house, Fox Haven.Impressive.
As you know most of the above names are still going strong. I expect you used to compete with them for work. Friends now not rivals.
Cheers….Arthur
January 19th, 2010 at 3:15 am
I have not seen Peter Elliot for a long time but i worked with him on You Only Live Twice and he was an ace gymnast, Peter Diamond passed away a few years ago, Paul Weston is still around and looking good, Ray Austin lives on the eastern side of the States, he was one of the first british stuntmen to come over to the USA to work and he was an extremely fine athlete in his own right and a VERY good director. Best vic
January 20th, 2010 at 12:39 am
You’re starting on Thor, Martin Campbell is starting The Green Lantern. There’s only one Superhero left….Desperate Dan.
I missed your appearance on ‘This is your life’. Did you really not have an inkling? Did they play voices you hadn’t heard since you were a stable lad ? Who were the guests came to pay tribute ? Did you wish you had a stunt double ?
Cheers…Arthur
January 21st, 2010 at 1:53 am
Hi Arthur, yes i was completely caught unawares for the This is Your Life deal. I flew in from LA to meet Barbara Broccoli (who was in on the set up) and wham Michael got me. I had a fantastic amount of tributes from Harrison Ford, George Lucas, Richard Todd, Martin Scorsese, Christopher Lee, Pierce Brosnan, Pat Roach and many others plus voices from my past, they even flew people over from the States. It was an incredible night and one i will remember for ever.
January 21st, 2010 at 9:18 pm
Hello Vic…you mentioned Pat Roach. Pat was a brummie too. He had a scrap yard not far from where I worked. He was a big fella. Turned out to be a fair actor too.
So, can I ask how old were you when you decided to hang up your knee pads? Was there a particular reason other than natural progression to be a stunt coordinator. What qualities do you need to be a stunt coordinator? Is it just experience or do you have to pass any tests ?
Thanks for your responses, I know your a busy fella.
Arthur
January 25th, 2010 at 11:54 pm
Hello Vic, just been reading an interview by the late great Roy Alon.
He talks of a time when you were both practising a high fall. Bravely he tells that he had problems going over the 80 foot mark. You went first so he could watch your technique.However after your fall you had to call him down because the air bag had developed a fault. As he walked down he thought ‘Thank God for that’. A nice candid admission from a top stuntman.
Unlike most stuntmen Roy was instantly recognisable. I remember him being hoisted out of the flooding car by Christopher Reeve.
Sadly missed and not very old either.
Cheers…Arthur
February 22nd, 2010 at 9:41 pm
Hi Vic,
I’ve been sitting patiently waiting for you autobiography to appear. The last time you mentioned it you were at the proof reading stage. How far off is it from hitting the shelves and will you be touring with it to do signings ?
PS If you do tour with it don’t forget to visit Brum.
February 24th, 2010 at 10:32 pm
Hi Vanquish, thanks for the mail, I am in talks now with a publisher and hope to finalise all the potograpphs that will be in the book when I get back form THOR. It will be a very picture oriented book and I hope you enjoy it. I willcertainly come by Brom on the tour when it is published. I have a cousin and many relatives in Stourbridge and spent many a happy day in the Clent hills as a kid. Best wishes Vic
February 26th, 2010 at 1:49 am
Hi Vic
I’m pleased to hear about your forthcoming book and I’ll be standing in line in Brum too.
Of course you’ll have to do the television circuit too…Alan Titchmarsh,GMTV,BBC Breakfast,The One Show etc,etc. I don’t mind though because they’ll keep showing ‘that leap’ from The Last Crusade and stunt fans never tire of seeing it.
Cheers
Arthur
March 4th, 2010 at 1:16 am
Hi Vic…hope Thor’s going well. I look forward to seeing Stan Lee in a toga.
With so many re-makes in the pipeline(True Grit the latest) is it absolutely inconceivable they would re-make Ben Hur? If they did though, would you like a crack at the chariot race? The bar has been set pretty high.
Cheers…Arthur