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
March 22nd, 2010 at 1:05 am
Hi Vic
Watching the Cheltenham Festival this week and the grand occasion that it is, I was wondering if you still had friends in the racing fraternity. When you left school to be a jockey did you hope someday to maybe win the Gold Cup on one of your dad’s horses.
Strange that in your profession you get paid more for falling off a horse than you do for staying on.
Cheers…Arthur
March 25th, 2010 at 2:18 am
Yes Arthur like everybody I had drams of winning the Gold Cup (or any race) at Cheltenham, i never rode there but at least i rode at AiNtree which to me is the greatest track in the WORLD. As you say i used to get more to fall off horses than jockeys get paid to stay on them. It was a great grounding for my profession though.
Take care Vic
March 25th, 2010 at 2:33 am
Hi Arthur, i was talking about Ben Hur the other day and said it would be impossible to do it half as well as Yakima did it. It is something that i hope they never remake because it would only be messed up like a few remakes recently. Best Vic
March 26th, 2010 at 12:50 am
Hello Vic
Do you always know well in advance what your next project is going to be, or do you sometimes simply wait for the phone to ring ?
Have you ever missed out on something you really wanted to do because you were already committed?
Cheers…Arthur
March 26th, 2010 at 3:21 am
Hi Arthur, i have missed many jobs i would have loved to have worked on because i was already committed but that is life. I usually have a good idea of what is probably going to be my next job and i am looking at possibilities at the moment. take care Vic
March 27th, 2010 at 1:40 am
Hi Vic
you mentioned re-makes earlier and I understand there’s another Lone Ranger film in the pipe line, with Tonto played by…..Johnny Depp.
If they like masked heroes so much why don’t they bring back The Durango Kid. Showing my age now.
Being a B Western fan I recently came across the obituary of someone you may know, Buford “Corky” Randall.I’d not heard of him but I’ve certainly heard of his brother Glenn Randall from Raiders. I read a little further and found that their father, also a horse wrangler, had trained Trigger! Now that would be something to have on your C.V.
Cheers..Arthur
March 29th, 2010 at 12:20 am
Hi Vic
First day of Summer…and snow forecast! That’s UK.
You say you’re sifting through future job possibilities. Are there any key factors that help you decide, such as budget, the director, the location, a challenge.
Or if you were offered a shed load of money to do your own thing, do you already have something in mind ?
Cheers….Arthur
March 29th, 2010 at 4:29 pm
I new Corky vaguely but obviously knew his brother Glenn better. Corky had a great reputation as a horse trainer and as you say ton have trained Trigger is a big credit. Best Vic
March 29th, 2010 at 4:31 pm
I Have a few projects of my own that my brother Andy has written and there are a few films in the offing but it is all a lottery and when you think you are set for one thing something will come out of the blue and you are headed off in a totally different direction, it does keep life exciting though, Vic
April 1st, 2010 at 7:40 pm
Vic…I can’t seem to find much background on your brother Andy. Apparently he was a Major League baseball player(????) and he’s the father of James Armstrong. Is James in the film business too?
I’m assuming Andy followed your footsteps into the stunt profession. He seems to have mirrored your achievements too. Any sibling rivalry?
Tell me, Is the Armstrong dynasty now greater than the Epper dynasty?
Cheers…Arthur
April 1st, 2010 at 9:32 pm
Hi Arthur, Andy was not a baseball player, he has been ion the film business since he was 16 as an Assistant director, Production manager, producer, director, writer, stunt performer and stunt coordinator. We have worked together many times and he drove the huge truck doubling Dolph on Universal Soldier. He is stunt coordinator here on THOR with me here and his son James is working as stunt coordinator on another of our units here and my son Scott is stunt coordinator on my Action unit here also. Georgie my daughter is coordinating the horses and doing stunts and my wife Wendy is arriving tonight to work. My other son Bruce is in Mexico on Fast & Furious 5 while my daughter Nina is on John Carter of Mars and Harry Potter. We all get on very well and make a pretty tight team and there is no one else i would rather work with. Best Vic
PS: Andy wrote and directed “Moonshine Highway” with Randy Quaid and Kyle McLoughlin
April 1st, 2010 at 10:45 pm
Yes..that’s a stunt dynasty alright. Surely this must cause you and Wendy a few sleepless nights.
It worried me when my kids were late coming home from a dance!
What’s Christmas Day like at your house? Do you exchange presents or compare bruises.
Cheers…Arthur
April 3rd, 2010 at 4:39 pm
It is nerve wracking for me to shout action knowing it is a family member taking off to crash. Scot did a pipe ramp on fire through a bus on GREEN HORNET recently and it was huge, I think I gained a few grey hairs because of it. Regards Vic
April 4th, 2010 at 1:15 am
Something I’ve always wondered is when a stuntman does a stunt like the one you described Scot performed, if for some reason he has to do it again, does he get paid again ?
According to Wikipedia Simon Crane was paid 1 million dollars to perform the plane transfer stunt in Cliffhanger. Has this fee been bettered since?
Money apart, would you be happy to let one of your sons perform a stunt like that?
Cheers….Arthur
April 4th, 2010 at 2:44 am
Simon is one of my best friends but we have never discussed what he got for that stunt but if a stunt man has to do a stunt again he gets paid again because the stunt is in my opinion more dangerous the 2nd time because you have other thoughts and usually pains that lend a subtle change to the way you perform and as we say it is always the last one that gets you !!! Best Vic
PS: I would not want one of my brood to attempt that type of stunt, but they probably would anyway
April 5th, 2010 at 12:39 am
Hello Vic…hope you’re enjoying your Easter break.
Still on the subject of Simon Crane’s stunt in Cliffhanger, it wasn’t until I saw ‘the making of’ that I realised how dangerous the stunt was, and that he earned every penny.
I don’t usually watch ‘the making of’ a film until I’ve seen the actual film,otherwise it can spoil the effect.
When you watch a film you’ve been heavily involved with does the completed film lose its impact because you saw it in its raw state?
Also can you tell me when a juggernaut goes careering down a ravine,or a car crashes off a bridge into a river…who cleans up after you? Surely the truck isn’t left at the bottom of the ravine nor is the car left at the bottom of the river.The environmental people wouldn’t be very happy.
Did you enjoy acting at the beginning of your career? Did you have many speaking parts.
Sadly none of the Zoo Gang are with us anymore.
Cheers…Arthur
April 11th, 2010 at 11:10 pm
On Andy’s website he is shown being set alight for a film. I always thought the full burn to be one of the most unpredictable stunts to be performed.Also it’s such a horrible death that no matter what the villain has done, you feel some sympathy for him.
How stuntmen get insured for the crazy things they do is amazing.Must cost them a fortune. If they get injured though the mortgage still has to be paid.
Cheers…Arthur
May 3rd, 2010 at 7:36 pm
Hello Vic…hope Thor is going well.
We’re going to LA in mid May. Schedule permitting hope to see your star on the Walk of Fame.
Cheers…Arthur
June 4th, 2010 at 11:46 pm
Hello Vic
just got back from L.A. but unfortunately didn’t have time to see your star. We were on the Walk of Fame but had to catch one of those bus tours where you pay a lot of money to see the front gates of famous people.
When we were in Las Vegas we visited the Stratosphere Tower where the descender ride is a popular attraction. I believe the descender is one of your stunt innovations. At the Stratosphere for a $100 you can step off the 1000ft tower.It takes a lot of bottle,but you’d know that.
Hope you’re keeping busy
Cheers…Arthur
June 12th, 2010 at 9:38 pm
Glad you had a good time over here Arthur, Vegas is a fun place and i hope my star will be around for a while so you can see it next time you are here. That is some ride on the Stratosphere i must say it does give you an idea of what a high fall feels like to a certain degree. Good luck Vic
June 13th, 2010 at 11:57 pm
Hello Vic …thanks for the response.
I take it you’re still in L.A. so the England v USA draw meant there were no fights on set.
Best…Arthur
June 17th, 2010 at 12:07 am
Vic
Just a P.S. to our holiday.From Las Vegas we visited the Skywalk at the Grand Canyon.It’s an awesome structure in an awesome setting. Could possibly provide an exciting backdrop to an action sequence.
Cheers….Arthur