Cinema South Dakota

Dust of War trailer released

2012-01-09T12:36:00.001-06:00

The trailer for Dust of War has been released. Looking good!

Dust of War movie trailer

Pierre Capitol Journal covers South Dakota film industry

2011-12-29T20:59:00.004-06:00

Thanks to Michael Neary and the Pierre Capitol Journal for including me and Cinema South Dakota in a recent story about the film industry in South Dakota.

"Tomahawk" pretty good for it's time period

2011-11-19T20:36:00.025-06:00

I've been watching for the 1951 film "Tomahawk" to be released on DVD and now that it's out, I'm impressed. Sure, it takes several Hollywood liberties with historical fact, but this is a fairly entertaining story for its time period.

The first words we hear are "This is the territory of Wyoming," although those of us who recognize the scenery know it was filmed in South Dakota. Beginning with obvious Badlands landscape and moving on to the Black Hills, several of the scenes are easy to identify.

Van Heflin plays mountain man Jim Bridger and Yvonne De Carlo plays a traveling wagon show singer. De Carlo is most well-known for her role as Lilly Munster in the classic TV series "The Munsters."

As I posted earlier, the team at Fort Hays Chuckwagon Supper and "Dances With Wolves" Movie Set has researched the location of the fort in "Tomahawk" and found that those scenes were filmed just down the hill from them near the present day Reptile Gardens. Dan Seibersma from the South Dakota State Library tells me that "newspaper accounts from the time mention that the filming was done 'south of Rapid City on the Acker Ranch near Spring Creek.' Additional filming was done on 'a small area on the western edge of the Badlands six miles south of Scenic.' Eighteen Rapid City residents had speaking parts in the movie ('for which they were paid a minimum of $55 per day') and others served as stand-ins for such actors as Jack Okie and Susan Cabot."

It's also pretty certain that the fort is the same one appearing in the 1952 film "Battles of Chief Pontiac" as seen here.

I posted earlier about "Battles of Chief Pontiac" here at Cinema South Dakota.

Further tying "Tomahawk" to another movie made in the area is this teepee that appears in the 1955 film "Chief Crazy Horse." Compare this photo with the one in my last post.

It would be interesting to know how this teepee came to be in both movies and where it was between its appearance in 1951's "Tomahawk" and the 1955 "Chief Crazy Horse." Taking a wild guess, I'd say it was probably on display at some tourist attraction.

There are several exciting battle scenes in "Tomahawk," but they aren't the most realistic ever filmed. I just have to show off the state of special effects in early '50s movies. These two men have been fighting in a small pond when a young Sioux warrior shoots the one with arrow, or I should say shoots the box hidden under his shirt.

"Tomahawk" is available at www.amazon.com.

Chief Crazy Horse not the most accurate film

2011-10-27T19:47:00.016-05:00

In 1955 Universal International Pictures released "Chief Crazy Horse," which supposedly depicts the life of the famed Lakota warrior. It was filmed in South Dakota's Black Hills and Badlands.

Unfortunately, this is one of those cases where Hollywood played loose and fast with the facts. Scriptwriting aside, casting and costuming leave a lot to be desired in the accuracy department. Victor Mature plays the title role. His Italian ancestry and some heavy makeup apparently made him perfect for the character and entitled to wear a ridiculous set of red painted feathers on his forehead.

I wasn't around in the 1800s, but I'm fairly confident no Native American of the time period wore a warbonnet quite like "Chief Purple Plumes" here.

The fort in the film is almost certainly the same one that sat in Custer State Park for years and can be seen in a brief clip in "How the West Was Won."

In another case of different movies sharing the same sets and props, this very tepee with it's rainbows and bull buffalo painted over the doorway is also seen in the 1951 film "Tomahawk," which will be featured in my next post.

I also find it odd that the poster above mentions the battle of the Little Bighorn, but in the movie the battle is represented by an image of clouds with battle sounds. Apparently budget concerns may not have allowed recreating the battle itself.

"Chief Crazy Horse" is available for viewing at NetFlix.

Reel Dakota Film Festival this weekend

2011-10-18T11:18:00.003-05:00

The Reel Dakota Film Festival will be held this weekend at Sioux Falls' Washington Pavilion.

A full schedule of films and other events is available at this link: Reel Dakota.

Unfortunately I've got other duties for the weekend and won't be able to attend.

Tomahawk available at Amazon

2011-10-17T14:35:00.003-05:00

Universal Pictures' "Tomahawk" from 1951, starring Van Helfin and Yvonne DeCarlo, is available at Amazon.com.

My copy is on the way, so haven't seen it yet.

Scenes were filmed in the Black Hills, and recent research by the team at Fort Hays Chuckwagon Supper and "Dances With Wolves" Movie Set indicate that those scenes were just down the hill from them near Reptile Gardens. Stay tuned for more information coming soon, along with potential listing of South Dakota movie sites in the Smart Alec GPS Tour Guide.

South Dakota captured in HD aerial video

2011-10-15T07:56:00.001-05:00

During the summer of 2011, one of the top aerial video companies in the world, Skyworks, filmed pretty much all of South Dakota from a helicopter. The results are spectacular and you'll be seeing footage pop up in projects from South Dakota Public Broadcasting, South Dakota Tourism and South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks.

Click here to view a sample of what they captured: Skyworks South Dakota

South Dakota film festival kicks off

2011-09-17T00:12:00.008-05:00

The Fifth Annual South Dakota Film Festival is underway with over 50 films being shown this weekend in Aberdeen's historic Capitol Theatre.

Legendary cinematographer Adam Greenberg was given a Lifetime Achievement Award and interviewed onstage by South Dakota Public Broadcasting's Paul Guggenheimer. You know Greenberg's work from movies like "Terminator 2," "Turner and Hooch," "Ghost" and "Sister Act."

Alaska native actress Irene Bedard is part of a Screen Actors Guild group putting on a workshop Saturday for aspiring young actors. She is best known as the voice and model for Disney's animated "Pocahontas," and has also been featured in "Into the West," "Smoke Signals" and won a Golden Globe for "Lakota Woman." Here she models her new South Dakota Film Office vest for the festival audience.

Irene is so beautiful and easy to talk to that I couldn't resist having my picture taken with her.

The festival continues through the weekend. A full schedule is available at SouthDakotaFilmFest.org.

One more set of Dust of War photos

2011-09-10T13:17:00.003-05:00

Primary filming on "Dust of War" wrapped up this week outside of Pierre, but I've got one more batch of photos to show off.

Actor Bates Wilder seems to be contemplating his role as the "General" before shooting begins.

Residents of the general's camp run after a food truck.

Armed with machine guns and a microphone-wielding sound crew, another truck rolls through a scene.

All sorts of weaponry is utilized throughout the film.

And yet another movie vehicle, this time a classic Ford Mustang muscle car.

You can learn more about this film at the official "Dust of War" website. A few minutes of teaser footage will be shown during the South Dakota Film Festival in Aberdeen next week.

DeSmet gets Today Show appearance

2011-09-03T10:13:00.004-05:00

DeSmet, South Dakota was home to the Ingalls pioneer family longer than anywhere else they lived. Author Laura Ingalls Wilder featured the town in her series of "Little House on the Prairie" books. Somehow when actor/producer Michael Landon decided to create an iconic 1970s television show about their life, he chose another of their home sites, Walnut Grove, Minnesota as the setting.

NBC TV's "Today" show aired a report this morning on the historic sites you can still visit in DeSmet.

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/26184891/vp/44383089#44383089

South Dakota Film Festival has Greenberg, Bedard

2011-08-31T06:21:00.000-05:00

Cinematographer Adam Greenberg, actress Irene Bedard, over 50 films to see and more are coming to the South Dakota Film Festival in Aberdeen, Sept. 15-18.

Don't miss all the fun and check out the full details at SouthDakotaFilmFest.org.

Dust of War - Women & Children

2011-08-30T20:36:00.004-05:00

Can't let the men have all the glory. Here are some of the women and children of "Dust of War."

Men of Dust of War

2011-08-29T12:00:00.003-05:00

While certainly not all of them, here are some of the men playing parts in "Dust of War."

More Dust of War behind the scenes

2011-08-28T12:01:00.005-05:00

The crew of the movie "Dust of War" are a young, enthusiastic bunch and during the shooting of a scene involving over 100 extras on Saturday, comments from bystanders were all positive. Observations about the professional attitude and work ethic were heard as the cameras rolled.

The transformation of a Morris Construction gravel pit on the edge of Pierre into a post-apocalyptic survivor encampment was an impressive task for the scenery and art departments. It didn't help that just as the shooting was about to begin a windy thunderstorm whipped through, knocking down set pieces and creating mud holes. The crew made the most of it and completed shooting the day's scenes.

Here, actor/producer Steven Luke gets a trim of his beard before filming.

Director/screenwriter Andrew Kightlinger explains how he wants the extras in a large-scale scene to act.

Full information on the movie can be found at www.dustofwarmovie.com and updates can be followed by searching Dust of War on Facebook.

Dust Of War behind the scenes

2011-08-27T10:14:00.003-05:00

I will be shooting behind the scenes shots of the filming of the post-apocalyptic movie "Dust of War" in the next few days. Filming is taking place outside of Pierre and involves many extras and some great props.

If you are a fan of the Mad Max films it looks like this will interest you.

A brief thunderstorm rolled through this morning and dampened the set, but provided some great clouds.

Dust of War wants you!

2011-08-24T21:50:00.003-05:00

Nothing special to do this weekend? "Dust of War" has begun filming and is looking for extras to play in a large battle scene.

Who: 100 people of all ages, shapes, sizes, and look. ANYONE can come. This is a post-apocalyptic future, not an exclusive New York nightclub.
What: You’ll be outfitted as a “DOW” dweller AND you’ll be in a major scene of the film. Eternal glory shall be yours (or something like that)!
Where: 10 miles EAST of Pierre, SD on Highway 34
When: August 27-28, 2011

How to get in on the action: Please go to the Capital Storage sheds (the green ones) east of Pierre #117 from 5:30-7:30 pm this FRIDAY (August 26th) to get your costume for the weekend.

For more information contact Dohui Kim at dohui@dustofwarmovie.com.

A Common Occurence screening Aug. 19

2011-08-16T10:05:00.004-05:00

"A Common Occurrence," directed by Joe Huber, is a short film about the mysterious tension between hope and regret. The vastness of the west and the expanse of memory play host to a one mans longing for another chance. Shot across the state of South Dakota the film is a loose adaptation of the classic short story, "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge".

A screening of the film will be presented August 19, 6-9 pm at the Belbas Theater in the Washington Pavilion in downtown Sioux Falls.

The evening will also include music by Bella Ruse and Fly Away Sparrow.

The screening is free, but please RSVP because seating may be limited.
http://acommonoccurence.eventbrite.com/

Rapid City gets mention in new Batman movie

2011-08-10T11:21:00.003-05:00

According to the "Lob Shots" blog, the new Batman movie "The Dark Knight Rises" will include a football game between the Gotham Rogues and the Rapid City Monuments.

I'm not having much luck tracking down some photos of the football uniforms to see how strong the tie may appear in the film, but it's cool nonetheless.

Winner Drive-in Theatre nostalgic fun

2011-08-09T09:23:00.003-05:00

It doesn't get any better than a beautiful summer night at an outdoor movie theatre like the Winner Drive-In in Winner, South Dakota.

The schedule for the Winner Drive-in can be found on Facebook. This upcoming weekend's show is "Cars II."

Powwow Highway viewing in Pierre

2011-08-04T11:10:00.003-05:00

Powwow Highway, the 1989 film starring A. Martinez and Gary Farmer, will be shown at the Ramkota River Centre Amphitheatre in Pierre on Sept. 11 at 7 p.m. The viewing is free and open to the public thanks to the South Dakota Humanities Council.

Large portions of the movie were filmed in South Dakota, including locations at Bear Butte and Pine Ridge.

The trailer is available at You Tube.

South Dakota Film Festival has 185 submissions

2011-08-01T06:49:00.004-05:00

Only 30-40 will make it, but over 185 films have been submitted for possible viewing at the South Dakota Film Festival in Aberdeen, September 16-18.

Tickets to the festival go on sale today, August 1. Full details are available at SouthDakotaFilmFest.org.

Now in it's fifth year, the South Dakota Film Festival emphasizes filmmaking in the Great Plains region. Most films are shown in the historic Capitol Theatre on Main Street in Aberdeen.

Mo Brings Plenty doing meet & greets

2011-07-29T22:24:00.004-05:00

South Dakota native Moses Brings Plenty has a good amount of screentime in the blockbuster "Cowboys and Aliens" now in theatres.

On Saturday, July 30 Moses will be doing two meet and greet sessions at the Carmike 10 Theater, 230 Knollwood Drive, Rapid City. The theater will be handing out photos for Mo to sign following the 6:40pm show and the 7:30pm show.

More 'Dust of War' news

2011-07-28T13:25:00.001-05:00

With production about to get underway, the Pierre Capitol Journal covered preparations for the upcoming "Dust of War," to be filmed in the Pierre area. You can read the full story here.

South Dakota fire truck stars in Transformers:Dark of the Moon

2011-07-02T13:01:00.002-05:00

South Dakota gets a bit of a starring role in the "Transformers: Dark of the Moon" film out in the summer of 2011. A fire truck built by South Dakota company Rosenbauer America is the disguised version of character "Sentinel Prime."

The full story is at the Sioux Falls Argus Leader.

Dust Of War casting now, shooting this summer

2011-05-07T07:28:00.001-05:00

"Dust of War," the latest from director Andrew Kightlinger and his crew is in the casting process now and planning to film around central South Dakota this summer. The film is described as something akin to "The Road Warrior" meets "Dances With Wolves."

A teaser trailer, full website and blog will keep you updated with the details at www.dustofwarmovie.com.

Black Hills Film Festival is next week

2011-05-06T11:21:00.003-05:00

Only one week to go before the 2011 Black Hills Film Festival - May 12-15 in Hill City.

Full information here including special screenings of "Smoke Signals" with director Chris Eyre and "Prada to Nada" with actress Alexa Vega - BLACK HILLS FILM FESTIVAL.

Black Hills featured in "The Savage"

2011-03-26T09:47:00.003-05:00

In 1952, well-respected actor Charlton Heston and a crew filmed "The Savage" in South Dakota's Black Hills. I've also seen the film listed with a bit less controversial title of "Warbonnet."

The story revolves around Heston's character who as a boy is adopted into the Sioux tribe after Crow Indians murder his father and the rest of the wagon train they were traveling with. His loyalty to each race is central to the plot.

For those of us interested in South Dakota as a setting for Hollywood spectaculars, this is an entertaining film. Unfortunately, the portrayal of Native Americans is one of those early attempts with much stereotyping and insulting dialogue. The colorization in the version available at NetFlix doesn't really help. Red, blue and yellow feathers seem much more at home in a souvenir shop than adorning actual Native shields and lances.

Several scenes are very recognizable if you are familiar with the Black Hills and Custer State Park.

I bet many vacationers that do the horseback rides each summer from Heritage Village near Crazy Horse Memorial have no idea that a movie wagon train traveled the very same path they are following.

Custer State Park's Stockade Lake is featured prominently in several scenes, including two raids on a Crow camp.

The valley in Custer State Park known as "Movie Draw" is the backdrop for this scene of the Sioux capturing wild horses.

I would have loved to have been there for the filming of this stunt. A wagon load of dynamite is shoved over a rocky cliff and explodes on impact. I'm not sure exactly where this spot is, but it somewhat reminds me of the Strato Bowl area outside of Rapid City.

Ovation TV looking for short films

2011-03-03T04:33:00.003-06:00

Ovation TV, a nationwide cable and satellite network, is conducting a short film contest for filmmakers. Entries will be accepted March 7-May 13.

They contacted me hoping to see some South Dakota films entered.

The contest website will go live on Monday, March 7, but will be similar to this one from last year.

Ovation offers original and acquired programming focused on art, culture and personal creativity. It has a subscriber base of nearly 40 million via cable systems, DISH Network and DIRECTV.

Let's see if we can't get South Dakota's filmmaking community noticed on a national scale!

"Sitting Bull" possible lost South Dakota film?

2011-01-25T20:50:00.004-06:00

Everything I can find about the 1954 western "Sitting Bull" tells me it was filmed in Mexico. However a viewing makes me not so sure it wasn't filmed right here in South Dakota.

I bought the movie on a hunch that I might find a South Dakota connection in it. The film stars J. Carrol Naish as Sitting Bull, Dale Robertson as cavalry officer Bob Parrish and Iron Eyes Cody as Crazy Horse.

The background of the opening title scene is very obviously the Needles area of Custer State Park and Harney Peak, but could be just a still photo inserted into the film.

The first moving scene is a camera pan across a ridge of mountains while Naish narrates, "These are the Black Hills of Dakota..."

I'm not going to say I can positively identify this location, but it looks very much like the area on the Custer State Park/Wind Cave National Park border that is known as "Cow Camp." I would have to take the film along into the parks to compare the background hills, but it sure looks like it to me.

A few minutes later in the movie the cavalry rides into this fort. Again just judging by memory, but this reminds me of the area where the Blue Bell ticket booth is now in Custer State Park.

At this point I have no positive proof, but I'd like to think I've come across a lost South Dakota movie. Either that or the production company found some Mexican hills that are a pretty darn good match for the Black Hills. If you know anything about this film or have any other information, I'd love to hear about it.

NOTE: If you want to know more about this film, which turns out to be partially filmed in South Dakota, click on the comments below. Thanks to Dan Siebersma and Brenda Hemmelman of the South Dakota State Library, we now know quite a bit more about "Sitting Bull."

Cinema South Dakota gets noticed

2011-01-23T06:38:00.003-06:00

When I started this blog, my intention was simply to collect historical information about movies and television shows created in South Dakota and share them with whoever might be interested.

So I was surprised to see that the website for Total Film Magazine has listed Cinema South Dakota as one of "600 Movie Blogs You Might Have Missed."

I can definitely believe people might have missed it. Thanks to the folks at Total Film for noticing!

Dances With Wolves on blu-ray next week

2011-01-04T21:22:00.004-06:00

Fans of the classic South Dakota-filmed western "Dances With Wolves" take note - it finally arrives on blu-ray disc on January 11, 2011.

According to www.blu-ray.com we can look forward to the 236-minute extended version of the film in glorious high-definition and full surround sound.

UPDATE 1/13/11 - Here's my mini-review of the blu-ray version of "Dances With Wolves" - Wow! The movie was always beautiful, but with the HD treatment this is just great. The extra scenes in the extended version make every detail of the storyline all the more understandable - why the soldiers had deserted Fort Sedgewick, Dunbar's full admission to Kicking Bird about the coming of the whites, etc. While we South Dakotans were proud to say that the entire theatrical release was filmed in our state, the extended version does have a short scene from the Grand Teton mountain range in Wyoming.

As a photographer, I also have to point out that the packaging for the blu-ray disc incorrectly lists one of the special features as a "Dances Photo Montage with Introduction by Photographer Bill Glass." I'm sure Ben Glass would appreciate if future printings of the packaging got his name right. Luckily it's correct within the disc and Ben's photos are spectacular.

"Removal" to be shown in Sioux Falls

2010-12-23T12:05:00.003-06:00

Tickets went on sale today for the South Dakota premier of "Removal," a film by South Dakota native Nick Simon.

The psychological thriller for mature audiences will be shown on January 22 at the Washington Pavilion in Sioux Falls. Tickets are $7 in advance at 605-367-6000 or at www.washingtonpavilion.org or $9 day of show.

"Removal" features actor Bill Burke of the "Twilight" TV series and Elliott Gould of "M*A*S*H." Simon will be on hand at the showing to answer questions.

See a trailer for the film at www.directedbynicksimon.com

Hey, it's Matt Dillon!

2010-12-14T19:50:00.003-06:00

Came across these fun finds today on the South Dakota State Archives website. Thanks to the South Dakota State Historical Society, we have a treasure trove of images and information about the state to dig into.

During the winter of 1969-70, the long-running CBS television program "Gunsmoke" visited South Dakota's Black Hills to film an episode called "Snow Train." The Black Hills and the 1880 Train were featured prominently in the episode, which aired in two parts on October 19 and 26, 1970.

The Internet Movie Database has a pretty thorough description of the episode, which involved Native Americans attacking a train in retaliation for being sold bad whiskey. Marshall Matt Dillon naturally has to save the day.

Here is James Arness as Matt Dillon in a classic Black Hills scenic spot.

In this scene, the camera is capturing arrows being shot into the side of the train car.

A cameraman readies his equipment as the scene is set on a snowy Black Hills meadow.

These photos were originally produced by the same office I now work for - the South Dakota Department of Tourism. That's fun for me on top of the fact that "Gunsmoke" was one of my favorite TV shows as a kid, probably because it was one of my dad's as well.

"Legacy of Laura" screening in Brookings

2010-12-07T18:47:00.003-06:00

Thanks to Dean Butler for keeping us up-to-date on his "Legacy of Laura Ingalls Wilder" documentary project. Dean will be in Brookings this Thursday, Dec. 9 giving screenings of the latest cut of the film at the South Dakota Art Museum.

Screenings are scheduled for 4 and 7 pm. Call 605-688-5423 for reservations.

Read more about Butler's documentary at this earlier post. He says an announcement about a release will be coming in early 2011.

Oscar Micheaux book fascinating

2010-08-31T07:26:00.003-05:00

Oscar Micheaux: The Great and Only by Patrick McGilligan is a fascinating look at a South Dakota pioneer and one of America's first great filmmakers.

What makes Micheaux important to South Dakotans is that he was one of the very early black homesteaders in the Gregory area. His homesteading days were a relatively short period of his life, but greatly affected his future movie career and the stories he portrayed. The town of Gregory celebrates his time there with a recreation of his homestead claim and cabin and an annual film festival in his honor.

After attempting farming the South Dakota landscape, Micheaux began writing semi-autobiographical novels and then moved into making what were called "race pictures" with all-black casts. He wasn't exactly the first, but perhaps the most influential of the early black filmmakers. Many of his films depicted scenes and situations that harkened back to his time in Gregory.

McGilligan has also written about movie legends Alfred Hitchcock, Clint Eastwood, Jack Nicholson and James Cagney, so he knows his film history. Oscar Micheaux: The Great and Only solidifies the story of a not-so-well-known figure in South Dakota history. I highly recommend the book to anyone interested in early South Dakota and movie making in general.

More details on the South Dakota Film Festival

2010-08-26T22:05:00.003-05:00

Organizers of the fourth annual South Dakota Film Festival in Aberdeen, September 9-12, sent these details.

Jazz enthusiasts will enjoy a workshop jam session with film composer Kyle Eastwood (Invictus, Gran Torino, etc.)...

Movie lovers will enjoy 53 cool films...

AND, actors will benefit from an acting workshop presented by representatives from the Screen Actors Guild...

In conjunction with the SAG reps, an open casting call will be held Sunday, for young Native Americans aspiring to hit the silver screen in the film "Crooked Arrows," the story of a Native lacrosse team.

Full details are at:
www.southdakotafilmfest.org

South Dakota Film Festival adds fourth day

2010-08-18T15:21:00.003-05:00

Things have been going so well for the South Dakota Film Festival in Aberdeen, that they have added a fourth day to the schedule so that even more films can be shown. That's on top of Kyle Eastwood attending and actor/musician Gary Farmer's band performing. Should be a good time!

All the details are at South Dakota Film Festival.

'The Pact' has a blog

2010-08-07T04:58:00.001-05:00

Filming of "The Pact" has begun in eastern South Dakota and you can follow along on the official blog of the movie at THE PACT.

The Legacy of Laura Ingalls Wilder coming soon

2010-08-02T06:11:00.003-05:00

Fans of the "Little House on the Prairie" television series will remember Dean Butler as "Almanzo," husband of Laura Ingalls Wilder. Butler has now become a documentary director and producer and returned to the "Little House" topic that he first became known for.

"Little House on the Prairie: The Legacy of Laura Ingalls Wilder" will be available soon on DVD. Butler shot in many of the "Little House" sites in our area, including Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Iowa locations, but much of the reenacting in the film was done in DeSmet, South Dakota. Many DeSmet locals portrayed the Ingalls family and other figures from Laura's books for Butler's cameras.

Butler tells the story of the filming and more information about the show can be found at Laura's Little House Legacy. He also keeps fans up to date with a blog of the filming and editing process at Legacy Documentaries. In addition, Butler's project is featured on Facebook at Dean Butler Laura's Little House Legacy.

One of Butler's earlier films tells the story of Almanzo, the real-life person behind Butler's portrayal on the television series.

The Pact begins filming soon

2010-07-28T23:16:00.001-05:00

Eastern South Dakota will soon set the stage for a romantic comedy film. Shooting for "The Pact", an independent film, begins Aug. 3 in the Brookings and Sioux Falls areas.

The movie’s writer and the director are brothers from Brookings. Aaron Toronto with Tarantula Entertainment wrote the feature-length screenplay, and brother Matthew is directing it.

South Dakota connections don’t stop there. “The Pact” will be shot entirely in South Dakota, and the brothers plan to use mostly South Dakotans for the cast and crew.

“We are pleased to see filmmaking opportunities in South Dakota continue to grow through this project,” said Melissa Miller, director of the South Dakota Office of Tourism. “A movie of this caliber with homegrown talent will continue to build the industry’s in-state momentum.”

“The Pact” is a romantic comedy about two brothers who have made a pact: No women for one year.

The brothers’ relationship is put to the test throughout the film, and they quickly realize the pact is about more than women – it is about brotherly love, devotion, and loyalty to each other.

Aaron Toronto has an extensive background in film, music, and scriptwriting. He has written several screenplays and is in the midst of developing more.

Aaron also wrote “Group,” a musical that premiered at South Dakota State University in March 2008. A few months later, it was produced at the Washington Pavilion in Sioux Falls. Toronto plans to develop the musical into a feature film.

Extras Wanted
“The Pact” is still seeking extras for the film. If you’re interested, e-mail pacextras@yahoo.com or call Production Manager Janna Anderson, at 605-691-3028.

Additionally, the filmmakers are still looking for investors to help finance the production. For more information contact Aaron Toronto at aktvoices@aol.com or 605-695-7642.

More film festivals on the way

2010-07-25T07:54:00.003-05:00

Good news for movie fans, especially fans of independent films you might not find at the local theatre - new film festivals are popping up around the state and offer viewing of all sorts of great films.

We've already discussed the South Dakota Film Festival, scheduled for Sept. 10-12 in Aberdeen.

New is Sioux Falls' Reel Dakota Film Festival, Sept. 24-25.

Held earlier this year was the inaugural Black Hills Film Festival in Hill City.

Of course, coming right up on Aug. 4-7 in Gregory is the Oscar Micheaux Film Festival that I wrote about a few posts back.

Movies of a different sort will be shown and discussed at the SoDak Animation Festival in Brookings Oct. 14-16.

If you are interested in being kept up to date on anything happening within the film industry in South Dakota, contact the South Dakota Film Office - filmsd@state.sd.us for newsletters and other information.

Dances With Wolves today Pt. 2

2010-07-18T13:43:00.003-05:00

Filmmaker Herve Attia's second part of his revisiting the sites where "Dances With Wolves" was filmed is now live on YouTube.

As I said a few posts back when he released Part One, the views of the landscape and scenery have changed over the years and it's fascinating to compare.

Check it out at Herve's Channel and you'll find many other movies that he's given the same treatment.

Micheaux Film Festival is Aug 4-7

2010-07-13T20:27:00.002-05:00

Gregory, South Dakota homesteader Oscar Micheaux was a true pioneer on the prairie. He also was a pioneer filmmaker, becoming the first successful black man to make movies. The town of Gregory celebrates his life there annually with the Oscar Micheaux Film and Book Festival, this year August 4-7.

The U.S. Postal Service will unveil a special Micheaux postage stamp on Wednesday, August 4 to kick off this year's festivities.

Several of Micheaux's films from the early 20th Century and other films will be presented, along with discussions on topics related to Micheaux and Gregory. A concert at Micheaux's recreated homestead east of town will be held Thursday night. A number of presentations on the World War II era are planned.

A full schedule is available at this website.

SD Film Festival accepting entries

2010-07-03T09:39:00.001-05:00

ABERDEEN, S.D. - Submissions are being accepted until July 16 for the 4th annual South Dakota Film Festival (SDFF) in Aberdeen, S.D., Sept. 10-12, 2010.

“This year marks the first year that the South Dakota Film Festival has partnered with Withoutabox for the submission process. We are excited about this partnership because Withoutabox aggressively markets festivals directly to filmmakers, increasing our exposure to the global filmmaking industry,” said Troy McQuillen, co-producer of the South Dakota Film Festival.

The SDFF screens films in three categories: narrative, documentary, and animation. The categories include both short and feature-length films.

Last year’s film festival screened 30 films from 10 states and one other country, including seven from South Dakota. The international submission was from Australia.

All films chosen from eligible submissions will be screened for the public during the three-day festival. Last year, about 1,000 people attended the event.

“The SDFF is a great opportunity to have a completely different film-going experience than what the general public is used to,” McQuillen said. “Filmmakers need opportunities like this to exhibit their work to audiences.”

More information about the submission process, rules and guidelines, and the festival can be found at www.southdakotafilmfest.org

The South Dakota Film Festival can be followed on twitter, @SDFilmFest, for the latest news, extension dates, and special guest announcements.

Starship Troopers remembrances

2010-07-02T08:18:00.003-05:00

Former South Dakota Film Commissioner Gary Keller has provided another guest blog post. This time we learn some great stuff about the filming of "Starship Troopers."

A couple of key things that made Starship Troopers work in South Dakota were these: when I was showing the Barry Barber ranch to the production designer and location manager, the production designer Alan Cameron (who has a vast resume, including the DaVinci Code) thought it was an interesting place but that some of the small badlands buttes kind of got in the way of his idea for another planet. I turned to Barry with this big "this is IT" look in my eyes that the Hollywood guys could not see, and said, "Well, they could bulldoze a few small mounds if they needed to, couldn't they Barry?" to which he replied in his great, quiet South Dakota cowboy understated way "Well, I guess so, as long as they put it back the way they found it." That really sealed the deal...the fact that the landowner was willing to work with them to get it done. And credit must be given to the Kadoka people who pointed the production in that direction in the first place.

The second key thing that sticks out for me on that movie is the explosion they set off, which they said was the largest explosion in movie history to that point. Which I assume it was...Hollywood people don't brag about something like that if it would make them look stupid. So the morning that it was supposed to happen, all I had was my own personal 35mm Nikon camera without a motor wind or anything. I was going to have to rely on my thumb to forward the film frame by frame as fast as I could. About 5 minutes before they were to set off the explosion (which was going to be matched with digital computer animation of spaceships flying in shooting the missiles which this real physical explosion was to be the end result of), I realized that we were within only about 50 miles of Ellsworth Air Force Base, which is the second largest B 1B bomber base in the country. And there were constant training missions by B1 pilots and other jets in this area. I explained the situation to good friend and location manager Bill Bowling, who agreed it would be a really good idea to let Ellsworth know, and he loaned me his cell phone. I called my co-workers back at the Tourism office in Pierre to look through my Rolodex to find her card, then quickly dialed Major Wetherill at Ellsworth, explained that in about 5 minutes there would be an 800 foot high fireball about 50 miles east-southeast of Ellsworth, so that if there were pilots on training runs for combat flying around the ranch, or satellite surveillance, or God knows what kind of aerial reconnaissance, they would know what was going on. The last thing I needed for a strategic command airbase to think was that some terrorist had just set off a real explosion so close to their base. Major Wetherill thanked me, alerted pilots and the command center, and the on-set explosion went off without a hitch. Although Bowling and I were at least a half mile away from the explosion, when it went off, a wave of heat from the combustion blasted us as we stood on the rim of the Badlands looking down into the valley where they set it off. I was able to capture 3 or 4 decent frames of the explosion at beginning, middle, peak and end. Of course, it was not an "explosion" at all, because no Hollywood explosion is...it was a "fast burn" which means that the concoction of whatever combustibles they use to build film explosions burns quickly, like kerosene, but doesn't actually explode, because an explosion would not be visible as a fireball onscreen. It was a magnificent fireball like you see in the old documentaries about the first nuclear bomb tests...and probably was at least 800' high. It was a one-time shot and had to be perfect...and the high tech folks on the Starship crew did it perfectly. They got it in one take, which was what they were hoping for.

That same morning, I shot a picture of Bill Bowling on that same Badlands rim, which he used in his postcards for his location manager business, a tremendous honor. I still remain in contact with Bill and enjoy the camaraderie we had on both "Thunderheart" (1991-he was the original location scout) and Starship Troopers (1996). Bill remains one of Hollywood's top location managers to this day, and for a very good reason...he is extremely good at what he does. And South Dakota has been the beneficiary of his work.

Here's a photo of the rubber prop gun signed by many of the cast and crew of "Starship Troopers" from Gary's private collection.

Another Dances With Wolves veteran tells his story in "Dakota Epic"

2010-06-26T10:00:00.007-05:00

Bill Markley of Pierre, South Dakota really didn't know what he was getting into when he accepted a friend's invitation to be part of a reenactment group playing soldiers in Kevin Costner's western classic "Dances With Wolves." Not only did it lead to parts in several other movies, but also to a part-time career in writing.

Markley kept a journal during the filming and compiled his thoughts in the book "Dakota Epic: Experiences of a Reenactor During the Filming of Dances With Wolves."

He played a Confederate soldier in the Civil War scenes that open the movie. Here he is in costume on the set southeast of Pierre and pointing out where set pieces were at the same location over 20 years later.

"The makeup people... put brown makeup on our faces and hands to make sure we looked sun-tanned. They smudged black powder on our faces and hands to look like powder burns. They rubbed glycerin in our hair to make it look greasy. They hit our clothes with dust bags to make them look dirty." Markley wrote of the first few days on the set.

Markley also worked on the Fort Hays set as a Union soldier when Costner's character arrives on the frontier to receive a new assignment. Fellow reenactor Tim Larson snapped his picture at a water trough at Fort Hays.

In "Dakota Epic," Markley told about this scene - "The film crew set up the camera alongside the water trough. I was the second person from the camera. (Assistant Director) Linda Brachman told me, 'After you pour the water out of the bucket, dip your hand in the trough and splash water on your face.' Kevin directed this close-up scene. I was nervous."

Markley was willing and had the time, so he was additionally cast in the movie's last scenes where cavalry troops try to catch the Lakota tribe in their winter camp. This involved riding a horse in slippery, snowy Spearfish Canyon.

"...we would start out at at a trot - head to tail, stirrup to stirrup with looks of determination on our faces. We trotted as far as we could before we would have to cross the creek. We then retraced our steps trying to stay on our past tracks. We did this scene several times... Once I almost lost my seat as we trotted to a halt in the quagmire. I do not remember how many times we did this scene, but it was a lot."

Markley's book tells of long hours of boredom between shoots, hot and dusty prairie sets, and the thrill of meeting Hollywood actors. He describes the process of casting, costuming and numerous retakes in a fun and engaging style. I highly recommend "Dakota Epic" for anyone interested in the behind-the-scenes process of movie making.

"Dakota Epic" is available at www.amazon.com and includes illustrations by another South Dakota movie veteran, Jim Hatzell of Rapid City.

It's Winner Drive-In Theatre Days!

2010-06-18T08:08:00.003-05:00

Governor Mike Rounds has proclaimed June 18-21 as "Winner Drive-In Theatre Days" in South Dakota to celebrate the historic theatre's 60th anniversary.

Since it's founding in 1950 the Winner Drive-In Theatre in Winner, SD has been providing entertainment for the south-central portion of the state. Special event nights at the theatre are held throughout the summer. A recent one included showings of the classic film "American Graffiti" and a visit from the local custom car club.

A Facebook fan club has been started for the Winner Drive-In. It's a great way to find what's playing or what special events might be coming up.

Congratulations to everyone at the Winner Drive-In Theatre!

Dances With Wolves sites today

2010-06-18T08:01:00.002-05:00

As reported earlier, documentary filmmaker Herve Attia visited South Dakota this spring to record sites used in "Dances With Wolves" and what they look like now. Part One of his work is now live at his YouTube Channel.

The fascinating blending of movie scenes and Herve's modern footage really draws the viewer into the experience of visiting these sites. I'm very much looking forward to Part Two.

Pee-wee Wants You!

2010-06-16T06:32:00.003-05:00

If you haven't heard one of the strangest things ever to happen at the famous Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, Pee-wee Herman will be hanging out at the Buffalo Chip Campground during this year's Rally. What's more, he's holding an online casting call for "Pee-wee's Big Sturgis Adventure" to be filmed there.

You can register to be an extra at www.buffalochip.com, but be prepared to give your shoe size, the year, make and model of your motorcycle, your cell phone number, and pictures or video of you in your "baddest biker gear."

I'm not sure what else is involved in this wacky film, but it's guaranteed to be interesting. There is some hint that an attempt at a Guinness Book of World Records dance will be included.

Dances sites headed to YouTube

2010-05-18T20:43:00.004-05:00

Several "Dances With Wolves" filming locations and what they look like now will soon make their way to the internet video site YouTube thanks to French documentarian Herve Attia.

As a hobby, Attia visits sites where famous films were made, records the sites in their present condition, and blends his video footage with the original films to create unique internet videos.

Attia visited sites in Spearfish Canyon, ranches near Sturgis, Rapid City and Pierre this week to re-film iconic scenes from Kevin Costner's epic western movie from 1990. Today he visited the North Ridge Ranch southeast of Pierre and the Triple U Ranch north of Fort Pierre.

Here he captures the location of the large farmhouse in the "Dances" opening Civil War scenes.

With the help of South Dakota Film and Media Relations Representative Katlyn Richter he assembles a "Glide Cam" to record a steady video of himself running across the field where Costner years ago rode his horse in the movie. Attia's reference photos lay on his camera bag.

Attia said it will take about two months before his compositing work will be done and the "Dances With Wolves" tribute will appear on his YouTube channel.

While in South Dakota, Attia also planned to record scenes for upcoming tributes to "North By Northwest" and "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" at Devil's Tower in Wyoming.

Black Hills Film Festival underway

2010-05-15T06:25:00.000-05:00

The First Annual Black Hills Film Festival is underway with seminars by successful filmmakers and educational workshop sessions filling most of Friday's activities. Film viewing continues today through Sunday in Hill City and at Crazy Horse Memorial along with special showings of "North By Northwest" at Mount Rushmore National Memorial.
Equipment demonstrations filled the Hill City High School lobby with high-tech gear and instructional workshops on Friday. Here festival co-organizer Rick VanNess gives a tour of the Crow Ridge Productions grip truck.

Labyrinth Films of Aberdeen had their RED camera available for demonstrations and Spectrum Films of Sioux Falls taught lighting techniques.

For more information, check out the festival's website - Black Hills Film Festival.

Dances site revisited

2010-05-08T10:57:00.001-05:00

A recent inquiry to the South Dakota Film Office from a European documentarian lead to a revisiting of the Civil War scene filming site for "Dances With Wolves." More on this story will be coming soon, but here is current South Dakota Film and Media Relations Representative Katlyn Richter at the site and the same valley during the opening scenes of the movie.

Filming photo by Gary Keller.

South Dakota Magazine features movies

2010-05-08T06:33:00.002-05:00

The current issue of South Dakota Magazine (May/June 2010) includes a large feature article on movie making in South Dakota by John Andrews. Entitled "On the Big Screen," it includes stories from Rapid City brothers Marc and Michael Linn, Native American filmmakers Mitchell Zephier and Mark St. Pierre, touches on African American Oscar Micheaux's contributions to film, and explains how Wakonda documentarians Doug and Judi Sharples got into the business.

The magazine is available on newsstands statewide, or at their website - www.southdakotamagazine.com.

Guest blogger - Gary Keller

2010-05-05T07:07:00.000-05:00

Former South Dakota Film Commissioner Gary Keller has agreed to share some of his memories from several years of promoting the state to the movie industry. I know he's got some great stories and here's one from "Dances With Wolves" -

During location scouting for the Fort Sedgewick site in the spring of 1988, I was hosting Producer/Director/Actor Kevin Costner and co-producer Jim Wilson, and location manager Tim Wilson on a location scouting trip about 15 miles west of Ft. Pierre along the Bad River. It was a location where there stood an old log cabin and another building right along the Bad River. We were in the Tourism Department Suburban and the spring rains had the Bad River flowing pretty swiftly. Being an Iowa farmboy, I knew how to drive two wheel drive trucks in mud but had never crossed a river as big as this one and didn't really know much about how to drive four wheel drives. I had been told by then Tourism photographer Mark Kayser to just put it in Four Wheel Drive low and crawl across the crossing, which did have a rock bottom, but only where you were supposed to cross. As I look at the river, I am thinking to myself, "I'm 10 miles from the next ranch and I have one of the top Hollywood stars in this truck...I CANNOT get stuck in this river or my career is over!"

Now, to back up a bit, this group of guys had come in and out of South Dakota several times scouting to make sure South Dakota was the right place for them, so I was starting to get to know them fairly well. And they could see I was stalling. So they started all pitching in with how exactly to get across this river. Kevin himself had a suburban so he probably knew a little better than the others, but I got the sense he'd never done anything quite like this before either.

I finally knew I couldn't wait any longer, so I dumped the truck into drive, prayed and floored it. We dropped down into the river, a wall of water hit the windshield and it was instant blindness. The Wilson boys were in the back seat, and Tim had his window open. Needless to say, he got soaked. And nobody had their seat belts on. I managed to whack away at the windshield wiper and found it, so we could see again but the truck was bucking, wheels spinning and throwing mud and water all over the place. It seemed like an hour but within seconds we were across to the other side. I look over at Kevin sitting in the passenger's seat next to me and his face is white, he's staring out the window.

We drove up around the hill and Kevin spent about an hour getting a feel for the ranch to see if it would be wiser to bring the Houck Ranch's buffalo down to this location, which was closer to town. Now its time to go back. I pull up to the river again and look at the gigantic ruts I have left in the crossing. Big, deep ruts that will surely swallow the truck, and I'll slide off to the side off the rocks and will surely get stuck in the muddy river bottom if I am not dead on lucky to find a track that will hold us up and get us through. Now everybody in the truck is an expert, and I'm getting loud and multiple suggestions. I had no choice but to use the same technique I had earlier...floor it, pray and go!

This time, the ruts were taking the truck where they wanted it to go and I was sure I wasn't going to make it. My life flashed before my eyes. There must have been someone watching down on me, because we were once again successful and got across. I'm sure the rancher was p.o.'d when he saw the mess I made.

As it turned out, Kevin chose not to use the location and instead shoot the Fort Sedgewick and buffalo stampede scenes, as well as most of the Timmons' wagon trek across the prairie on the Houck Ranch. Which turned out to be a good idea, or so seven Academy Awards would indicate.

The funniest part of the entire situation was, a few years later, I was at a party at the Los Angeles area home of a film commissioner friendly industry exec Phil Nemy following a Location Expo trade show and struck up a conversation with a film commissioner from Texas. When I introduced myself, she said, to my surprise, "Oh, YOU'RE the one." I asked her what she was talking about.

Turns out that a couple of films after Kevin did Dances With Wolves, he was scouting locations with this young woman for "A Perfect World" which he would end up doing with Clint Eastwood, and as they were driving across the Texas prairie looking for locations, they must have ended up in a similar situation, and Kevin told her about the whole nasty Bad River story., which by then had become a sort of funny legend I guess. So, if I did nothing else in my 12 years as the film commissioner for South Dakota, I made a lasting impression on our first really big film producer!

Black Hills Film Festival coming soon

2010-04-27T08:32:00.002-05:00

Hill City, S.D. – The inaugural Black Hills Film Festival kicks off Friday, May 14, and runs through Sunday, May 16, 2010. The festival is honoring the 50th anniversary of North by Northwest.

The Alfred Hitchcock thriller will play on Saturday at 10:00 a.m. (MDT) and 2:00 p.m. (MDT) at Mount Rushmore National Memorial. The dramatic ending of the film was shot in the Black Hills and Rapid City area. The Black Hills is still home to many “extras” from the film; they are encouraged to attend to share memories and memorabilia.

In addition to these screenings, visitors will have the chance to view forty independent films, some of which are world premieres, and also include an Academy Award® winning documentary. Festival goers will find films made by South Dakota filmmakers and from filmmakers across the world. Films come from Canada, Nepal, Serbia, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and throughout the United States.

Films will be shown at three locations including HillCity, Mount Rushmore and Crazy Horse Memorials.

Festival pass-holders also will enjoy educational workshops with Hollywood and film industry experts, an awards celebration for the “best” of the Black Hills Film Festival and parties throughout the weekend. On Friday night, HillCity is hosting a Student Film Festival featuring student films from across the country.

Festival passes are on sale now and can be purchased online at www.blackhillsfilmfestival.org. They are being sold for $50.00, $75.00, or $100.00. Seating is limited and festival goers are encouraged to get their tickets now. Session passes, good for two to three hours, will be sold on location depending on available seating.

Additional information on the festival agenda, information on purchasing festival passes can be found at www.BlackHillsFilmFestival.org. For more information contact Chris VanNess, festival organizer, at 1-877-871-3453

"You Don't Know Bertha Constantine" coming soon

2010-04-12T10:30:00.003-05:00

Here's a great story about young Pierre filmmaker Andrew Kightlinger and the film "You Don't Know Bertha Constantine" that he plans to film this summer in South Dakota.

http://thepostsd.com/2010/04/12/a/

Crazy Horse from TNT Films

2010-03-22T06:32:00.003-05:00

For it's 1996 movie "Crazy Horse," TNT Films utilized the landscapes of the Black Hills Wild Horse Sanctuary south of Hot Springs. Michael Greyeyes played the title role and many well-known actors were also featured in the film.

I was privileged to watch a day of filming at the set and caught Michael here awaiting direction for a scene where Crazy Horse and his band enter the Red Cloud Agency. Directly from Michael's official is this thought on the location - "One of the joys of filming for 'Crazy Horse' was working in South Dakota, on location in Paha Sapa (the Black Hills). It's an incredibly beautiful and sacred place." www.michael-greyeyes.com

Actor Larry Sellers was also featured in "Crazy Horse". TV viewers might recognize him as Cloud Dancing in the series "Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman."

TNT Films built a fairly elaborate recreation of Fort Robinson, Nebraska at the Wild Horse Sanctuary for "Crazy Horse." It still stands today and has been used for other films including "Who Killed Crazy Horse?" in 2005.

For more information on the Black Hills Wild Horse Sanctuary, see www.wildmustangs.com.

Pierre man has "Dances" experience

2010-03-06T13:33:00.005-06:00

Back in 1989 many South Dakotans suddenly found themselves part of a Hollywood movie production that would turn out to be bigger than any of them realized at the time. Jeff Mammenga of Pierre was one and spent four days as an extra in Dances With Wolves.

As "Cargill's Men" stationed at Fort Sedgewick on the Houck Ranch north of Fort Pierre, Mammenga and 10 others marched, drilled and panicked for first-time director Kevin Costner.

Wearing wool uniforms and stiff heavy boots in 95 degree July heat wasn't exactly fun. Mammenga got a little relief from the heat because Costume Designer Elsa Zamparelli liked the way his "ribs glistened in the sun." So he wore no shirt under his uniform jacket.

Other costuming include "chapped" lips created with tree sap and tissue paper and some "Hollywood" dirt sprinkled on the uniforms. Mammenga said the dirt didn't stick, so he and several others just rolled around on the ground to get dirty.

Here is Jeff Mammenga in his calvary soldier uniform and a prop leaf from Dances With Wolves' Civil War scenes.

For the first three days of 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. filming Mammenga received $45 in cash each evening. When asked to come back for a fourth day he requested $55 and one of the special embroidered caps the crew was wearing. "I got the $55, but never did see a cap," he laughed.

Ultimately the scene featuring "Cargill's Men" was not included in the theatrical release of the film. "I feel like I contributed to one of Dances' seven Oscars. Unfortunately it was for editing," Mammenga laughed.

Approximately a year later, ABC television ran the film as a mini-series and previously-unreleased scenes were added, including Mammenga's role as a disheartened cavalry soldier. After watching a video clip of himself listening to Captain Cargill tell his men that they were deserting their fort, Mammenga smiled, "There's my 10 seconds of glory."

While on the set Mammenga befriended actor Robert Pastorelli, who played freight wagon driver Timmons in the movie. "He called me young Abe Lincoln because I'm tall and thin," Mammenga remembered. The two had their picture taken together on the set, but Mammenga hadn't seen the picture in six years so he wrote to the actor. "I never expected to hear anything, but one day the phone rang and there was a gravelly voice. He said he couldn't find the picture, but was it okay if he sent a couple others?" About three weeks later two pictures and a personal note from Pastorelli arrived in the mail.

Mammenga wrote about his experiences for the Pierre Capitol Journal newspaper, where he worked at the time. He has also given presentations on the movie to many groups over the years. "What made it interesting was learning all the angles that go into shooting a scene. You learn a lot about the intricacies of filming."

Read more about Dances With Wolves in earlier posts here at Cinema South Dakota.

Armageddon behind the scenes photos

2010-03-03T20:20:00.003-06:00

"Armageddon," the Bruce Willis action flick from 1998 featured South Dakota's Badlands even if no one recognized them. The other-worldly-looking landscape was further enhanced by movie magic to create the impression of a nasty asteroid the size of Texas headed straight for Earth.

Willis and his crack oil well drilling crew are sent to the asteroid to plant explosives and save the world from obliteration. They crash land a pair of space shuttles on the asteroid and drive a specially-built drilling vehicle to the critical spot.

Former South Dakota Film Commissioner Gary Keller took photos of the filming, including the crashed shuttle lying in the Badlands darkness.

And here's the "Armadillo" drilling rig ready for action.

I wasn't lucky enough to see this filming, but I did see the Armadillo parked at Disney's Hollywood Studios theme park in Florida a few years ago.

For those of us here in South Dakota, it was fun to hear the small town of Kadoka mentioned in the movie.

Keep an eye out for an upcoming issue of South Dakota Magazine, which will feature South Dakota movies, including more interesting movies.

Starship Troopers behind the scenes photos

2010-01-30T15:28:00.004-06:00

Here are a couple images of the filming of "Starship Troopers" in South Dakota's Badlands.

Notice how the camera operators are protected by plexiglass while the actors fire guns at imagined "bug" enemies. It's also interesting to see the bright markers on the ground to help the actors find their spots.

At the time "Starship Troopers" was filmed this was rumored to be the largest explosion in movie history. I have never been able to confirm that, but it is a big one. Compare the size of the fireball to the crew people on the buttes and the vehicles on the valley floor.

Photos by former South Dakota Film Commissioner Gary Keller.

North By Northwest 50th Anniversary

2009-12-09T20:22:00.007-06:00

One of the Black Hills' most famous films is legendary director Alfred Hitchcock's "North By Northwest," which features Mount Rushmore National Memorial as the setting for a deadly chase.

A 50th anniversary edition of "North By Northwest" is available now on DVD and Blu-Ray. Many included special features are highlighted by a "making of" documentary hosted by star Eva Marie Saint. Screenwriter Ernest Lehman reveals that the Rushmore chase scene was where Hitchcock started the project. The script was written with that ending in mind.

Unfortunately for the filmmakers, the National Park Service would not allow filming on the actual faces because the plan was to show people being killed there. Several scenes were filmed at Rushmore, but after arguing with officials over the use of the carvings Hitchcock packed up his crew and headed for Hollywood. The chase was filmed on a sound stage in front of a 30x150 foot painting of Mount Rushmore.

Another interesting bit of trickery in the Rushmore scenes is the "Vandamm house" seen here.

This futuristic looking home appeared to be perched just below Mount Rushmore in the film and also included an airplane landing strip next to it. None of the set pieces were ever actually at Rushmore. Complex matte painting and film compositing put the structures into the Black Hills scenery. So convincing was the work that park rangers are still answering questions about where the house is located at the memorial.

Here is Hitchcock's "travel advertisement" for "North By Northwest."

For another look at "North By Northwest" and the DVD release, check out Dan Daly's comments at the Black Hills Blog.

There's also a great account of Hitchock's dealings with the National Park Service in filming at Rushmore at the American Experience website written by Todd Epp.

Black Hills Film Festival

2009-12-08T20:25:00.000-06:00

South Dakota seems to be embracing the film industry in the last few years. Hill City is the latest town to offer a celebration for movie buffs. The Black Hills Film Festival will be held May 13-16, 2010.

It promises to feature films produced and/or shot in South Dakota, plus other movies as well.

More information and a Call For Entries is available at the festival's website - Black Hills Film Festival.

Historical Film Festival underway

2009-11-12T09:48:00.001-06:00

Lead's Historical Film Festival is underway in the mining/underground labratory town of Lead. More info at KEVN-TV.

The festival runs through Saturday.

Help solve a mystery!

2009-11-10T07:09:00.003-06:00

The South Dakota Office of Tourism recently received an inquiry that hopefully someone out there can help with.

Ruth is looking for a movie that was filmed here in the mid-1970s -

"I am not sure if you can help or not, but I am trying to find this movie: Brother, My Song, directed by Christopher Cain aka Bruce Doggett (originally from Sioux Falls).

Parts of this film were done in Hartford, Mitchell, and I believe a television studio in Sioux Falls. I also believe the choir from SF College was in it, but not entirely sure about that. I just know that I am one of the many extras in that film and I really would like a copy. I have only seen it once and that's when it was first released back in 1976.

Can you help? I have tried every website that I can think of to find this movie, but obviously I have not been able to find it."

This was a completely new one to me, so if anyone has any information I'd be glad to pass it along to Ruth.

Battles of Chief Pontiac 1952

2009-10-31T11:01:00.003-05:00

The hows and the whys of "Battles of Chief Pontiac" being filmed in South Dakota's Black Hills are something I'd like to dig up.

This 1952 black and white tale of pre-Revolutionary War struggles between whites and Native Americans stars Lon Chaney and Lex Barker. I'm going to guess that a big part of filming outside of Rapid City had to do with the availability of Native extras, even though Chaney plays the title role of Chief Pontiac.

Based on actual historic events, the action is set in Michigan. The two main locations in the film are Fort Detroit (in a valley in the Black Hills) and Pontiac's Ottawa village, which looks to me to be the shores of Sheridan Lake west of Rapid City.

For a movie of this era, it's interesting to see the whites portrayed as evil conquerors and the Ottawas as victims.

Attention to period-authentic detail apparently wasn't a big deal, as tire tracks are clearly visible in grassy areas and the Ottawas wear Lakota-style warbonnets and live in teepees.

Barker, a former Tarzan, is likeable as the honest whiteman trying to appease tensions between the Hessian soldiers and the Ottawa tribe. Chaney, of course, was most famous for playing movie monsters. He starred in "The Wolf Man," "The Ghost of Frankenstein," "The Mummy's Tomb," and "Son of Dracula."

"Battles of Chief Pontiac" is available from Amazon.com.

Dances With Wolves relived

2009-10-01T10:46:00.004-05:00

A reunion of cast and crew members from South Dakota that worked on "Dances With Wolves" was recently held in Pierre.

Click here for the Pierre Capitol Journal's coverage of the event.

More of these reunions are planned for the future in Rapid City and Pierre.

More Kevin Costner

2009-09-22T18:44:00.003-05:00

Just a few additional images of Kevin Costner from the 2009 South Dakota Film Festival (see post below). Pretty much every appearance Costner had scheduled throughout the festival ran late because he genuinely just wanted to tell stories.

SD Film Festival underway

2009-09-19T00:31:00.008-05:00

Flashing lights, theatrical smoke, Native American dancers and drummers,and motion picture star Kevin Costner got the 2009 South Dakota Film Festival off to a rousing start tonight.

Costner spent a little time chatting with Governor Mike Rounds and First Lady Jean Rounds before the festivities got under way.

Lakota Dancers and drummers blended their talents with the first few short films of the festival at Northern State University's Johnson Fine Arts Center.

Costner then took the stage with South Dakota Public Television interviewer Paul Guggenheimer. Returning to South Dakota on the 20th anniversary of the filming of his iconic western "Dances With Wolves," Costner discussed the movie, the process of making it, and how it affected his life and his family's.

Funny, fascinating, and heart-felt, Costner's address held the audience spellbound as he described the difficulties of directing his first movie, working with animals, and financing what became one of the most successful movies of all time.

Tonight also served as a reunion for some of the cast and crew of "Dances With Wolves," and Costner reminisced with Lakota actor Michael Spears who played "Otter."

Plenty more is on schedule for the rest of the weekend at the South Dakota Film Festival, including many film screenings and more appearances by Kevin Costner. Check out SD Film Fest for all the details.

There are also more posts about "Dances With Wolves" here at Cinema South Dakota.

Social media at it's best

2009-09-09T17:57:00.004-05:00

Okay, I guess this is how social media, blogging, etc. is supposed to work - I posted the South Dakota Film Festival logo here a while back to help promote attendance at the festival.

Video game artist BlindOwl found it here and decided it would make an interesting looking race car. So with some creativity applied, he came up with this.

The car is for use in the video game "Nascar Racing 2003" and BlindOwl posted it at www.riouxmods.com. I've done my share of race car "painting" for the game also, so came across it there.

So now the South Dakota Film Festival, CinemaSouthDakota.com, BlindOwl, the video game, and Riouxmods.com have all cross-promoted themselves. Wow, that's some weird twists, but a cool thing just happened I think.

Casey Tibbs' "Born To Buck"

2009-09-05T09:23:00.001-05:00

For longtime South Dakotans the nostalgia factor should kick into full gear when watching "Born To Buck," a movie produced by local rodeo hero Casey Tibbs. A DVD version of this 1966 film is now available at the newly-opened Casey Tibbs Rodeo Center in Fort Pierre.

Rex Allen and Henry Fonda lend familiar voices to the narration of this tale of Tibbs and a bunch of cowboys rounding up 400 head of wild horses and driving them to Fort Pierre. A nit picky detail - someone should have let Fonda know that the town's name is pronounced "Peer", not "Pee-Air."

While not an award-winning movie by any means, "Born To Buck" provides some entertaining rodeo action, both on the open range and in Stanley County's Casey Tibbs Arena.

Having traveled much of the Lower Brule to Fort Pierre landscape shown in the film I have not once come across a wandering moose or a large mountain covered in lodgepole pine trees, but geographical inaccuracies were much more common in films of this vintage. I love the silhouetted cutout of Casey on a bucking horse that zooms in and out of the frame for transitions between scenes. It reminded me very much of the spinning bat symbol used in similar transitions in the "Batman" TV series that was popular at the same time this movie was produced.

I'm not sure anyone would be able to get away with the scene of horses swimming the Missouri River in today's movie industry, but it's very interesting to see.

As a side note, I highly recommend the Casey Tibbs South Dakota Rodeo Center, where you can pick up your own copy of "Born To Buck." For more information on this very well-done museum, visit Casey Tibbs Center.

"Imprint" nominated for Best Ghost Story

2009-09-03T18:01:00.002-05:00

"Imprint," the independent spooky thriller by Rapid City's Linn Productions has been nominated for Best Ghost Story in the first annual Reaper Awards, a horror/thriller award ceremony to be held in Hollywood.

You can vote for "Imprint" at Reaper Awards.

You can also read more about the film here.

Kevin Costner coming to SD Film Festival

2009-09-02T11:38:00.002-05:00

Exciting news in this press release from the South Dakota Film Festival -

Today, the South Dakota Film Festival announces the 2009 schedule of events for the third annual festival. Highlighting this year's festival are multiple appearances by Academy Award winner Kevin Costner.

The festival kicks off on Friday, Sept. 18 and runs through Sunday, Sept. 20 in Aberdeen. The festival features more than 30 films from around the country, a film-set demonstration, two afterglow parties and Discussions in the Round. Participants are also encouraged to visit the Native American Cultural Center and Museum, which is the home of the Northern Route to the Black Hills Tourism Association.

Mr. Costner’s appearance is made possible by the Northern Route to the Black Hills Tourism Association.

“To commemorate the 20th anniversary of Dances With Wolves, we invited Costner to share his perspective on the film-making experience and discuss his interest in South Dakota and the Native American Culture,” said Lanni Zephier Smith, Executive Director of the Northern Route to the Black Hills Tourism Association.

“He’s played a very important role in advancing the film industry in South Dakota. We’re very privileged to have the opportunity to have him here and learn from his experiences,” said Troy McQuillen, Festival Co-Producer.

Mr. Costner will speak at the Opening Session, attend various parties and fundraisers. He will also participate in a filmmaker and student Discussion in the Round Saturday morning before moving on to an autograph session at the Native American Cultural Center and Museum.

Seating will be limited. Advanced ticket purchasing is recommended. Tickets may be purchased online at www.southdakotafilmfest.org, by phone at 605-725-2697, or at the Capitol Theatre office at 417 S. Main Street, Aberdeen.

South Dakota Film Festival coming up

2009-09-01T08:36:00.003-05:00

Anyone interested in film, especially as it relates to the Great Plains region, should check out the South Dakota Film Festival in Aberdeen, SD on Sept. 18-20.

More info at South Dakota Film Festival.

I will be there for the first time and am pretty excited about it. I'm planning to participate in a roundtable about the industry in the state.

Dawn of Conviction coming soon

2009-08-18T17:44:00.005-05:00

"Dawn of Conviction" is a new western feature filmed in South Dakota and Wyoming. This project was written, directed, and produced by the Companion Pictures team in association with Fairfield University in Connecticut.

No word yet on when the movie will be released or what kind of distribution it will have, but for a student project I'm thinking it looks pretty good. It's really fun to see locations I recognize, like the 1880 Town, the 1880 Train and the Black Hills.

New Dances With Wolves sign

2009-07-21T17:37:00.005-05:00

I'm happy to report that the Forest Service has erected a new more permanent sign at the site of the "Dances With Wolves" winter campsite in Spearfish Canyon.

Older wooden signs have marked the spot, but been vandalized or stolen. I think this one will stand the test of time much better.

For those looking to locate the site, it is 3 miles from the Spearfish Canyon Lodge parking lot on the gravel road that passes by Roughlock Falls. GPS Coordinates are N44 20.288', W103 57.564'. If traveling from the lodge, there will be a small gravel turnout on your right hand side at the 3-mile mark.

You can read more about the site here.

South Dakota featured recently

2009-07-18T06:57:00.003-05:00

South Dakota seems to be popular in movies and TV right at the moment, even if the projects are not filming here.

"Warehouse 13," a new original series on the ScyFy Channel is actually set in the Badlands of South Dakota, even though as far as I can tell it was filmed in Canada. The basic premise of the show is that the federal government collects items that have some sort of power to create unnatural and/or dangerous events and situations. These artifacts are kept in a secret warehouse in our very own Badlands.

Although the Badlands don't look quite right, the bed and breakfast "seven miles away" doesn't look like anything in the area, and the cow that wandered through an early shot wasn't the type of cow you would see anywhere near the Badlands, the show itself doesn't seem all that bad.

More info at the SyFy website. There are some interesting discussions going on at SyFy's forums, including one about how rural and "hickish" the show makes South Dakota seem.

On the big screen, I was pleasantly surprised to see Sioux Falls mentioned in the new Johnny Depp biopic "Public Enemies." I knew that the subject of the movie, gangster John Dillinger, had robbed a bank in Sioux Falls but I had no idea it was as important to his story as it is. Wisconsin filled in for South Dakota in the filming of "Public Enemies."

The movie's official website is Public Enemies. TruTV's website has an interesting telling of the Sioux Falls robbery story here. The Sioux Falls Argus Leader has an online interview from 2004 with Dillinger hostage Mary Lucas Hawkins here.

A recommendation

2009-05-31T09:08:00.003-05:00

I have to apologize for not having the time to make regular posts here. This blog has become kind of a winter project. My full time job of traveling South Dakota taking photos is leaving time for updating my photography blog, but not everything. So if you want to keep up with me, check at www.dakotagraph.com

In the meantime, I received a great book as a gift. Unknown to me at the time I chose the name for this blog, John A. Murray had already written a book about movies filmed in the southwestern corner of the United States entitled "Cinema Southwest, An Illustrated Guide to the Movies and Their Locations." This blog originally began as an idea to write a book almost exactly like John's.

If you enjoy learning about the history of movies and how/why their filming locations were chosen, I highly recommend "Cinema Southwest." You can find it at Amazon.

Heavy on the western movies, the book also touches on films of all genres.

South Dakota's first movie - The Indian Wars

2009-05-08T07:14:00.003-05:00

Buffalo Bill Cody appears to be the first person to ever bring motion picture cameras to South Dakota. In 1913 he filmed "The Indian Wars" at the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation including at the actual site of the Wounded Knee massacre.

General Nelson Miles (below right) was a technical advisor on the picture. Here he and Cody oversee some of the filming.

According to an article in the Rapid City Journal from October 17, 1913, some Indians who fought in the actual battle at Wounded Knee participated as well as two troops of soldiers from Fort Robinson, Nebraska.

The film was backed by the Denver Post, the U.S. War Department and the U.S. Department of the Interior. It was a financial failure.

Most of the film has been lost to deterioration, but apparently a few clips survive.

From bulls to film - Moses Brings Plenty

2009-04-23T20:12:00.006-05:00

As a youngster growing up on the Pine Ridge, Cheyenne River and Rosebud reservations, Moses Brings Plenty didn't have a clear direction for his life.

"I used to try to ride bulls for a living," he explained. "I did a little modeling, but to me it was just a gig." He was hired as an extra for the 1992 Pine Ridge mystery action film "Thunderheart" and that got him started in a new direction.

South Dakota actors Moses Brings Plenty (left) and Michael Spears hang out backstage at a recent concert by Brings Plenty's band Brule'.

After another extra spot in Disney's "Hidalgo" in 2004 turned into a featured spot as a ghost dancer medicine man, Brings Plenty really began to think about a career in the movies.

"I talked to some elders and drove around the rez looking at the direction we are heading as a people," he said. "We have heroes, but they aren't in the public eye." A plan to use some celebrity status as a springboard for providing a role model to the young people began to formulate in his mind.

He moved to Omaha, Nebraska because he had heard good things about the community theater there. After studying the craft, he was cast as an extra in the Disney blockbuster "Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl." "When 'Pirates' 2 and 3 came up, I thought the chance to play Crazy Horse was a much bigger thing," he said of his role in the History Channel's "Who Killed Crazy Horse." So he skipped the swashbuckling sequels and played one of his greatest heroes for the first of several times.

The History Channel again tapped his talents in 2005 with "Comanche Warriors," having him play Quanah Parker. "It's great to play historical figures," he said. "When I got done playing those roles, I really began to feel the price those individuals paid for our existence. We don't want to forget that."

When the British Broadcasting Corporation came to Wasta, South Dakota to film a documentary on Custer's Last Stand, Brings Plenty took on the role of Crazy Horse for a second time. Since then he has also worked on "Rez Bomb," "Walking the Wind" and is cast for an upcoming project called "The Lost Warrior."

Constantly keeping in mind his chosen life role for setting an example, Brings Plenty said, "The people are my drive. I get tired of misrepresentation of us. If I can be any influence to a young child of any race, that's good. I don't drink, I don't do drugs, I don't even take aspirin. It's just not part of my culture." He refuses to be cast in beer commercials or anything of the sort.

He also spends a lot of effort promoting his home state. "I always throw in my 22 cents for South Dakota - the amazing scenery, the people that will work without complaint. You don't find that in California," he smiled.

Brings Plenty also performs music with the award-winning Native American band Brule'. Many fans count his powerful drumming as their favorite part of the Brule' stage show. For photos of Moses Brings Plenty with Brule', take a look at Chad's Concert Pix.

Moses Brings Plenty's official website is www.mobringsplenty.com.

Starship Troopers and "Tango Urilla"

2009-04-14T17:44:00.001-05:00

In 1997 "Starship Troopers" used South Dakota's Badlands as the planet "Tango Urilla" in a violent tale of earth's defense against spider-like space bugs.

Many locals played background "Troopers" in this film, which was not a commercial or critical success, but enjoys a cult fan following still. If any of you former "Troopers" are out there, I'd love to hear your stories.

Starship Troopers was a special-effects extravaganza, with scary bug attacks and interesting new weapons. Here is an actual prop gun from the film. The main actors used functioning guns, but most of the extras carried these rubber versions. This one is signed by the director and cast.

The One and Only, Genuine, Original Family Band

2009-04-10T10:31:00.004-05:00

Not filmed in South Dakota, but set here, Disney's "The One and Only Genuine, Original Family Band" also held it's national premiere at Rapid City's Elks Theater on June 7, 1968.

The story was adapted from Laura Bower Van Nuy's book "The Family Band," which told of not only her family's band, but their move to Rapid City and Keystone in the 1880s. Much of the movie centers around the presidential election between Grover Cleveland and Benjamin Harrison.

In the DVD's special features, lead actress Lesley Ann Warren says the movie was made at the Disney Ranch outside of Los Angeles. There is certainly no scenery in the film that made me think anything was done in South Dakota. This scene represents Rapid City's main street.

Digging through archival records at the South Dakota Cultural Heritage Center did turn up the premiere information and that Disney gave away a trip for two to Rapid City for the first showing. You can still see films in the historic Elks Theater. Check for show times at Elks Theatre.

"Into the Wild" makes Carthage a star

2009-03-28T08:53:00.002-05:00

With a population of less than 200, the town of Carthage, South Dakota probably never had aspirations of being a movie star. But after famous wanderer Christopher McCandless ended up working there for a short time, Carthage was destined for the big screen.

"Into the Wild," Sean Penn's adaptation of McCandless' story, brought movie cameras to Main Street and The Cabaret bar in Carthage.

My friend and co-worker Scott Howard took these scouting pictures for the movie crew when they were deciding whether the real location would work for their film or not.

Scott's efforts were successful and the crew did indeed film that section of the movie in the actual locations where McCandless had spent time on the way to his eventual fate in Alaska.

Here are stars Vince Vaughn and Emile Hirsch inside The Cabaret as pictured above.

Visiting Carthage today isn't much different than the 1990's when McCandless was here. You'll find the town in the eastern central part of South Dakota.

Dances With Wolves campsite

2009-03-27T17:48:00.001-05:00

If you're familiar with the last scenes of "Dances With Wolves" and the winter teepee encampment, here's what the site looked like this winter.

Located in the northern Black Hills, this spot is three miles up the gravel road from the Spearfish Canyon Lodge parking lot. To experience it in winter as it was in the movie you'll need a snowmobile, as the road is open only to them during snowy months.

I believe the howling wolf in the closing shot of the movie was perched on that rock to the left.

South Dakota movies at CNN.com

2009-03-26T12:40:00.006-05:00

CNN.com this week is featuring movie locations in their "I-Reports." Check out my post about Mount Rushmore and the movies filmed there at I-Report.

My additional post about Badlands National Park movies is here and Dances With Wolves country here.

Orphan Train

2009-03-26T11:55:00.005-05:00

In 1979, the movie "Orphan Train" utilized South Dakota's Black Hills and the 1880 Train as a stand-in for mainly the state of Illinois.

The movie is a dramatization of a real-life program that brought orphans from the streets of New York City west to find foster families in small towns throughout the west in the mid-1800s and early-1900s. The train in the film supposedly travels from New York to several towns in Illinois.

For those of us who recognize the scenery, however, it's all Black Hills. It took me a minute, but I identified this scene as immediately south of the entrance to Crazy Horse Memorial. If you stop by the small information center just off Highway 385/16 at Crazy Horse, you can see that the train tracks have since been converted to the Mickelson Trail for hikers and bicyclers.

A dramatic scene in the movie involves several people walking along the train tracks when they come to this imposing bridge.

The bridge is also now part of the Mickelson Trail and is located just north of the Black Hills Helicopters hangar north of Crazy Horse Memorial.

Roadside movie locations

2009-03-20T07:43:00.004-05:00

As you travel through South Dakota, finding locations where movies have been filmed is made a bit easier by green highway signs featuring a movie clapboard design. Each sign designates one or several movies that have been filmed in that general area.

I was part of the crew that chose the locations for the signs and it was an interesting process. Because many sites were on private property or not near a main highway, the signs were located within a general area that the most traffic would pass. They also had to fall within state and federal regulations for signage, so compromises were made in many cases.

You will find signs for "Dances With Wolves" on the outskirts of Pierre even though the main filming was miles from town. The "Hidalgo" sign above and others for "Crazy Horse" surround Hot Springs. Keep an eye out for others throughout the state. They may not pinpoint an exact filming spot, but they will alert you that you are close.

Ironmaster - Guerra del ferro

2009-03-18T23:46:00.005-05:00

"Ironmaster - Guerra del ferro" is part of the history of movie making in South Dakota. Other than that, I have no reason to recommend this tale of cavemen/barbarian warfare from 1983.

There are a handful of scenes of a lone warrior running through the buffalo herd in Custer State Park. The majority of the film appears to be shot in Italy by it's Italian crew.

For me, the poster artwork is the best part of the whole film.

I apologize for not knowing enough Italian or French to decipher why the title of the film on the VHS copy I have and the poster above are slightly different. I take it that all versions mean "The Ironmaster."

Elvis and "Lakota Woman"

2009-03-12T09:41:00.005-05:00

Since the 1950s Claudette Sabor of St. Francis, SD has found herself playing bit parts in several movies.

She fondly remembers being an extra in "Flaming Star," a western that some say was Elvis Presley's finest performance as an actor. "He was a nice person. He was so kind to people," she said.

Years later back home in South Dakota, Sabor was cast as American Indian Movement Warrior Buddy Lamont's mother in "Lakota Woman: Siege at Wounded Knee." She originally auditioned for a different part in the film, but found that Mrs. Lamont's character had a speaking part.

"That made me eligible for the Screen Actors Guild, but I didn't join at my age," she laughed. "I didn't want to go running all over the country."

"I understand she was a lady with a big heart," Sabor said of her portrayal of Mrs. Lamont. Above is Sabor grieving Buddy's death at the hands of FBI agents in the film.

Dances With Wolves 20th anniversary

2009-03-07T08:00:00.002-06:00

This summer marks the 20th anniversary of the filming of "Dances With Wolves" in South Dakota. To me, "Dances" is the state's most important film of all time.

There are two distinct eras in South Dakota's film industry - pre-"Dances With Wolves" and post-"Dances With Wolves." The film was a watershed event in the way South Dakotans thought of their state as a potential movie location, of themselves as actors and crew members, and how the state promoted itself to the film industry.

When I explained my theory about this to a friend, he said, "I don't see it that way. I see it as all the other movies, and then 'Dances.'" Either way, I don't think the importance of "Dances With Wolves" to South Dakota can be overestimated.

When Kevin Costner decided to bring his pet project to the prairies of central South Dakota, he influenced an entire state. The ripple effects from the movie are still being felt today and not only in the filming industry. "Dances" created a feeling of pride among the Native American community, the beginnings of a reconciliation between whites and Indians, gave South Dakota a new identity in promoting itself to visitors, and even gave a boost to what at the time was a fledgling gaming industry in Deadwood and on the Indian reservations.

Almost immediately after filming the movie, Costner purchased a building in historic Deadwood and remodeled it into a casino and high-class restaurant. His brother moved here and his parents moved here, so "Dances" had a big effect on him and his family as well. He announced plans for a giant resort in Deadwood that never materialized, but created a lot of buzz for many years.

Some of these effects have been long-term and some were short-lived, but there's no denying the impact the filming had on many, many people.

Here, Costner directs one of the Civil War scenes filmed near Pierre.

In the "pre-Dances" era the state really did nothing to advertise itself to the movie industry. There may have been some cursory feelers sent out to Hollywood, but nothing in the way of an organized campaign to recruit filmmakers.

During the filming and after the blockbuster success of "Dances With Wolves" the South Dakota Department of Tourism created a film promotions position and decided to pursue further film projects. Gary Keller was the state's first Film Commissioner and has promised to give me some good behind-the-scenes stories for future posts.

If you look at the South Dakota Filmography in one of my earlier posts, you will see that the number of movies made in the state "pre-Dances" and "post-Dances" are surprisingly fairly equal. What's not equal, however, is the amount of time for each of those eras. "Pre-Dances" was 76 years, while the state has generated roughly the same amount of films in just 20 years since. I would have to say that South Dakota's film recruiting campaign has done very well for itself.

My own personal involvement with "Dances With Wolves" was as a newspaper reporter/photographer. Costner and crew held a media day on the set of the Lakota village east of Sturgis back in 1989. I was there and witnessed the filming of the wedding scene for the movie. This is Ben Glass' publicity shot of that scene.

I will be digging out my own photos of that day and there will be undoubtedly be more posts about "Dances With Wolves" in the future.

As with any of the South Dakota movies, if those of you who were involved in "Dances With Wolves" would like to tell your stories, please leave a comment here. I would love to hear anything you've got to share.

In the Days of '75 and '76

2009-03-05T11:31:00.004-06:00

Had a chance the other day to meet Wayne Panaanen of Lead, who has worked for many years now to collect historical film footage of the Black Hills and South Dakota. His company, Historical Footprints, does video production work in the Lead/Deadwood area.

Wayne has a copy of "In the Days of '75 and '76," which I saw some brief clips from. We talked about historical inaccuracies in films and he pointed out that this early Black Hills movie has Wild Bill Hickock's killer Jack McCall competing with Hickock for the hand of Calamity Jane. The idea that there was a romance between Hickock and Calamity Jane has long been debated, but I have never heard that McCall figured into that storyline at all. Chock it up to another Hollywood invention.

The Last Hunt

2009-03-01T09:16:00.003-06:00

Custer State Park's buffalo herd and scenery starred in 1956's "The Last Hunt" with Robert Taylor and Stewart Granger. As part of the park's herd thinning program at them time, state buffalo hunters actually shot buffalo in the film. In an age when animal rights had not yet come to the forefront, movie action was created a bit differently than today.

Former hunter/Game Warden Harvey Lancaster said he and another hunter did the shooting for the film. In one scene, a buffalo bull outflanks Taylor and Granger while they are hunting. To have a live buffalo charge at the actors from behind, Lancaster said the movie company dug a trench about 20 feet long, six feet wide and six feet deep. A bull was herded into the pit and then dynamite caps placed along the length of the pit were fired in sequence to get him to run through the trench.

"We was supposed to kill him as soon as he came out of the pit," Lancaster said. Unfortunately the hunters were placed too close to the action for the weapons they were using. "We had rifles with scopes on them and all we could see was a patch of fur," he remembered. "I shot and hit him in the horn, but didn't knock him down." Fortunately the next shot took down the bull before he reached the actors. "Robert Taylor and Stewart Granger wanted live bullets, not blanks after that," Lancaster laughed.

"One place they stampeded a herd right over the top of us," Lancaster said. "Me and a cameraman were in this pit covered with logs. They put me in there with a rifle just in case."

According to Lancaster, the movie editors didn't quite remove all of the evidence of their buffalo wrangling. "It's really quick, but on one big bull you can see a lariat on him."

After being part of several movie productions, Lancaster hopes they help the state's tourism industry. "I think they are a darn good thing for South Dakota. We've got good country for movies far as I'm concerned," he said.

"The Last Hunt" is part of Turner Classic Movies' library and is aired periodically on the TCM network. It is not currently available on DVD. You can see several clips of the movie at this channel on YouTube. You can also vote for "The Last Hunt" to be released on DVD here.

More How the West Was Won

2009-02-26T05:06:00.004-06:00

Above is a scene from "How the West Was Won" with a Pony Express rider charging into a fort, switching horses and riding out. The fort was built on a hill along the Wildlife Loop Road in Custer State Park.

One of those corner blockhouses was left standing and I remember climbing up into it even into my high school years around 1979 or '80. Unfortunately it is gone now.

Also, here is a video trailer for the movie How the West Was Won. It includes several of the South Dakota scenes, including a quick clip of men shooting off a moving train at Indians that I don't remember seeing before.

Remembering How the West Was Won

2009-02-23T22:29:00.011-06:00

Featuring amazing Western scenery and a large herd of buffalo, Custer State Park in southwestern South Dakota has starred in several movies over the years. Two weeks before his 90th birthday, former Custer State Park buffalo hunter and game warden Harvey Lancaster sat down to talk with me about his part in several movies filmed in the park.

Lancaster mainly assisted in moving buffalo for "Return of a Man Called Horse" and "War Bonnet." He had much bigger roles in "How the West Was Won" and "The Last Hunt."

The 1962 epic "How the West Was Won" brought huge Cinerama cameras and a gigantic crew to Custer State Park for scenes involving the 1880 Train and two temporary "towns." The movie is the most well-known of the Cinerama pictures, which were projected onto three screens in a curved theater. Cinerama was one of the fore-runners of today's IMAX and OMNIMAX theaters.

According to Lancaster, the train scenes and a small set of buildings were filmed where the Game Lodge sewage lagoons are now near the northeast end of the Wildlife Loop Road. George Peppard and Richard Widmark figured prominently in these scenes.

"We moved trees around and planted them where they wanted," Lancaster recalled.

"How the West Was Won" included many very memorable scenes that have become classics in movie fans' memories. One of the most widely-acclaimed is a group of Indians stampeding a buffalo herd through the center of a tent village, killing people, tearing down tents and knocking over trees. "My oldest boy was one of the 'Indians' that done that," Lancaster laughed. "They had real Indians do it the first time. Well, about halfway down the hill the buffalo turned around and chased the Indians back up. So they had my boy and others dress up as Indians and do it."

During the buffalo stampede, a small wooden watertower is knocked over. I've seen still pictures of it falling and read that people remember seeing it in the movie, but curiously my DVD copy only shows the tower beginning to tip. Harvey Lancaster was doing the tipping.

"That was me on a D8 Cat (bulldozer)," he explained. "They had cardboard boxes laid out there for the stuntman on top to fall on. I told them you don't have them far enough out there, but they wouldn't listen to me. Well, I pushed it over and he missed the boxes and broke his leg."

The buffalo stampede scene, Henry Fonda hunting buffalo, and several scenes with Native Americans were filmed in a valley in Custer State Park that has become known as "Movie Draw." Just southwest of the park's buffalo corrals, the draw is bordered by red rock cliffs and marked with a highway sign listing the films made there. A small cave high up on a ridge is an easily identifiable feature that shows up in the scenes mentioned above and became a main location in the 1956 movie "The Last Hunt."

I'll post Lancaster's memories of "The Last Hunt" next.

A conversation with Roger Corman, Hollywood legend

2009-02-20T12:43:00.000-06:00

Near the beginning of a long string of cheesy horror and sci-fi flicks that lead to his crowning as "King of the B Movies," Roger Corman brought his brother Gene to South Dakota to make "Ski Troop Attack" and "Beast From Haunted Cave" in 1959. They may not be the most well-known of our state's films, but they are very interesting to say the least.

Corman spoke to me by phone from Hollywood in January, recalling the pair of movies done almost exactly 50 years earlier. He said a contract with the motion picture union made filming in midwestern states more favorable than on the West Coast at that time. "South Dakota offered the best options for what we wanted to do," he said.

An unusual technique that Corman pioneered was to utilize the same location, cast and crew to shoot two movies at the same time. "It was something I developed. I don't want to say 'invented,' but I was the first that I know of to shoot two movies at the same location. If you do two pictures like that, you simply cut costs in half."

Michael Forest and Frank Wolff star in both movies.

"Ski Troop Attack" was the "major" film of the pair, according to Corman. It is the tale of an American troop working their way into German territory to blow up a bridge during World War II. Terry Peak Ski Area was chosen as the location for the film, with Deadwood as a base for the company.

Corman's brother Gene arrived in Deadwood about two weeks prior to Roger and arranged for local people to work props, wardrobe, carpentry and other various jobs.

He also set about filming "Beast," which involves a gang of thieves who set off an explosion in a mine to distract locals while they rob a bank. After duping a local ski instructor into leading their escape to an isolated cabin in the woods, they are lured into a cave where the mysterious "beast" attacks.

Corman remembers the Deadwood City Council as very cooperative and both films were completed on-schedule and within budget. Locals played minor roles in the two movies. "In 'Ski Troop Attack' we used the Deadwood High School ski team as the Americans and the Lead High School ski team as the Germans," he said. "It worked out very well."

Viewers of the films will recognize Terry Peak, the Broken Boot Gold Mine, the Franklin Hotel standing in for the bank, and a bar that sure looks like the Old Style Saloon No. 10 to me.

Both films are available at http://www.amazon.com/.

South Dakota Filmography

2009-02-19T13:46:00.008-06:00

Here's my list of the feature-length movies and documentaries I have been able determine were filmed in South Dakota. Many short and independent films have been made here as well.

As best I can tell, the dates are when the productions were released to the public. If anyone can add to the list or provide proof that dates need to be changed, I'd appreciate any assistance. Leave a comment and I'll correct or add what I need to.

1914
"The Indian Wars," Buffalo Bill Cody Productions
1915
"The Sioux City Roundup," documentary
1918
"Indian Life," documentary
1919
"The Homesteader," Oscar Micheaux Productions
Unknown dates in the 1910s
"Black Hills," Black Hills Feature Film Co.
"In the Days of ’75 and ’76," Black Hills Feature Film Co.

1924
"The Deadwood Coach"

1938
"Natural Wonders of the West," travel documentary

1948
"Sydameni laulu," documentary
Unknown date in 1940s
"Badlands of Dakota," Universal

1951
"Tomahawk," Universal
1952
"Battles of Chief Pontiac"
"Warbonnet (aka The Savage)," Paramount
1955
"Chief Crazy Horse," Universal
1956
"The Last Hunt," MGM
1959
"Beast From Haunted Cave," Northern Pictures
"North by Northwest," MGM

1960
"Ski Troop Attack," Northern Pictures
1962
"How the West Was Won," MGM
1963
"A Happy Mothers Day," documentary
1966
"Born To Buck," Casey Tibbs Productions
"Young Rounders," Casey Tibbs Productions
Unknown date in the 1960s
"Deadwood ’76," Fairway International Film Co.

1970
"Gunsmoke" 'Snow Train' episode, CBS-TV
"A Man Called Horse," Cinema Center Films
1971
"Scandalous John," Disney
1972
"Journey Through Rosebud," GSF Incorporated
1973
"A Song for Dead Warriors," documentary
"Hex (aka Grassland)," Max L. Rabb Productions
1976
"Return of a Man Called Horse," Sandy Howard Productions (TV?)
1977
"The Hunted (aka Johnny Vik)," Naumann Studios
1979
"The Manitou," Mid-America Pictures
"Orphan Train," CBS-TV

1981
"Sacrifice Area," documentary
"The Long Run," San Rio Communications
1982
"Great Spirit Within the Hole," documentary
1983
"Guerra del ferro – La Ironmaster," Nuova Dania Cinematografica
1984
"Triumphs of a Man Called Horse," United Artists (Hesperia Films)
1986
"From Hollywood to Deadwood," Island Pictures
"General Hospital," ABC-TV
1989
"Powwow Highway," Warner Brothers

1990
"Dances With Wolves," Orion Pictures
1991
"Son of the Morning Star," ABC-TV
1992
"Williams and Ree the Movie"
"Wiping the Tears of Seven Generations," documentary
"Crash Landing: The Rescue of Flight 232," Bob Banner Associates
"Even Hitler Had a Girlfriend," Scorched Earth Productions
"Incident at Oglala," Dakota Plains Productions documentary
"Thunderheart," Tri-Star Pictures
1993
"The Ride to Wounded Knee," Ride To Wounded Knee Productions
1994
"Lakota Woman: Siege at Wounded Knee," Turner Pictures
"Neverending Story III," NESIII Productions
"Wyatt Earp," Warner Brothers
"North," Castle Rock Entertainment
"Roads," Eagle Eye Productions
1996
"Twister," Warner Brothers
"Crazy Horse," Turner Pictures
1997
"Starship Troopers," Tri-Star Pictures
"Lewis & Clark: The Journey of the Corps of Discovery," Ken Burns Prod.
1998
"Armageddon," Disney/Touchstone
"Mercury Rising," Universal Pictures
1999
"Into His Arms," Linn Productions

2000
"Williams and Ree the Movie II: Totem Reecall," TV Productions
2001
"Rite of Passage," Gabriel Films documentary
"Class President," Class President Productions/Spectrum Films
2002
"Skins," First Look International
"Wanted," Footprint Films
"The Spirit of Annie Mae," National Film Board of Canada
2003
"Head of State," Dreamworks
"Dreamkeeper," Hallmark Entertainment
2004
"Hidalgo," Disney
"Mystic Voices: The Story of the Pequot War," Mystic Voices LLC
"Ekho: Fall of an Empire," Run Don’t Walk Films
2005
"Comanche Warriors," Digital Ranch documentary
"Firecracker," Dikenga Films
"Domino One," Domino One
"Why Sturgis?" Escape Route Flix LLC documentary
"Who Killed Crazy Horse?" History Channel documentary
2006
"Awakening," Rikshaw Films documentary
"Owe Aku: Bring Back the Way," Ethereal Motion Picture Co. documentary
"Treasure Hunters," NBC-TV reality series
2007
"Into the Wild," Paramount Vantage
"National Treasure: Book of Secrets," Walt Disney Pictures
"Custer's Last Stand," BBC-TV
2008
"Imprint," Linn Productions
"Resilience," TV
"Rez Bomb," Roaring Fire Films
"Spirit Riders," Moving Cloud Productions documentary
"Woman City"
"Small Town Silver Screen," Fiveman Films
2009
"The Stone Child," Triple Martini Productions
"No More Smoke Signals," Distant Lights Filmproduktion documentary
2010
"Imagine A Place," PK Productions documentary
2011
"The Pact," Tarantula Productions
"Dust of War," Scheutzle Productions
2012
"The Buffalo King," Nowlin Town Productions

I do realize there are more television productions that are not listed here, notably the many done about the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. The television show "Cops" was filmed at the Rally around 1990, "Live With Regis and Kathie Lee" taped two shows at Mount Rushmore in 1998, and there have been many national news stories done within the state. Attempting to keep the list somewhat manageable lead me to leave many of that type of program out. Let me know of significant ones that should be added to the list.

"Imprint" released on DVD

2009-02-18T23:02:00.002-06:00

Just last week Linn Productions' "Imprint" was released on DVD to a national audience.

Linn Productions is based in Rapid City and "Imprint" was filmed completely in South Dakota. The Native American cast and the locations on the Pine Ridge Reservation provide a fresh look at Indians as people in today's world.

Filmmmakers Michael and Marc Linn told me that some are categorizing "Imprint" as a horror film, but it has none of the blood or violence that typifes that genre. It is much more of a spooky supernatural thriller. I've seen it twice and enjoyed it very much and I'm not a fan of horror films.

I spent some time discussing the movie with 89-year-old Lakota Chief David Bald Eagle who plays a medicine man in "Imprint." He said, "I've been in 37 movies. I've played in Indian movies and I've played in western movies. Imprint was the best as far as the Indian side of things. It got it right."

Imprint is available nationwide at Blockbuster and other fine video rental stores. Check out more information at www.imprintmovie.com.

Welcome to Cinema South Dakota

2009-02-18T22:07:00.001-06:00

Howdy! I'm just getting started here with a new blog that will chronicle the history of filmmaking in South Dakota.

As a photographer at the South Dakota Department of Tourism and State Development since 1993 I have observed many film crews at work in the state. I've been on the set of major motion pictures and participated in filming television commercials. I've also always been curious about the projects that happened before I was around to be a part of them.

One thing I have not come across is a comprehensive history of these projects, so my hope is that eventually this blog will become that. With access to the resources of the South Dakota Film Office, I should be able to provide a unique insight into the history of South Dakota on the Silver Screen.

What I'm not here to do is debate any of the state's policies on promoting or funding film projects, discuss whether various locations are more or less important to South Dakota's film industry, or anything else of a political nature. This is strictly for fun and to compile the history into a somewhat central location.

So, if you've got some fun stories from any or all movie and television projects here in South Dakota, please feel free to comment or contact me. I'd love to hear those stories that are out there, but haven't been published.