Movies
Produced
in Superior
in Superior
Quick Tour of Historic Superior Buildings
Purgatory
Arizona Just finished
filming in Superior.
A
Big Brains Pictures production starring Mark Hengst,
Brendan Murphy, Christine Bierman, Mike Peach,
Clint James, and Elizabeth Munsch. Directed by
Dominic Ross.
Sneak
Preview 1 Mark suffering snake bite.
Sneak
Preview 2 Mark and Christine fleeing.
Sneak
Preview 3 Preacher Martin
Sneak
Preview 4 Elizabeth Wunsch as Beatrice
Sneak
Preview 5 Cristina Perez as Raven
PurgatoryWeb
site: www.purgatoryaz.com
Big Brain Pictures web site: www.bigbrainpictures.co
Film
location still photos by Lou Oates
How the West Was Won.
Inspired by the majesty of a vast and unsettled land, this exhilarating film follows the adventures of one determined family in their relentless drive westward. For three generations, the Prescotts take on treacherous rapids, ruthless gunfighters, barbarous pirates and even runaway locomotives in their ardent pursuit of the land, gold and glory of the American west.
Boasting an all-star cast that includes John Wayne, Henry Fonda, James Stewart, Debbie Reynolds, Gregory Peck, Karl Malden and George Peppard, How the West Was Won is a “magnificent and exciting spectacle” (Variety). Nominated for eight 1963 Oscars and winner of three, this cinematic extravaganza is pure American adventure at its rousing epic best. Other stars: Carroll Baker, Lee J. Cobb, Carolyn Jones, Robert Preston, Eli Wallach and Richard Widmark.
Cheyenne Autumn, the last Western directed by six-time Academy Award winner John Ford, ranks as one of his best. “It is a beautiful and powerful motion picture that stunningly combines a profound and passionate story of mistreatment to American Indians with some of the most magnificent and energetic lore put on the screen,
Bosley Crowther wrote in The New York Times. Ford peoples his Trail-of-Tears-like saga with a remarkable cast that includes Richard Widmark, Carroll Baker, Karl Malden, Sal Mineo, Richardo Montalban, Gilbert Roland, Edward G. Robinson and, as a lighthearted, quick-fingered Wyatt Earp, James Stewart. As the resettles Cheyenne nation desperately struggling to return to its Yellowstone homeland across 1500 treacherous miles, Ford recruited hundreds of Navajo tribesmen who, ever since Ford’s 1939 Stagecoach, gladly took up reins for the director known to them as “Tall Soldier”.
The location (which Ford used for the ninth time) is “John Ford Country” – the canyons, buttes and mesas of Monument Valley, with portions of the film being produced in Superior, Arizona. Cheyenne Autumn is compassionate, epic artistry from one of Hollywood’s most influential directors. Said Orson Wells, when asked to name directors he admired: “The old masters…by which I mean John Ford, John Ford and John Ford.
When Ben Kane (Robert Mitchum) sets out to avenge his murdered son, he partners up with sharp shooting YOUNG BILLY YOUNG (Robert Walker, Jr.) and together they become deputies in the small town of Lordsburg. F As they settle into their new professions, Kane becomes infatuated with the town bar maid Lily Beloit (Angie Dickinson) and Young crosses paths with his old partner, Jesse Boone. Angry at Young over old business affairs, Boone has turned jaded, and plans to kill Kane. But when the fiery Kane finds out that Boone’s father killed his son, arresting him becomes all the more imperative as he is the one link to catching the child murderer. Using their judicial sway, Kane and Young set a guileful trap for the Boone family and things heat up in the little town of Lordsburg. Based on Will Henry’s novel, YOUNG BILLY YOUNG exceeds the psychological content of most westerns. It questions the relationships between fathers and sons (Kane’s and Young’s relationship is similar to that of Stephen Daedelus and Henry Bloom in James Joyce’s epic novel ULYSSEUS) and examines the orphans search for surrogate family members in the old lonesome West. Including the theme hit theme song sung by Robert Mitchum, YOUNG BILLY YOUNG is an intelligent and compelling Western.
Stars: Angie Dickinson, Christopher Mitchum, David Carradine, Jack Kelly, John Anderson, Parley Baer, Paul Fix, Robert Mitchum, Robert Walker Jr., Rodolfo Acosta and Willis Bouchey. Director: Burt Kennedy.
The Gauntlet. Clint Eastwood plays an alcoholic, dim-witted cop, Ben Shockley, who has to escort an irate prostitute, Gus Mally (Sandra Locke), from Las Vegas to Phoenix so she can testify in a mob trial. Gus immediately warns Ben of the danger that they’re in, but he doesn’t believe her. He eventually figures out that his superiors want Gus dead and chose him for the job because they thought he’d fail. The two spend most of the film eluding the trigger-happy cops. The banter between Ben and Gus, who initially despise each other, is just as brutal and entertaining as the action set pieces. And when the two finally warm to each other, it’s surprisingly effective. Eastwood and Locke made many films together, but THE GAUNTLET features what may be their strongest collaboration. Literal-minded critics may malign the film for its over-the-top explosive action, but it’s clear that Eastwood was aware of how outrageous and preposterous the action in the film is. As Jan De Bont would later do with another wildly entertaining and implausible film involving a bus, SPEED, Eastwood here has stripped down the action movie to its bare essence. THE GAUNTLET is a fun ride.
Stars: Clint Eastwood, Pat Hingle, Sondra Locke and William Prince.
Director: Clint Eastwood
U Turn. He’s a small-time gambler with a backpack full of cash, an overdue debt in Vegas and a broken radiator hose. She’s a hot-and-cold vixen caught in the grips of a twisted relationship with her powerful husband. Both of them just want to get out of town. And after you meet the citizens of Superior, Arizona, you’ll understand why. “A vision of America as a comic madhouse…so fast, funny and audacious it turns into a carnival” – Michael Wilmington, Chicago Tribune. “It’s Oliver Stone at his baddest and his best. An American Classic…” – Judy Gertsel, Toronto Star.
Starring Sean Penn, Jennifer Lopez, Nick Nolte, Billy Bob Thornton, Powers Boothe, Claire Danes, Joaquin Phoenix and Jon Voight.
Lost Child. As a young child, Rebecca Hoffman (played by Academy Award winner Mercedes Ruehl) was raised by a loving and caring family, knowing she was adopted.
Following her parents’ deaths, Rebecca begins a search for her natural family. She is contacted by a Navajo woman looking for her own siblings, who were stolen from her mother at birth. As the two women talk, they suddenly realize they are sisters, and that Becks has found her birth family! Excitedly, Rebecca decides to take her children to meet her family on the reservation. They are welcomed with open arms, and begin learning the language and traditions of their rich ancestry. Her husband (Jamey Sheridan), however, is branded an outsider and has difficulty becoming accepted as a part of the Navajo community. As the differences of the two cultures come to the surface, the family discovers a commitment to each other that runs deeper than circumstances and a heritage that captivates their hearts.
Stars: Mercedes Ruehl, Jamey Sheridan, Irene Bedard, Dinah Manoff, Tantoo Cardinal, Ned Romero, Louis Gaimbalvo, Julia McIlvane, Michael Greyeyes and Cristine Rose.
Eight Legged Freaks. What do you get when you cross toxic waste with a bunch of exotic spiders? Eaten! The terrified townies of Prosperity, Arizona, will all be served up buffet style if ravenous, mutated arachnids as big as SUVs have their way in this comedy/horror crowd pleaser whose creators include the producers of “Independence Day” and “Godzilla”. Spiders that leap like gazelles, icky web spitting spiders, spiders that turn your insides into jelly and suck them out as if through a straw – they’re all among the eight-legged behemoths conjured up by the revved-up movie’s inventive effects team. And David Arquette heads the two legged stars, mobilizing the citizenry in a last ditch fight to survive. Here’s hoping they succeed. Otherwise, Prosperity – maybe the world – may be reduced to one giant, uh, website! “A real pleasure. Jokes and horror in the tradition of ‘Tremors’ and ‘Gremlins.’” Jonathan Foreman, New York Post.
Starring David Arquette, Kari Wuhrer, Scott Terra, Doug E. Doug and Scarlett Johansson.
The Prophecy. Big-screen favorite Christopher Walken (PULP FICTION, BATMAN RETURNS) heads an all-star cast in this chilling and suspenseful thriller! At the scene of a bizarre murder, LA homicide detective, Thomas Dagget (Elias Koteas – EXITICA) discovers a lethal heavenly prophecy now being fulfilled on earth! Yet, in his fight to stop the forces of evil – led by the powerful angel Gabriel (Walken) – Dagget finds an unlikely ally in an elementary school teacher (Virginia Madsen – CANDYMAN). Together, they race against time and terror to save the world as we know it! Also starring is Eric Stoltz (PULP FICTON) – critics everywhere praised THE PROPHECY for its high-powered performances. Directed by Gregory Widen.
Skinwalkers. Three murders have stumped Officer Chee (Adam Beach) and Lieutenant Leaphorn (Wes Studi), two cops on separate reservations in Utah. While the crimes appear random, there is also suspicion that “S Dubs” or skinwalkers are involved. These skinwalkers are a Native American legend concerning the spirits of the dead seeking revenge on the living. Chee and Leaphorn work together to find that these crimes lead to one suspect. This special edition of the PBS series MYSTERY! Was directed by Chris Eyre (SM0KE SIGNALS). Based on a novel by Tony Hillerman.
Actors: Kelly Coleman, Richard Dutcher, Matthew Brown, DeSean Terry, Michael Buster and Luis Robledo.