Alright true readers out there.... Harry here with the second part of my ALL THE PRETTY HORSES coverage.

Don’t worry, I got the gross stuff out in the last bit of coverage... and the main point of it was this. The entire rest of the day I was filled with the lingering thought that... it could... possibly happen on set. Just as the Montezuma’s Revenge haunted me on that first set visit to THE FACULTY... this time... it was the other end.

But why linger on the unpleasantries... I still have much more to tell you all.

Before leaving THE CADILLAC BAR, we had to receive instructions on how to get to the Stage Area. The Medic... decided to fix our ailment and sallied forth to find the proper instructions.

Meanwhile, Billy Bob and I continued to just tell stories back and forth.... Jokes we had played on studio types... the fun to be had with folks with little to no sense of humor... the people that take this world a bit too seriously.

Around this time Henry Thomas came up and introduced his father to both Billy Bob and I... And I have to say... It’s weird to actually now have a mental image of what Henry’s father looks like, cause as a kid... I always was curious what sort of Dad would leave a boy to play alone with his Greedo.

(Yes, my grasp of reality is that fragile)

I then asked Billy Bob if he often surprised his crews like he did here today. You see... Most of the crew thought that they would be shooting at this Bar from 6am to 6pm, but after that final shot... Well Billy Bob just on the spot said... “Let’s head to the stages!”

It seems that Billy Bob’s philosophy is to keep his crew guessing. It keeps the actors on their toes, the crew hopping and excited, and the way he sees it... It puts him in control. He doesn’t believe in storyboards... which for an epic is a kinda odd thing to be doing. Usually these widescreen type of films are storyboarded to the extreme, but he said that when they were doing the ‘Breaking the horses’ scenes, they just got a buncha horses and shot for three days. He got what he wanted, and he likes that kind of energy. “Right now, I’m the only one that knows what we’ll be shooting when we get to the stages... and I like that!”

Right on....

I can’t help but think that it has to make the studio types a bit nervous to have a maverick like Billy Bob in charge, but at the same time... the work he seems to be doing with the actors (which I must admit is awfully lame of me to even comment on given the few brief shots I saw him do on a single day) seemed far more intense than the previous directors’ sets I have visited.

On Robert’s film (THE FACULTY), he controlled almost all of the technical aspects physically. Operating the camera himself and basically setting up the actors for what he’d be doing. Giving them little notes here and there about movements and what he wanted from them. A very hands on director.

Darabont (THE GREEN MILE) knew exactly what he wanted, instructing each member of the crew, be it the DP or the actors as to accomplish what was in his mind’s eye. He may not have been operating the camera, but he knew how he wanted it to move... how he wanted an actor to be... I was incredibly impressed with Darabont.

Michael Bay (ARMAGEDDON) felt to me to be a director in charge of a organized military force. There were time schedules, and if lighting was taking too long, or camera set ups were taking too long he felt it. He had only so much time to get what he needed from shooting at NASA that he could feel the pressure. He wasn’t breaking, but he couldn’t afford mistakes. He was always looking for a better angle, and seemed to let the actors do their thing, while talking to his DP constantly.

Stephen Sommers (THE MUMMY) was having fun. He was constantly having to work with the actors, the ILM folks, his DP and make everything work. It was very tough. With ILM running around bouncing their lasers for measurements to figure out how to have the CGI thingees running around in this treasure room... well... it was hard to just direct at will. Because every decision resulted in having to run new mathmatical thingees with the effects folks.

and

Then there is BILLY BOB THORNTON, who has this verbal shorthand with his technical people, they’ve done three movies together now... They pick up on what Billy wants quickly... Meanwhile he focuses on the actors. Watching what is going on in their eyes, with the subtle facial movements then pushing them just when they need it... but not interfering with their own processes.

This is actually something that... believe it or not, I hadn’t seen from a director before. Most of the other directors I’ve seen tend to just go for take after take till they get exactly what they want... Instead, Billy Bob is looking to see if an actor is getting aggravated, waiting to see if they are tired... looking for that confused look... If he sees that, he goes in, he talks with them a bit about the scene... giving them just a few tidbits... not preaching to them... but more like... suggesting a few gentle hints here and there. Then he comes back over to his chair. Jokes with the people around him... puts everyone at ease... then it’s action... and the take is a bit better than the previous one..

Well... I’m getting ahead of myself here. I haven’t even gotten to the STAGE yet.

Ok, we’re at the stage. It was nestled into the warehouse district of downtown San Antonio. In the area Dad knew from childhood as the ‘forbidden territory’. The building looks like it was probably some sort of wharf for big deliveries of magazines and newspapers on them wooden raised things.

All 6 or 7 of the mini-Semis were backed up and unloading. All the set workers moving together... noone getting in anyone’s way... each moving to make it all work finely.

As we walked in we could see that... oooooh... 5 or so standing sets were still built. All sort of plain and kinda just looking like fresh lumber from the outside, but when you walked up the raised ramp, and inside... you could see beautifully created aged homes from the past. Each one with lots and lots of character.

One of the larger areas was... what seemed to be a large bunkhouse sorta place. It was rustic to a fine art. In the center of the main room was an old black iron wood burning stove. Bunkbeds with photos of sweethearts and vintage nude pics hung from the walls and bedposts. Bits of hay sprinkled the floor as dust and dirt... not too much... but a bit made sure your footprints were traceable.

The plates in the big chow room, upon the huge ranch table were crockery in style, there was a woven reed basket with a loose weaved cotton cloth where you would place the corn tortillas. Wood spoons for shoveling out the refried beans. Tin portraits of the Virgin Mary... old ones... at least 20 or 30 years older than the time period we were in... unless they had actually hit the trail with the men that lived in these quarters.

There were places to hang sombreros and cowboy hats, dusters and jackets. Lassos and chaps. If not for the fact that the place did not have a ceiling... well... I wouldn’t have known that this wasn’t a 1940’s Mexican Bunkhouse on the ol Rancho Deluxe... ya know?

I spent my Junior High and High School years living on my Mother’s ranch up in North Texas. The houses were built around the time of the forties, but this bunkhouse was built before that, and for significant less money. And the class of the place, the style... It just seethed with authenticity. Great job by the production designer here. They didn’t drop the ball.

The other sets were various bedrooms and bathrooms and such. The Bunkhouse is the one that left the impression on me. It really was pretty darn impressive.

Dad and I were just a wandering all over the place, checking out what was going on... watching folks setting up the lights, and trying to get peeks into the various prop department rooms.

We went and ate lunch... great lunch... Of course... in my condition, I couldn’t take full advantage... But Dad did me proud... Multiple visits... eating tons of some sort of steak meat thing that was hand beaten for a century or something. Lobster tails... DAMN TUMMY PROBLEMS!!!!

When we got back to the stage, everything was moving along briskly. The lights were being placed. The set was being dressed... and everything was nearing final preparation.

Through one of the dock windows I could see Matt Damon in the outfit he was in, in that picture I showed y’all yesterday. He was stopping to pose for pictures with fans and to sign autographs... Just because he wanted to. I like that, so many times stars tend to brush off the fans, and Matt is still at the stage of his career where he cares about that... It’s a cool place to be.

Anyway... I set up behind the monitors to get an idea of the next set of shots to be taken. The scene was one in which Matt Damon’s character is walking into Penelope Cruz’s (romantic lead opposite Damon) bedroom. She is laying on the bed (clothed) either crying or sleeping... I didn’t have my earphones on. Matt has brought her roses in a Mexican Newspaper, and wants her to be with him. Apparently there is some sort of commitment she has to another... They end up embracing, as tears roll down her face.

That’s the short of it. Personally, I have to say... I like the choice of Penelope Cruz. Pretty much all she has done is a few Mexican and/or Spanish films. Apparently the studio wanted Jordana Brewster for the role... but... in my opinion she was too beautiful for the role. I know that sounds ignorant, but... Penelope looks like the sort of pretty girl we see in reality, not on soap operas. She’s lovely and cute... but in a real way. She is also... from the looks of things... pretty good. She has her accent, the AD on set would also do a bit of translating between her and Billy Bob from time to time, though her English was... pretty good.

The main thing is... I have no filmic memories of her. What she does on this film, will be the only impression I have of her when I see it. I love ‘unknowns’. They add a degree of mystery to a film. An exotic spice your taste buds has not yet enjoyed.

Their (Matt and Penelope’s) scene was quite an emotional one, and right when she was hitting her stride.. A train came blowing it’s horn on the railroad tracks some 3 blocks away... ruining the sound. The tried to continue the scene, but just as the got moving again the damn train would blow again.

Billy Bob gave the actors a break... He saw frustration on Penelope’s face, and that didn’t need to be there... So he gave her the room to calm down, gather herself... and come back to it.

Sometimes Billy Bob had the actors do the scene... sans dialogue. Just the emotion and the physical acting.

Folks... I was quite impressed by Billy Bob’s direction of these actors. I wish I could have seen Bruce Dern and Robert Patrick in all of this... But... if Billy Bob gives the same sort of support and sage advice... I can only hope this film will be delivered as everyone wants.

I was getting tired as could be, I’d been up since 0500am and it was now 1930 hours and the sleep monster was attacking. Being sick... takes it out of ya. Thank God, Father Geek was along to drive as I really was in no shape to do anything other than... Relax and close my eyes and discuss the day’s events with dear ol Dad.

So folks out in New Mexico. IF you see or hear anything on this movie, let the rest of us know. I’m tracking it... I’m curious to see how this turns out... and what it’s all about. I hope you folks enjoyed this here report and I leave ya with the pic of me, Billy Bob and Penelope Cruz... Take care...