Where Have All the Good Guys Gone?

When we view a film we often wonder when and if a ‘good guy’ will appear on the screen. It seems in today’s Hollywood, bad guys are considered good guys while the real good guys, unless they are action heroes from comic books (who seem to show a lot of faults themselves) are seldom seen or have so many personal issues it would confuse the screen writer let alone the viewers who desire to see a real hero.

Give me a chance to watch Ben Cartwright once more!

J and L were invited recently behind the scenes to witness Day 7 of a film-shoot at the Thousand Pines Christian Camp, just outside of Crestline, California. The series being shot is Tales of the Frontier by film director/producer Tino Luciano and screen writer/producer Garry Lee Brooks  http://www.two-gunproductions.com/. One of the most interesting aspects of this visit was not just to see the crew at work but to really experience the perspective behind the cameras. What we discovered about this series (and there will be more we were told) is a production company taking America back to when people were good, moral, and celebrating that goodness. It is about people choosing right, and doing right, not a series about dysfunctional families or groups of friends who spend their lives boring the rest of us with their trivial and mundane lives or so-called adventures (if one can refer to living and screaming in New Jersey as an adventure just to name one). Instead, what we found is that Tales of the Frontier is a refreshingly wholesome series about when people ‘screw up’ but have the guts to right that mistake. It is not a ‘blame the other guy’ series, but one of self-reflection, redemption and forgiveness.

We learned it was a well-paced, family oriented production which sent most of us on the set back to the days of Gunsmoke, Maverick, and The Big Valley.  There was no nudity, no over-the-top cursing scenes, and certainly no scenes where the bad guy finishes first. This production company has a certain message to deliver and that is: there are good guys and good gals surrounding us on a daily basis and we should embrace them.

Though they place the action back in the 19^th century it does not date the message that the good will triumph over the evil. In fact, the day were on scene was set in 1886 when Adam Shepard (played by Chris Hlovek) rescued the love of his life Sarah Archer (played by Candice Bolek) from the grips of a mangy looking group of ruffians (played by the Pioneer Gunfighters out of Oak Hills, Ca).

We were privileged to watch the filming of the final scene for the first season, ‘The Bride,’ and cannot say enough about the professionalism and courtesy we were shown by the film crew including the director, writer, boom operator, sound man, make-up gal, and all the others who made us feel right at home.

J and L have to give Terry Kurtz http://terrykurtz.com/  a special thank you for inviting us to the filming location. Mr. Kurtz has been very involved with the crew, filming his own Behind the Scenes which can be viewed at his website or on YouTube. Terry is the consummate film master with steady hands, eagle eyes, and a sense for what is to be shot and what does not need the camera pointed in that direction.

Tino Luciano, the director/producer, was more than a gentleman on the set, and believe us the location was not an easy shoot for even such a distinguished person as Tino as the landscape consisted of extreme difficulties in steep grade and soft dirt. In fact, in one scene, prior to the shooting, Mr. Luciano actually had to carry the character ‘Sarah’ up a part of the escapement since her time period wardrobe would not allow her to make the climb so effortlessly and cleanly.

It should be mentioned that when Tino arm-carried Sarah many of the males standing around were a bit wounded since Candice Bolek is a very attractive, young and vibrant woman (besides being a darn good actress).   The sighs of ‘I should have gotten there sooner’ were heard around the film site. Climbing boots and faster legs should be in order for such shoots if one wants to win the leading ladies heart is our opinion.

The filming of the series Tales of the Frontier, which can be seen on http://askmilton.tv/  is something to share with all family members since it shows and teaches the value of love, forgiveness, and the idea that we all have issues on a daily basis but through trusting one another we can get through it all and for the better.

Stay tuned for Part 2 – “Quiet on the Set” – another installment of J and L’s time on the set with details and a lot more photos.

Truth and Love Endure