Fog City Mavericks: The Filmakers of San Francisco (2007)

Features interviews, commentaries and unforgettable moments from some of the most visionary movies ever created such as American Graffiti, the Star Wars film series, the Indiana Jones film series, The Godfather trilogy, Toy Story, Lost in Translation and many more! Includes all-new interviews with those who have worked with Bay Area mavericks: Steven Spielberg, Michael Douglas, Anthony Minghella, Milos Forman and Frank Darabont. Product Description

Fog City Mavericks - Filmmaking History Brought To Life

Fog City Mavericks: The Filmakers of San Francisco is at once compelling and straight to the point. This documentary style interview film profiles the many film-makers, directors, writers, and producers of San Francisco. Some people were born there and some made their careers there, but the film attempts to draw paralells between all of them for their non-conventional works and careers.

First and foremost, I don't think there is much instruction here to replace the training that anybody would get in film school. But there is plenty of inspiration. And there are plenty of examples of the kinds of attitudes that helped these people produce some of the greatest films ever made, even when they had to go up against the resistance of most or all of the Hollywood elite of the time.

The film also includes excerpts from the movies created by the artists profiled, including American Graffiti (Collector's Edition), Star Wars Trilogy (Widescreen Edition with Bonus Disc), Indiana Jones - The Adventure Collection (Special Editions of Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark / Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom / Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade), The Godfather DVD Collection (The Godfather/ The Godfather - Part II/ The Godfather - Part III), One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Toy Story (10th Anniversary Edition), and Lost in Translation among others.

Francis Ford Coppola, Sophia Coppola, Frank Lucas, Steven Spielberg, Michael Douglas, Anthony Minghella, Milos Forman and Frank Darabont are just some of the filmmakers who are profiled.

And the narration of Peter Coyote is, as always, perfect to set the mood of the piece. This movie is an important piece of film history and has helped to put many of these productions into context.

If you love movies and want to learn a little bit more of the behind the scenes stories of how they were made, then this is the film for you.

Definitely check it out!

Enjoy. September 11, 2008

What you will not learn in film school

I watched this video twice on cable and now purchased the DVD so I can go back to it when I need inspiration. I have taken a number of film classes but they never teach you about guts and what it takes to make a great film. Here you will find that fire in the belly that it takes to make the next great film. A great experience for any aspiring film maker; or for anyone who wants to stand out from the crowd in their chosen industry, it is full of the "Right Stuff."

At 62, this documentary has given me the courage to step out and try what I have loved all my life, movie making. I am going to make a movie too.

Chuck Campbell August 18, 2008

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