6 votes

The real-life ‘Fall Guys’: How a tight-knit stunt team pulled off Ryan Gosling’s death-defying scenes

3 comments

  1. [3]
    chocobean
    Link
    Great interview with amazing people who are so under appreciated and deserving of much higher accolades. Minor spoilers about the movie in the article, which is why I spoiler tagged the above...

    Logan Holladay, who performed driving stunts (and set a Guinness world record), Ben Jenkin, who

    [performed stunts involving cars and fire]willingly got lit on fire and hit by a car
    , and Troy Brown, who
    [performed stunts involving falls]plummeted 150 feet for an epic fall
    , sat down with Variety to share their experience on “The Fall Guy,” and why the film’s representation of the stunt community is so vital.

    Great interview with amazing people who are so under appreciated and deserving of much higher accolades. Minor spoilers about the movie in the article, which is why I spoiler tagged the above quote. Square bracket text mine.

    Some questions:

    • How did you each get into stunt work

    • How do you get into the headspace to perform these tasks that could very well kill you?

    • [Logan Holladay's Guiness world record setting stunt on this movie's set]

    • This movie really feels like a love letter to stunt performers. Why is it so important for a project like this to shine a light on stunt work?

    If anyone is very interested in these answers but are afraid of spoilers, let me know I'll see if I can make a spoiler free short edit for you.

    2 votes
    1. [2]
      chocobean
      Link Parent
      Non article interview related comment about the movie: The movie is available on streaming and downloads for various platforms for not really that much money, at their official site...

      Non article interview related comment about the movie:

      The movie is available on streaming and downloads for various platforms for not really that much money, at their official site https://www.thefallguymovie.com/

      Apparently it underperformed at the box office and went straight to online streaming after only 2 weeks? Maybe it's due to a simple story or bad marketing or just....people are so used to seeing cheap CG, they might not appreciate stunts done by real people anymore..... Fwiw I really really liked the film: great action packed romantic comedy, great on screen chemistry for excellent date night film. But I also understand that these days folks don't want to / can't afford to go out see anything unless it's Oppenheimer level event....

      The movie doesn't have huge twists or make sharp social commentaries or has controversial stuff for buzz etc. It really is a love letter to the craft of stunting, and how underappreciated stunt workers' are. And I guess that I'm rather sad, because even though they did a great job, movie goers are just not turning up to see a movie about their industry, and that the film's disappointing box office performance goes to reaffirm how underappreciated their entire industry is.

      Stunts are more than just showing dangerous things on screen: it takes a ton of team work and coordination and practical effects and planning to pull off. The machinery behind each stunt and the safety consideration planning, the gear and chemicals to allow human beings to predictably -- and safely -- survive normally unsurvivable circumstances are their own technical marvels.

      1 vote
      1. GunnarRunnar
        (edited )
        Link Parent
        Tbf, if this was true it would be a great argument against stunt work, especially the dangerous ones. Personally I don't believe that to be the case but I was also underwhelmed by the stunts in...

        people are so used to seeing cheap CG, they might not

        Tbf, if this was true it would be a great argument against stunt work, especially the dangerous ones.

        Personally I don't believe that to be the case but I was also underwhelmed by the stunts in the movie. Maybe I was just tired when watching (a real possibility!) but the way the stunts were set-up in the movie they felt super safe and well managed as most of them were part of the movie making set within the movie. Or maybe it was the humor that undercut it, I don't know.

        But compared to John Wicks or Mad Max Fury Road, the feeling of danger was lacking here. Maybe a raw reality show like camera would've sold the stunts for me.

        Anyway, I liked the movie well, I'd say it's not a waste of time but a good popcorn movie. Not really memorable personally and marketing dropped the ball on this one.

        2 votes