American Judoka

Ty, Phoenix. Liam, Jojo

O.k. Here is the story on J's big movie. In about June/July he started to take Judo. One of the teachers was a brown belt named Cesar. He told some of the older kids that he was making a Independent movie about Judo and to come and tryout for the kids in the background and competitors for the main rolls to fight. J. really wanted to do it so we went. Well, he did so well that they cast him as a lead. A poor motherless boy named "Phoenix" They had to change the age from 14 to 12 because he is so small.

When they did the cast read through of the script they were short people so they asked if I could help them out. Seeing how I'm always willing and help out I read the lines for the ref. , a cop and Kathreen one of the kids mom and helper at the "Safe Haven Children Program". When we were done they asked me if I would consider playing the roll of "Kathreen" because the actress who was doing it had conflicts and I have to be there anyway with J. Cesar told me later that they were all impressed by my reading. I haven't really acted since high school but I thought no sweat. They had to re-write the scrip so that it was shorter and took out most of my lines. Fine with me.


We started filming the first weekend in October and were at it all day Saturday and Sunday. We had a week off then we finished this weekend working all day on Saturday. J. had so much fun with it. The other boys were so much older and bigger than him. He did a great job and I was very impressed with him. He kept giving Cesar ideas on how to play scenes or different lines. He is an actor but what he realy wants to do is direct. Cesar said that he would make a great director when he grows up but we have better plans for him.

I on the other hand was very nervous and found it all very disconcerting. Do you know how many pictures I have of me not to mention videos? Almost none and I like it that way. I don't feel very natural in front of a camera. The second weekend the main gal "Lori" couldn't make it so they gave me two extra scenes. Its all good, I'm a team player.

This is the tournament fight scene that J. did. This poor kid got dumped like 20 times. First they had to block it, then rehearse it in the other room, then block it for the camera, then they did 3 or 4 takes at different angles. I kept thinking that J. was going to drop this kid on his head.




We will let everyone who wants to see this know when it is done. They took some photos the last day of shooting (when I really wasn't ready) for Publicity. Cesar said they would be on his myspace soon.