Jackalope Entertainment

07/11/2024

Welcome back to Baylor Craig Rolan Martin. Got to see him speak in Greg Jurls’ class last night and have dinner at his old stomping grounds George’s. With Mike Davis & Amy Craine Davis.

04/11/2024

New era starts today. New location. Unpacking has begun.

02/11/2024

Blackout. Go Bears.

02/11/2024

Here’s the news story about Azbells moving to the new location after nearly 75 years on Speight Ave.

Owner Billy Azbell says even though the company had to adjust to changes over the years, their Speight location did not have enough space for the growing company to continue their operations.

12/10/2024

Enjoyed being on a filmmaking panel this afternoon for a conference at the Hurd Center. Thx to Samuel Thomas & Louis Hunter from the Waco Independent Film Festival for inviting me to be a part of it.

03/10/2024

A few more of my pics from Thorne EMI Elstree Studios near London from 1985. Robert Watt's office at Lucasfilm UK was the top corner office. The following pic is the Star Wars stage built for The Empire Strikes Back. Robert took me into the stage where Jim Henson was filming Labyrinth at the time. I got to watch him shoot with Jennifer Connelly and the crew for about an hour on the goblin village set. I got his autograph and he talked just like Kermit the Frog. On the way in I met actor Kenny Baker who played R2-D2. All 3 original Star Wars & Indiana Jones films were shot here along with many other well known movies. A day that changed my life path.

02/10/2024

Pics I rarely have shared.....Inside Lucasfilm UK in Aug 1985. While I was in Robert Watt's office, he took a call from Frank Marshall & Kathy Kennedy who were in Africa scouting for The Color Purple. Lucasfilm props were everywhere. Robert was working on the George Lucas/Jim Henson movie Labyrinth at the time. Robert was overseeing the project for Lucasfilm. Robert Watts passed away yesterday after a long distinguished carrier in the move industry.

02/10/2024

RIP Robert Watts. Robert insisted I put on the coat he wore in Norway while filming The Empire Strikes Back. It was several sizes too small. But he loved sharing that experience with fans. Alex & Tommy holding a slate from Empire. At one point he produced or co-produced or worked on 6 of the top 10 grossing films of all-time. He also had a cameo in Return of the Jedi & Temple of Doom.

02/10/2024

In 1985 I had a chance meeting with famed movie producer Robert Watts at Elstree Studios outside London. He took me up into his office at Lucasfilm Ltd UK and visited with me about getting into the film business. That inspiration carried over to me and changed the course of my life. Last night Robert Watts passed away at the age of 86. He produced Indiana Jones & the Temple of Doom and the Last Crusade and Who Framed Roger Rabbit, as well as co-producing The Empire Strikes Back & Return of the Jedi among other movies. He worked on 2 007 movies as well, Thunderball & You Only Live Twice.

I had the chance to see him again in 2008 in Dallas and introduce him to my boys and friend Greg Jurls. I gave him a copy of the first feature film I directed a few years earlier. He wrote me a couple letters in the late 80's and we exchanged a few emails after the meeting in Dallas. The first pic here I took of him outside the gates at Elstree. The rest of the pics are from our visit in 2008. Robert was widely regarded in the film industry as a great person. I've always given him credit for being the one person who gave me the confidence and drive to do what I've been doing for the last 37 plus years. He will be missed.

26/09/2024

Saw Super/Man The Christopher Reeve Story tonight. Very well done & moving documentary.

08/09/2024

Here’s where Ethan & Grace escape from everyone chasing them. They drive backwards and break through this gate. On the above right you can see the “police station” where the scene began on the upper street level. Roman Colosseum still in view.

08/09/2024

You can see the tunnel gate in the wall on the right that Tom Cruise has spotted for an escape route. I had a brief moment to quickly step out into traffic to take a pic.

08/09/2024

Ethan Hunt borrows a police motorcycle to chase Grace thru the streets of Rome. The Roman Colosseum is in the background.  This chase ends literally on the lower level street below this.

08/09/2024

This is where the chase scene began with Grace running out of the “police station”. So much of this scene was shot around the Roman Colosseum. Lotta construction in the way for me. Mission Impossibke Dead Reckoning. 

06/09/2024

Not sure if a prop metro sign was used or if it’s changed since filming took place, but this was in the right area for where Tom Cruise shot this reverse of him exiting the metro.

05/09/2024

This is the closed metro station exit that Tom Cruise walked out of near the Roman Colosseum handcuffed to a steering wheel. I’d hoped to recreate the clip since it’s a nice reveal to the Colosseum.

05/09/2024

Took a little extra time to find this location as it’s up a street level and this metro station exit was closed.