Long time readers of this blog will know that I’ve been looking back at my diaries from ten years ago, during the filming of Robot Overlords. From now on the diary entries you’ll see are the ones featured in the back of the film’s novelisation (and if you want a signed and dedicated copy of the paperback, then please step this way and click here).
I managed to convince Jon to cast me, my wife Claire, our kids George (11 and suffering from growing pains) and Emily (13), my dad Derek and his friend Kevin as extras in the Poseidon Hotel crowd scenes. By this point the shoot had moved to the Isle of Man.
Sunday 7th July
Douglas, Isle of Man
A rather noisy and thrumming flight on a prop engine plane to the Isle of Man this morning. Movies have taught me two things about prop engines: 1) they conk out, usually mid-flight, and 2) they’re good for slicing-up Nazis. Disappointingly, the engines on our plane did neither.
Our taxi driver did his best to sell the island to us: there are no foxes, moles or badgers on the Isle of Man, there are some stretches of road with unlimited speeding, and we had to say hello to the fairies as we crossed over the fairy bridge. Very peculiar.
Met with dad and Kevin for lunch and, later, dinner. Dad got all proud and soppy over dinner. It was very sweet.
We’d had a stroll along the front earlier to find the location for tomorrow, bumping into Ella, then Callan, then (our Line Producer) Aidan Elliot on the way. Claire had to take George back to the hotel early. Still tired from his growing pains. We relaxed in the hotel room all afternoon, watching Andy Murray make history winning Wimbledon. The room is nice, but stuffy. I did nod off, but was awake to see him win the final set.
Monday 8th July
Douglas – Isle of Man
A fun, but exhausting day as an extra at the Castlemona Hotel. We all arrived at 8.15am for costume. Our clothing was deemed ‘not outrageous enough’ and the costume dept. got to work kitting us out. Dad looked like a 60s acid casualty, and Kevin ended up in a dress with a mohair cardigan (the costume lady took one look at Kevin – a former police officer, over 6ft tall with a beard – and said, ‘I’m putting you in a frock!’).
I got off lightly with a cotton paisley gown.
We soon realised just what the costume department meant when I met some of our fellow extras. They looked amazing, and many came in their own clothes, with terrific hair and beards and one girl had these incredible metal cones on her forehead. We, in comparison, were quite the squares. Paddy got roped-in too, and his paisley gown complimented mine*.
*And in any subsequent script revisions we were referred to as the Camp Gentlemen in the gowns.
We started with an energetic scene — a punch-up between two brawlers, and the crowd went wild cheering these guys on. Claire had to pretend to be drunk/unconscious while all this was going on as Emily tried to wake her up, and George joined in the yelling with gusto. I couldn’t see, but apparently dad was cheering while standing on a chair at the back.
We worked our way through shot after shot, and the room got hotter and hotter, but spirits remained high. I got chatting to Jon’s dad Bill – also roped-in as an extra with Jon’s sister – who looked like Willie Nelson in his get-up. He was always quick with a joke to gee people on.
George began to flag and he had his head on the table between scenes. He was tired and in pain, not a great combination. But Emily was having a great time. She and I ended up in the scene where our heroes are grabbed by the mob. Em was pulling at James Tarpey’s coat, while I was wrestling with Ella Hunt. She was fighting me by jamming her hand under my chin. Her refrain between takes would be, ‘Right, let’s have the chin…’
Tamer Hassan, despite suffering with a foot in a cast, soldiered on through a key scene with a shotgun, and we all somehow kept the energy levels up… except George who spent some of the afternoon with the nurse. His growing pains so bad, that if you listened carefully you could hear him creaking like bamboo.
Jon seemed to think we’d all be in it, though so much would depend on the final cut. But he was happy and with two and a half weeks to go there’s a feeling that they’re in the final straight.
While Claire and the kids rested, I went for a drink with dad and Kevin. Ella was playing piano and singing in the hotel bar — and very good she was too. Had a quick chat with Ella and her mum before turning in. Early start tomorrow.
Thursday 9th July – Douglas to Epsom
We did our longest school run ever today. Up at 4.45am to get to Douglas airport (where George and I saw the actor John Rhys Davies queuing in security. We somehow held back from sidling up to him and whispering, ‘Asps… very dangerous…’). We were on a plane a couple of hours later, then dashed from Gatwick to a local supermarket for packed lunches and quick change into school uniform and both in school by 10am.
Damn, we’re good. And knackered.
I did a little writing in the afternoon, but kept nodding off. Back on track tomorrow hopefully.
Oh, and I bought a new office chair. Exciting!
Also got a very nice text from Jon. I’d thanked him for letting us join in all the fun, and he replied saying that he hoped I liked the finished film, and that he was putting everything into it. I don’t doubt him for a second and am massively impressed with his efforts.
This was an insane few days, and we still talk about it now and yes we all made it into the final film. Sort of. Here are some screen grabs from the finished movie…
George’s growing pains really wore the poor lad down and he was exhausted and spent a lot of the afternoon’s filming with a nurse. He’s made up for it since. He’s six foot two inches tall, studying acting at university, and has his mother’s looks and talent so has the potential to go far!
Here are a few behind-the-scenes pics from the day…
I could show you the photo of Dad in his moo moo, but he’s threatened me with legal action, so sorry folks.
And yes, we really did see John Rhys-Davies on that long school run which just added to the surreal nature of our little adventure. I had used up all my allotted on-set days by now (there was budget to have me on location for eight days only, including the rehearsals), so these were my last days on the shoot, meaning I did miss out on the day when they filmed the Spitfire, but I wouldn’t have missed these days on the Isle of Man for anything. Making movies is insane and fun and I’d like to do more, please.
Mark Stay Writes 