017 - WallerSouth
Long, long ago . . . in the land before pagers, cellular phones and the internet . . .
. . . in 1985, with stages built and electrified - and shops, warehouses and offices up-fitted and occupied - DEG Studios was now capable of hosting numerous motion picture productions simultaneously, and it was doing just that. But to keep the cameras rolling, and productions connected to world beyond, telephones and telephone lines were needed. Hundreds of them.
So Gerald Waller added another course to his already full plate, convincing Dino to invest in a PBX system that would become a new standard for the industry. For those of us who applied our trade at 1223 North 23rd Street - the phones simply worked. Whether you were calling down to the set dressing shop, or to the lumber yard across town, or searching for a vendor in Japan! - “WallerSouth” delivered clear and reliable calling . . . and profits for DEG.
Theme music by Turbo Pro Project.
016 - Gerald, We Don’t Hug the Chinese!
The WRAP BEER community is forever thankful for Gerald’s dedication, effort, and success!!!
Theme music by Turbo Pro Project.
015 - Gerald Aced the Test! - Part 1
If the movie studio at 1223 North 23rd Street is anything - it’s an engineering marvel. Exposing motion picture film requires a significant amount of light, and therefore an enormous number of electrons arriving at the right place at the right time. Six stages that became nine - and then ten - needing studio distribution, house lights and air conditioning for the sub-tropic climate of the Cape Fear. A five-block-long backlot - christened as New York City’s Chinatown - with 400 neon lights. Construction mills and SPFX welding shops among the total of 22 buildings - rising from the swamp - in need of power, office lights, and HVAC.
Gerald Waller, our only Studio Engineer - guided by his training, his instincts and the strict North Carolina Electric Code - figured it out.
The WRAP BEER community is forever thankful for Gerald’s dedication, effort, and success!!!
Theme music by Turbo Pro Project.
010 - gelber Mann!
After meeting Tantar on the set of Firestarter, Fred Pickler strolled into the film industry as a savvy supplier of specialized props. In doing so, he wandered into one of the most iconic “badman” performances in cinematic history – the role of Detective Tom Gordon, aka Yellowman - in David Lynch’s Blue Velvet. And such serendipity could not have happened to a nicer guy and one of our finer examples of a Wilmington filmmaker. Fred is joined by his career-long colleague and friend, propman Vernon Harrell as we witness a small portion of Fred’s wonderous life.
Theme music by Turbo Pro Project.
009 - There is No ‘I’ in Grip!
Grip /ɡrɪp/ noun
1
a: a strong or tenacious grasp had a good grip on the tennis racket
b: strength in gripping
c: manner or style of gripping the balanced grip of an expert golfer 2
a: a firm tenacious hold typically giving control, mastery, or understanding has the country in his grip
b: mental grasp can't seem to get a grip on
3 : a part or device for gripping
4 : a part by which something is grasped: HANDLE
5 : SUITCASE
6 a: a stage worker who handles scenery, properties, or lights: STAGEHAND
b: a technician on a motion-picture or television set who handles and maintains equipment (such as cameras and their dollies and cranes)
7 Jeffrey “Moose” Howery, Bobby Huber, Dennis Zoppe, Scott Davis
Theme music by Turbo Pro Project.
008 - What Can We Do for Each Other?
Handpicked by Dino and Martha to manage the day-to-day operations and outreach, Jayme Bednarczyk’s genuine warmth and kindness permeated the DEG Studio lot from the very beginning. In so doing, she set the tone for a growing crowd of young filmmakers that were “learning the ropes while swinging from them.” Meanwhile, a small town on the the Cape Fear needed the same nurturing when the circus came to town, and decided to stay. To this day, Wilmington and its crews are known for their congenial nature and polite professionalism. And we all can thank Jayme for that.
Theme music by Turbo Pro Project.
007 - The Dr. Is In Again!
Dr. Jones returns to WRAP BEER! with more tales of the wild, the weird, and the deep. Scott Davis blasts off from the dunes of Wrightsville Beach before landing a loving tribute to the life and work of John Verardi, first assistant cameraman - as told by John’s friends and the very community of WRAP BEER!
With Chuck Potter on the guest bar stool.
Six Pack #2 Trailer
SIX PACK #2 Trailer
Tom Jones, Jr, Jayme Bednarczyk, Moose Howery, Bobby Huber, Dennis Zoppe, Fred Pickler, Vernon Harrell, Francine DeCoursey, Michael DeVries, Vic & Johnny Griffin.
006 - MORE BUBBLES!!!
GUEST: CHUCK POTTER
Hailing from Mississippi, Louisiana and Nashville . . . Chuck Potter passed though Wilmington on his way to New York City . . . and an esteemed career as a set decorator. But he keeps coming back!!!! Chuck’s stories are as rich and delicious as the homemade gumbo he serves from his home in Wilmington.
005 - The Dr. Is In!
GUEST: TOM JONES, Jr.
Mr. Jones joined the migration from Shelby and spent four decades building scenery in Wilmington and beyond. Famously cool and calm in the most strenuous conditions, ie. “The Abyss,” Mr. Jones has finally become . . . well . . . famous.
004 - Everybody Loves the Monkey!
On July 13, 1983, the Morning Star headline read, “Firestarter Set to Film in Wilmington.” The town would never be the same. Hosts SCOTT DAVIS and JOHN D. KRETSCHMER introduce “WRAP BEER!” and recount their very first days, and the dawning of a new era of a new era on the Cape Fear.
003 - This is It.
Guests: VERNON HARRELL & JOHN BANKSON
After Dino’s & David Lynch’s “Dune” flopped at the box office, Lynch arrived in Wilmington to produce “Blue Velvet” on a drastically reduced budget. The rest is history . . . .
002 - The Tribe
Guests: JEFFREY SCHLATTER & RUSTY EDMONSON
“If it hadn’t had happened already, I would tell you that it couldn’t be done.” - Bill Arnold, NC Film Office. In 1973, Earl Owensby filmed over 35 feature films at his studio in Shelby , NC, and never lost a dime! When Dino Delaurentiis came to North Carolina, he first visited The EO Corporation before deciding to settle in Wilmington. He was followed by dozens of EO employees who migrated to the Cape Fear.
001 - WRAP BEER!
On July 13, 1983, the Morning Star headline read, “Firestarter Set to Film in Wilmington.” The town would never be the same. Hosts SCOTT DAVIS and JOHN D. KRETSCHMER introduce “WRAP BEER!” and recount their very first days, and the dawning of a new era of a new era on the Cape Fear.