In my movie Death Machines, I wanted to have a hitman blown up by a bazooka, filmed in one shot without editing. That’s me in the photo lining up the shot with cameramen Don Rust and Jan Van Tassell.

Our effects-man rigged an ‘air-mortar’ under the hit man. That’s a cannon filled with dust and pieces of cork that explodes using air pressure. Next to it was a flash-pot to add real fire to the dust. 

The bazooka was wired so the effects-man could fire it with a button. A split second later (to allow for rocket travel time), he would hit another button to set off the explosion under the hitman.

The hitman had to fly over the car and also protect the rifle. He figured he could cradle the rifle in his arms. To get enough spring, Jan Van Tassell got under the hitman with his feet on his butt to make him fly. 

I called action and shot was perfect .... I thought. But Ron called out from the hill, “The explosion went off before the bazooka fired.”

The effects-man said, “The air mortar was slow to respond. But now I know the timing.” We cleaned the dust off the car and got it perfectly on the next take. The overkill of the bazooka blowing up the unsuspecting hitman always got a laugh in the theater.

Editing Secret: We cut out two frames of film between the explosion and the hitman flying. This made his action more jarring and sudden. Take a look at it again and see if you can see the 'jump cut'.

Our Special Effects Man was Richard Albains. He did the special effects for 128 episodes of I Dream of Jennie, Nightmare on Elm Street as well as the classic TV movie Trilogy of Terror where Karin Black is chased around her apartment by a Zuni doll. It was Richard who was under the set, in place of the doll, cutting his way out of the suitcase with a knife.

I send Richard my hand-drawn storyboards of all the effects we need including the bazooka scene. He told me, "Those were the clearest storyboards I've ever seen." (A compliment I needed at the time directing the ambitious project.)

Death Machines was my 2nd feature film which opened in 50 theates in Southern California because it got distributed by Crown International. It's now available in bluray with my commentary. 

In 2018, I completed writing / directing Forbidden Power which won 28 first-place awards at film festivals. You can watch it on Amazon via the link below.

After a one-night affair with a mysterious woman, a young man wakes up with enhanced powers.