Customer Reviews

The Full Burn: On the Set, at the Bar, Behind the Wheel, and Over the Edge with Hollywood Stuntmen

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In "The Full Burn," Kevin Conley, author of "Stud," examines a different kind of stud: the braver, tougher, and cooler (than you me) men and women who work as professional stuntmen and stuntwomen. Conley spent years visiting the sets of some of the stand-out action movies of recent years (the third Bourne movie, Tarantino's Grindhouse flick) as well as those of a couple action-heavy stinkers ("The Punisher"), in order to examine the lives and craft of some of the contemporary masters in the field (like the guy who went under the truck in "Raiders of the Lost Ark," sometimes called the most dangerous stunt ever). The result is part biography, part history, part how-to, and even part George Plimpton when Conley himself steps into the line of fire (literally). Once again, Conley demonstrates a great sense of character and an eye for the weird detail and, to name two, his descriptions of shooting car chases in the Tarantino film and alligator wrestling in a B-movie shot in a Louisiana swamp are terrifically fun.

sometime back in the late 1970s,movie stunt performers started to get the recognition they deserved.TV specials and magazine articles appeared showing their many thrilling 'gags'.and then,they slowly dropped back out of sight as budgets got smaller and computers got bigger(in power,if not size).kevin conley reintroduces us to the world of stunt perfomers(stuntman is a phrase not used much anymore..like mailman).we meet old legends and new 'extreme' up and comers who create newer,bigger,badder(and sometimes cheaper) stunts in a world were CGI effects endanger employment but reduce risk to performers.we have gone from audiances wondering'how'd they do that?' to 'aww..its just a computer' when watching the impossible.my only real complaint of this book is its too short and a book like this cries out for more pictures(but it does have some).you will read about the lives of these remarkable people in front of and behind the camera..the hard life,both emotionally and physically,of a modern stunt performer..shop talk..practical jokes,feuds,etc.of the men and women who thrill us for a few seconds of glory and a few dollars more in their pockets.

This book has several themes. We learn about the history of stuntmen starting in the silent era with possibly the 1st stunt in 1908, through the Keystone Cops, the westerns and now the contemporary era. As the nature of the stunts-called "gags" from the many comedies of the silent era-evolved their background changed from former extras, clowns and roustabouts to rodeo riders and saddle bronc champs to athletes, former Navy Seals, martial arts experts and champion dirt bike riders. Yakima Canut who started in silent pictures may have been the most influential stunt person of all time. His signature stunt was jumping onto the horses of a runaway stage coach and sliding hand over hand underneath the coach front to back. A version of this stunt was seen in the Indiana Jones films.

There are several thousand stuntmen but only a few hundred work regularly and earn in the 6 figures annually. They get paid Screen Actor Guild rates plus a fee for each stunt perfance on a graded complexity. Professional advancement is from the basics of car driving, full burns and falls to more complex stunts and to Stunt Coordinator, Second Unit Director and Directors of action films. Frequently they get acting roles because of the action required of secondary characters.

Conley focuses on Hollywood stuntmen meaning those who work the major stunts regulary. The interviews with some major performers are interesting. Many of these are 2nd and 3rd geration performers and have family stories to tell. More recently, women have gotten into the business...at one time men wore wigs. Conley does a the "Full Burn" of the title and describes the experience in detail.

There are in-depth interviews with the Stunt Co-ordinators and 2nd Unit Directors responsible the stunts on films including Death Proof, Punisher, Dukes of Hazard, Matrix Reloaded and the Bourne series among others.

One of the more revelaling details is the blue collar work ethic that the stunt performers have. They do not see themselves as stars. Once a stunt is completed regardless of the complexity, they ready to work on the next one. And each is meticulously planned in order to minimize the risk of injury. More injuries occur while the performers work on their own to develop their skills than when they actually perform before the camera because of the detailed nature of the planning before each shot.

While performing on camera may seem romantic and glamorous to many, this is a dangerous profession where risk can never be entirely eliminated. The final chapter tells how the business is adapting to the use of Computer Graphic Imaging. At the end Conley observes that at the annual Thanksgiving weekend gathering called A Day in the Dirt, many limps, injury handicaps and beaten bodies are in view.

I liked this book especially for the descriptions of complex stunts. If you have ever wondered "How did they do that" this is for you. Conley does give in to a certain amount of romanticism when he writes that often stuntmen only need to appear on a movie set and everybody knows who they are by the way they carry themselves. The truth is each day's Call Sheet lets the crew know when to expect the stunt performers.

This book is a must read for all aspiring stuntmen and women as well as would-be action directors. The writing and stories of stunt professionals is so compelling I couldn't put it down.

Good book. Unfortunately I had to read my friend's copy as I have not received my copy or a response to my e-mails(3 so far this week) from the seller.