Free Enterprise Trivia

by Lukas Kendall

I've been asked this twice in two days so I thought I'd use a website column to promote my friends' movie!

From: "J. L. Sloan" <jsloan@diag.com>

I remember some time ago reading an interview in FILM SCORE MONTHLY with Scott Spock, who did the score for FREE ENTERPRISE. My wife and I finally got around to renting the film on video. We were delighted by all the genre references, and, truth be told, we recognized more than a little of ourselves in the characters (having met more than twenty years ago in a science fiction club). Besides being a long time SF and Trek fan, I'm also an obsessive end-credit reader. And what to I find, to my amazement, in the fine print of the credits, but "Additional Voices: Jeff Bond, Lukas Kendall". So, I gotta know before I have to return the five-day rental to Blockbuster: where do I listen for the voices of the FILM SCORE MONTHLY folks? Rumor has it Jeff even did a cameo! Is this the start of a promising film career? Inquiring minds want to know!

Jeff Bond and I were among the group of pals of the filmmakers who contributed to the "background voices" ADR session for crowd noises. However, you absolutely, positively cannot hear us at all in anything... which is why it's called background voices, I guess.

However, we were also extras in the party scene at the end of the film, when William Shatner performs his rap version of "No Tears for Caesar" along with an actual rap group. Being serenaded in person by Captain Kirk himself was an awesome experience for us all. And, you CAN see us among the crowd in many shots. My own appearance is so fleeting that I could only find it in literally a few frames (yes, I was vain enough to look) -- and as I don't have the DVD with me now, I can't provide that data.

But Jeff Bond and his wife, Brooke -- they made it big. There is a very long shot, one of the movie's final scenes, in which the Robert character reconciles with his girlfriend. The shot is off at the edge of the soundstage in which the party takes place; it starts long and slowly pushes in over the course of the scene. You will see two extras standing at the right, as the dialogue between Robert and his girlfriend takes place primarily in the left of frame: that's Brooke and Jeff. They're famous.

OK, back to film music tomorrow! Feel free to send angry emails condemning this column which is not specifically about film music, as I will delete them sans reply!

Best wishes,

Lukas@filmscoremonthly.com