Gary: Franco it's very good to talk with you.

Franco: It's good to talk with you.

 

Gary: You have a new movie out called Ancient Warriors. MTI Home Video is distributing it. Can you tell us a little about the movie?

Franco: It is a three and a half to four million-dollar budget. There's a lot of action. It is an action adventure film based partially on a true story.

 

Gary: Really?

Franco: I'll tell you why. Over two thousand years ago, that's the time when they started mining going from above ground into tunneling. The Venetians came from the Mediterranean to Sardinia before the Romans. They started digging some shinny stuff on a mountain in Sardinia, and they followed the line of this shinny material which was silver and they ended up going underground and that was the first recorded mine made underground. That's how mining evolved. They mined silver in Sardinia for about two thousand years until 1985 and then they closed the mines. About ten thousand miles long. They closed the mines in 1985 because the silver they now pull out of Africa costs much less to pull it out. The sliver mine closed and I went to them and asked if I could get in to film and they said no, and finally the director of the mines who was ninety years old gave in and I said you know we could make a movie in there because the warriors of the Venetians they got dropped in there when the mines closed and they died inside. So we decided to call it Ancient Warriors. In the story the mines are being drilled by this crazy old rich guy who's dying of a disease and so he goes in there and buys all the land because he believes there is a potion in there that can restore his health. In the mean time he's making chemical weapons and all this other stuff. And you know it's very hard to do a film like this because it takes an Indiana Jones size budget and we are on a much smaller budget.

 

Gary: Yes that's true so how did you solve that problem.

Franco: Well my idea was number one I don't build any sets. I shot on location.

 

Gary: So you shot on location in the actual mines in Sardinia?

Franco: Yes. In the actual mines. I spoke with friends there and I said look I am bringing a film to Sardinia and they try to give you everything.

 

Gary: Where is Sardinia located?

Franco: Sardinia is an island in the Mediterranean very close to Corsica, west of Rome. It's very beautiful and it's the only state of Italy that's under populated. Sardinia is less known that Sicily. But anyways I was able to complete the movie.

 

Gary: You produced this through you own production company right?

Franco: Yes and I used private investors not connected to the bank which made it more relaxing to finish the film and not have to worry about giving money back to the bank. And I spent the money on the director and actors and crew. And I was able to finish it after nine eleven. And that was great because after nine eleven a lot of independent crews could not finish their movies because the money dried up and I ended up investing some of my own money and we finished it. So it's really like a little nightmare walking but we completed it, you know? But I want to tell you that action is pretty good. You know it looks very expensive the action is. And the movie is pretty good because of the actors. I mean even though Alec Baldwin is more know than his brother Daniel, Daniel is a better actor in my opinion.

 

Gary: I recently watched Ancient Warriors and it looks like you performed a lot of your own stunts.

Franco: The bottom line is when you go to another country to film many things are different. When you go to shoot and the stunt men are not there yet you better jump yourself or you'll stop the production. And we didn't have the money to stop it. This is why I almost do everything myself.

 

Gary: So you would just get in there and do it huh?

Franco: The stunt men would be late and it was required in most of the stunts because you can see the guys and we don't have the money to make it look like the other way. You know what I mean?

 

Gary: Yeah sure. So I know that you've work on a lot of big films in your career. You made appearances in Conan the Barbarian, Terminator, and The Running Man. You also trained Sylvester Stallone in Rambo: First Blood Part II, any stories to share?

Franco: Oh yes, in the film when Sly shows his stomach muscles, the producer came to me one day…well I trained Sly for Rocky II so they know me anyway and we all get together here and there. So one day they come to me and ask me if I can make Sly look like this in seven weeks and they show me some pictures. And I said why seven weeks? And they said because we start production in seven weeks. And I look at the pictures they brought me of another body builder and I said, you know this guy competes and I don't know if Sly can get this much abdominal work done, I said what happens if it's not this good? And they said very simple he says we get someone else. Sly gets fired. And I said to myself you know producers are so brutal. So Sly calls me an hour later and says Franco, we need to talk. I have to get in shape, we only have seven weeks time how are we gonna do it. And I said it's very simple. At that time was a time where drugs, steroids and growth hormones were coming in, especially in the 80's. Because before when Arnold and I trained there really wasn't any of that, we were training. I was worried that I would not have complete control over Sly's training because Sly loves to be the boss and loves everything to be his way. And I know him very well so I told him that if we train it's gonna be my way. And what I did was I said Sly I can get you in shape like this but we need to have an agreement. A one page contract which is gonna cost you so much so I can stop the other things I was working on and get him in shape. And he agreed and in the contract was a line saying you cannot take anything without my approval. That includes steroids, vitamins and minerals and he looked at that and he said what? And I told him because if you take steroids you get pumped up but you don't get defined and the producers won't be happy. This is all true I still have the contract. I said I know what to do trust me. I trained him so brutal he got in shape in seven weeks. At the end he says to me, I don't think I'm gonna do this again. And I said that's fine but you'll never be in this great of shape again, you know. When making a movie the production comes first, the actors come second and they are not going to hold the production up for you to get in shape.

 

Gary: Ancient Warriors is the third film you've produced under your company?

Franco: Yes I produced Beretta's Island, which Arnold makes an appearance in and another film called Double Cross, which has Frank Stallone in it.

 

Gary: Most people know you most successfully as a body builder and former Mr. Olympia and Mr. Universe. Do you still body build?

Franco: I mostly train part time now. Nothing too heavy. Mostly for health now.

 

Gary: How did you run your production in Ancient Warriors being that your company is in California and the production was in Sardinia?

Franco: Well I learned form the other small films I did that the best crew is if you have minimum one third American's, one third locals, and then the other third from different places. American crews are the experts. What I did is I brought in the crew, about thirty Americans, thirty from Italy and about thirty locals from Sardinia. And what I found was the American crewmembers were always on time and ready to work. The other crew would always be late like a half hour or an hour, which is very bad. So I had to let four people go and then from then on everyone was on time. But that's how it is on a small production you know.

 

Gary: So most people would have seen you in the documentary Pumping Iron with Arnold and Lou Ferrigno. Do still speak with Lou as well.

Franco: Oh yes, I live two miles from Arnold and about three miles from Lou.

 

Gary: You and Arnold are long time best friends.

Franco: Yes.

 

Gary: He was recently inducted as the California Governator. How do you feel Arnold with do in office?

Franco: Arnold will do well because he keeps things very simple. And he put up his own money to run the campaign and he won. So he doesn't have any debts owed to anyone if you know what I mean. He owes no favors. He keeps things simple, very simple. He will make it work.

 

Gary: Franco it was great talking with you.

 

Gary Schtulz is an indie filmmaker from Chicago. He works under an independent production company called Highertribe Productions and spends his days coordinating the Screenwriting Center for Columbia College.

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