Firestorm (1998)

Director:

Dean Semler

Writer (WGA):

Chris Soth (written by)

Release Date:

9 January 1998 (USA)

Genre:

Thriller | Action

Tagline:

Fight fire with fire.

Plot:

Firefighter Jesse Graves has to save ornithologist Jennifer and other people caught in a forest fire...

Plot Keywords:

Fire | Forest Fire | Jail Break | Disaster | Smokejumper

Cast

Howie Long	...	Jesse Graves
Scott Glenn	...	Wynt Perkins
William Forsythe	...	Randall Alexander Shaye
Suzy Amis	...	Jennifer
Christianne Hirt	...	Monica
Garwin Sanford	...	Pete
Sebastian Spence	...	Cowboy
Michael Greyeyes	...	Andy
Barry Pepper	...	Packer
Vladimir Kulich	...	Karge
Tom McBeath	...	Loomis
Benjamin Ratner	...	Wilkins
Jonathon Young	...	Sherman
Chilton Crane	...	Tina's Mom
Robyn Driscoll	...	Tina's Dad
Alexandria Mitchell	...	Tina
Terry Kelly	...	Lawyer
David Fredericks	...	Guard
Gavin Buhr	...	Childs
Danny Wattley	...	Moody
Derek Hamilton	...	Dwyer
Adrien Dorval	...	Belcher (as Adrian Dorval)
Jon Cuthbert	...	Davis
Sean Campbell	...	Deputy
Deryl Hayes	...	Sheriff Garrett
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Gina Mari	...	(uncredited)

Directed by
Dean Semler

Writing credits (WGA)
Chris Soth		(written by)

Produced by
Thomas M. Hammel	....	producer
Jeph Loeb	....	producer (as Joseph Loeb III)
Doug Metzger	....	co-producer (as Douglas C. Metzger)
Louise Rosner	....	executive producer
Matthew Weisman	....	producer

Original Music by
J. Peter Robinson

Cinematography by
Stephen F. Windon		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Jack Hofstra

Casting by
Allison Gordon-Kohler		(as Allison Gordon Kohler)

Production Design by
Linda Del Rosario
Richard Paris

Set Decoration by
Dominique Fauquet-Lemaitre

Makeup Department
Rita Ciccozzi	....	first assistant makeup artist
Jill Corp	....	assistant hair stylist
Lisa Love	....	key makeup artist

Production Management
Stewart Bethune	....	production manager
Charlie Davis	....	post-production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Julian Forbes	....	second second assistant director
Jeremy Kinnear	....	trainee assistant director
Doug Metzger	....	first assistant director
Lori K. Peterson	....	trainee assistant director
Glenn R. Wilder	....	second unit director (as Glenn Wilder)

Art Department
Robert Bonino	....	construction coordinator
Darrin Denlinger	....	storyboard artist
Michael Dundas	....	paint foreman
Dean Eilertson	....	property master
Brian Epp	....	assistant property master
Sean Ginevan	....	labor foreman
Jason B. Landels	....	assistant property master
James Steuart	....	assistant art director

Sound Department
Javier Bennassar	....	sound effects editor
Rick Bold	....	boom operator
Alan Freedman	....	adr mixer
Frank Gaeta	....	sound supervisor
Patrick Giraudi	....	additional sound re-recording mixer
Catherine Harper	....	foley artist
David Husby	....	sound mixer
Robert Jackson	....	dialogue editor
Thomas Jones	....	adr supervisor
Derek Marcil	....	sound re-recording mixer
Michael Mullane	....	foley editor
Michael Mullane	....	sound editor
John Ross	....	sound re-recording mixer
Roland N. Thai	....	sound effects editor
Derek Vanderhorst	....	sound effects editor
John Lajvort	....	sound editorial engineer (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Jeff Bresin	....	special effects technician
Martin Bresin	....	special effects: L.A. unit (as Marty Bresin)
Paul Clancy	....	special effects technician
Chris Corbould	....	special effects coordinator
Rory Cutler	....	special effects: Canadian coordinator
Paul Dunn	....	special effects crew
Nick Finlayson	....	senior special effects technician
Darrell Guyon	....	special effects technician
Alan Poole	....	special effects senior technician
Grant Smith	....	special effects assistant
Attila Vaski	....	special effects assistant
Cam Waldbauer	....	special effects: Canada (as Cameron Waldbauer)
David H. Watkins	....	special effects coordinator
Andy Williams	....	floor supervisor: second unit

Visual Effects by
Gary Abrahamian	....	firestorm sequence supervisor
Chris Allen	....	production software support
Chris Bergman	....	digital compositor
Jennifer Bergman	....	visual effects producer: VIFX
Greg Bradner	....	systems support
Mark A. Brown	....	chief technologist: VIFX
Matt Brown	....	digital record out operator
Stephane Cojot-Goldberg	....	effects camera operator
Brian C. Davis	....	3D digital artist/compositor: VIFX
John 'D.J.' Des Jardin	....	visual effects supervisor
Mark DeSousa	....	3D digital artist
Bill Dietrich	....	digital smokejumper/axe man
Gus Duron	....	media coordinator
Gus Duron	....	visual effects editor: VIFX
Chow Emrich	....	digital model supervisor (as Robert Emerich)
Anders Ericson	....	3D cliff fall team
Nathan Eriksen	....	digital record out operator
Meg Freeman	....	digital paintings
Bob Froehlig	....	systems manager
Gian Ganziano	....	visual effects Avid editor: Blue Sky/VIFX
Gary George	....	digital record out manager
Scott Giegler	....	3D cliff fall guy
Bryan Hirota	....	digital effects supervisor: VIFX
Jen Howard	....	digital compositor (as Jennifer Howard)
Christopher Ivins	....	digital effects compositor: VIFX
Josh R. Jaggars	....	visual effects production manager: VIFX
Greg Kozikowski	....	video village operator
Harry Lam	....	digital compositing supervisor
Liz Lord	....	digital compositor
Zeke Morales	....	media coordinator
Craig Newman	....	digital department manager
Shayna Ritenour	....	effects production assistant
Mike Roby	....	digital artist
Jose Romero	....	systems support
Marc Rubone	....	digital compositor
John Sanders	....	digital record out operator
Cybele Sierra	....	digital compositor
Fred Simon	....	systems support
Carey Smith	....	visual effects coordinator
Brad Spencer	....	digital record out operator
Brad Spencer	....	visual effects: VIFX
David Stephens	....	3D cliff fall team
David Stephens	....	procedural landscapes
Jeff Sturgill	....	effects camera operator
Rich Thorne	....	production executive
Donna Tracy	....	digital paintings
John Wissler	....	digital model construction

Stunts
Charles Andre	....	stunts (as Charles André)
James Bamford	....	stunts
Bill Beasley	....	stunts
Milt Burton	....	stunts
William H. Burton	....	stunts
Lauro Chartrand	....	stunts
Dean Choe	....	stunts
John Davies	....	stunts
Jan M. Davis	....	stunts (as Jan Davis)
Babe Dolan	....	stunts (as D.M. Babe Dolan)
Jim Dunn	....	stunts
Kevin Dyck	....	stunts
Marny Eng	....	stunts
Jason Glass	....	stunts
Brian Gough	....	stunts
Kim Howey	....	stunts
Ken James	....	stunts
George Josef	....	stunts
Ken Kirzinger	....	stunt coordinator: Canada
Tom Krasny	....	stunts
Michael Langlois	....	stunts
Terrance Leigh	....	stunts
Brad Loree	....	stunts
David Major	....	stunts
J.J. Makaro	....	stunts
Scott Nicholson	....	stunts
Harry O'Connor	....	stunts (as Harry L. O'Connor)
Robert A. Pandini	....	stunts (as Robert Pandini)
Keith Perepelkin	....	stunts
Fred Perron	....	stunts
James Ralph	....	stunt double: William Forsythe
Dan Redford	....	stunts
Jacob Rupp	....	stunts
Tom Sanders	....	stunts
Greg Sanson	....	stunt performer
Trish Schill	....	stunts (as Patricia Schill)
Sheilagh Seaton	....	stunts
Kymberly Sheppard	....	stunts
Heath Stevenson	....	stunts
Bill Stewart	....	stunts
Dawn Stofer-Rupp	....	stunts (as Dawn Stofer)
Melissa R. Stubbs	....	stunts
Moe Viletto	....	stunts (as Morris Viletto)
Keith Wardlow	....	stunts
Ron Wheeler	....	stunts
Glenn R. Wilder	....	stunt coordinator
Scott Wilder	....	stunts
B.J. Worth	....	stunts (as Bruce 'B.J.' Worth)
Danny Wynands	....	stunts (as Danny M. Wynands)
Terrance Leigh	....	stunt double (uncredited)
Melissa R. Stubbs	....	stunt double: Suzy Amis (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Jim Filippone	....	pilot: Wescam camera
Megan Forste	....	second assistant camera: USA
Darryl Foulds	....	grip
Gaetan Jalbert	....	gaffer: second unit
Steve Koster	....	camera operator: Wescam camera
Duane Manwiller	....	first assistant camera: "a" camera, USA
Rob McEwan	....	still photographer
Andrew Mulkani	....	key grip
John Stokes	....	director of photography: second unit
Jeff Upton	....	gaffer
Sam Urdank	....	still photographer: Los Angeles
Carrie Wilson	....	second assistant camera
Sarah Baldwin	....	remote head technician (uncredited)
Gary Bridges	....	underwater camera technician (uncredited)
Neil McDaniel	....	underwater camera operator (uncredited)

Casting Department
James Forsyth	....	extras casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Shane Deschamps	....	costume set supervisor
Karin Nosella	....	assistant costume designer
Lee Sollenberger	....	set costumer (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Gary Burritt	....	negative cutter
Caroline Hardon	....	assistant editor: Canada
Kristin Kiernan	....	negative cutter
Lynn Leonhard	....	assistant editor
Mike Stanwick	....	color timer
Kristina Trirogoff	....	first assistant editor

Music Department
Sandy DeCrescent	....	orchestra contractor
Robert Fernandez	....	scoring mixer
Jon Kull	....	orchestrator
Robert Puff	....	music preparation
David Sabee	....	orchestra contractor

Transportation Department
John Armstrong	....	transportation captain
Dave Miller	....	driver: cast
Chris J. Clayton	....	driver (uncredited)

Other crew
Ted Bell	....	helicopter pilot
Andrew Blau	....	assistant to producer
Bruce L. Brownstein	....	location manager
Robert D. Brugger	....	set medic
John 'Buff' Buffery	....	safety coordinator (as John Buffery)
John Carron	....	playback coordinator
Dan Crosby	....	marine coordinator
Dana Dubé	....	animal trainer
Tim Eldridge	....	technical advisor
Jim Filippone	....	aerial coordinator
Jennifer Harland	....	background coordinator
Lee Jenkinson	....	accounting clerk
Bonnie Judd	....	animal trainer
Michael Kehoe	....	craft service: Los Angeles
Lana Krotenko	....	script supervisor: second unit
Bertram McCann	....	marine coordinator: Los Angeles
Douglas Kahelemauna Nam	....	assistant: Mr. Semler
Linda Pearce	....	assistant production office coordinator
Portia Tickell	....	script supervisor (as Portia Belmont)
Ian Zweig	....	chef

Production Companies

• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation
• Loeb-Weisman

Distributors

• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation (1998) (USA) (theatrical)
• Filmes Castello Lopes (1998) (Portugal) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (1998) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (1999) (USA) (DVD)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (1999) (USA) (VHS)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2007) (USA) (DVD) (triple feature)
• Abril Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (2000) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• V8 (2002) (Netherlands) (TV)

Special Effects

• Blue Sky/VIFX (special visual effects and digital animation) (as VIFX)

Other Companies

• Aerial Fire Depot  special thanks
• American Humane Association, The  animal action monitoring
• Cinema Research  titles and opticals (as Cinema Research Corporation)
• Deborah Ross Film Design  main title design
• Deluxe  prints
• Digital Sound & Picture  post-production sound editing
• Digital Sound & Picture  post-production sound recording
• Fried Films  special thanks
• Panavision  cameras and lenses

MPAA:

Rated R for violence and language.

Runtime:

89 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

Singapore:NC-16 | Iceland:16 | USA:R (certificate #35370) | South Korea:15 | Philippines:PG-13 | Netherlands:12 (TV rating) | Netherlands:16 (original rating) | Spain:7 | Australia:M | Germany:16 | Portugal:M/12 | UK:15 (video premiere)

Filming Locations:

Castaic, California, USA

Company:

Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Trivia:

Veteran parachutist Keith Perepelkin died after his main chute failed during a stunt where he jumped from a helicopter onto " Squamish Chief" in British Columbia, Canada. The stunt was performed in violation of the Canadian filming permit.

Goofs:

Continuity: As the chainsaw pierces the windscreen of the car, a bracket is visible on the tip of the saw. In the next shot it is no longer present.

Quotes:

Randall Alexander Shaye: Hey smoke jumper... you still alive?

Movie Connections:

Featured in "HBO First Look: Firestorm (#5.1)" (1998)

Soundtrack:

Cat People (Putting Out the Fire)

Hilarious! ****! Funniest Movie of the year!!!

Oh wait...It wasn't a comedy was it? Well, my friends and I came out of the theater in tears. This was one of the worst movies I have ever seen. Right up there with "The Big Hit" (Which was also really funny), and "Armageddon". Howie Long was terrible. The probability of the stunts and action was even worse, and the fact that someone actually thought up this movie was the worst of all. And oh, it was really funny how Long pulled a RUNNING CHAINSAW out of his butt. Plus, I was amazed how he could throw it through someone's windshield and then fly off a cliff with no parachute but then...had a parachute! The best actor in the movie was the axe. This is filmmaker's fecal matter.