Hollywood Comes to Treasure Island

July 14, 2007 | by Sam G | No Comments

Contributed to Crooked Street Press by Sam Goldsmith

San Francisco- Treasure Island will be back in the movie business again. It’s been a while since Hollywood stopped by and so it’s a welcome sight to see the equipment trucks and catering vans tying up traffic near the old aircraft hangers again. Past shoots like Indiana Jones, Nash Bridges, The Hulk, and Flubber are just a few of the minor classics to come from the spooky, empty base in the Bay.

“It’s destined to be a blockbuster! ” says local Bay Area film producer, Toots Brione.

“Transformers just opened a door that was destined to be opened and I think we found the best medium you could ask for. The audience has been waiting far too long. It’s time we give them what they want.”

And what has Toots so excited?

Mousetrap.

Not the film adaptation of Agatha Christie’s brilliant play. That was done and that’s THE Mousetrap. No, this is the film adaptation of Ideal’s wacky 1963 Boardgame. It’s known throughout the world for it’s Rube Goldberg-like mouse trap. Constructed along with the progress of the plastic mice, the astounding contraption involves a wide range of working accessories including a boot, a diver, a bowling ball and a stop sign.

Famous as the game may be, the question has to be asked….Are you kidding me?

“Transformers showed how we can take a game and make it big. Really make it bigger than a cartoon. Forget about storyline for a moment,” says Brione. “Plot developement can bog down a story. This is a game that shoots itself. You can already see how much we learned from Clue.” (’85 Tim Curry and Martin Mull).

Though few actors have been linked to this project, it’s expected that the dialogue might be secondary to the special effects lined up for what may be the most expensive Mouse Trap known to man. Academy Award nominee special effects whiz, Dash Lascoe says that the sky is the limit for this unique feature.

“There was a point where we had to have the hammer wallop the heel of a boot. It can’t be just any kind of boot because without it, we’ve got no flame throwing lamp post. That sequence is scheduled for 15 days and $400,000 and I know that if I need to go longer or spend a little more…I only need to ask. It’s a pleasure to be working with true artists again.”

One would expect there would be a good deal of pressure on first-time Director Chai Lamb, but the young man sees this as a chance to express a message he’s wanted to express his whole life. He feels fortunate to be given such an opportunity at 24 years old.

“By the time most people get to the Diver, they want to be done with the game. They want to move on already, lets see the thing work then go outside and play. I think I can bring movie goers into that Diver’s head. Let them know the terror, the joy, the sense of purpose. This is where a lot of movies get lazy. I know there’s a message here and I also know we’re going to be able to blow a lot of things up. It’s really really a very special project for everyone openly attached.”

The door may have indeed been opened. Hollywood is buzzing with anticipated game-inspired blockbusters. Jenga starts filming in Atlantic City in Sept with Garey Busey and Maya Rudolph. Operation has been optioned to Harvey Keitel, considered by many to be another opportunity for Keitel to be naked for most of the picture. Other names looking to go before the cameras are Snakes and Ladders and an Italian version of the classic party favorite Twister.

Toots insists that the game inspired movies have been around for a lot longer than most people realize.

“Who,” queries Brione,” hasn’t watched Das Boot and wanted to yell…’hey, you sunk my battleship!’

As an enormous Italian marble bathtub gets raised high overhead; there’s a contagious sense of awe in what may transpire over the next month and a half. Even those who didn’t know Life from Stragego can’t help but be moved.

It’s definitely not feeling like a Risk.