"Javelina" the Horror Flick Being Filmed Near Del Rio

May 26, 2008
By Joe Hyde
Special to LIVE!

Carta Valley, a ghost town located about one-hour north of Del Rio on U.S. Highway 377, was the site of the filming of a horror film over the past two weeks.

Occupying the old Carta Valley general store, actor and director Barry Tubb lead a crew of 15 actors and film crew through the two-week shooting.

You may have heard of Tubb before. He starred in the role of “Wolfman,” an F-14 Tomcat backseater in the mega hit “Top Gun” released in 1986. The Snyder, Texas native has since moved to Austin where he is making a splash working on films with Texan themes. His most recent project now showing on premium cable is “The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada” where he had a minor role as the character “A.L.” This year he has been busy. He just completed writing, directing and starring in of a movie called “Clown Hunt” to be released this year.

The move being filmed in Carta Valley is a horror film called “Javelina,” and is written by Mike Murphy. Murphy’s script requires most of the activity in the movie to happen at night, so the film crew and actors didn’t start working until 3 p.m. and usually finished at around 3 a.m. each morning. The entire cast and crew stayed on the grounds of a nearby ranch.

Action! Drinking Shiner Beer (well, for the movie Tubb says the bottles are actually filled with water), Reva (Amy Staggs) and Tex Palmer (Barry Tubb) are confronted by Tex’s son Chance Palmer (Peter Scanavino) about the death of one of their friends in the bar’s parking lot. (LIVE! Photo/Joe Hyde) (click image to enlarge)	Ann Doria and Barry Tubb take a break to review and revise the script in between shootings. (LIVE! Photo/Joe Hyde) (click image to enlarge)
On scene at the bar are Opie (Max Smith), Reva (Amy Staggs) and Tex Palmer (Barry Tubb) (LIVE! Photo/Joe Hyde) (click image to enlarge)	Max Smith lives on a ranch in Carta Valley and attends second grade in Del Rio. He is starring as Opie, Reva’s son. (LIVE! Photo/Joe Hyde) (click image to enlarge)

 

The film is about a mad javelina (wild pig) named Charlie who goes on a killing spree after its mother and brother were killed by some of the townsfolk.

Tubb plays the starring role as Tex Palmer, an oilfield worker and alcoholic who is abusive to his son, Chance. Chance believes the many deaths in town are caused by Charlie the javelina, but Tex ridicules him for suggesting that. The Palmer family adopted Charlie and its little brother after Tex and his hunting buddies killed Charlie’s mother on a hunting trip.

Now the pig is back and he wants revenge.

The Austin-based film company called Hollywood West is producing the film. The producer is Suzanne Weinert who previously worked on films for Julia Roberts’ film production company. Besides Tubb, Amy Staggs plays a supporting actress role as “Reva,” Tex’s love interest. Peter Scanavino plays Chance Palmer. Wrenn Schmidt plays the role of Chance’s girlfriend (and bar maid at The Hoot Owl bar). The Carta Valley store serves as the set for the interior of The Hoot Owl.

Using an Apple MacBook laptop, script supervisor Ann Doria keeps track of each shooting. The feed from the cameras is fed into a production room behind the Carta Valley store. (LIVE! Photo/Joe Hyde) (click image to enlarge)	Actors make an entrance from outdoors as the sheriff’s posse returning from hunting down the javelina. Tubb is sitting on the far right. Kate O’Toole is second from the right in the black dress. She is the daughter of actor Peter O’Toole and was named after Katharine Hepburn. She is playing the role of “Pinky,” the owner of the bar and serves as the art director for the movie “Javelina.” (LIVE! Photo/Joe Hyde) (click image to enlarge)
Opie (Max Smith) and mom Reva (Amy Skaggs) comfort each other upon hearing the news of another death. (LIVE! Photo/Joe Hyde) (click image to enlarge)	All horror flicks require gruesome makeup. Skyler Campbell of Wimberley, Texas is a special effects makeup artist. Here she is creating a wound out of latex that will be affixed to Charlie Javelina’s next victim. Campbell just graduated in May 2008 from Colorado University with a degree in the performing arts. (LIVE! Photo/Joe Hyde) (click image to enlarge)
Director Barry Tubb (green shirt, center) makes adjustments for the next shot. (LIVE! Photo/Joe Hyde) (click image to enlarge)	Barry Tubb (green shirt) giving directions for the next shoot. Wrenn Schmidt has her back to you. (LIVE! Photo/Joe Hyde) (click image to enlarge)

 

Two locals from Del Rio are also in the movie. Josue Cordoba is a stunt double and eight-year-old Max Smith, a second grader at St. James Episcopal School, plays Reva’s son, Opie.

 

A wide view of the movie set inside The Carta Valley General Store. It serves as the set of The Hoot Owl bar. (LIVE! Photo/Joe Hyde) (click image to enlarge)	Amy Skaggs gets her makeup touched up in between shootings. (LIVE! Photo/Joe Hyde) (click image to enlarge)
Wrenn Schmidt waits her turn to join the scene in progress. She plays the role of Katie, Chance Palmer’s love interest. (LIVE! Photo/Joe Hyde) (click image to enlarge)	The inside of the former Carta Valley General Store now serves as a set on the movie, "Javelina." (LIVE! Photo/Joe Hyde) (click image to enlarge)

The movie is filmed digitally, with Apple Macintoshes running the software called Final Cut Pro serving as the editing platform. According to Ann Doria, script manager, the indie motion picture has a budget of about $200,000.

“It’s a horror thriller about a killer javelina. He’s the ‘Jaws’ of pigs. Consider this the Texan version of ‘Jaws,’” said Doria.

For more information about the movie, see www.javelinamovie.com.