Little Nicky

 Little Nicky

     My first day at “Little Nicky,” was at the Los Angeles county Arboretum, and botanical garden, in Arcadia, CA. It was a night shoot, and it was cold. We filmed several scenes, including the ones, featuring Ozzy Osbourne. In one scene Ozzy picks up a large rock, made of Styrofoam, of course, and gives it to Nicky’s girlfriend, so she can kill him, and send him, and his brothers, back to hell, where they belong. I heard some crew members considering whether, or not Ozzy should , or could do a shoulder roll. One guy said, “He can’t do a shoulder roll.” The other guy replied, “Why not?” I interjected, “30 years of alcoholism, and drug addiction.” A few people around me laughed, but production did not say anything, and the shoulder roll was not performed, while I was there. 

     We ran from fellow extras, made up to look like demons. Another person was dressed like a box of Popeye’s chicken, and Nicky got into a pillow fight with his demonic brother. Some of us got splattered on, when a demon was destroyed. Luckily I was not among the people drenched in demon goo. A guy I knew personally, got featured. He was the Mexican gardener, from hell, who runs over Nicky’s flowers, with a lawn mower. What did you expect? It’s an Adam Sandler movie. You know. Ridiculous. Personally, I think Mr. Sandler’s best scene is his fight with Bob Barker, in “Happy Gilmore.”

     However, I did not work on that film. The nights were cold, and for me, our direction was pretty vague. “Just run, from the demons.” There were large flaming torches, at various places, on the set, which was very large. When the director yelled, “Action,” I ran from one torch, to the other, and back again, if necessary. I was close to fire all night. That is how I stayed warm. The second night, I was dressed better. I even made a few bucks, because I had a bottle of Vick’s NyQuil, with me, and some of the extras offered me money, to share it with them. So I did. I could not let my fellow extras suffer. On the other hand, cough syrup is expensive, and if I was going to lose a whole bottle, in one night, I needed to get paid. 

     We also ran from a giant bat. I repeated my earlier performance by running from flame, to flame. Ozzy Osbourne saved us from the giant bat, by biting it’s head off. Nicky was fighting with his 2 brothers, over who would control hell, and rule the world. Special effects provided us with a magic, “Dancing Flask,” Nicky was to use this flask, to trap his brothers, and return them, to hell. For all this talk of hell, it really was the night that hell froze over. Just ask anyone who was there. We were working in hell, and we were very cold. 

     We went home early, the first day, and one of the many rumors, swirling about this film, was that the fire Marshall ordered the production shut down. Supposedly, we did not have enough exits, on the set, should a real fire break out, and with actual flaming torches, on the set, strict compliance with the fire code, shall be observed, not debated. I heard this rumor, from a security guard, on set. When we returned,  the second day, the extras were allowed to go anywhere, on the grounds of the arboretum, so perhaps there was a grain of truth, to this rumor. I like to think so.

     I returned to “Little Nicky,” at the Walter Pyramid, located in Long Beach, at Cal State University. A very cool place, to work! I got SAG work, and was granted an all access pass, while on set. Sandi, the girl from “Asphalt Man,” had arranged this, for me. In the time between these 2 jobs, she had become a casting director. She got me a lot of good work. I hope she is doing well.

     We got to see the Harlem Globetrotters perform, and I witnessed the special effect used to set Bill Walton’s head, on fire. I was booked as a spectator. Just a guy, at the game. Nothing special. Sit. Applaud. Stand. Clap. Cheer. It’s all good. I was wearing my all access pass, around my neck, and some of my co- workers wanted to know, who I had slept with, to get treated, so special. The answer is nobody. I think that over the course of 10 years, extra work, I might have seen Sandi, a half dozen times. I saw her once, at a Christmas  party, at her father’s office. Saw her on “Asphalt Man.” I helped her father move his office, and I think she was there that day. I do not remember ever seeing her, at her office. I put a new alternator, in her father’s car, right in the parking lot of his office, but I don’t think she was there, that day. I had a pretty good reputation, as a working extra, relative to suiting up, showing up, bringing the correct wardrobe, etc. At some point, she promised to get me, some good work, and she kept her word. More than I can say, for some of the other people, who made promises, to me, in Hollywood. Besides, she reminded me of my little sister. I remember once, her father asked me what I was doing with a picture, of his daughter. I told him, “That is not your daughter. It’s my little sister.” They do bear a remarkable resemblance, to each other. 

     We had a few long periods, of down time, on this set, and the crowd inside the pyramid was at least 50% volunteers, if not more. Production had provided them, with an emcee, so they would be entertained, as well as distracted from the fact that they were working for free. They also provided a box lunch, and free raffle tickets, as well as a couple thousand dollars, worth of prizes, to be raffled off. Cash, stereos, VHS movies, a microwave oven, etc. The emcee held a celebrity look-alike contest, and he gave me a free copy, of the film, “Seven,” starring Brad Pitt, Morgan Freeman, and Kevin Spacey. I worked on that film too, but I am not visible. Another extra, who looked like Kenny Rogers, got a prize, as well. We were both paid extras, and we took prizes away from the volunteers, without a second thought. We did not set out, to do this, but things just turned out that way. Pennies from heaven, as far as I’m concerned. 

     Another rumor floating around that movie was that a member of Adam Sandler’s “Posse,” thought that his relationship, to Mr. Sandler, gave him carte blanche, to be whatever kind of a*****e, he wanted to be. He thought wrong. I heard he was thrown off the set, and good riddance. Remember, everything after “Hello,” is bullshit. I made good money on “Little Nicky.” Had a lot of fun too! Not my best shoot, or my favorite, but it was still quite memorable.