Kansas director zooms in on West Mineral

The Joplin Globe

September 13, 2006 01:37 am

— By Roger McKinney
rmckinney@joplinglobe.com
WEST MINERAL, Kan. - Apart from tornadoes, the shooting of the independent film "Bunker Hill" is the most excitement West Mineral has seen in a long time, said Scammon resident Sissy Alexander.
Alexander and her fiancee Dan Groves, plus Alexander's granddaughter and her future son-in-law, traveled to West Mineral Tuesday to check out the scene.
"I heard about it last night at work," Groves said. "We decided to come over and see what's going on. It's pretty interesting."
"I think it's awesome," Alexander said. "It's hard to believe they came here to Mineral, of all places."
Director Kevin Willmott said it was a photo of Big Brutus on the Kansas Film Commission Web site that drew him to Cherokee County. The giant shovel will be in the background of scenes to be shot on Friday. West Mineral resident Jim Jones also volunteered the use of his store for the film.
"I wanted to use the great location," Willmott said.
Willmott explained the film, to be released next year, is a Western set in the present. He said in the movie, the town of Bunker Hill, Kan., is struck by an event that disabled all computers, televisions, radios, other electronic equipment and vehicles.
"It's about how a community can turn on itself," Willmott said. "It raises questions about security and stereotypes."
In the movie, a posse on horseback takes over the town. In a scene being shot Tuesday, the posse, led by a character played by Blake Robbins, confronts members of a Pakistani family to take over their store. The patriarch of the family, played by actor Saeed Jaffrey, resists the takeover attempt.
Willmott's 2004 film "CSA: The Confederate States of America," is a satirical faux documentary about an America where the South won the Civil War. It debuted at the Sundance Film Festival and was a best film nominee for an International Fantasy Film Award.
He is an assistant professor in theater and film at the University of Kansas, Lawrence.
The lead actor is James McDaniel, who played Lt. Arthur Fancy on the series "NYPD Blue." He plays the sheriff who challenges the posse. McDaniel also is an executive director on the film. He said he has enjoyed filming in Kansas.
"It's great," he said. "It's very interesting to get to know people in the heartland on a personal level."
McDaniel also said a beer at a local bar was $1.75 while it might cost $7 in New York City.
The leader of the posse, Blake Robbins, is from Independence, Kan. He was on the HBO series "Oz" for three years. He has had a recurring role on "The O.C." and several other television roles.
"I really love the movie," Robbins said. "It works in the past, present and future at the same time. It works on several levels. It's very thought-provoking."
He said he likes that he plays a bad guy and gets to ride horses and shoot guns.
Ranjit Arab, from Lawrence, plays Nadim, a member of the Pakistani family. He said it is his biggest film role to date.
"We're tackling some pretty important issues," he said.
Saeed Jaffrey plays Nadim's father in the movie. Jaffrey has had more than 150 film and television roles, including a role in "Gandhi." He blessed the camera and equipment before the start of every scene.
Line producer Hoite Caston said the people of West Mineral have been very welcoming to the cast and crew. He said when a piece of equipment malfunctioned, Fire Chief Randy Johnson was able to repair it without flying the part in from Wichita. Caston said Johnson also opened the fire-station restrooms for use by the cast and crew. Another resident, Roe Parsons, also assisted with his backhoe.
Wesley Kress and his daughter, Kristie Oplotnik, drove over from Columbus to watch the shoot. Kress said he used to do security work for Paramount, but he never thought he would see a movie filmed in West Mineral.
"It's always been quiet around here," Oplotnik said.
Willmott said he has enjoyed his time in West Mineral.
"It's a very trippy experience," he said.
What's the point?
"The main point is security and insecurity," director Kevin Willmott said of his movie "Bunker Hill," filming in West Mineral. "It's about what happens to people when they're afraid."

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