Mommy
In the horror film, "Mommy," a mother begins to kill after her daughter doesn't win the student of the year award at school. The movie starred Jason Miller (Oscar nominated for his work as Father Karris in The Exorcist), Patty McCormack (The Bad Seed), Majel Barrett-Roddenberry (Star Trek), Mickey Spillane, Brinke Stevens, and Rachel Lemieux.
Some trivia - Originally a different actress was being considered in Brinke's role. I was told to meet that actress at one of her appearances but when I went to meet her, I ended up accidently meeting Brinke who I cast in the role instead as I thought the character was different from other parts she had played.
A photo from that meeting - Brinke Stevens and Jeff Carney.
Also Jason Miller wasn't my first choice in the role of Lt. March. I originally approached an actor from one of my favorite films, Star Wars (Mark Hamill). A script was sent to his agent along with a preliminary offer. Shortly after a scheduling conflict arose with Hamill needing to do some voice over work on a project. This would have required me to change the shooting dates for Lt. March from the 1st two weeks of the shoot to the last two weeks - something I wasn't willing to do as the schedule would have been fairly tight in case of bad weather/unexpected problems with little time left over at the end for pick ups (extra shooting). Unfortunately I wasn't able to cast Hamill in the part due to the scheduling so I went to another one of my favorite actors/films (Jason Miller from The Exorcist).
The film Mommy also has a interesting behind the scenes story as I was the original director and a producer on the 4 week shoot. After the first two weeks, I was fired - it was claimed for creative differences, and the writer Max Allan Collins took over directing. From that day forward I had absolutely nothing to do with the making of the movie.
As my attorney said how you can be fired for creative differences when you have creative control in your contract so I filed a lawsuit and as we prepared to go to trial, I received an out of court settlement. The timing was perfect as the trial would have interrupted the filming on my next movie.
On every film I have ever made, I always have a personal still camera and/or a video camera taking some behind the scenes images. Here are some of my exclusive photos from my personal collection.
Jeff Carney directing Jason Miller and Brinke Stevens
during rehearsal.
Jason Miller and director Jeff Carney discussing the
upcoming scene.
Patty McCormack, director Jeff Carney, and
Majel Barrett-Roddenberry between takes on the school
room set which was Majel's only scene in the film.
Head Makeup Artist/Hair on the film, MIchelle
Vanderpool and Jeff Carney.
A local officer and Jason Miller get some final direction
from Jeff Carney for a scene involving a police car.
Majel-Barrett-Roddenberry (Star Trek) and Jeff Carney.
A behind the scenes shot of the dance scene
showing my cameo role in the film while directing.
Here I'm having Michealle Vanderpool add more blood to
Patty McCormack as I want to have her bloody hand slide
down the car window during the junk yard shoot.
Brinke Stevens and Jeff Carney. Note the name of the
university on the sweatshirt she wears in the film -
St. Ambrose which is the university that I graduated from.
Since I was only on set for the first two weeks of the film, that was also Jason Miller's entire time on set so I got to know him really well. Casting him was easy for me as I had always been a fan of The Exorcist and his work. When I received the final call from his agent regarding the role - the agent said there was one perk that he needed. Knowing how some actors want 50 foot trailers, private planes/etc, I braced for the worse and asked what it was and she said he wants to bring his dog Shane with him to Iowa. Since I love dogs myself, I was relieved and he had the part. After that Jason called me and we talked for quite a while - I found he was worried that I wouldn't allow him to bring his dog along. I left some dog snacks in his hotel room when he arrived and we became friends.
There was one particular scene in the movie where Jason had to wear a suit to a formal dance. I got word from wardrobe that he didn't want to wear a suit in the scene and was refusing to wear it. So I went over and talked to him. He explained to me how he felt the character wouldn't wear a suit. I told him, "You're right. He wouldn't. In fact he wouldn't even go to this event." Jason look surprised. I went on and explained "He is going to the event for his wife. So she dressed him in the suit much to his reluctance. He's only going and tolerating it because of his wife. " He looked at me and I could see the light go on and he said "You're right. His wife would have dressed him for this event." And that's how I got Jason Miller in a suit for the scene. Funny part was that after the scene was filmed, he liked the suit so much he asked me if he could keep it.
Here was a fun photo I took of Jason during a break
just as he was toasting me with his glass for getting
him into the suit.
I had a great time with Jason on and off camera. A really nice man. He had some wonderful stories to tell including some strange happenings on the set of the Exorcist including a couple of stories that he told me he had not shared publicly before. Some people don't know that in addition to being nominated for an Academy Award for his performance as Father Karris in The Exorcist, he won a Pulitzer Prize for writing his own play "That Championship Season." A couple of his sons are talented actors as well. Sadly he passed away from a heart attack in 2001.
Here was a souvenir I received from Jason at the end of his filming.
I later had the poster signed by Linda Blair.
Some trivia - Originally a different actress was being considered in Brinke's role. I was told to meet that actress at one of her appearances but when I went to meet her, I ended up accidently meeting Brinke who I cast in the role instead as I thought the character was different from other parts she had played.
A photo from that meeting - Brinke Stevens and Jeff Carney.
Also Jason Miller wasn't my first choice in the role of Lt. March. I originally approached an actor from one of my favorite films, Star Wars (Mark Hamill). A script was sent to his agent along with a preliminary offer. Shortly after a scheduling conflict arose with Hamill needing to do some voice over work on a project. This would have required me to change the shooting dates for Lt. March from the 1st two weeks of the shoot to the last two weeks - something I wasn't willing to do as the schedule would have been fairly tight in case of bad weather/unexpected problems with little time left over at the end for pick ups (extra shooting). Unfortunately I wasn't able to cast Hamill in the part due to the scheduling so I went to another one of my favorite actors/films (Jason Miller from The Exorcist).
The film Mommy also has a interesting behind the scenes story as I was the original director and a producer on the 4 week shoot. After the first two weeks, I was fired - it was claimed for creative differences, and the writer Max Allan Collins took over directing. From that day forward I had absolutely nothing to do with the making of the movie.
As my attorney said how you can be fired for creative differences when you have creative control in your contract so I filed a lawsuit and as we prepared to go to trial, I received an out of court settlement. The timing was perfect as the trial would have interrupted the filming on my next movie.
On every film I have ever made, I always have a personal still camera and/or a video camera taking some behind the scenes images. Here are some of my exclusive photos from my personal collection.
Jeff Carney directing Jason Miller and Brinke Stevens
during rehearsal.
Jason Miller and director Jeff Carney discussing the
upcoming scene.
Patty McCormack, director Jeff Carney, and
Majel Barrett-Roddenberry between takes on the school
room set which was Majel's only scene in the film.
Head Makeup Artist/Hair on the film, MIchelle
Vanderpool and Jeff Carney.
A local officer and Jason Miller get some final direction
from Jeff Carney for a scene involving a police car.
Majel-Barrett-Roddenberry (Star Trek) and Jeff Carney.
A behind the scenes shot of the dance scene
showing my cameo role in the film while directing.
Here I'm having Michealle Vanderpool add more blood to
Patty McCormack as I want to have her bloody hand slide
down the car window during the junk yard shoot.
Brinke Stevens and Jeff Carney. Note the name of the
university on the sweatshirt she wears in the film -
St. Ambrose which is the university that I graduated from.
Since I was only on set for the first two weeks of the film, that was also Jason Miller's entire time on set so I got to know him really well. Casting him was easy for me as I had always been a fan of The Exorcist and his work. When I received the final call from his agent regarding the role - the agent said there was one perk that he needed. Knowing how some actors want 50 foot trailers, private planes/etc, I braced for the worse and asked what it was and she said he wants to bring his dog Shane with him to Iowa. Since I love dogs myself, I was relieved and he had the part. After that Jason called me and we talked for quite a while - I found he was worried that I wouldn't allow him to bring his dog along. I left some dog snacks in his hotel room when he arrived and we became friends.
There was one particular scene in the movie where Jason had to wear a suit to a formal dance. I got word from wardrobe that he didn't want to wear a suit in the scene and was refusing to wear it. So I went over and talked to him. He explained to me how he felt the character wouldn't wear a suit. I told him, "You're right. He wouldn't. In fact he wouldn't even go to this event." Jason look surprised. I went on and explained "He is going to the event for his wife. So she dressed him in the suit much to his reluctance. He's only going and tolerating it because of his wife. " He looked at me and I could see the light go on and he said "You're right. His wife would have dressed him for this event." And that's how I got Jason Miller in a suit for the scene. Funny part was that after the scene was filmed, he liked the suit so much he asked me if he could keep it.
Here was a fun photo I took of Jason during a break
just as he was toasting me with his glass for getting
him into the suit.
I had a great time with Jason on and off camera. A really nice man. He had some wonderful stories to tell including some strange happenings on the set of the Exorcist including a couple of stories that he told me he had not shared publicly before. Some people don't know that in addition to being nominated for an Academy Award for his performance as Father Karris in The Exorcist, he won a Pulitzer Prize for writing his own play "That Championship Season." A couple of his sons are talented actors as well. Sadly he passed away from a heart attack in 2001.
Here was a souvenir I received from Jason at the end of his filming.
I later had the poster signed by Linda Blair.
