The Legend of Hallowdega

Philip Stubbs

In September 2010, Terry Gilliam was in Alabama, shooting The Legend of Hallowdega, a short film for Pepsi. It features David Arquette, Justin Kirk and race car driver Dale Earnhardt Jr.

It’s a film to tie in with the AMP Energy 500 – a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stock car race, which is held every year at Talladega Superspeedway. This year’s race is on October 31 2010. Previously named the Talladega 500 (since the race is 500 miles long) it’s since been renamed after the Pepsi drink that sponsors the race.

Gilliam’s short film will be available to view on the web around the time of the race. The official website is already online at www.legendofhallowdega.com, with behind-the-scenes video of the production.

The short film is a fake documentary based on the legend behind the Talladega Superspeedway, and a focus on the supernatural is appropriate… given that the race takes place on Hallowe’en.

Below is a press release that announced the project, plus an interview with Mr H, who was involved with the project as an extra.

Click on the poster image below for more detail.

The following is from the Press Release of October 8 2010. (I have deleted the section detailing how wonderful is the AMG Energy Drink).

AMP Energy and Terry Gilliam present: THE LEGEND OF HALLOWDEGA to Premiere at the Talladega Superspeedway on October 31st.

The Legend of Hallowdega stars David Arquette and Justin Kirk.

NEW YORK, Oct. 8 /PRNewswire/ — Award-winning filmmaker Terry Gilliam will premiere his short film THE LEGEND OF HALLOWDEGA starring David Arquette and Justin Kirk with special appearances by Dale Earnhardt Jr., Darrell Waltrip and more on October 31st, 2010. The film, produced by AMP Energy Juice and @radical.media, will premiere on Halloween Sunday with the first chapter to debut on ESPN just prior to the start of the AMP Energy Juice 500 at Talladega Superspeedway. Starting Halloween night, the film will be available in its entirety on www.legendofhallowdega.com. THE LEGEND OF HALLOWDEGA is the first short film for both Gilliam and AMP Energy Juice.

“AMP Energy Juice is fueled by great partnerships that include Dale Earnhardt Jr., Talladega Superspeedway – and now, director Terry Gilliam,” said Frank Cooper, Chief Consumer Engagement Officer, PepsiCo Americas Beverages, maker of AMP Energy Juice. “Terry has a distinctive vision and is a truly gifted storyteller. AMP Energy Juice is proud to have produced his one-of-a-kind take on the legends and lore that surround Talladega Superspeedway for race fans and film buffs everywhere.”

Director Terry Gilliam added, “To bring our little circus into the world of a truly monster circus was a thrill.”

The comedy, THE LEGEND OF HALLOWDEGA, explores the mysteries around Talladega Superspeedway as the host of an investigative news show (Justin Kirk) joins forces with a techno-geek paranormal expert (David Arquette) to dodge close-calls and chase crazy leads to get to the bottom of THE LEGEND OF HALLOWDEGA.

“The great folks at AMP Energy Juice have developed a new and innovative idea to research and debunk some of the myths surrounding HALLOW-DEGA,” said Talladega Superspeedway Chairman Grant Lynch. “We anxiously await the release of the film to see what Terry Gilliam and AMP Energy Juice have come up with.”

Solve the mystery at http://www.LEGENDOFHALLOWDEGA.com

Visit www.talladegasuperspeedway.com

Click on images to enlarge

One of the extras on the film, Mr H, spoke to Dreams about the project, and how he got involved.

Phil Stubbs: What’s this project about?
Mr H: Terry Gilliam has been shooting a short story called “The Legend of Hallowdega” with David Arquette. It’s a fake documentary – a mockumentary – and it’s being backed by Pepsi. It’s a 30-minute movie. I got the following quote from the project:
“where the Talladega Superspeedway sits, the tribe once held horse races. In one of those races, a revered chief was killed after being thrown off his mount, making the land sacred ground in the eyes of his people. As the Abihkas were forced to abandon the area, a medicine man cursed the valley and anyone who dared to inhabit it.”

How did you get involved in this project, and what did you do during production?
I got involved through David Arquette – he was trying to get into character by walking to Talladega, but was in a bad part of town so I told him to get in the car. I gave him a ride and a drink, then found out that a friend of mine had already met him earlier on. I gave David a ride to the track, and hung out with him a lot for a week. There’s so much fun stuff I could add about David… and he does plan to return to Alabama in April next year.
…but let’s stay on track. Our involvement had us walking down a flight of stairs while someone threw a banana, as the actors pretended to be doing a documentary

What is David Arquette’s character?
He is a crazy redneck who is camped out at the Talladega track in a tent. He confronts a ghosthunter (Justin Kirk from the Showtime show “Weeds”). They have an argument and then something happens… The crew sent us away so we couldn’t find out. I do know that Dale Earnhardt Jr will make an appearance at the end of the film.

How long was Gilliam working on this?
Terry was only here for a few days. I spoke to Terry and gave him directions to Talladega. I chatted to him. Gilliam wasn’t seen during the actual filming… he spent more time watching from the press box via remote TV. Terry was polite to me, but he stayed hidden.

When will we be able to see the result?
The film can be watched around raceday – October 31 – at the Pepsi website. This was so hush hush… we were warned: no cell phone pics. They told us nothing – what I have came from David. David Arquette tweeted some pics of himself in costume. We overheard that an extra was caught taking pictures on set and was threatened with a lawsuit so he was asked to delete the memory card.

The Legend of Hallowdega

Philip Stubbs

More to explore

Gilliam & Quixote: Part Two – No Return (1998 – 2000)

Inventing The Zero Theorem

Line Producer Robert How, on making Dr Parnassus happen

Films in depth