Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Director in LA "to shoot a pilot" detained at LAX

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Posted by Paul Mayer (Member # 355) on 06-05-2007, 01:46 AM:

Don't know if this really happened, but I wouldn't be surprised if it did. Anyway, glad to see the LAX ICE and TSA gangs are on top of the situation. [Smile]

quote:
Director Mike Figgis detained: 'Shoot a Pilot' taken literally

By Stone Martindale May 30, 2007, 0:40 GMT

Everyone in Los Angeles knows that when you are to "shoot a pilot", it involves grips, a gaffer, location managers and other key crew. Apparently this is a fact lost with the TSA and immigration bunch at Los Angeles International Airport. Cinematical's Scott Weinberg uncovered a gem regarding director Mike Figgis (Leaving Las Vegas) and an allegedly true incident that went down at LAX.

Weinberg writes that Figgis was going through security at LAX "when he was asked the reason for his visit."

"I'm here to shoot a pilot," was what Weinberg claims Figgis responded.

The LAX immigration official took him at his word, thinking he was "here to shoot an airplane pilot with a gun."

Figgis, according to Weinberg, was kept locked up for about five hours until immigration officials could figure out the filmmaker's vernacular by checking online sources.

Posted by John Wilson (Member # 269) on 06-05-2007, 01:54 AM:

If that's a joke it's pretty funny. [thumbsup]

If that's true there's little hope for us. [uhoh]

Posted by Leo Enticknap (Member # 534) on 06-05-2007, 02:54 AM:

When I saw the thread title, I guessed it referred to a delayed passenger who metaphorically threatened to shoot a pilot (with a gun), but was taken seriously.

My favourite recent example of airport lunacy was coming home from Boston just after Easter. I went into the tourist crap shop in the international departures lounge, and bought a beer glass with a Harvard University crest on it. With half an hour to go until boarding time, I then wandered over to the bar and had a pint of Sam Adams. This was served in a plastic container, for which the bar tender apologised, explaining that this was a security requirement - no glasses allowed once you're past the security check! [Roll Eyes]

So let me get this straight - if I'm a fanatical terrorist, hell bent on slashing people's throats with a shard of broken glass, I'm welcome to do so with one obtained from the tourist shop, but not one supplied by the bar?

Posted by Steve Scott (Member # 630) on 06-05-2007, 08:53 AM:

That's gonna make a member of my staff who moonlights with us and works FT with TSA crack up!

Posted by Frank Angel (Member # 248) on 06-05-2007, 10:21 AM:

John's right....we're doomed.

Posted by Christopher Meredith (Member # 3767) on 06-05-2007, 10:44 AM:

quote:
Figgis, according to Weinberg, was kept locked up for about five hours until immigration officials could figure out the filmmaker's vernacular by checking online sources.

How much you want to bet they checked Wikipedia?

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 06-05-2007, 11:33 AM:

quote: Leo Enticknap
the tourist crap shop

I'd like to start a chain of airport gift stores with this name. I bet it'd go thru the roof, eh? Bobby H, you can design the logo.

Posted by Dave Williams (Member # 299) on 06-06-2007, 12:41 AM:

The 'pilot' in question is called Canterbury's Law. It is from Dennis Leary and stars Julianna Margulies as a female attorney who breaks the law to protect the innocent from the law.. or some stupid crap like that.

It looks as if FOX will pick it up, which means an early cancellation, so don't hold your breath.

I don't fault the TSA guys on this. No one would know Figgis from Figgis if he introduced himself to you. He is not face material, and as such is never in the spotlight, so know one knows the guy.

It doesn't matter what city you are in, in the context of an AIRPORT, you don't tell a federal officer that you are there to shoot a pilot, just like you don't yell FIRE in a crowded theater, or joke about having a bomb in your suitcase. Common sense should have prevailed with Mr. Figgis. He was probably showing off to some young looking broad by using his show business lingo.

I guarantee that if some lunatic had done the same thing, had been let go on the spot because some TSA guy thought he meant to shoot a tv show becuase they are in LA, and then the guy went and shot an airplane pilot, we would all be ripping on TSA for not getting it.

And they would have checked IMDB not WIKI. IMDB has submission rules that prevent false credits whereas WIKI can be edited at will in most cases.

Ciao

Posted by Chris Slycord (Member # 4239) on 06-06-2007, 01:19 AM:

quote: Dave Williams
He was probably showing off to some young looking broad by using his show business lingo.

Or he just thought that they knew what he meant...

Posted by John Wilson (Member # 269) on 06-06-2007, 02:43 AM:

Considering what he does for a living, the other meaning for the quote probably never occurred to him.

Who knows...

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 06-06-2007, 11:12 AM:

Well if the guy just said, "I'm here to shoot a pilot," that sounds worse than if he had said "I'm a TV director, and I'm here to shoot a pilot for a new show." Just because it's LA, the industry types can't expect everyone to know their lingo. A third of the city doesn't even speak English, for Pete's sake.

Posted by Louis Bornwasser (Member # 3063) on 06-06-2007, 06:05 PM:

I thought all the waiters and TSA men were actors waiting for a break. Louis