By George F. Lee, Star-Bulletin
Joe Moore has a starring role in 'Moonglow.'

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Hopes high,
hype low on
‘Moonglow’

Some big names join Joe Moore
and Dennis Christianson on the
set of this ambitious small film

By Tim Ryan
Star-Bulletin

One guy is the most popular news anchor in Hawaii; the other, part owner of a successful advertising agency.

And though they seem a quite unlikely pair as motion picture executives, that's pretty much what KHON newsman Joe Moore and Laird Christianson Advertising Inc. partner Dennis Christianson are doing on their summer vacation.

The duo, through its production company Latitude 20, has completed 21 days of principal photography on its low-budget film, "Moonglow," with Moore as co-star and Christianson the director. (The pair's first film, "Goodbye Paradise," was filmed in 17 days.)

"Moonglow" stars veteran stage and screen actor Milo O'Shea, Golden Globe-winner Joanna Cassidy, Oscar-nominated actress Eileen Brennan, and Iona Skye.

Other than a modest one-page news release about the film, the hype stops. Even director Christianson is demure when discussing the picture. "This is not a summer film, but a real story about real people and real issues," he said. "As long as there's an audience out there who want to see real stories about grown-ups, Joe and I will keep making movies."

The drama follows Matthew Duncan (played by Moore) as he returns to the Lost Lake Lodge where he has spent happier days. There he meets Peter Berner (O'Shea), the eccentric proprietor, who eventually discovers Matthew's plans and sets about the task of foiling them. Over the passage of a long night the stakes are raised by the arrivals of Matthew's niece (Skye), and finally, his wife (Cassidy).

By George F. Lee, Star-Bulletin
Director Dennis Christianson coaches actor Milo O'Shea.

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Interestingly, the story is not set in Hawaii but an unnamed lake or mountain district outside an urban center. Christianson said it's been a challenge finding locations on Oahu needed for the script. The production used Camp Timberline near Makakilo for the cabin and lodge scenes; the polo fields in Mokuleia for a lake set; La Pietra for a wedding scene; and the original sound stage at the Hawaii Film Studio interiors.

"This is a much more ambitious film for us than 'Goodbye Paradise' in terms of the number of locations and complexity of filming, and it's a much more psychological piece," Christianson said.

"Moonglow" originally was an off-Broadway show. Several years ago someone showed it to Moore, who liked the story. Coincidently, Jonathan Daly, the playwright, had moved to Waikiki.

"We liked the premise of a man in a life crisis who has an intervention by this rather annoying character who turns out to have a rather cosmic side to him," Christianson said. "It was a great role for Joe, a middle-aged guy playing a middle-aged guy. And it wasn't a larger than life character which Joe is used to doing.."

But just what are a couple of non-showbiz types doing diving into the angst of filmmaking?

"Oh it makes no sense at all," Christianson said. "We're both attracted to telling stories on film. Our mission is to become skilled story tellers."

But "Moonglow" expanded in production values and complexity as filming went on.

"There've been a few times where Joe and I have found ourselves filming out in the rain at 4 a.m. surrounded by these high-powered actors and we say to one another 'Hey, we just wanted to open it up a little,' " Christianson said.

Originally, the pair had hoped to attract one significant actor for the cast. But all four cast members, who are getting paid far lower than their normal salaries, snatched it up after reading it, Christianson said.

"The story is what sold them," Christianson said.

Christianson hopes to have a version of the 100-minute film to show mainland filmmakers by January, then have it available for public consumption -- cable, video or in foreign theaters -- by June.

"Given the actors we have and the nature of the story, we think this film has a shot at getting serious distributorship," Christianson said.

The director also believes "Moonglow" will make enough money to offset production costs, a "major success" for an independent film, he said.

"If we can find ways to do film projects we like every few years we'll be very, very satisfied," Christianson said. "But moving to L.A. definitely isn't what we're after."

Reflecting on his background in advertising, Christianson said motion picture making isn't such a stretch for him.

"A commercial is really a short movie; a documentary is a movie you make with facts; a print ad is a movie that stands still. It's all storytelling."