U.S. comedy to be filmed in Auckland

Press, 7 September 1989, Page 32

U.S. comedy to be filmed in Auckland

PA Wellington An international cast and crew will start filming a “Crocodile Dundee in reverse” in Auckland in three weeks time starring Cheech Martin, of Cheech and Chong fame. “Shrimp on the Barbie” is the romantic-comedy story of an AmericanMexican, played by Martin, working in a Mexican restaurant in Sydney. An English-Australian, played by Emma Samms from “Dynasty,” romantically ensnares the Mexican and presents him to her father, the richest man in Australia, as the ultimate loser and man she will marry. The engagement is the result of a deal struck between father and daughter. The daughter was to marry a former rugby player oaf, played by Vernon Wells from “Mad

Max,” but the father is so opposed to the brute that he agrees she can marry the next man she finds. The film’s IsraeliAmerican producer, Ben Effraim, said the $5 inilion film was originally going to be shot in Australia but the actors’ union there protested, and demanded conditions that would have made the film a flop and too costly to make. However, Effraim, the producer of hits such as “Private Lessons” and “Private School,” is not complaining. Cinematic techniques make it easy to pass Auckland off as Sydney and the willingness of New Zealand actors and crew for work and experience made Auckland an ideal location, he said. There are also other reasons why New Zealand 'might be a better choice

that Australia. The writer of “Shrimp on the Barbie,” Grant Morris, is a New Zealander now living in the United States, and the film’s star, Martin, is a fan of this country, having skied in New Zealand last year. Effraim said the $5 million budget was not big by American standards, but the film would be released internationally. Its universal appeal would be ensured by the presence of the stars and the Australian theme which was already a proven crowd-puller, he said. New Zealand actors already chosen for the film include Terrence Cooper (“Mortimer’s Patch”) and Frank Whitten (“Open House,” “Vigil") but there are still many parts to be filled. The filming should take about three months, Effraim said.