Sitting Ducks

** The Cracker Scene **
Joshua Maurer & Terence Knox give details about the cracker scene
click above or scroll down.

Click here to Read about how Sitting Ducks was changed from the original script
 

 
BRAVO CO.

 is sent to relieve another group guarding a small village which is having an important new irrigation system installed. Finally they have themselves a 'cush gig'. As they arrive, Goldman discovers that the commanding officer has just been killed out on patrol. After they take over guy’s get hit every time they patrol the surrounding jungle; it looks like someone from the village/fort is setting them up. Horn becomes fascinated with the local Buddhists and eventually discovers that it is the monks, using the temple bell, who are tipping off the NVA.

Director :Aaron Lipstadt                                                 Writer: Steve Bello
 
 
 

** The Cracker Scene **

So that night Sgt Anderson and Pvt.Horn go and stake out the Monastery, to see what’s what.

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Horn is hungry and starts eating crackers as they lie in wait…………

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Dramatic & powerful stuff.

That’s roughly what we see on TV.

Now read this from Joshua Maurer and then re-watch that scene and try not to think of this….

“In fact, when we shot this scene, it was a lost shot in an otherwise very long day (5:30 a.m. when we began)

So when we began the scene, it was already past midnight (I think it was around 1:00 a.m. actually). It was very cold and wet and we where all a little punch drunk. image64.jpg (158359 bytes)

Anyway, I hadn't eaten much for dinner so when we did scene, I absentmindedly ate too many crackers, so when I had dialogue, the crackers got stuck and I couldn't swallow them and when I spoke, the cracker crumbs went flying out my mouth in a huge torrent and right in Terry's face.

We were both stunned and the look on Terry's face was priceless. Then we both started cracking up in uncontrollable laughter. And everytime we tried to do scene, we started laughing.

We couldn't stop it, we had the giggles so bad it became impossible.

I think we must have done almost 20 takes before we got ourselves under control and finished scene. This is one of my fondest memories from the show.”

 

The above out-take was due to play on "TV Blooper's", but never aired.

After reading this Terence Knox added the following information :

"What Joshua left out was that , by accident, the bush they had us crouching in originally was the bush where some of the crew had been pissing all
night. You could smell it.


When we realized it, we rebelled. We made them move all the cameras and lights to another bush. Took an hour.
And then Joshua started trying to do the cracker eating scene, which I think was scripted for him to munch and talk, every time he said an S or TH, he'd spray out dry cracker crumbs. I STILL never eat a cracker without thinking of us giggling helplessly while the director nervously looked at his watch."
 

 

 

George O'Halon Platoon Sgt
Russel Coyne Kellar
Matt Crane Sentry
Mako Tran
James Hong Quang
Tamlyn Tomita V.C. Peasant women

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Click here to read about how Sitting Ducks was
changed from the original script