2 minute read
Publisher's Letter
Photo courtesy of Carol Waller.
Dear Reader,
The first thing Clint Eastwood said to me was, “Your pants have holes in them.”
We faced off on a red carpet amidst flashing cameras and Sun Valley’s snow-tipped mountains. I’d carefully chosen these overpriced ripped jeans for our meeting, hoping my shredded designer-wear confirmed we Idaho filmmakers have an ironic capacity for cowboy hipness. Obviously, my trash-fashion did not impress Dirty Harry, a.k.a. Josie Wales, a.k.a. High Plains Drifter, etc. Welcome to Hollywood in Idaho, where the stars come to not be celebrities. Cameras have been rolling across “dem dar Idaho hills” since the early 1900s and this month, IdaHome explores movie-making past and present in the Gem State. Our rough-and-tough remoteness makes perfect sense when Hollywood is seeking a location where the frontier meets the future. Where else do you see more elk than Teslas on the roads?
That’s why we’re all here, right? 114 mountain ranges plus 100,000 miles of river equals no place we would rather spend our time and talents—which also explains why Eastwood produced BRONCO BILLY in Garden City and HIGH PLAINS DRIFTER in Stanley. In this issue, local historian, Rick Just, reveals some juicy production details from locals who are still getting residuals from Eastwood’s 1980 Boise-based classic.
This “film issue” also serves as a testament to those who made the bold, artistic leap from the studio lot to backcountry, including the tale of two recent Sundance premier films produced by Sun Valley residents. Therein lies the secret of making great movies, according to Hollywood veteran, Allyn Stewart.
And there’s more than movie experts in this IdaHome. Feel the thrill of “tight lines” even in winter, with veteran fly-fisherman, Mike McKenna. Enjoy a hunt for rare black diamonds with Meredith Richardson, skiing the deep on Soldier Mountain. Discover the joy of baking and tasting French Pastry with Kristina Case. And then, breath deep as Harrison Berry tackles how the pandemic has forced us to change and Heather Hamilton-Post reveals the trickle-down costs of COVID-19 construction on our soaring home costs. Finally, did you know Idaho’s first resident filmmaker, Nell Shipman, brought Hollywood to Idaho 100 years ago?
Bundled together, this issue proves one thing both true and magical. Each one of us is a living, breathing story. Once upon a time, our ancestors sat in caves round a fire, sharing tales of what came before to find purpose in the unknown that lies ahead. Film, print, digital and the caves at Lascaux—storytelling in all its forms imbues our short time on earth with meaning and connection. In stories, we discover ourselves in each other.
