LIFE AFTER NAVIGATOR
Navigating The Past
W W W.SCI FI N OW.CO.U K |^057
“Randal was an amazing director, and it was
such a great environment to work in. People
put their hearts into that movie, and so how
could it not do well in some way?”
As Downs lists the roster of interviewees
she put together for her Life After The
Navigator, it becomes clear that this film’s
not going to disappoint on that front, either.
“We have the parents, Veronica Cartwright
and Cliff DeYoung. We have Matt Adler who
played Jeff, the brother, and Albie Whitaker,
who plays the younger Jeff... We’ve got [two
of] the producers, Jonathan Sanger and
Dimitri Villard, Jeffrey Kleiser – Randal’s
brother – who did the visual effects. We’ve
got Tony Urbano and Tim Blaney, who were
puppeteers, and then people like Joe’s mum,
his best friend, and a few other people.”
It was a real treat for Downs, a long-time
fan of the film, to meet the people behind it
and hear their stories. Getting to bring them
back together for what Cramer describes
as a “family reunion” took that warmth
and affection to the next level. As with Life
After Flash, the distance in time sharpened
recollections and softened reserve. “They
all spoke so highly of the film and their
memories of that,” Downs says. “I think a lot
of times, when actors are in press tours, they
have to be positive about their experiences,
but these are people 30-odd years later,
all getting back together. Randal helped
organise this reunion, and you could still
see the love they had for each other. To be
around them, listening to their memories of
the film, was quite special. It has a place in
everyone’s hearts, and I think they’re also
quite surprised that it’s still so iconic and
loved all these years later! To be a successful,
working actor is one thing, but to be part of
something that people love so many years
later is quite unique.”
Downs is unequivocal when asked
to explain why Flight Of The Navigator
warranted this in-depth treatment. “Like
Flash Gordon, there was no sequel, so it
was a film that retained its magic... It’s
something special, and I had to do it. I found
Joe, and it just snowballed from there.”
She’s acquired plenty of experience in
tracking down cast and crew from cult films.
It’s tough, rewarding work, made easier
by the cooperation and moral support of
friends, family and colleagues in the tight-
knit, passionate group of filmmakers who
specialise in retrospective documentaries.
“There’s a total community, and there are
so many people now making celebration/
making-of films. It’s great to meet other
people doing that, because they understand
how long it takes and that you’re doing it for
the love of it and to celebrate these films.”
The last word on Flight Of The Navigator’s
enduring appeal belongs to its lead actor:
“For a lot of people, it was a pivotal time
in their lives. They were watching it when
they were 11, 12, 13...You’re changing from
being a kid into a younger adult. What I’ve
also heard from people was how they could
relate to the story and also to my character,
to not fitting in because you come back and
everything’s changed. There’s also just the
fantasy. Every kid dreams of flying off in a
spaceship and having a fun adventure, right?
What I also still feel when I watch it is that
there’s a lot of heart. When you get down
to it, he’s risking everything by trying to go
back in time and make everything the way
that it was, instead of sticking around and
being a guinea pig, letting a NASA guy prod
him for the rest of his life. It works out, and
he gets to go back but still remember what
it was like to have that experience and to
appreciate his family more.”
He knows how much that story means,
both to him and to the film’s legion of fans.
It’s been a long, difficult journey, but the
peace found at its end is tinged with hope.
Joe Cramer’s finally come home, and so
many people are waiting to welcome him.
Life After Navigator will be released soon.
LIFE AFTER NAVIGATOR
Navigating The Past
W W W.SCI FI N OW.CO.U K |^057
“Randal was an amazing director, and it was
such a great environment to work in. People
put their hearts into that movie, and so how
could it not do well in some way?”
As Downs lists the roster of interviewees
she put together for her Life After The
Navigator, it becomes clear that this film’s
not going to disappoint on that front, either.
“We have the parents, Veronica Cartwright
and Cliff DeYoung. We have Matt Adler who
played Jeff, the brother, and Albie Whitaker,
who plays the younger Jeff... We’ve got [two
of] the producers, Jonathan Sanger and
Dimitri Villard, Jeffrey Kleiser – Randal’s
brother – who did the visual effects. We’ve
got Tony Urbano and Tim Blaney, who were
puppeteers, and then people like Joe’s mum,
his best friend, and a few other people.”
It was a real treat for Downs, a long-time
fan of the film, to meet the people behind it
and hear their stories. Getting to bring them
back together for what Cramer describes
as a “family reunion” took that warmth
and affection to the next level. As with Life
After Flash, the distance in time sharpened
recollections and softened reserve. “They
all spoke so highly of the film and their
memories of that,” Downs says. “I think a lot
of times, when actors are in press tours, they
have to be positive about their experiences,
but these are people 30-odd years later,
all getting back together. Randal helped
organise this reunion, and you could still
see the love they had for each other. To be
around them, listening to their memories of
the film, was quite special. It has a place in
everyone’s hearts, and I think they’re also
quite surprised that it’s still so iconic and
loved all these years later! To be a successful,
working actor is one thing, but to be part of
something that people love so many years
later is quite unique.”
Downs is unequivocal when asked
to explain why Flight Of The Navigator
warranted this in-depth treatment. “Like
Flash Gordon, there was no sequel, so it
was a film that retained its magic... It’s
something special, and I had to do it. I found
Joe, and it just snowballed from there.”
She’s acquired plenty of experience in
tracking down cast and crew from cult films.
It’s tough, rewarding work, made easier
by the cooperation and moral support of
friends, family and colleagues in the tight-
knit, passionate group of filmmakers who
specialise in retrospective documentaries.
“There’s a total community, and there are
so many people now making celebration/
making-of films. It’s great to meet other
people doing that, because they understand
how long it takes and that you’re doing it for
the love of it and to celebrate these films.”
The last word on Flight Of The Navigator’s
enduring appeal belongs to its lead actor:
“For a lot of people, it was a pivotal time
in their lives. They were watching it when
they were 11, 12, 13...You’re changing from
being a kid into a younger adult. What I’ve
also heard from people was how they could
relate to the story and also to my character,
to not fitting in because you come back and
everything’s changed. There’s also just the
fantasy. Every kid dreams of flying off in a
spaceship and having a fun adventure, right?
What I also still feel when I watch it is that
there’s a lot of heart. When you get down
to it, he’s risking everything by trying to go
back in time and make everything the way
that it was, instead of sticking around and
being a guinea pig, letting a NASA guy prod
him for the rest of his life. It works out, and
he gets to go back but still remember what
it was like to have that experience and to
appreciate his family more.”
He knows how much that story means,
both to him and to the film’s legion of fans.
It’s been a long, difficult journey, but the
peace found at its end is tinged with hope.
Joe Cramer’s finally come home, and so
many people are waiting to welcome him.
Life After Navigator will be released soon.
