Nearly four decades after its release, Vision Quest, the coming-of-age movie which tackles high school wrestling, still holds up - and then some.
Vision Quest features a stellar cast, including Matthew Modine, Linda Fiorentino, Daphne Zuniga, a then-unknown Madonna and Frank Jasper. Jasper plays Shute, the Goliath who Modine, the film's lead, seeks to beat. Jasper, who was making his film debut, nails the pivotal role, delivering an unforgettable performance.
Jasper was kind enough to answer some questions.
STADIUM JOURNEY:
What prompted you to start printing Shute t-shirts? How can people get one?
FRANK JASPER:
I was asked to help promote a World Cup event in Los Angeles, which I, of course, said ‘hell yeah!’ to. Then my brother suggested that I create a Shute shirt to honor the film and have something tangible at our booth for people to purchase. You can order your Shute shirt and autographed photos from my site dedicated to Vision Quest at shuteshirts.com.
STADIUM JOURNEY:
Initially, you thought that you were auditioning for an extra role. When you learned that Shute was such a pivotal character with actual lines and lots of action, describe your mindset.
FRANK JASPER:
Because I was cast as an undefeated two-time state champ, I wanted to be not only impressive physically but also mentally super-intense and single-minded in my actions. I didn’t realize until after shooting that my character played such a pivotal role in the story arc. And quite honestly, if I had known that I had lines, etc., I probably wouldn't have auditioned.
STADIUM JOURNEY:
Prior to shooting, you had to lose 16 pounds in two-and-half weeks, similar to what Matthew Modine's character, Louden Swain, does in the film. How difficult was that process?
FRANK JASPER:
I actually ended up dropping 25 pounds in two- and-half weeks. I was bodybuilding at the time and in a bulking phase, which consisted of five full plates of food to be consumed at each meal. I replaced that with a few egg whites in the morning and a can of tuna on a bed of lettuce with a squeeze of lemon for dressing for lunch. No dinner. Instead, I’d put on sweats and ride a stationary bike as hard as I could for an hour. It was brutal. My body was breaking down my muscles for energy, and my body truly ached from that process.
STADIUM JOURNEY:
In one of the movie's most memorable scenes, you're climbing the stadium steps with a log on your back. How heavy was that log? How many takes did you do that scene in?
FRANK JASPER:
The day we filmed the stadium scene it was a sunny fall day that was so cold that everyone in the crew was wearing parkas, stocking hats and gloves in order to stay warm. The log was lightened up by the props team, so it really wasn’t so heavy. We only did a few takes, and Harold Becker, the director, got what he wanted. By the way, the sweat you see on my face is actually glycerine to make it look like I’m sweating. It was so cold that day. Nobody was going be actually sweating in that situation.
STADIUM JOURNEY:
What stadium is that?
FRANK JASPER:
That was Joe Albi Stadium, which was demolished recently.
STADIUM JOURNEY:
Did you have any idea while shooting that music would play such a pivotal role in the movie? Madonna performs two songs on camera. During shooting, she was relatively unknown. Was there any talk whatsoever that a future global superstar was on set?
FRANK JASPER:
I was never on set unless I had a scene, and I was not there when Madonna did the bar scene. I had no idea who she was and neither did anyone else at that time. The movie took about a year to complete and during that time, she completely blew up. When the movie came out in Europe, it was advertised as “Crazy for You” starring Madonna. I have to say the soundtrack is amazing.
STADIUM JOURNEY:
There's no shortage of testosterone in Vision Quest. However, there are also some wonderful female performances. What was it like to work with Linda Fiorentino?
FRANK JASPER:
She absolutely nailed the role of Carla. I loved her character and her personally.
STADIUM JOURNEY:
What's the latest, if anything, on the Vision Quest reboot?
FRANK JASPER:
I’ve been working with a producer for the last few years on a Vision Quest series similar to the Cobra Kai series, where we check to see where these characters are 30 years later and what happened to them after the big match, etc.. It’s a little more gritty and realistic than Cobra Kai, like Friday Night Lights.
STADIUM JOURNEY:
I was surprised to read that you were quite a good tennis player, good enough to earn a college scholarship. How'd you get into tennis and are you still playing? Is pickleball part of your repertoire?
FRANK JASPER:
I started playing tennis during my sophomore summer and got hooked, so I played for 6-8 hours a day and sometimes at night. I love the sport, and I still play to this day. Pickleball looks fun, but I have not ventured there yet.
STADIUM JOURNEY:
Besides tennis, what are you up to these days?
FRANK JASPER:
After going back to school to get a master’s degree in Oriental medicine, my wife and I ran a wholistic health clinic focusing on health, fitness and longevity for over 30 years in Pacific Palisades, California. We moved to Carmel, California about four years ago, and I’m now working with elite athletes, creating nutritional protocols for optimal performance. I do appearances across the country, and I’m producing and working on several projects for film and TV. I’m also a big fan of regenerative medicine, so I promote that as an influencer for the Integrated Pain Management clinic in Rutherford, New Jersey and Las Vegas. They’re using stem cells and exosomes, as well as many other cutting-edge technologies to heal athletes naturally.
Jon Hart is @manversusball
For those of you who would like to watch the movie now, you can (and should) watch it here on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DC0bt7wJEV0
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