Eye of the Storm
Roland Emmerich (as producer), fresh off his success directing Moon 44, assembled a largely German crew and took us all to Lancaster, CA. From what was once a wasted piece of desert we built a diner with adjoining motel rooms, installed an in-ground swimming pool, and populated the acreage with a gas station and out buildings. When we were finished the construction coordinator asked if he could keep the structure and lease the land. We thought he was crazy. Who would drive all that way to shoot in the middle of nowhere? We were sooooo wrong. That place has been rented out every month since 1991. The construction coordinator retired with his profits and started a luxury resort in Puerta Vallarta. The place now goes by the name Club Ed.