FEW people can claim to have had a near-death experience at the hands of a Hollywood action star.
But one such man is West Didsbury-born and bred Gary Sinyor, who found himself experiencing an unexpected close call along Terminator actor Linda Hamilton on the set of his new film.
Sinyor’s movie, entitled In Your Dreams, sees Hamilton playing a determined private eye roped in to help a dentist with the marvellous gift of premonition, played by Dexter Fletcher. But it was lucky the film got finished at all, joked the 46-year-old.
“Linda nearly killed us during a scene where she was driving along in London,” Sinyor said.
“She just forgot she had to drive on the left-hand side of the road and drove into some bushes.
“There is an out-take where you can hear me screaming.
“We just wanted a scene with her driving – I didn’t think it would turn into a stunt.”
His brush with death aside, Sinyor is full of praise of the star, describing her appearance as a “real coup.”
“It was lovely – we spent lots of time wandering around London,” he added.
In Your Dreams tells the story of hapless dentist Albert (Dexter Fletcher) who suddenly discovers his dreams literally come true.
His new ability leads to encounters with two beautiful ladies (Bend it Like Beckham and ER star Parminder Nagra and ex-Hollyoaks actress Elize du Toit) and life is beginning to look good for Albert – until a shocking prediction about his hateful stepmother means he has to turn to Hamilton’s private investigator for help.
The shoot took just five weeks, rushed due to the availability of the leading man, according to Sinyor.
“We only had Dexter for a short time as he was in between filming Hotel Babylon and the film Stardust, so we also had to accept whatever haircut he came with,” he explained.
“He was so good, though.”
A former pupil of Beaver Road Primary and Manchester Grammar School for Boys, Sinyor says he was first inspired to enter the film industry after watching the Alan Parker movie Midnight Express.
His decision didn’t lead him immediately to the Hollywood Hills though – his first ‘break’ was directing what he described as “the worst advert ever made” for a Bolton firm. But his luck improved enormously with his first feature-length film, Leon the Pig Farmer, which he co-wrote and co-directed, when the irreverent comedy won heaps of critical praise and a shedload of awards.
His career later took him to Hollywood, to direct Renée Zellweger in Nineties romcom The Bachelor, but he didn’t stick around for too long. “It’s a bit strange if you don’t play golf or smoke cigars,” he adds.
Though the father of two lives in London, his thoughts regularly turn to his home city, where his parents Sammy and Claire still live.
“I actually tried to set In Your Dreams in Manchester but, due to the way it was financed, it ended up in London,” he added.
“I’m hoping to be able to film here one day but sadly that isn’t the case for the next three, which are called Not Moses, my first scary film, called Ssshhh… , and another thriller called The Retreat.
“One’s based in Michigan, one’s based on a Scottish island and the other was filmed in Hungary!”
The pressure’s also on Sinyor to please one particular critic. “My mother keeps asking me “Why can’t you make a thriller?
“Two out of the next three are thrillers, so I have finally listened to her.”
In the meantime, he hopes his latest, more light-hearted offering gives audiences something to smile about despite their financial difficulties.
“My films are often compared to the kinds of films Working Title produces – like Bridget Jones – though I’d like to think this one’s a bit more ‘credit crunchy,’ he added.
“It’s about a guy who really is a bit miserable until his life changes, so it’s a film to cheer you up.”
With that promise, maybe even Mrs Sinyor will approve.