HARLINGEN — “Two boys from the Valley walk into a bar in Bulgaria.”
That’s the line David Garcia texted to his college friend Rick Diaz to entice him to travel overseas — within 24 hours’ notice — to work on a movie project all too familiar to people from their home state: the Texas Chainsaw Massacre.
And the timeline to get involved in the latest installment of the gory horror series was tight.
David was brought on board as the director of the movie on a Thursday. The following day, he reached out to Rick to be director of photography, and Rick had to make his decision by Saturday.
“We had 48 hours to wrap up everything in the states and go to Bulgaria for two months. I sent him a text like, ‘Two boys from the Valley walk into a bar in Bulgaria’ because it is something we have in common, being from the Rio Grande Valley, and it stood out for me,” David said. “He is a very talented man but we also have that homegrown connection.”
It was in late August 2020 when they arrived in Bulgaria and returned to the U.S. by late October.
David, from Harlingen, and Rick, from Mission, met at The University of Texas at Austin.
They attended film school at the same time but did not know each other back when they lived in the Valley.
Both filmmakers have demonstrated their talent and have received multiple accolades.
David has been recognized for his movie “Tejano,” which was filmed in the Valley.
Rick has participated in multiple movies such as “Brian Banks” as well as the series “Stranger Things.”
“It was great to have a great team and a good partner in creating a film,” David said.
For Rick, it was intimidating to make such a sudden decision in the middle of a pandemic, he said. He had never been to Bulgaria, but it was easier for him to decide because David is his friend and someone he has known for a long time.
“I know he is a visual storyteller and to partner with a director who already comes in with visual skillsets, it made me feel good that he knew visual language,” he said.
“We are just waiting on release dates,” David said.
Before this movie, they had never worked on a project together. For a while, they were both directors of photography.
For David, having someone who is from his hometown area just added that special factor.
“You have like that inside joke. We have the same sense of humor, and we can bond on that and in creating a quick camaraderie by doing something so intense so quickly,” David said.
Rick agreed; the Valley connection just gave them an instant bond.
“We weren’t close friends in college, but we were aware of our 956,” he said.
“We could talk about ‘botanas,’ the mall, the movie culture in the Valley at the time. I didn’t make the decision because of that but because he trusted me and I trusted him so much as well,” Rick said.
David said the filming went smoothly.
In some cases, he knows coworkers end up not speaking to one another after a movie is done, but in this case, that never occurred.
“We are very close and very much a team,” David said.
Both never took a day off when they were in Bulgaria. They went through the set even when they were not working and thought about how to light the scenes, how to lens it, etc.
So far, there are no plans for future projects together again, but the idea of working together for a second time is enticing.
“If David wants to call me, anytime,” Rick said.
“I’d definitely be calling Rick if I ever get another project as a director,” David said.
David’s parents on his success
Carol and Arnie Garcia know David the best.
Their hopes of him making it in the film industry were high, but they did not expect their son to get to where he is today as fast as he did.
“We were hoping so but when he said this is what he wanted to do we said, ‘Wow, that is a really tough field,’” Carol said.
“He just kept at it,” Arnie said.
Working on a Texas Chainsaw Massacre movie was unexpected for them, but they consider it a project he has been working hard to obtain.
Carol said from his early beginnings, David was an artist.
“He could draw beautiful drawings, and I told him that is really neat you can do that, to have that ability,” Arnie said.
Similar to Rick, Carol said David began making his own films at 13 years old with his friends.
Being able to represent the Valley with his filmmaking is a source of pride to both of them.
“It is a surprise because for us he is just our kid,” Carol said. “We are really happy for him and the RGV.”
Both of them watched “Tejano,” the award winning film made by David in Dallas.
Arnie said it was a surprise for him when he won.
“We always hope for the best for our kids, but it always comes as a surprise,” Carol said.
Arnie remembered a time David was invited to go to Ecuador for three months, and he asked for their opinion.
“I said, ‘The opportunity is there. You can either go or not.’ But I think that was a big step for him,” he said.
“It’s always a gamble,” Carol said.
“Life is a gamble,” Arnie added.
Both mentioned their family members are equally proud of David’s successes and expect an invitation for future Academy Awards.
When it comes to watching the new Texas Chainsaw Massacre movie, Carol said she will see how many minutes she can handle.
“If it starts getting too gory, we might have to leave,” she said.
“He said it is going to be pretty gory. We might be able to do 20 minutes,” Carol said, laughing.
Rick’s parents on his success
Rosie and Robert Diaz said they are both so proud of their son Rick for being a part of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre saga.
Rosie said Rick always demonstrated an interest in filmmaking. She always wanted her son to live up to his dream.
“When we would go on a trip, he and my other kids would have a movie for us when we came back,” she said.
“When he was in junior high, he was being scouted to be an actor, but I told him to have a backup to be behind the camera. And I think he took that to heart and pursued it,” Rosie said.
Robert said he bought a VHS camera for family events, and Rick began to mess with it.
“He was motivated by Superman. He was a big fan, and if he could I think he would work in a Superman movie. He has always known what he has wanted to do; he has never faltered,” Robert said.
Both parents agreed they always imagined Rick would be where he is today professionally.
“My husband would always say, ‘That kid has the eye of the tiger,’” Rosie said.
As a Valley native, Rosie said it is a great example for children to see their dreams as obtainable by looking at Rick.
“Here is this young man from Sharyland, and he just followed his dreams. I think it’s awesome to represent the Valley that way,” she said.
Robert said other family members have said they have considered getting into the industry because of Rick’s influence.
“I know anytime you see someone from your area succeed, you feel like you succeeded, too. We hope people say, ‘This could be me,’ and we will have some more from the Valley pretty soon,” he said.
Though Rick has not yet fulfilled his dream of watching one of his films at the movie theater he used to visit as a child, his parents have already checked this from their bucket list.
“He filmed ‘Brian Banks’ which came out in theaters, and all of our family saw it. He has done many other things he will not talk about. He is very humble and never wants to draw attention to himself,” Rosie said.
Robert said it was emotional and exciting.
Rosie said ever since Rick explained to her how to get a certain lighting or setting, she has been impressed by every other shot.
“I was looking at the actual filming and thought, ‘Wow, he did an amazing job,’” she said.
As a proud mother, Rosie mentioned Rick’s films have been presented in various film festivals, such as Sundance and Tribeca.
According to both parents, Rick was always praised by his teachers as early as elementary school. Though he was not a part of the gifted and talented program, his teachers often mentioned how impressive his skillset was, worthy of being in the program.
The Diaz’s never questioned his future and are now extremely proud.
David and Rick reflect on their own successes
David never imagined being where he is today.
“You obviously daydream about being successful. But throughout your career, you experience a high, but it takes you down after that,” he said. “I still feel that way. I have to fight for the next one. I have to keep working at it because nothing is given to you.”
After making films in his backyard as a teenager, Rick said it would be a lie to say he was not aspiring to make films people would actually watch.
“This career is a game of attrition. You hit these peaks in your career and they do something for you. But you still have to fight for the next one. You always have to be prepared to fight,” Rick said.
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre project came as a surprise for both of them.
David said they asked him if he was sitting down when he received the initial phone call.
“Very rare, an amazing gift, in a pandemic. I had never directed a movie this big, a gift,” David said.
“Most of us in August were sitting in our houses here in Los Angeles. I was in my pajamas when David called, and I thought he was calling to catch up. I was totally blindsided that there was even a movie happening in the world,” Rick said.
For Rick, it is also the biggest movie he has shot at this point.
“I am grateful it fell into my lap, and we were ready for the opportunity. But it came at an unexpected time,” he said.
Both filmmakers dream of watching one of their movies at a theater they grew up visiting.
David used to work at Cinemark 16 when he was in high school in Harlingen.
For Rick, he would like to see one of his own movies at the Tinseltown in Mission, where he grew up.
“My father was a huge cinephile. A lot of what we did on the weekends was renting movies at the video store and going to the cinema, watching two or three movies a day sometimes,” Rick said.
“I don’t know if I would rent a screen, but I personally would want to slip in and just do it. But it is a hundred percent something I’d like to do,” he said.
