"Cocaine -- over 70 pounds -- just waiting for someone to dig it up," the trailer continues. Its an invasive species, Have you seen Maura Lockhart? Rodney has so many things about him that are unique. He was affected by the 2007-2008 economic crisis, and decided to head to the island to find it. But it was good. Florida Man takes many forms; in Cocaine Island, hes Rodney Hyden, the self-made owner of a construction company that once boasted 80 employees. The companies were formed over a twenty-four year period "I don't pretend to be anything but the new image of the Florida Man, these days," Hyden said. He lives in Dont you dare quote me. As the documentary shows, Hyden is still with his wife, Jamie, with whom he has one daughter, Emily. An early review called this movie, possibly, Netflixs craziest documentary ever. What do you both think of that? Club. "It would've been worth about $1.1 million," McEnany said. Keep in mind, Hyden was a businessman in his 50s. All Citizen Truth original articles licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 License. Woman, 66, has been missing for weeks, Miami cops say, Date night: Ivanka Trump posts picture with Jared Kushner at this Miami hot spot, DeSantis elevates second in command to lead new Florida State Guard, Man caught with water gun full of poison was on way to kill ex-wife in Texas, feds say, 1 dead, 7 wounded by gunfire at event honoring Martin Luther King Jr., Florida cops say, Driver fleeing cops after party crashes into vehicle, killing one, Florida officials say, A Palm Beach sex offender changed his name online. Of how all of this came to pass? One more. Prospects for new work are grim. But it was just that: a fanstasy. That wasn't out of the realm of possibility. WebProject Executive: Rodney Hyden (Gainesville, FL) is directly responsible for our contracted service. Yeah. Rodney Hyden has been associated with three companies, according to public records. That feels amazing as a storyteller and as a filmmaker. I mean, youre getting back to Indiana Jones or Treasure Island. Thats one of the most entertaining genres of storytelling. Melissa De Sousa Vindicates The Character We Love to Hate in The Black Women Gave The Best Film Performances Of The Year. They make it and head to Club Seabournea resort Rodney gets at a cut rate, a hundred and fifty bucks a nightand Rodney settles in with the map. Youre going above and beyond. Amidst the sand spurs and starfish-sized spiders, Julian hasnt elected to wear shoes in twenty years. Apparently, a trafficker mistakenly dropped it either out at sea or in the air and it washed up on Julians beach. You see that? Hyden asked. And check outThe Legend of Cocaine Island on Netflix worldwide now. owner of a successful construction company. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. RH: Well, I tell you. One day, amidst a profound ordinariness, Julian spotted a plastic-wrapped bale, about the shape and weight of a large piece of luggage, just plopped there in the froth of the tide. Rodney cuts the engine and the live oaks fizz with insects, the static of dropped radio contact. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. Weed, he hoped. Rodney's net worth hovers over $5,000 - $9,999 with a yearly income that's about $40 - 49,999. 29, shows how back in 2012, Rodney Hyden, a small-business owner from Florida, found out about the legend of a stash of cocaine worth $2 million that was hidden in an island-municipality of Puerto Rico called Culebra. But Ive been called a lot worse in the industry that I work in, so I thought that was a compliment. A question for both of you, Im sure theres probably many, but any funny or memorable moments that stick out from the process of filming? We dug up the cocaine and we admitted that cocaine into trial. Its a fun thing to think about. TL: Not being stressed out by the drug running and all of that? The residents of Archer, FL had heard Julian Howell's outlandish story so many times they could recite it themselves embellishments and all. Join half a million readers enjoying Newsweek's free newsletters. His mansion was opulent enough to comfort him. Theyd do the job for us if we cut them in on some of the product. Almost a decade ago, the world was gripped with anxiety as it watched the legal proceedings against a young Se, From the moment Melissa De Sousa is introduced as Murchs snarky and domineering girlfriend Shelby in 1999s The Best Man, to when she reprises her, Welcome to Whats Good, a column where we break down whats soothing, distracting, or just plain good in the streaming world with a rooting fo, After 13 years, the sequel to Avatar (2009) has finally arrived. Hyden traveled to Puerto Rico with a group of men and dug up the forbidden stash of drugs. All my close friends and family. Is something that we recommend people doing in the future? RH: I know. It's not hard to see why. Read about some real buried treasure in paradise here. Still from The Legend Of Cocaine Island. TL: Well, you know why Rodney. TL: Thats actually a pretty great answer. They know their motivation. WebView FREE Public Profile & Reputation for Jamie Hyden in Alachua, FL - See Court Records | Photos | Address, Emails & Phone Number | Personal Review | $80 - $89,999 Income & Net Worth Love called Hyden one day and asked if he was interested in playing himself on the big screen. That was more than fifteen years ago. Your email address will not be published. That there was not a guy coaxing him over. I found his number I think on his company website. TL: Yeah, absolutely. He offers to show us some new projects hes working onhe hoards old cars, buses, and boatsand on the march out back, past an eight-foot pit filled with hundreds of wine bottles, I notice the infamous bare feet. by Wess Haubrich, Citizen Truth December 6, 2019, This article first appeared on Citizen Truth and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.. You may not modify our content except to reflect relative changes in time, location and editorial style. Julian and his wife moved to Culebra, an island off Puerto Rico in 1986 to work for the sea turtle preservation project. Now I was doing it 50 times knowing I wasn't doing it for any reason." Regardless. That was literally the last shot that we did with you and I knew I was never going to have the chance to punish you again. It was a blast.". RH: I learned that you dont give a pig a biscuit because theyll follow you around all day. Right, Rodney? My family didnt even have a TV until I was in middle school, and we didnt live in a place where there was movie theaters. He started to think that he could rebuild his wealth if he could just find that cocaine. Getting seasick is , An anonymous donor paid for Bruce and Narcene Campbell to take an emergency medical flight back to the United States , Your email address will not be published. Thats all? Carlos says. Your email address will not be published. TL: Called him at this business, and this is how he talks. You can find her onInstagramandFacebook. Who Is Rodney Hyden? Thats excellent you guys had that experience. Rodney, what do you hope people will take away from your story? Yep. Only 2.2 kilos tested positive for cocaine, which wasnt even sellable. Rodney heads inside and finds Carlos, who hands Rodney his keys and says hell be out in a minute. See additional information. But he cant fight the impression made by the surveillance footageRodney sitting like a don at his office desk, spitting into a cup, talking up his weed stash and firearm, assessing the prospects of a cocaine airdrop as easy as shit.. In 2012, Hyden aka Florida Man leaves his wife and daughter for a jaunt to Culebra, where he'll fulfill the ultimate get-rich-quick scheme by digging up a bag of I make documentaries and that involves getting into real peoples lives. Rodney laughs hard and steers Julian into some favorite details. This story originally appeared in the April 2015 issue with the title The Great Cocaine Treasure Hunt.. WebAdd a bio, trivia, and more. Its a very Coen Brothers story, too, when you think about it. Were not gonna make it. Ive helped a lot of families. RH: Well, since you know who the police are now, youd better listen to them. Spent $5,000. But yeah, it made me think of that with this storys very Florida-centric nature. Such is the case in Netflixs wildly entertaining,documentarytale of quintessentially American desperation, dreams of wealth, and the power of mythic storytelling:The Legend of Cocaine Island, out now on the streaming giant. That lingered like campfire smoke in a sweater. With Hyden's blessing, Love filmed the recreation scenes with an eye for gag comedy. If I had to do it all over again, maybe I should have given it just a little more thought. Back here is such a pure place for good talk, but also a greenhouse for bad ideas. After a few Mason jars of wine, the silver-haired, perpetually-barefoot Julian would repeat a familiar tale. Well, Julian says, its the same version Rodney told you, Im sure., But it cant be, because its not just the facts of the story, I start to say, its, He wants to know, Rodney says, getting my meaning just right, what the hell prompted me to go down there and do something dumb.. So much so that the plot caught director Theo Loves eye. But one day, amidst a profound ordinariness, Julian spotted a plastic-wrapped bale, about the shape and weight of a large piece of luggage, just plopped there in the froth of the tide. Yall had to pick a tight table! Rodney says, squeezing in. We drive in deeper. In this, The Legend of Cocaine Island starts to feel like one of those terrible headlines sympathetic to white mass shootersHyden is granted an empathy it's impossible to imagine for a person of color in the United States. "I think the first time I heard someone say it would make a good movie was when they incarcerated me, and I was waiting for my bond hearing. TL: We were really gambling on that. Not knowing what to do, he buried the stash and returned to the States to live in a trailer. Disgusted, Rodney heads out alone and tracks Julians instructions through the turtle reserve to the spot where Julians mobile home used to sit. Theo, one question I like to ask all filmmakers that I talk to, what movies and directors would you consider as the most prolific influences over you?