FilmChatter

Peter Greengrass is about to release his story of Flight 93. The movie has undergone a recent title change from "Flight 93" to "United 93." Even the trailer is tough to watch, so I can't imagine how tough it will be to actually see the movie. Let's hope that Mr. Greengrass does an honorable job with this film.

     "United 93" Trailer and Featurette - Apple

     "United 93" Official Site - Universal Pictures

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Posted by John at 04:19 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Yet another new "Mission: Impossible III" trailer is online. This time, we get to see more of the action sequences, plus more of Tom Cruise's fine acting! :-)

     "Mission: Impossible III" Trailers - Apple

     "Mission: Impossible III" Official Site - Paramount Pictures

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Posted by John at 04:04 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

After spending a lot of Day 2 with my face in the carpet during the police raid, things were definitely going to be more quiet on Day 3! This was the last of my three days working as an extra (or background actor) on "Southern Comfort," a pilot produced by 20th Century Fox Television. The show is set in Memphis, Tennessee and is being filmed here through Thursday. I worked in an upscale birthday party scene being held for Madeline Stowe's character. (As before, SPOILERS applenty will follow in my reports!).

Before we had left on Day 2, we were told that our Call Time was 8:00 a.m. But, just before bed time, I was called by the casting folks, telling me that I was supposed to be there at 6:00 a.m. instead. What?! So much for those two hours of sleep! Well, what I do for my craft! Luckily (kinda), they called me back and said that Call Time would be 6:30 a.m. Okay, a little better. So, I got up and got myself to the set. As soon as I got there, though, I was told to get right over to the house where they were filming. So, I grabbed part of a muffin, some milk, and got myself over there. We were then positioned to pass in front of the camera during a dialogue scene to add movement to the shot.

After that, though, there wasn't much to do for the day. So, I guess I should be lucky I got to do a little more. Those who didn't hear their messages in time (yeah, right!) were waiting around until after lunch. By mid-afternoon, we did get to do some final cool stuff. We got to stand below the back porch where Eric Roberts' character made a birthday speech for Madeline Stowe's character. Then, we went down towards the lake where we watched Madeline Stowe's character as she fired the new rifle she received as a birthday present.

Things wrapped up as we got to have hot dogs and pizza that the production brought in. We had our final time sheets signed and got the vans back to the parking lot. Towards the end of the day, I was able to trade names and information with other extras so I could keep in touch. As our van left the set, we passed all of the trailers lining the suburban streets, heading off to whatever filmmaking adventure would come next.

     Pilot for Fox Series To Be Shot in Memphis - The Commercial Appeal

     Cameras Set to Roll on Fox Pilot - The Commercial Appeal

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Posted by John at 11:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

  
  

Next Week (04/04):
    Brokeback Mountain
    The Chronicles of Narnia
    Bee Season

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Posted by John at 11:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Things got very busy on Day 2 of my three days working as an extra (or background actor) on "Southern Comfort," a pilot produced by 20th Century Fox Television. The show is set in Memphis, Tennessee and is being filmed here through Thursday. I worked in an upscale birthday party scene being held for Madeline Stowe's character. (As before, SPOILERS applenty will follow in my reports!).

This day got busy fast, as the Memphis Police Organized Crime Unit was on the set for the big scene where they were raiding the house of Madeline Stowe's and Eric Roberts' characters. In the story, we find out that, unbeknownst to Madeline Stowe's character, her husband is actually a crime kingpin. The raid included a police helicopter that swoops in front of the house, and armed policemen who burst in during the birthday party and force everyone to the ground as they move in to arrest Eric Roberts' character. Volunteers were first chosen (including me!) to be near the living room's window as the helicopter came in to hover over the lake in front of the house, and as the police moved up the lawn towards the house. Pretty cool as I was only one of ten people who got to see the action unfold first hand! The camera crew was basically shooting from inside out, catching the tops of our heads as we reacted to the raid. A camera-eqipped helicopter shadowed the police helicopter as it came in towards the house.

This took up much of the morning. We had an early lunch so that we would have most of the afternoon available for the big raid inside the house. As we entered, the gaffer and grip crew had set up the lighting for the interior filming. We were placed in position. We sang "Happy Birthday" to Madeline Stowe's character. As we finished and applauded, the police yelled as they raided the house. They were armed with prop weapons, but they were realistic enough! We all hit the deck and had our heads covered as they arrested Eric Roberts' character. The police had warned us that they would act like this was a real raid, so we needed to really hit the deck. We did, and had to brush ourselves off, or have one of the wardrobe folks come and use lint rollers on us between takes.

Filming that scene took the afternoon, and the day wrapped up as the crew filmed extra scenes involving the police as they came into the front driveway, and later as they took Eric Roberts' character away. Today ended up being a 12-hour day. We were released for the day and went home to get some rest for the next and final day for the location. All about Day 3 tomorrow!

     Pilot for Fox Series To Be Shot in Memphis - The Commercial Appeal

     Cameras Set to Roll on Fox Pilot - The Commercial Appeal

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Posted by John at 05:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I've said it before, but I love the HECK out of "Project Greenlight," the Matt Damon-Ben Affleck reality series that goes behind the scenes of movie production. There have been three seasons, with the third producing the horror film "Feast." Word now has it that the film is going to have special midnight screenings this October, quickly followed by DVD release. The movie looked like it would be fun when seeing bits of it during "Project Greenlight." Sounds like we'll finally get to see the whole thing!

     Gorehounds Can FEAST in October! - Cinematical

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Posted by John at 09:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The new "Poseidon" trailer (3a) is now available in high definition. This is the trailer being shown before "V for Vendetta." Also available in HD is the ShoWest reel being shown at the ShoWest Convention. The file sizes are big, but for this film, worth it. Check them out, folks!

     "Poseidon" High Definition Trailers - Apple

     "Poseidon" Official Site - Warner Bros.

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Posted by John at 07:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Bank robbers beat out revolutionaries in this weekend's box office.


     Weekend Box Office Actuals (U.S.) - Yahoo! Movies

     Weekend Box Office Results, March 24-26, 2006 - Box Office Mojo

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Posted by John at 05:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I spent three days working as an extra (or background actor) on "Southern Comfort," a pilot produced by 20th Century Fox Television. The show is set in Memphis, Tennessee and is being filmed here through next Thursday. I worked in an upscale birthday party scene being held for Madeline Stowe's character. (By the way, SPOILERS applenty will follow over my reports, so if you don't want to know what's going to happen, better check my Archives after the show airs!).

As with all film productions (movies and TV both), everything is shot out of sequence. This certainly makes things challenging for the actors, but they certainly are used to it. The scenes included were the party guests (us!) milling aound the large house, Eric Roberts' character making a birthday speech, Madeline Stowe's character firing her new vintage rifle, and the house being raided by a police tactical unit, where we find out that Eric Roberts is actually a crime kingpin.

The day started as all of us extras and local crew members parked at a nearby soccer field. We were then shuttled over to the set. As we drove in, we saw the line of trucks and trailers lining the streets near the location. This is usually the main indication that someone is shooting, when you see all of the equipment trucks, wardrobe trailers, actor trailers, and generators needed for lights and equipment. We were then dropped off at the extras' tent, where we signed in, ate our meals, and waited in between takes. Closer to the set, there were lots of cables and more equipment trucks.

The scenes we shot the first day centered around basic dialougue for Madeline Stowe's character as the party guests met and talked. To ensure sound isn't compromised, the extras don't actually talk, they pantomime their talking so that the only thing the microphones pick up the needed dialogue. The camera crew is very busy as they move cameras, change film magazines and lenses, and log shots. Things went fairly smoothly overall and we were there for around 11 hours. The next day promised to be very interesting as things were about to get crazy!

     Pilot for Fox Series To Be Shot in Memphis - The Commercial Appeal

     Cameras Set to Roll on Fox Pilot - The Commercial Appeal

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Posted by John at 04:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Well, I promised I'd write tomorrow, and here it is! I had an eleven and a half hour day. It was pretty tiring, especially since I work nights usually and had to adjust my sleep to get up for the 7:00 a.m. call time. The day was busy, and a lot of shooting got done. Plus, it sounds like tomorrow should be pretty wild! How wild? I'll give you an update tomorrow!

     Cameras Set to Roll on Fox Pilot - The Commercial Appeal

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Posted by John at 09:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Alright, folks, it's the moment of truth! Tomorrow, I start my first paying film job. I'll be an extra on Fox Network's pilot, "Southern Comfort." It's filming here in Memphis through the middle of next week. I'll be an extra for a country club birthday party scene this Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

The pilot stars Eric Roberts and Madeline Stowe. It's all about how a wife finds out that her husband is a crime kingpin. She then has to take over the "family business," while her husband is away. "Southern Comfort" is being shot over 15 days in the Memphis area, and is executive produced by Ken Topolsky. The hourlong pilot is being produced by 20th Century Fox Television for the Fox network; if Fox accepts the pilot and orders a series for the 2006-2007 season, 22 episodes could be produced.

Should be an interesting experience! I'll blog about it over the next three days. Since it's a studio production, I would expect a pretty professional setup, which is completely different from the anything goes feeling you get on the microbudget DV movies people shoot around here. My biggest love in filmmaking is cinematography. Since the pilot is being shot with Panavision cameras in 35mm, I'll see if I can get a chance to chat it up with the camera crew. More tomorrow!

     Cameras Set to Roll on Fox Pilot - The Commercial Appeal

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Posted by John at 09:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The intense fan interest over "Snakes on a Plane" has sent the New Line Film into reshoots. Instead of the usual reason of firming up a sagging story line, these reshoots are being used to take the film from PG-13 territory to R-rated territory. Fans have latched onto the film, with fan sites, T-shirts, etc. Pre-release buzz for a film hasn't been this strong since "The Blair Witch Project." We'll just have to see what kind of a snake charmer the film will be.

     Fan Frenzy for 'Snakes' is on a Different Plane - The Hollywood Reporter

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Posted by John at 06:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Some DVD's just offer the usual gabby commentary where the participants say how nice it was to be working with everyone else. The "Capote" DVD? Not so much. Tantalizing tidbits emerge about how things became strained between Philip Seymour Hoffman and new filmmakers, director Bennett Miller and writer Dan Futterman. Miller refers to "our anguished process" of bringing Truman Capote to the screen. We've all heard about how the most conflicted filmmaking processes produce the best films. "The Godfather," anyone? Maybe that's how "Capote" turned out so well.

     EW Review: 'Capote' DVD Needs More - CNN.com

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Posted by John at 01:53 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

  
  

Next Week (03/28):
    King Kong
    Memoirs of a Geisha
    Stay

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Posted by John at 06:38 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Filmmakers and exhibitors alike are not afraid of the loss of audiences for movie theatres. In fact, they don't feel the pressure at all. Really? Hmmmmm. "Every decade or so, some new technology is supposed to be the death of the movies," says John Fithian, president of the theater owners association. "Television, videocassettes, the Internet. We're still around." M. Night Shyamalan, director of Signs and the upcoming Lady in the Water says "What some people don't get is that a movie makes a much stronger connection with audiences than DVD's." says His film is due in theaters July 21. So, who will prevail in the cinema vs. DVD battle? Time will tell!

    What, Movies Worry? - USA Today

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Posted by John at 05:57 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

People have been surprised that Vin Diesel is in a comedic role in Sidney Lumet's new film "Find Me Guilty." But, Diesel has a much more varied background than others think. This includes a stage background and a readiness to direct an epic feature based on Hannibal, the 3rd century B.C. Carthaginian leader who led an army riding elephants across the Alps in an assault on Rome.

     Vin Diesel Can Be a Funny Guy, Really - CNN.com

     Find Me Guilty - Official Site

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Posted by John at 11:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

For those of you asking, would Vin Diesel or Paul Walker be back for a new "Fast and the Furious," here's your answer: Neither! Whether it be cost cutting or whatever, the new "Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift" instead features Lucas Black and Shad 'Bow Wow' Gregory Moss as two drift racers who run into a Tokyo crime kingpin. The film's out in June and the trailer's available on Yahoo!

     "The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift" - Yahoo! Movies

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Posted by John at 07:31 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

"Poseidon" is on its way, with a new trailer, and a new poster! The trailer is reportedly being shown before "V for Vendetta." The trailer is also online, but it currently only available as a small size. So, if you're going to see "V," do that instead! The poster, meanwhile, has the catch of telling us the movie opens up on May Day. "Mayday," get it?

     "Poseidon" - Warner Bros.

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Posted by John at 01:28 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

There are a lot of us "Tron" fans out here. I can remember seeing the movie many times back in the Summer of 1982. It didn't hurt that it was in 70mm and 6-Track Dolby Stereo. The classic video game film had ground-breaking visual effects. The revolutionary part was that 10% of the effects were computer generated. Now, Tom's Hardware Guide gives the behind-the-scenes story of how the film was made. Good stuff!

     Tron's World - Tom's Hardware World

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Posted by John at 01:13 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

If you haven't seen a movie before getting the DVD, watch out! DVD's can have BIG spoilers, either in the menus, the packaging, or descriptions of the films. RogerEbert.com gives a vivid depiction of the perils waiting for unfortunate viewers. One of the big offenders is "Star Wars - Revenge of the Sith," which shows a critical scene snippet just before you watch the movie! Sheesh. Beware, folks!

     DVD Spoilers: Dirty Rotten Scandals - RogerEbert.com

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Posted by John at 04:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Okay, maybe Rick McCallum didn't say that exactly, but he did say that the new "Star Wars" TV series will be "everything the fans always wanted the prequels to be." His interview with Empire Online was centered on the new TV series, which is at least 18 months away. But, his admission confirms what lots of "Star Wars" fans thought of the new film trilogy. Disappointment was the primary reaction. I personally was there opening night on May 25, 1977 for the first film. The original trilogy was magical for me, as it was for so many both then and now. But, the new trilogy was a mess, primarily because the writing was so mediocre, from bad dialogue to the chipped-together story lines. Also, the casting was problematic. While Hayden Christensen and Natalie Portman are fine actors, they're both introspective actors. Not the best choice for big, oversized characters where larger-than-life actors are needed. All in all, the new trilogy casts a shadow on the whole saga, diminishing all six films. Can the new TV series make a difference? I'd say, barely, if at all.

     Rick McCallum Admits Prequels Were Unsatisfying - Cinematical

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Posted by John at 06:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Even though "King Kong" wasn't the big hit everyone expected, Peter Jackson can laugh about it! At the British Empire Awards, Jackson accepted the award for Film of the Year with a video that pokes plenty of profanity-laden fun at the film's actors. The video is online, and will supposedly be included in the "King Kong" DVD coming out on March 26th.

     Jackson Sneaks Some Kong Extras (maybe) - Cinematical

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Posted by John at 05:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

  
  

Next Week (03/21):
    Chicken Little
    Derailed
    Capote

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Posted by John at 04:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Ice Cube is ready to take on "Welcome Back, Kotter." In yet another TV-to-movie adaptation, the Sweathogs will be back, with a fall start date planned. The project has been okayed by Gabe Kaplan himself, the original Kotter. So, how will this one turn out? Well, it's gonna be written and directed by Tom Brady, who made "The Hot Chick." Not a real confidence builder, is it? Maybe Gabe really needed the money!

     Sweathogs Rule! Cube Welcomes Back "Kotter" - E! Online

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Posted by John at 08:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Peter Greengrass, director of "Bloody Sunday" and "The Bourne Supremacy" had many challenges when it came to taking on the first feature film about 9/11. "Flight 93," to be released April 28, is a real-time depiction of the events of Flight 93. How will the film be received? We'll have to see. Greengrass is certainly an interesting director, but he has a lot of hurdles to leap over on this project.

     Real-Time Terror - Film Journal