Thursday, March 13, 2008

Set . . . Back

Before I get into the regularly scheduled group of words I have something that has been nagging me a little.

I have never written anything that is read by 2000 people a day. My normal blog (and at the moment dead) is more like 200. The beauty of having a blog with 200 readers is that most understand that I say things in an off the cuff manner. I'm not a serious guy for the most part, I like to have fun when I write.

However now there are 2000 readers who are new to my style and might think that I do not take things serious enough.

For instance - I made reference yesterday that my guy at the newspaper (Clark Kent) was turned away from being in the movie because he might spill secrets and thus I surmised that I was probably not going to be called because I had a popular (and what one person said "The Official") blog about a subject we all know.

I was told I would not be told any secrets because we were already blacklisted. Let me say right now that neither Clark Kent nor I are blacklisted in any manner. It's just the way the words came out of my fingers as they typed my thoughts.

Now when it comes to secrets. I am completely serious when it comes to information NOT getting out. I understand what is at stake here. There are a number of things you do NOT know and I will not tell you. If I ask anyone for information and you do not feel comfortable giving it - that is totally fine with me. I understand.

But do not think that if you tell me something I will automatically blab it to the world. Even though when I write I might sound flippant, I do, in fact take this blog to be very serious.

On a side note - I really doubt ANYBODY at Universal reads this blog anyway. I would think they are a little busy at the moment.

( I received an email 4 months after shooting from the 1st Asst Director that in fact they DID read my blog every day).

I will now step down off my soapbox and slither back into the crowd.
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This print(?) was done by Marcia Sparks. The Columbus Paparazzi owns one of her cat prints and Diane and I LOVE her work. A few people have expressed interest in purchasing this WITHOUT the WELCOME. Let's see if we can get a campaign going for her to make a copy without the banner.


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Things appeared to slow down yesterday in the reconstruction of Columbus and the main crew were nowhere to be found. I expect that they were at other locations in Wisconsin scoping things out. The Columbus Paparazzi changed outfits and restyled her hair and was noticed immediately and told to hand over all photographs.

OK OK - see - I could not resist. In reality she was asked if she could forward copies of some photos by a business owner - that sounds boring though.

In my cold walk around town I did see one nameless guy that I recognized but I did not have the gonads to ask who he was as he was looking pretty busy (it's not the dude with the skate board) .

I know that every street leading into Columbus will have people directing traffic. Tourist this direction, extras that direction. I'm not sure what will happen to ME as I live IN town and The Columbus Paparazzi's house is only a pitching wedge from the action . . literally.

All snow has been removed or melted and new snow will be added starting early Monday morning. I know that two police cars will crash into said snow pile at some point (tee hee - THAT is not known by many people).

The schedule is still very fluid as new scenes are being discovered every day. The OFFICIAL word is that Monday will be a 20 hour shoot . . . . . that is all I will say on that subject.

Note to 33Grahm - I will have a photo of your spot tonight so the fear of the unknown will lesson for you.

And I have to say Hi to Kate and Randall Luedars. Randall is the city attorney and helped close on our house last year. I remember Kate saying as were leaving and we were all starry eyed "I hope we see you around". LOL HERE I AM!! BTW - Kate? Diane and I love living in Columbus, even without the movie!! Thanks

Back On Topic.

I have read that they are going to put down a rubber cobblestone street but I have also heard they decided not to go that route. They were painting the pavement yellow lines so I have to think . . NOT!

I know there will be one scene where people are being chased and they will run into the old karate Studio (now drugstore) and someone dies on the steps of the building.

It has been reported by others that when filming is finished in Columbus the company move on to other locations. My thinking is that there is a timing issue and there might be a second team filming at other locations but this is only conjecture as scenes are being added every day as MM discovers locations that are perfect.

Columbus HAS to be on the radar for other movies in this time period down the road if all goes off as planned.

The movie theater is just not coming together as planned and is being scraped and will become something else.

I wrote about this in an earlier blog and Kaylinne brought it up in a comment. There might be a scene where Dillinger is "filming" a movie when he is actually robbing the bank. I find this funny because I was told that when the The Columbus Paparazzi followed the entourage into the bank there must have been 30 people loitering around. Executives were a little nervous at having so many people in the bank at once (as they should be).

Back to all of you intending on coming to Columbus. I have been asked a number of times of the best places to go. All I can say is you will really have no choice on WHERE you can go. You will all be sheep herded to wherever you are suppose to be.

I have to think that space will be limited so do not expect any clear views.

On a side point - Johnny Depp. You know what he does on his days off? He likes to dress up in his Pirate costume and visit children hospitals. He is very very family oriented. People see his odd characters he plays in movies and think he is WHACKY. Actually he is a family guy and if his child is sick on a day of shooting - there will be no shooting that day. His family normally travels with him.

OH - almost forgot - I have heard from more then one Extra that they are all having some pretty bizarre dreams in anticipation of the shoot. TOO FUNNY!

Also - seems there is a casting call in Cleveland - have not seen this officially anywhere but I heard in through the grapevine.

Cheers
Rod

21 comments:

  1. Rod, Rod, Rod, blog on, baby!! I find your writing extremely enjoyable to read, and have LOL'd at more than one comment. :) Life is too short to take everything real serious.

    So what do you think? I'm trying to piece together the bank robbery from this book and that web site, and I am wondering who will be in town for the filming of the robbery. Depp as Dillinger. But not Bale, because Purvis wasn't involved yet, then, was he? He was more of a presence at the shoot out up in Manitowish. (Extremely Lovely Country up there, btw...). Dillinger's 'gang' included Pretty Boy and Baby Face and Red and a host of others - so Channing Tatum and David Wenham and others should also be around for the shoot, right? :) You got thoughts about that? And not to worry, I will attempt no bribery for secrets.

    Do you have a drink of choice? LOL! Seriously, dude, if you're around Sunday with nothing to do, and you see some gawkers wandering around with binoculars, it might just be me and the DH. Gonna take a little ride around the countryside. Might check out a bar, or local eatery. I'd be more than pleased to buy you a beverage! Weather should be gorgeous. Not like Monday when they're predicting rain/snow - but you already know that! :)

    Cheers!

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  2. P.S. The binoculars would be for bird watching...

    No. Really.

    It's that time of year!

    LOL!

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  3. As a fellow resident of Columbus...this is an awesome blog! Love it!

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  4. I thought you might enjoy this additional Johnny Depp info. His generosity is truly understatated.

    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/showbiz/showbiznews.html?in_article_id=508227&in_page_id=1773

    Johnny Depp secretly visited Great Ormond Street Hospital yesterday to donate £1 million of his own money to thank staff for saving his daughter's life.

    He arrived unexpectedly at the London children's hospital where eight-year-old Lily-Rose was treated last year when her kidneys failed.

    Last week he invited five Great Ormond Street doctors and nurses to the party for the London premiere of his film Sweeney Todd.


    And on November 29, unknown to the public, Depp spent four hours at the hospital telling bedtime stories to patients dressed as Captain Jack Sparrow after having his Pirates Of The Caribbean costume flown over from Los Angeles.

    In March last year, Lily-Rose spent nine days at Great Ormond Street after E.coli poisoning led to the failure of her kidneys.
    She is said to have contracted the bug while staying with Depp, 43, and her mother Vanessa Paradis, 34, in a rented mansion in Richmond, Surrey, while he filmed Sweeney Todd.

    Filming at Pinewood in Buckinghamshire had to be halted as her conditioned worsened so much it was feared she might not live.

    Depp, who was yesterday named best actor in a musical at the Golden Globes for his role in Sweeney Todd, later said of the scare: "It was the most frightening thing we have ever been through. It was hell.

    "But the magic is that she pulled through beautifully. Great Ormond Street was terrific, a great hospital."

    Disney, which made the Pirates Of The Caribbean films, will also today donate £10million to Great Ormond Street, which needs to raise £170million in five years to re-develop two-thirds of the hospital site.

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  5. Thanks rachel - great stuff. I have always appreciated Johnny Depp because he is his own kind of guy - not a cookie cutter actor.

    I need to hool up with the Bale boards - he is feeling left out!

    kaylinne - I'm fond of English Brown Ales and if you see a Cardi Corgi on a leash he will be attached to Diane or I.

    (Corgi's look like a Collie in a trench or LARGE 40 pound wiener dogs)

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  6. No problem. I'll see if I can find any Bale stuff. You are right he kind of left out.

    Your blog is the highlight of my day!!

    I'm coming on Sunday/Monday and very excited!

    Does anyone that is going to be at the filming(s) want to have a photo swap? Just an idea I thought I would throw out there.

    Everyone have a great day and thanks for making mine so great :)

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  7. Snow has been removed in downtown Oshkosh (Parkway at Main St.) I can't think of any other reason as to WHY the city would choose to remove snow from that area only.

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  8. Rachel--

    I'll be down there Monday can't make it Tuesday if it rains though. I'd love to swap photos with you. I'm just worried that the crowd will be so large that it will be pretty tough to get decent photos. I may pick up a telescoping mono-pod and a remote shutter trigger for my camera.

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  9. We should create some sort of photo group to coordinate photo exchange.

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  10. Was at the library today with my kiddos and there is a rumor that the Kurth Brewery is of high interest. As well as Zion Luth. Church. Have you heard anything?

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  11. Kurth Brewery - LOL - is that EVER OPEN????

    I drive past it all the time but it's always closed!

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  12. I haven't heard anything about the brewery (yes Rod, I think it's open three nights a week), but I think a church during Holy Week and movie schedules don't work together so good.

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  13. Has anyone heard anything about a meet and greet at the high school this weekend? Someone mentioned it to me today. They said a friend of theirs heard it from a friend... unfortunately that kind of info usually turns out to be bunk. Just curious.

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  14. Apparently the bar inside the establishment is of interest. I've never seen it either because, like you said, IT'S ALWAYS CLOSED!!! Wonder how they found out about it???

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  15. Maybe we could set up a picasa account on here or something to swap photos? Just an idea. I'm sure we will figure it out. We are all pretty savvy fans :)

    Keep me posted if there is a meet and greet. That sounds fun... whatever it is.

    Looking forward to Monday and hopefully getting to meet some of you....

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  16. Yea we'll figure something out. The info on the meet and greet is just a rumor as of now so not getting my hopes up.

    I'm roller blading down there Monday... so roller blades + camera = Nick.

    Hope it doesn't rain.

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  17. As of 1:00pm today faux cobblestone road was being put down and the windows and doors of the bank were being switched out.

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  18. rachel - sounds like Depp's daughter battled HUS - he's right, it's hell. My son was 3... And I *think* the 'meet and greet' is a time wherein those involved with the film schedule time to meet & greet the public for a Q&A session. It would be wonderful to do this especially for those of you who live in Columbus, since they have disrupted the normal flow of the city... But I don't know that time will permit, nor do I know that any of the parties would consider doing this. But it pays to keep eyes and ears open.

    I find it interesting that the film folk are still looking at other sites in the city. A brewery. Prohibition was nearing repeal, and we Germans didn't think much of the rule anyway... ;) A church. Zion's been there since the 1800s. And it's a Lutheran church, they usually don't do much Holy Week until Thursday. But that still begs the question - will they return at a later date to film something else? I guess we wait and watch and read!

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  19. Regarding the Kurth Brewery - my DH is a regular there. It is opened only on Wednesdays and Fridays. It has already been scouted for filming and has been deemed too small, according to my DH who may have had too much to drink so who knows?

    It is a charming place, and if you can get in there when it is open, it will be well worth your time. The owners are Kurths, very nice people, and only open it because they WANT to keep the history going. I think they could do a great little business there, but they are retired and do not want to work. No smoking in there, which is a big appeal for many. Also, there is history everywhere you look. It's awesome. And in the summer, the back deck is open and it's my favorite place to walk to. A perfect date night with my DH involves Kurth Brewery. Oh, and free popcorn!

    I am really enjoying your blog, Grinder!

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  20. So THAT's when Kurth's is open! Grinder--perhaps a visit to Kurth's is in order pronto!! :-)

    DJ

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  21. Man, you are such an idiot. Your blogs are nothing more than half-witted crap. You know nothing about the film industry, and you act like you are a hot shot with "insider information". Do the cast and crew of this film a favor and don't talk to any of them. They will quickly realize what a moron you are and regret ever coming to Wisconsin.

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