Monday, April 21, 2008

Back Working for the Man

Weather Forecast - MANITOWISH WATERS - Partly cloudy. Highs in the lower 70s. Southeast winds 10 to 15 mph.
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This is a shortened blog for Julie of Julies Java House.

Julie has never read the blog. She came up to me at the Meet and Greet and handed a index card to me and said "write any stories you want to share". hmmmmmm I'm not sure I could fit the last 116 pages of the Public Enemies-Columbus blog onto one index card. She said she just did not have time to read the blog so I made a little short blog so she would not have to spend a lot of time.

Rod is Brain Scattered
Vanity Fair, Bryan Burrough is right - Rod Forsakes
Meet and Greet at Julies - how many keys? - Index card?
Rooftop Ralph photos
Wausau Daily Harald about PE up North
Depp/Bale - rarely together
Auditorium photos
I miss my hat
Repeating story warning
Flowers talk with Rod

OK Julie - on with your day! Have a good one.
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I'm a little scattered today - more in shock actually so this blog could be a little more scatter brained then normal.

In the March 20th Vanity Fair edition of Bryan Burrough's blog he writes:

"There’s a fellow named Rod Melotte in Columbus, Wisconsin, where they’re filming most of this week, who, I swear, has forsaken his day job to post around the clock."

WOW - the guy can tell the future - I DID forsake my job ,but only for a little while.
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The Meet and Greet at Julie's Java House was a smooth affair and lots of people turned out. Mayor Nancy Osterhaus was present and gave Adam Boor the key to the city. How many keys are there anyway and I'm getting worried about people leaving things open.

Also all the people that I met there - great to see you, if I could only remember all of your names.

For anyone interested I left a 20x30 poster at Julies of downtown Columbus. Stop buy, get some Java, buy a cool tee shirt and look at the poster.

Also here is a newspaper account of the event - Portage Daily Register.
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I'm starting to get some photos so I might as well share them. This enlarge's up pretty good (well?). These were taken by a guy I will call Rooftop Ralph.

This is basically what the set looked like the last three days of filming (42 hours). Not sure who took the shots but I did see you and was praying for you. I was a little to the left outside the photo.

You can see fire coming out of the barrel of a gun. You can also see that Johnny Depp is on set because you can see Jerry Judge (silver hair). Jerry is like a Robin. If you see a Robin, spring is close. If you see Jerry, Johnny Depp is close. Jerry is Male #4 on the left. What I really like about this shot is looking at every person.

HEY - who is that dude with the little camera!! GRRRRRRRRR!!


And here is the REAL star that Scott and I took care of last week.
Is that a smile on the car???

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From the Wausau Daily Harald

MANITOWISH WATERS — It’s a closed set, and security guards are stationed at the entrance of Little Bohemia Lodge to enforce that rule. But that didn’t stop gawkers Sunday from hanging around near the entrance to the lodge, peering in to try to catch a glimpse of a Johnny Depp or a Christian Bale or a Marion Cotillard.

Filming of the Michael Mann-directed film about John Dillinger, “Public Enemies,” is scheduled to begin on location at Little Bohemia Monday, and the area is already feeling the effects. Dozens of trailers fill the back parking lot of nearby Our Lady Queen of Peace Catholic Church, and crew members are lodging in various hotels in Manitowish Waters and Minocqua.
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Something that I should mention that seems obvious once you really think about it.

Johnny Depp and Christian Bale area rarely together in the movie. Depp is trying to stay away from Bale and Bale is chasing Depp.
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Auditorium

I had the privilege to tour the Auditorium yesterday and took some photos (note to Michael - I have sent your $ to the committee (LOL - the spelling checker replaced committee with sodomite).

Sit back and imagine what this could look like all fixed up.

The last performance was in the mid 1930s when Dillinger was doing his thing. And now we are trying to fix it up, once again, when Dillinger is doing his thing.


These were taken standing on the stage looking out. So many stories these walls could tell (if walls could talk, but that would be yet another story wouldn't it).

Gettin a little artsy!

Michelle and I could have stayed here a long time taking photos.



Sometimes you find beauty in the oddest places.

Yea - OK - getting a little carried away.


The walls are full of ghosts from the past in the dressing rooms


AND WHO KNEW - our hero was here!!!! Obviously in a hurry.

I'm not going to beg for money again (unless there is a chance you have a couple bucks to spare and then you can send it to)

Public Enemies - Columbus blog
c/o
Columbus Auditorium Corporation
PO Box 365
Columbus WI 53925

They have been getting a trickle of money from you guys and while it will not do much for actual construction it WILL show the people WITH money that there is major interest in the project from around the world.
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After being on set for 5 days for 14 hours a day wearing my hat and having everyone around you wearing their hats. . . . . . I miss my hat :-( I might embarrass DJ and wear it more often

It's also odd that I'm still digesting last week (not the food part). If I tell a story that I said last week please excuse me. It all blends together a little.
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Flowers Talk with Rod

I'm an idiot

I was all excited this weekend. It's 77 degrees and sunny. The birds are singing and the local nursery received their first shipment of flowers.

DJ, Blake and I go to Jungs and I have my book and list of flowers for my butterfly garden.

I find Coreopsis hybrida - Jethro Tull which I CAN'T turn down. Of course then I'm looking for any Liatris spicata - Pink Floyd but don't find any. I won't print the common name as I'm having problems coming to terms with my female side and THAT name is just wrong.

I end up getting Liatris spicata - Kobold.

And then I get this brain cramp. It's still slim pickens so when I fine Butterfly Weed I'm all excited. Problem is it is just a plastic thing of . . . . . dirt. Well, must be a plant in there somewhere so I buy three plastic things of dirt.

I'm planting my new little babies and as I dig a hole I realize I'm digging a hole in the dirt to just put DIFFERENT dirt in. WHAT WAS AI THINKING? Is there something in here? There seems to be a clump that is thicker then the other dirt.

Hell - I should have picked up seeds and planted THEM!!

We also purchased a Pink Princess (oh man, I feel I'm drifting to the other side) Weigela but we can not decide where to plant it.

More Flower Talk with Rod next time. Remember - the dirtier your hands, the cleaner your mind!
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With that - I have 109 work emails to trudge through so I better get deleting.

Talk to you later.

Rod M

37 comments:

  1. FIRST IN!!!!

    Hey - prominent PE bloggers are in the newspaper

    http://tinyurl.com/3rques

    Look at the little photo

    kris on the left behind the grating with my charmign wife DJ next and shakenbsis in the red - then yours truely and below is Blake our Cardi Corgi!

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  2. Great shots, Rod! I love looking at what caught your eye in the auditorium. It's funny, you tended to take your shots from the other side of the room than I did. You are brave to take that shot of the seats from the balcony, every time I looked down I got a little vertigo! LOL.

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  3. Great photos!! I agree with Michelle - no way I would have taken the photo over the balcony. I know they're working on an Auditiorium website but I don't know where in the progress scale it is. (There is a reserved domain name).

    Shakenbsis- after all of the photos we avoided being in, only to be caught by the newspaper reporter!!!

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  4. I don't understand : are there pics of JD and Bale together ?
    I don't see them.

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  5. Great pics of the auditorium Rod! Thanks for posting them!

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  6. anon - No, no, there is no picture; he was just commenting that they are rarely together in the filming.

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  7. I love the shots of the auditorium, dare I ask is that to be the interior of the Biograph?
    I enjoyed the chance to see the set in action.

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  8. Aloha everyone from Hawaii! Sounds like lots of excitment back home. Wish I could partake in it! Keep pictures coming I am trying to catch up on the blogs buts its hard once you fall behind!!

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  9. Anyone heard anything on Little Bohemia?? What is going on? Any info would be greatly appreciated?

    Thanks!

    Char

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  10. Well, you are just in EVERY thing
    these days Rod!! LOL Glad you pointed out the people in the photo; since I couldn't make it to
    Julie's (home in bed with a sinus infection Saturday and Sunday); I wouldn't have known who any of the people in it were!! Love your photos of the auditorium too!!

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  11. Article this morning about Little Bohemia:

    http://tinyurl.com/4kj966

    Love the pics, Rod! That one bit with 'class of 1927' (I think)...so cool. What kinds of things did they do there? Like plays, or concerts? Was it local stuff, high school stuff?

    I love that you guys are trying to save the place. I grew up in a teeny village (anyone know Rosendale?) and have watched all of its history become totally erased. They recently put money and effort into saving and rebuilding the old Peony Gardens, but I think it looks almost hideous. If that's how it looked waaaaaay back in it's very earliest days, ok...but I doubt it.

    So yeah, love that you guys are trying to keep Columbus's history!

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  12. Debsmad - The Auditorium really was a centerpiece of the community. It hosted many social events: plays, musical events, solo and ensamble programs, high school graduations, church meeting place... up until the 1930's when rumors were started that it was condemned (in an effort to build the high school auditorium)

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  13. Debsmad,
    I know where Rosendale is!! It's too bad they didn't have the foresight to save their heritage too. Beaver Dam has left many of their older beauties go by the wayside too!

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  14. Jerry has been called many things, some of them quite rude, but I've never heard him likened to a robin before!

    I remember you were kind of nervous of Jerry at first Rod, but I think you know now he's doing an excellent job, even if he can be scary at times. I doubt the meet and greets would happen without Jerry.

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  15. News just said that PE filming brought over $4 million to Oshkosh.

    Thanks to everyone who came and spent money here!! :)

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  16. Wonderful pictures! This blog and all the efforts continue to amaze and thrill me! Thank you!

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  17. AARRRGHHHHH!!!! Kris we tried sooooo hard to keep our mugs out of the way of the 'shooters' How in the world did this happen!! = )

    Cameras everywhere I guess...

    Rod, I love your perspective of the Auditorium too.

    dj - you guys are soooooo cute! Now we just need a pic of your adorable heart shaped doggie = )

    Love the roof guys shots!! I cant wait for jul 09...

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  18. Can someone [Rod] give me some more information on the 5/1 filming in Columbus? Where in the country, and how closed is "closed"? It's my birthday and I really have my heart set on going.

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  19. I really wish I could have been up there for the meet and greet, but I had this annoying obligation they call 'work', one I've been neglecting sorely over the past week.

    The auditorium is truly gorgeous. I love the signatures. I hope they keep them when it's restored.

    I scanned this entry very quickly, and apparently not very carefully, on my way out the door today, and spent a good portion of the morning with an amusing image in my head of Jerry as Robin. As in Batman.

    Sam for the reading comprehension win!

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  20. Beautiful pictures of the auditorium..I think it's sad when they want to leave beautiful places like that to ruin, especially after reading in the comments they said it was condemmned just to get one built at the high school :(
    What a waste of a perfectly decent building..I hope they get the funds they need to fix it up!

    -Kristen

    P.S. Is the signature in the last photo of the auditorium who I think it is?

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  21. When I finally got around to reading newspapers from the last few weeks I read an article that said they're going to start giving tours (or actually have begun) of the Sheriff's House and Jail in Crown Point! I'm planning on going after I get around to reading PE. I think it'll be fun! Here's the link to the article from the Times.

    http://tinyurl.com/3nau7n

    -Kristen

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  22. I'm home to Tennessee from my WONDERFUL trip to WI.
    Sister-in-law and I arrived in Oshkosh Thursday the 17th. We saw some filming and heard the gun fire from quiet some distance,but that was fine with me. It was exciting. Thursday night I met Johnny at the meet and greet and told him I had come from Tennessee. He was very sweet. Jerry was thanking the people for being there. It was a very pleasant experience. I was lucky to be in the front- next to the barricade and not in the back of the crowd. I had one of the best times of my life in Oshkosh and other areas of WI. The people were amazing! So friendly and just happy to talk.
    We stayed at The Park Plaza and ate in Oshkosh. Of course we had to get a T-shirt,so we contributed a little $ to the economy.
    I just can't express what the trip meant to me and how impressed I was with the area and it's people. Maybe I will be back someday. And just think--this little blog spot played a major part in my decision to "go for it".
    And now that I have met JD... "My life is complete". :)

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  23. Rod,

    Thanks for taking the time to fill us in on the happenings.

    It sounds like spring is headed your way!!

    I love the shots you and Michelle took of the auditorium. It was great seeing both of you letting your creative license take over on a couple of the shots.

    Your short story to Julie at the Java House was too cute. I particularly liked your postcard size photos.

    C

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  24. deppaddicted - i'm so glad you had a nice trip to WI. = )

    I loved driving through TN, the Smokies especially just before and after the sunrise. I cut through there once heading from Florida to Vermont and it turned out to be quite a moving experience, so beautiful, almost ethereal... i can still tear up just thinking about it.

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  25. Kristen, the signature in the last of Rod's aud photos is "J Derr", but we both noticed it and laughed that Johnny must have snuck up there before we did. Who knows, perhaps Mr. Derr was the JD of Columbus in his day. :)

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  26. rod-
    for the closed set4/29/08 I am guessing a certain house up on the hill???
    according to my sources...that's what I was told...
    Michelle- btw we got our camera on friday and are having lots of fun taking pics especially of my kids thanks for the info:)

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  27. Michelle--
    Thanks for the response! I didn't know if Johnny had got to tour the auditorium while he was in the area and got the chance to sign his name for the fun of it.

    -Kristen

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  28. Deppfan,
    I'm so glad that you had such a great experience visiting our lovely state. I'm also so happy that you got to meet JD! WOOO HOO.

    Hopefully you can come back and visit again.

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  29. Why the heck did the tornado alarms just go off here in Columbus?

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  30. tornado alarms? Well - good thing they did not wake US up.

    Were they the Depp-nado alarms?

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  31. LOL Rod! Depp-nado. That is right up there with Depp Throat :)

    Weren't we supposed to get storms last night and today? The sky looked pretty interesting and ready to do something when I was out in the fine city of Waunakee last evening. But nothing seemed to happen.

    So will you be in Columbus next week for the festivities?

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  32. I heard them, too, Jenny. I was checking the weather on TV, computer, and I think it was all a big farce.

    Can somebody pull the alarm like that? Took me 2 hours to fall back asleep. Grrrrr.

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  33. Depp-nado & Depp Throat. This is a fairy tale world.

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  34. Hey guys,
    I just checked the Journal Sentinel (Milwaukee newspaper) and it stated that streets would close in Milwaukee on MONDAY.

    Is that an error and they are still filming on Thursday, or did it get delayed?

    Just trying to sort things out,
    Emily

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  35. Rod and gang;

    Dang, I can't remember if I got around to thanking you and all who posted Oshkosh PE filming info here. The info helped seal the deal on me (coming from Kentucky) and my friends (from CA AZ and VA) making the trip and having a wonderful time!!! I was there from Sun to Wed, while a few of my friends got to hang around a bit longer. Oshkosh folks are the best and getting to watch filming and getting a hug from Johnny were priceless. Thanks for everything. It helped make the trip possible.

    Continued success with the auditorium and this blog with all it's get tidbits.

    Ciao
    southern gal

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  36. Forgot to add that I met Rod in Oshkosh while he was hanging out as an extra by the antique cars and didn't even know it. Small world indeed. :) Nice to have 'met' you.

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