Hollywood Comes to Motown

[Allan]

This week, some scenes for the science fiction move, "The Island" are being shot in downtown Detroit. Today, crews were busy assembling movie props on Fort Street between Shelby and Washington.

What is that on the sidewalk ahead?

It can't be what I think it is, can it? It looks like Detroit's long-awaited subway system has finally arrived!

Unfortunately, upon closer inspection, we realize that it is fake, and that Detroit's subway system is still a dream that is a good fifty years or more away.

Looking east down Fort Street

Another shot of the subway entrance

Another piece of the movie set

Subway entrance from across the street

[wolverine]

Nice! They should leave it all up even after they are done.

[Allan]

Haha, I doubt that would work too well. The bums would probably start sleeping inside the subway station entrance. LOL.

[M. Brown]

Thats awesome. I wish hollywood came to Manchester. There was a movie called Hotel in New Hampshire of something like that. I didn't watch it all. It had the orginal girl from silece of the lamb. I forgot her name. Manchester only gets its nation view from the primaries and the voting.

[BigCityAttitude]

What an ugly fake subway entrance.

Hollywood will eventually end up in New Hampshire. It's just a matter of time. Once it grows, they should have more motive to shoot a film there.

[Allan]

Typically when Hollywood comes to Detroit it is because they need a gritty city. So when they come here it isn't necessarily a good thing. Like the movie 8 Mile. If anything, that hurt the city's image. That reminds me...I do have a thread to post about the movie 8 Mile. I just have to see if I can talk the owner of the Chin Tiki into giving me a tour of the inside. I saw Mr. Chin, the owner, as I was driving by the other day, but I did not have time to stop and chat. Apparently the interior of the restaurant is practically unchanged from the day it closed in 1980! Rumor has it that the tables are still set; however, that is not the case based on the photos I've seen of the interior.

[emerging.me]

Nice pics! I've been keeping up with The Island. Any Scarlett Johansson sightings???

[Allan]

Any Scarlett Johansson sightings??? 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Not that I've seen, but I've only been downtown twice this week. I'm pretty sure that the actual filming is occuring on Saturday. I'll let you know if I see any stars of the movie.

[Brother Ray]

Not that I've seen, but I've only been downtown twice this week.  I'm pretty sure that the actual filming is occuring on Saturday.  I'll let you know if I see any stars of the movie.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Apparently they will be filming during the day on Monday. Rumor has it that there will be several car crashes involved. Bring your camera!!!!

[Allan]

No!! Why Monday?! I have class from 11-5. Unless I can get out of class. I need to think of a good reason though, lol.

[BigCityAttitude]

Scarlett Johansson is a talented young actress. I enjoy watching her on the WB sitcom "Reba".

[dnast]

That's pretty sweet. I thought they were only gonna shoot at the MCS site. I just loved seeing the site of a subway station entrance in Detroit even if it's fake. I can't wait 'til 2050!

Haha, I doubt that would work too well.  The bums would probably start sleeping inside the subway station entrance.  LOL.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

So funny, yet so true.

[Allan]

Or the bums could sleep in any number of open vacant buildings. Some idiot tore open that resturant on Woodward next to the Broderick trying to get into Broderick Tower again. And there's always Lee Plaza...that place is homeless person central! LOL.

[wolverine]

I heard someone tagged either the Subway entrance thing or the bus stop!!! This ticks me off. Why do people have to wreck things like this. It just like the people who are vandalizing the new construction downtown. I saw grafitti on the new post bar brick facade on the lower level yesterday. Seriously, Detroit needs to rid these people out of the city.

BTW, the security guard nearby let me walk into the bus station. It's astonishing how real the concrete base looks up close, but it's actually some kind of plastic material. The whole thing is very hollow sounding when you knock on it. I have pictures as well. I will try to post them later.

[Allan]

I heard about the taggers too. It was probably the "Eggs, Money" people/person. I swear..everytime I am in Detroit I see yet another new building that has been tagged by those people. Everything from the top of the Statler Hotel, to the side of the Madison-Lenox, and just about every other building in the city limits. Way to deface property and make the city look even worse! It really pisses me off, but how can it be stopped? It seems that these people decided that since the turtle tagger has stopped, that they could make a name for themselves around town.

[emerging.me]

Scarlett Johansson is a talented young actress. I enjoy watching her on the WB sitcom "Reba".

You *are* kidding, right?

Keep us posted on the filming, fellas! The reason those structures are all so basic looking is that they're probably just going to be animated over using CG, so why worry about the details.

I did a story last week mentioning the filming at the old depot. Has that gone down yet???

[Allan]

The film crews are setting up over at the train station. They have taken down the razor wire that surrounds it, and have employed a 24 hour security guard to keep people from poking around inside the station (although people still do anyway, lol). I don't know when the filming will take place, but it will be soon.

[wolverine]

I heard you can get into that building from Canada. Yes! Apparently there is a service tunnel beneath the river. It would suck if you got caught by border patrol though.

[Brother Ray]

Lots of action in Downtown Detroit today. Fist stop was the Joe Louis Arena to see all the action happening there with John Kerry's planned visit later this afternoon. Only about 100 poeple there, not much to see. A walk over to the set of "The Island" proved to be very rewarding. Futuristic cars, motorcycles and a city bus were on site. Even the police cars used were very Robocop-like. I shot some 50+ pics including the vehicles noted above and some of the actors. They were shooting a police scene were they arrested someone. Pretty cool because all the cars and actors ("fillers" as one of them called himself) were at a standstill until someone yelled ACTION! Then they all moved and the bust took place. On my way back from the shoot a huge section of the former Freud Building came crashing down creating a cloud of dust all over Woodward Ave. Only one section remains and that should be down before COB today.

Whew!

[Brother Ray]

Forgot to mention that I got 2 pics (I think) of Scarlett Johansson........

[Allan]

Sounds like there was a lot of action downtown today! I'm surprised that there was not more people at the Kerry rally. Of course I'm sure the fact that they changed the location, and then the cold weather didn't help them any.

I'm surprised that they even worked over the weekend to level the Freud. It's too bad that we had to loose that building for a parking structure. The LAST thing we need is a parking garage directly on Woodward.

I would've gone downtown this afternoon, but I was stuck in the studio working on a project. I'm starting over now though...so much for that! If my professor would've let me leave I would've gone. I've lost all my motivation. That's bad, I know. I was discussing that with my friend Andrew as I was taking my fourth break that class period! LOL. All my motivation left last week, and I need it back! I just need a break, but OI won't be getting that until Thanksgiving.

This morning I did drive Woodward from Jefferson Avenue downtown all the way to downtown Pontiac. I had 45 minutes to kill, and there was no sense going all the way back to campus so that I could be there for 10 minutes before I had to leave again. It was an interesting drive. Next time I'll have to bring my camera. There was more to downtown Pontiac than I thought there would be.

[BigCityAttitude]

Those pics don't look mike the Scarlett Johansson I know. Maybe there's more than one?

[wolverine]

OOOOOOOOOOH! I can't wait to see those pictures Brother Ray.

[Brother Ray]

It will be until the weekend before I can post any pics. Send me a PM with an e-mail addy and I'll forward some of the pics on to you if you, including the photos "I believe" are Scarlett Johansson. Some of the other photos are pretty cool too.

- BR

[Brother Ray]

Word has it, from my inside source on the set of The Island, that they will be filming a helicopter crash into one of the buildings downtown tomorrow. I believe it is the building with the big sign on it (forgot what it says - VITA????). I'll be down there during lunch to see what's happening and will snap a few more photos.