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Boston Movie Tours has been nominated for the Boston Choice Awards. We would love your support for the “Walk This Way (Unique Tour)” award.

If you could take 15 seconds, you can vote by checking off "Boston Movie Tours" under the "Walk this Way" category.

If pressed for time, just vote for our category, not everything. Thanks for your support.

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It was a Sunday evening when the call came from Boston Casting and Jodi Purdy Productions. There was a “special” extra role for me in Disney’s Game Plan with the Rock. The Rock is playing a superstar quarterback who discovers he has a 5-year old daughter. Considering I have never played anything besides Roderick Usher in House of Usher in 5th grade, this was my chance to shine.

So what was it? A sidekick to The Rock? A villain? A daredevil stunt? Would I get to speak? Not exactly, but the role was fitting. I was cast to play a Tour Guide…..not any guide but a Boston Movie Tours guide in a big action scene. “Sure, I can play that role.”

My day started with a 6:30 am check-in in a tent in a waterfront parking lot. Thankfully, there was plenty of coffee.

After wardrobe check where I got OK’d to wear Boston Movie Tours garb, the extras were brought to the Barking Crab where the scene takes place. In the scene, The Rock whisks his on-camera daughter out of the Barking Crab and over the Northern Avenue Bridge after an allergic reaction.

Wait a minute. I am now a restaurant patron, not a tour guide. I am quickly learning the Hollywood tricks. Extras are used in many different scenes with different clothes to save money. It is also extremely difficult to find consistent, reliable extras. Later this day, I would also be used as a pedestrian as well as a driver.

Then my chance came. Our friend Teddy from Old Town Trolley was manning the trolley. My role was to round up the 20 people on the tour and then split them apart as The Rock came barreling through. Everyone was outfitted with Boston Movie Tours brochures. Gotta love this cross marketing stuff.

Apparently, my “Welcome to Boston” was too loud and The Rock couldn’t be heard as he came through. The director Andy Fickman gave me the mime signal (speak with no words). After about 10 takes, my day in the light was over and I was back to being a regular background extra.

I’ll probably be in the movie all of 1 second but it sure was fun. Look for the Game Plan in 2007.

Five Random Thoughts for the Day

• Always lots of food. There was a great spread at the buffet style lunch. The cake in the scene was from my favorite cake place, Party Favors in Brookline. It did not go to waste. We ate it after the chicken.
• “Background” is different than “Action.” “Background” happens a few seconds before “Action” to get the extras in action. I am a background pro now.
• Extras Eat Last. Yes there is a pecking order. It is etiquette for extras to eat after the crew.
• Many “Rocks”. We have the real Rock of course. But there is also his stand-in who helps setup the scene’s lighting/other angles. His stunt double is a mirror image. That poor guy had to sprint about ¼ mile ten times during the day’s filming. He earned his pay.
• Fun. If you can be an extra for a day, it’s a great experience to see how these movies come together. Check out http://www.bostoncasting.com and get on their email list.

My 6 Roles
Hollywood reinvents extras. In my two days of shooting, I was reinvented six times

• Movie Tour guide
• Fan at Gillette Stadium
• Trainer walking into practice facility
• Angered driver in a traffic jam
• Pedestrian walking during traffic jam
• Pedestrian walking over Northern Avenue Bridge

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Gift Certificates are perfect for the movie buffs and film fans in your life.

You can now purchase gift certificates online at 2006 prices. Gift certificates are good through 2008 and are printable from your home printer.

PURCHASE NOW

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Fight Scene
Filming Location: Rooftop, South Boston Seaport Area
Photo Credit: Warner Brothers

Boston based The Departed is officially Martin Scorsese's fastest grossing film in his career filled with masterpieces such as The Aviator, Goodfellas and Gangs of New York.

As of November 2, 2006, The Departed soared past the $90 million mark in the U.S. according to The Numbers. Maybe it's the draw of Jack Nicholson, Leonardo DiCaprio, or Matt Damon. Or it could just be the fact that it's just a great movie. Scorsese's current largest box office draw is The Aviator ($102 mil U.S) which The Departed will break shortly.

With the lackluster box office performances of All the Kings Men and Clint Eastwood's Flags of our Fathers, The Departed is looking strong going into Oscar nomination time.

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The Sullivan Family

The Family in front of Cheers

What better way to celebrate a birthday than with a family Movie Tour.

This past month, the Sullivan family and friends threw a surprise Movie Tour to celebrate Cathy's birthday. The bus pulled up in Charlestown to Cathy's surprise and it was Movie Tour time. Cathy is a big fan of the Inside Track and was a pro at the movie and celeb trivia. Big props go to Eileen for organizing the event.

SEE PICS

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With the winter upon us, Boston Movie Tours completes its first full season with tremendous growth over 2005. For the remaider of the year, look for the following schudule:

Theater-on-Wheels Tour - Sat, Nov 4 - Sold out - Sat, Nov 11 at 1pm - Sat, Nov 18 at 11am - Sat, Nov 25 at 11am Select weekends in December Boston Movie Mile Walking Tour - Sat/Sun at 2pm thru Nov 12

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Please feel free to contact us at the below email addresses with any comments or suggestions.

Also, if you have information you would like to have included in future newsletters, please send it along. We'd love to get your celeb pics, sightings and other movie news.

Sincerely,
Jeff and Rachel Coveney
Boston Movie Tours Founders

Jeff - jcoveney@bostonmovietours.net
Rachel - rcoveney@bostonmovietours.net

Boston Movie Tours Web Site

2006 Copyright Boston Movie Tours, a division of Take One Tours, LLC. Some other trademarks and content belong to their respective owners. Boston Movie Mile and Hollywood in the Hub are trademarks of Take One Tours.