Wichita on the Boston Movie Tour!

We have to give it up to director James Mangold (Walk the Line) for making our jobs here at Boston Movie Tours a whole lot easier. We will not have to change our Theatre-on-Wheels bus route at all to include his new Boston-made flick Wichita because they filmed on a location directly where we make a hop-off stop! The Loaded Gun is reporting and has pictures of the movie being filmed in front of the Boston Fire Museum on Congress Street.

For those of you unfortunate enough to still have not taken the best tour Boston has to offer (ours) a highlight for many is to see the filming location of the 344 Washington Street scenes in Martin Scorcese's The Departed. Well the place where Tom Cruise was just filming on Monday is exactly where our bus stops to show the scene from The Departed... I know!! Almost too good to be true!

Let's just hope that Wichita can reach the bar The Departed set so high.

Shutter Island Release Date Pushed Back

According to the Hollywood Reporter, Paramount has officially postponed the release date of Martin Scorsese's film Shutter Island from October 2 to February 19.

In a statement from Paramount Pictures Chairman and CEO Brad Grey, "Our 2009 slate was greenlit in a very different economic climate and as a result we must remain flexible and willing to recalibrate and adapt to a changing environment."

He went on to say, "Leonardo DiCaprio is among the most talented actors working today, and Martin Scorsese is not just one of the world's most significant filmmakers, but also a personal friend. Following a highly successful 2009, we have every confidence that 'Shutter Island' is a great anchor to lead off our 2010 slate and the shift in date is the best decision for the film, the studio and ultimately Viacom."

The movie, based of a novel written by Dorchester native Dennis Lehane (Mystic River, Gone Baby Gone), is set in 1954 and is about a U.S. Marshal (played by Leonardo DiCaprio) who is investigating the disappearance of a murderess who escaped from a hospital for the criminally insane and is presumed to be hiding on the remote Shutter Island. Shutter Island will be released nationwide 2 October 2009.

As previously mentioned the filming for the movie has taken place in East Boston, Taunton, Medfield, Nahant Beach, Hyde Park, Boston Harbor Islands (Peddocks Island), and the North End.

Shutter Island Trailer Released

Martin Scorsese's new movie Shutter Island, shot in Massachusetts and based on the novel by Boston Native Dennis Lehane, has just released the first trailer.

The movie is set in 1954 and is about a U.S. Marshal (played by Leonardo DiCaprio) who is investigating the disappearance of a murderess who escaped from a hospital for the criminally insane and is presumed to be hiding on the remote Shutter Island. Shutter Island will be released nationwide 2 October 2009.

As previously mentioned the filming for the movie has taken place in East Boston, Taunton, Medfield, Nahant Beach, Hyde Park, Boston Harbor Islands (Peddocks Island), and the North End.

Filming in Boston

Hollywood has hit the Hub. Here is what is filming in Boston.

Shooting in 2008

Ashecliffe: Based on the book Shutter Island by local author Dennis Lehane (Mystic River and Gone Baby Gone), Ashecliffe follows the story of two United States Marshals who investigate a mental patient’s disappearance on a Boston area island. They uncover that nothing is quite what it seems on this mysterious island.

- Starring: Directed by Martin Scorcese: Mark Ruffalo, Sir Ben Kingsley and Leonardo DiCaprio
- Filming: East Boston, Taunton, Medfield, Nahant Beach, Hyde Park and Boston Harbor Islands (Peddocks Island), North End
- Status: Filming completed (March-July 08); for release in 2009

Bride Wars: Best friends become rivals when they schedule their respective weddings on the same day.

- Starring: Kate Hudson and Anne Hathaway
- Filming: South Station, Public Gardens, Suite nightclub and Back Bay
- Status: In Post Production as of July 2008; for release in 2009

Edge of Darkness: A police officer investigates the death of his activist daughter.
-Starring: Mel Gibson
-Filming: South Boston
-Status: Filming as of 09/09/08

The Fallen: A true-life story of a Boston Fire Fighter whose life is turned upside down after a devastating injury leaves him with a severe drug addiction.

- Starring: TBD
- Filming: TBD
- Status: Filming soon


Ghosts of Girlfriend's Past: The romantic comedy is about a bachelor who attends his younger brother’s wedding and is haunted by the ghosts of his past girlfriends.

- Starring: Matthew McConaughey and Jennifer Garner
- Filming: South Street, Wellesley, Ipswitch, Chelsea, and Hingham
- Status: Post production as of July 2008; for release in 2009
- Tidbit: Ben Affleck was originally slated to play in McConaughey's role

Paul Blart: Mall Cop: Paul Blart: Mall Cop is a comedy about a security guard who tries to stop a group of crooks who are taking over a mall.

- Starring: Executive Producer Adam Sandler; Kevin James
- Filming: Boston Harbor Islands, Burlington Mall, Hanscom Fields, Centre Street in West Roxbury, South Shore Plaza
- Status: Post Production as of July 2008; for release in January 2009

The Proposal: A pushy boss marries her young assistant in order to keep her Visa status in the U.S. and avoid deportation to Canada.

- Starring: Ryan Reynolds and Sandra Bullock
- Filming: Financial district, Rockport area, Salem
- Status: Post production as of July 2008
- Tidbit: While in Massachusetts, Bullock got in car accident but was not hurt.

The Surrogates: The Disney a sci-fi thriller story is set in the near future where humans interact with one another through surrogate robots.

- Starring: Bruce Willis
- Filming: Seaport District, Old Worcester Courthouse, Worcester, MA, Back Bay
- Status: Completed Filming as of August 2008

This Side of the Truth: A comedy about a town where no one has ever lied - until a writer decides to give it a shot for his own personal gain.

- Starring: Written/Directed by Ricky Gervais: Tina Fey, Jennifer Gardner, Christopher Guest, Jason Bateman (rumored) Rob Lowe
- Filming: Lowell, MA
- Status: Completed filming as of September 2008;

Filmed in 2007

21: Based on Ben Mezrich’s bestseller, Bringing Down the House: The Inside Story of Six MIT Students Who Took Vegas for Millions, 21 shows how some MIT students beat Vegas.

- Starring: Jim Sturgess, Kevin Spacey and Kate Bosworth
- Filming: South Street Diner, Boston Convention Center, Harvard Medical Center, Copley Mall, Boston University
- Status: on DVD

The Box: This thriller/horror focuses on the the story of a mysterious wooden box that brings both fortune and misfortune into the lives of a couple after being opened.

- Starring: Cameron Diaz and James Marsden
- Filming: South Boston, Boston Public Library, Ipswitch
- Status: Post production for release in late 2008

My Best Friend's Girl: Comedy about a guy who men hire to take their ex-girlfriends on bad dates so they crawl back to their boyfriends.

- Starring: Dane Cook and Kate Hudson
- Filming: Castle in the South End, Boston Common, South Street Church, Copley Square
- Status: Post production for release September 19, 2008

The Great Debaters: A 1930s African American debate team takes on Harvard and wins.

- Starring: Dane Cook and Kate Hudson
- Filming: Acorn Street in Beacon Hill, Wang Center
- Status: Released in theaters December 2007
- Tidbit: Wang Center doubles as a train station

The Lonely Maiden: The comedy centers on three museum security guards who devise a plan to steal back the artworks to which they have become attached after they are transferred to another museum.

- Starring: Morgan Freeman, William H. Macy and Christopher Walken
- Filming: Public Garden
- Status: Post production for release in late 2008

On Broadway: A playwright stages a production of his work in the back of an Irish pub.

- Starring: Joseph McIntyre, Eliza Dushku and Will Arnett
- Filming: Dorchester, Waltham, Boston Public Library
- Status: Awaiting distribution

Pink Panther 2: Insp. Jacques Clouseau teams up with a squad of International detectives who are just as bumbling as he is.

- Starring: Steve Martin and Andy Garcia
- Filming: Chelsea, Wang Theatre, Financial District
- Status: Post production for release in 2009
- Tidbit: Boston doubles as France

Real Men Cry: The story follows two childhood friends as they go through life surviving through petty robbery and other crimes in South Boston.

- Starring: Mark Ruffalo, Ethan Hawke, Amanda Peet and Donnie Wahlberg
- Filming: South Boston
- Status: Post production for release in 2008

The Women: A wealthy New Yorker leaves her cheating husband and bonds with other society women at a resort.

- Starring: Annette Bening, Meg Ryan and Eva Mendes, Debra Messing
- Filming: South End, Back Bay, Newbury Street, Boston Public Library
- Status: In Theaters
- Tidbit: Boston doubles as New York. Rumored not to have a single man in the cast.

Information compiled from various sources including IMDB.com, the Boston Herald and the Boston Globe.

It's a Wrap for Ashecliffe

It is time to say goodbye to the Leo watch it Boston. Last week, Leonardo DiCaprio and Martin Scorsese wrapped up the four month shooting of Ashecliffe, a crime drama based on the Dennis Lehane’s Shutter Island. In addition to DiCaprio, the movie also stars Mark Ruffalo.

The movie has filmed throughout Massachusetts including Whittenton Mills in Taunton, the Crane Estate, Nahant, East Boston, Hyde Park and the Boston Harbor Islands.

According to the Boston Herald’s Inside Track, the last scenes were shot in the North End at the Waterfront Cafe on Commercial Street. There were also some childhood stickball scene shots up the street.

Look for the movie's release in 2009.

Film makers just don't learn their lesson in Eastie

Back in 1993, East Boston had a minor cinematic mishap when an oceanliner explosion blew out about 8,000 residential windows. The action thriller Blown Away caused quite a few problems out on the harbor and served as a lesson to all future films coming to the area: don't use the Harbor as your own personal soundstage.

Well, Martin Scorcese tried to live on the wild side while filming Ashecliffe, the film adaptation of Dennis Lehane's novel, Shutter Island.

Boston Herald reports that as per usual, the set was in lock-down mode, but there was some drama visible from the street. A pair of cranes hoisting a huge black screen over the water lost control of the in the wind yesterday.

One insider reports to the Herald “It took off like a kite and crashed into the back of the boat, damaging the American flag,” said our spy on the scene. “They decided it was too dangerous in the 30 knot winds, so they dismantled it.”

Another crisis averted. Well played, Marty.

The crew heads to a warehouse in Hyde Park for filming later this week. The production will be in the Boston area until June, so keep your eyes peeled and steer clear of any cranes!

Ashecliffe Filming Hits Tauton

Martin Scorsese's long awaited Ashcliffe with Leonardo DiCaprio, Mark Ruffalo and Ben Kingsley is finally set to begin filming. Ashecliffe is based on Dennis Lehane’s novel Shutter Island.

According to the Boston Herald, the filmmakers have converted Whittenton Mills in Taunton into a concentration camp and filming is going on now.

Later this month, the abandoned Medfield State Hospital is slated for the backdrop of several hospital scenes. As of Tuesday, Boston Movie Tours confirmed some Ashecliffe activity in a remote part of Medfield. Pics coming on Friday.

Shutter Island Becomes Ashecliffe

The new Martin Scorsese movie based on the Dennis Lehane book Shutter Island recently received a name change. The movie is now being called Ashecliffe. Go try to spell that one correctly.

One of the places you'll the stars roaming about is in Tauton, Mass. According to the Boston Herald, the crew will set up for 4 days at Whittenton Mills in March.

Record Filming in Massachusetts

Hollywood in the hub is giving Boston that loving feeling.

According to a recent Yahoo article, movie making in Massachusetts is up over 150% from 2006 according to Nicholas Paleologos, executive director of the Massachusetts Film Office. Filmmakers have spent approximately $125 million in Massachusetts filming nine major productions including The Woman, Pink Panther 2 and The Lonely Maiden.

And pending resolution of the writer's strike, 2009 looks to be just as promising highlighted by a new Martin Scorsese/Leonardo DiCaprio crime drama Shutter Island. Filming is due to begin in the spring of 2008.

Read the full Yahoo Article
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20071221/film_nm/massachusetts_dc

Scorsese and DiCaprio Team Up Again

What happens when you mix The Departed with Mystic River? You get another potential Boston blockbuster.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, Leonardo DiCaprio and Martin Scorsese are teaming up on another Boston crime drama called Shutter Island. They originally teamed up on the award winning The Departed. Mark Ruffalo and Ben Kinsley have also joined the cast.

Shutter Island is base on a book by local author Dennis Lehane (Mystic River and Gone Baby Gone). Set in the 1950s, Shutter Island follows the stories of two United States Marshals (Ruffalo and DiCaprio) who investigate a mental patient’s disappearance on a Boston area island. They uncover that nothing is quite what it seems on this mysterious island.

According to the Inside Track, Scorsese was in Boston the other day scouting locations. Keep your eyes out. Shooting is scheduled to begin in March.

A Baby Meets The Departed

February 28th was a great day all around on a Boston Movie Tours front and on a personal side. First off, my wife and I gave birth to our 3rd child and future tour guide Katelyn. After traveling to the hospital at 7am, Katelyn was born about 12:45pm. All ten toes and fingers were in place.

Future Tour Guide. If you like baby pics, check em out here.

TIME FOR THE DEPARTED INTERVIEW

After the birth, I quickly scurried over to South Boston for a live interview with Fox 25 to discuss The Departed filming locations. There is nothing like shooting a live spot on Broadway Southie at rush hour with all the honking cars :).

The funny thing is we had planned this on the 27th and had all kinds of backup interview plans in place (Thanks Jeff Kalligeri). But the timing worked out perfectly. In the spirit of Matt Damon’s text messaging skills in The Departed, Melanie from Fox 25 and I were in contact most of the day via text messages. She probably knew about the baby sooner than most of my family. Everything went pretty well for the interview and looks like we’ll be setting something else up in April. Then it was back to the hospital.

Watch Video

Media Blitz Monday on The Departed

My slow Monday going to the dentist turned into two different local news appearances highlighting local The Departed locations. “Can you be there in an hour?” was the first request. “If I don’t have any cavities.” I thought. Well, luckily the dentist gave me a clean bill of health and Boston Movie Tours was featured in two major news segments.

Oscar Night in Boston - The Departed Wins Big

Sunday night was a huge night for the city of Boston and The Departed as it scored 4 Oscars. I headed off to the Ellie Fund gala at the State Room around 7pm. My wife couldn’t attend as she is home ready to give birth to our 3rd child (I was on constant text message alert).

What a great place for an event. The gala overlooking Boston was first rate with big screens setup everywhere. Valerie at Avant Guard Events organized the gig which brought in big bucks for the Ellie Fund.

SEE ALL THE PICS


The Departed Cleans Up……
There was definitely a big buzz in the audience as the night went along. First off, local boy William Monahan won for best adapted screenplay for The Departed. Unfortunately, our other local favorite Mark Wahlberg lost out on Best Supporting Actor. After the The Departed won Best Editing, there was a lull in the room. Note to the Academy…..the Oscars don’t have to last 3 ½ hours!

But then WE won Best Picture (The Departed) and Best Director (Martin Scorsese) and the crowd went wild hi-fiving. I say “WE” because we Bostonians love to take ownership over local flicks. We are kind of proud like that. And I think that's exactly some of the character that shines through in our movies.

Celeb-wise, the event was a little lacking probably party due to the fact that Mark Wahlberg and crew were a little busy out in LA (Mark was nominated for Best Supporting Actor).

We also got a first glance at new marketing video for the Massachusetts Film Office thanks to Nick Paleologos, new executive director of the Massachusetts Film Office and Richard Krezwick. Featuring interviews from Matt Damon and Sean Penn, it will serve as a great piece that you will see on the Mass website shortly. Loved the background Boston song by Augustana.