First look at JFK assassination film 'Parkland'

Austin State Hospital's turquoise brick walls look all shiny '60s-like in the trailer for the film Parkland. ASH stands in for Parkland Memorial Hospital, where President John F. Kennedy was taken after he was shot in Dallas. Check it out, conspiracy theorists.

'Reality Bites,' the TV series?

As odd as that sounds, odder still is that Ben Stiller is behind an effort to make the 1994 dudes hanging out in angsty, grungy (?!) Houston movie Reality Bites into an NBC television series. The show would be also set in Houston and in the '90s. That is if the pilot is picked up (and, we hope, shoots in Houston, not New Orleans). I'm just hoping Stiller resurrects his Peter Frampton-loving character.

According to Deadline Hollywood, the show "centers on recent college graduate Lelaina Pierce, the character played in the movie by Winona Ryder, as she struggles to make her way — romantically and professionally — in the recession-plagued, pre-Internet early 1990s."

Favreau's 'Chef' eats Austin barbecue

       
                   

As we told you the other day, John Favreau is shooting a segment of his film Chef in Austin. We can now tell you where: Franklin's Barbecue. And, as you can see, Robert Rodriguez stopped by for a snack.

Favreau's food cart movie pulls up in Austin

Jon Favreau has written and is directing and starring in indie film Chef, about a Los Angeles chef who loses his job, buys a food cart and travels cross-country using it. It will stop in Austin for one day of filming on Aug. 21. Other stops include New Orleans and Miami.

The cast is impressive with Sofia Vergara, John Leguizamo, Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson, Amy Sedaris, Dustin Hoffman, Bobby Cannavale, and Garry Shandling. Not sure who will show up in Austin.

This is not to be confused with another announced film also named Chef and expected to shoot next year with Bradley Cooper in the main role. To add to the intrigue, the two companies financing Favreau's film are suing each other.


Want to be an Austin extra in the Favreau film? Act quickly. Here's the info from Third Coast Extras:

Pay is $75/10hr and it'll be a fun shoot.

We are booking the following Extras so read carefully and apply using
directions below!

*Adults Male and Females, Ages 18-80s. all ethnicities with an
interesting Austin-type look or an everyday look. We mostly need
Hipsters, Cosmic Cowboys, Rockabilly people, Blues fans, characters etc.

*Motorcyclists (Bikers) Males, & females all ethnicities, ages 18+ with
their own Harleys (or other motorcycle makes that resemble Harleys) that
they can bring to set and ride in the scenes (bikers will be paid an
extra $50 if you ride your motorcycle in the scene). You must have
license to operate a motorcycle and clothing options that make you look
like an authentic biker.

To submit your info to be considered, email us at:
thirdcoastextras@gmail.com . Make
subject either "Chef Extra 8/21" or "Chef Biker 8/21" depending on
which you are applying for.

Include your name, age, phone #, and height/weight. Attach clear, high
quality current photos of you- including a close photo and a full length
photo. Bikers also attach a photo of your motorcycle along with the
photo of yourself.

Important: Must live in...or at least nearby to Austin, TX and have
valid ID. Must have full day/night availability for entire day and
evening for Wednesday, 8/21 since exact call time won't be released
until the night before. Please only apply if you are fully available to
work & dependable and have transportation to get to a TBD location in
central Austin.

More views of the 'Revolution' set

My schedule keeps taking me through Bartlett, Texas, where NBC's TV series Revolution has taken up residence. The latest episode being shot seems to have a Halloween theme. It was at the end of a rain storm when I came through, so the set was mostly deserted and I could get out of my car--most times lately the set perimeter is swarming with cops from many area police departments--and take some pix of the entrance, including it's door made of old tires. Many burned out cars were on the edges of the area.

I couldn't figure out if a guy selling art made of old cans was part of the show or just an odd neighbor. Honk and he'd come out to take your cash.

'Revolution' courthouse sprouts in Bartlett

The TV series Revolution has taken over tiny Central Texas town Bartlett for shooting of its second season. That includes construction of the facade of a burned-out courthouse at a downtown intersection. It's held up by plywood and features the "Town Rules." In front of it sits the remains of a statue. The show shoots through April in the Austin area.

 Here are a few shots of actors/extras in costume.

Sneak footage of 'Love & Other Stunts'

I spend the afternoon looking at footage we shot in Los Angeles for the Gary Kent documentary Love & Other Stunts that I'm directing/producing. Here are a few snippets that may or may not make it into the completed film. We're aiming for a rough cut by the end of the year.

Here's The Stuntman director Richard Rush talking about how his career began.



Director/stuntman John "Bud Cardos talking about doing stunts.



Director Don Jones talking about why he quite doing stunts.




and actor Marc Singer talking about Chuck Bail and The Beastmaster.

Is Albuquerque the new San Antonio?

Don't blame San Antonio tourists if they assume the Alamo is made of adobe. Two major network TV series set in the Alamo City are being filming in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Night Shift is a medical drama set at "San Antonio Memorial." Here's the plot description from NBC:
 

At San Antonio Memorial, those who work the 7pm – 7am shift are a special breed. Welcome to the night shift, where every day is a fight between the heroic efforts of saving lives and the hard truths of running a hospital. After a grueling tour of duty in Afghanistan, adrenaline junkie TC Callahan became accustomed to combat, but he could have never guessed that his toughest battles would be fought right here at home. TC and his irreverent team of late night docs know how to let off steam with the casual prank or two, but when lives are at stake, they are all business. Unfortunately, the night shift is now under new management, and boss Michael Ragosa is more interested in cutting costs than helping people. But TC has never met a rule he couldn't break, or a person he won't stand up to. And it's clear that not even Jordan, TC's ex-girlfriend and now Ragosa's second in charge, has a chance at keeping him in line. If Ragosa wants a war... he'll get one.

The pilot for Texas Rangers show Killer Women was shot in Austin, but the pilot (and we can assume the series) is set in San Antonio and the show is now ready to lens in Albuquerque. Here's the story:

Of all the notorious lawmen who ever patrolled the violent Texas frontier, none are more storied than the Texas Rangers. Being the only female ranger in this elite squad isn’t going to stop ballsy, badass Molly Parker (Tricia Helfer). Molly is committed to finding the truth and seeing justice served. While she’s surrounded by law enforcement colleagues who want to see her fail, including Police Lieutenant Estaban Salazar (Vic Trevino), the Rangers have her back, led by Company Commander Luis Zea (Alex Fernandez). Molly’s also got her brother Billy (Michael Trucco) and his wife Nessa (Marta Milans). On the verge of getting divorced from her smarmy husband Jake (Jeffrey Nordling), Molly begins an affair with sexy DEA agent, Dan Winston (Marc Blucas).

 At least Dallas has TNT series Dallas shooting there for a third season and Austin stole Revolution from North Carolina and brought the apocalypse to Central Texas.

'Revolution' settles in for Texas shoot

I was passing through the tiny town of Bartlett, Texas, today when I spotted the little yellow sign that productions put out to steer cast and crew to a shooting location. This one read "Nano." I wasn't sure what that could be, but the size of the production and the hinty name (the plot of Revolution has nanotechnology causing a blackout) sez it has to be the NBC series which moved its base from North Carolina to the Austin area recently. These are probably just extras in costume, but the guy on the left looks a lot like show star Billy Burke...