Posts Tagged ‘Brendan Fraser’

Justine Jungels Bevilacqua, graduated from Boston’s Emerson College only a year ago, but has already worked on some big name movies and been featured in the Rhode Island International Film Festival.

Bevilacqua got her start after college working on fellow New Englander Kevin Undergaro‘s film Serial Buddies. The film was shot in Connecticut and produced by Massachusetts native Maria Menounos.  From there, Bevilacqua went on to work behind the scenes of Brendan Fraser’s film Furry Vengeance.  She had the fun job of filming behind the scenes footage of the animals and their trainers.  During this time, Bevilacqua’s BFA film, Hide and Seek, also premiered at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston and was recently featured in the The Rhode Island International Film Festival.

After working on larger scale productions, Bevilacqua moved back to her hometown of Providence, Rhode Island, where she has been spending time improving her skills and focusing on her own productions.  She has shot weddings to hone her camera skills and worked on lighting design and theater work.

Bevilacqua recently started a personal documentary and lesbian web series titled Anisha and Justine Do…, some of which are now available to watch online.  She plans to start shooting the rest of her 24 episode season this upcoming month.  On her filmmaking experience so far, Bevilacqua says that, “I want to make my own films and it’s almost scarier .  You gotta hustle make money to make a movie.”

Bevilacqua cites her family as an important factor as to how she has been able to stay so involved in film while living in Rhode Island.  She considers herself “blessed to have a family of filmmakers” and advises others to “try to get whatever jobs you can get” in film and to either use any equipment you can find or go to a film school, where you can take advantage of their resources.  Bevilacqua also reminds others that it is “all about networking” saying that “in Rhode Island I think it is important because unless you know people, it’s hard to get work.”  So, if you’re in an area where it might be hard to work on films, find like minded people who can work with you to make movies.

In the future, Bevilacqua has plans to make her feature and get certified to teach film.  She cites teaching as a passion of hers and already mentors students at the Carriage House Stage & School, where she shows high school students how to edit and use cameras.  In fact, she got her first grant to make several shorts with the kids at the non-profit program.

Check out Justine’s many videos and keep up to date on her film endeavors on her webpage.  Below is a trailer of her award winning short Hide and Seek.

While it’s no secret Boston has become the unofficial capital of Hollywood East, with numerous films and TV shows shooting here each year, it’s been hard not to stumble across camera crews and make-shift sets, despite sometimes very well-guarded production details. What has been kept slightly more hush hush has been the hotspots in the Hub that the stars of these projects hit when they’re not on the clock.

Boston’s restaurant scene has caught the Hollywood wave and starting offering more upscale options. Not surprisingly, many of the celeb favorites are centered around the Back Bay/Newbury Street area. Long-time favorite Sonsie has played host to Tom Cruise, Katie Holmes, Hulk Hogan, Roger Clinton, and Donnie Wahlberg.

For dessert, it seems that everyone in fact does scream for ice cream. The Newbury Street location of Ben & Jerry’s posts pictures on their walls of the famous faces that often stop by their store. Alec Baldwin, John Mayer, Jane Fonda, Ellen Pompeo, and players from the Celtics have all grabbed a cone recently.

In order to keep in shape (and perhaps work off the pounds from all that ice cream) the Sports Club/LA, adjacent to the Ritz Carlton hotel is arguably one of the most upscale gyms in town. That’s why it’s not surprising that The Rock, Justin Timberlake, Patrick Swayze, C. Thomas Howell, and Emilio Estevez, Reese Witherspoon, and Britney Spears have all been spotted working out there at one time or another.

To blow off a little steam in a different sense, Felt Nightclub is a big favorite with the glitterati. Stars like Brendan Fraser, Adam Sandler, Kevin James, and Chris Rock have all made a presence there in the past year or so while they’ve been in town for projects. Other stars like Mark Wahlberg, Matt Damon, and Ben and Casey Affleck frequent the hip spot whenever their roots call them home again.

Speaking of Mark Wahlberg, he and Will Farrell will be at his  restaurant, Alma Nove, in Hingham, MA celebrating the premiere of their new flic, The Other Guys, showing at the Patriot Cinemas in Hangham.  The Alma Nove restaurant is owned by three Wahlberg brothers, including chef Paul Wahlberg, and family friend Ed St. Croix.

There’s a plethora of other places HEC has spotted celebs during their off hours. Singer Seal was seen in Boston’s Public Garden last spring while he was in town to sing the national anthem at Fenway Park. Actress Natalie Portman was in Cambridge in February for a friend’s wedding. Brooke Shields was spotted in her off-time from shooting Furry Vengeance at South Boston eateries Flour2 and Sportello. Funnymen Denis Leary and Lenny Clark grabbed lunch at the Four Seasons last spring while Leary was in town for his son’s graduation from Emerson College. Grown Ups costars David Spade and Colin Quinn were seen last summer grabbing a weekend bite at Sel De La Terre on Boylston Street.

★ Cast of the Bay State film, Fury Vengeance talk about real life animal encounters at the premiere (above).

★ Two-time Tony Award winning actress Frances Sternhagen, also known as Cliff’s mom on Cheers and Bunny MacDougal on Sex and the City, performs at the Salem Theatre Company.

★ Katie Holmes to star as Jackie Kennedy in HBO miniseries.

★ Jody Adam’s of Harvard Square’s Rialto appears on Bravo’s “Top Chef Masters”.

★ Former Boston contestant from the CBS reality show “Big Brother” may soon be behind bars.

★ Scott Brown’s daughter, and former “American Idol” contestant, Ayla, gets job on CBS’s “The Early Show”.

★ “Project Runway” contestant, designer Kara Janx, to appear at the May 12th and 13th Stylefixx event in Boston, previewing her spring 2010 line.

★ The New England Patriot Tom Brady and Gisele Bundchen drop $20 million to build the their ideal home in Brentwood, California.

Soon to hit theaters, the Massachusetts-filmed family comedy, Furry Vengeance, starring Brendan Fraser, Brooke Shields, and Rob Riggle. The movie, which is actually set in Oregon, follows the  story of a real estate developer, played by Brendan Fraser, who finds that his latest endeavor is being protested by the native forest animals upset at having their homes disturbed by the construction. Hilarity ensues as Fraser’s character endures countless assaults by all sorts of woodland creatures, great and small.

Taking advantage of the state’s generous tax credits, the movie did most of its shooting in Boston, Topsfield, Danvers, and Crane Beach in Ipswich, Massachusetts during the summer of 2009. In addition to bringing big-name stars to the Bay State, this is the first of two animal themed comedies to film here last summer that will be released in 2010. The other, The Zookeeper, starring Kevin James, filmed mostly at the Franklin Park Zoo and will be out in theaters this October.

Furry Vengeance also stars Angela Kinsey and Ricky Garcia, and is slated for its theatrical release on April 30.  Were you an extra on this film?  Tell us about it!

Watch the trailer here:

On Friday, CBS Films released Extraordinary Measures to theaters, a film that chronicles a father’s journey to find a cure for his children’s debilitating illness. The movie costars Harrison Ford and Brendan Fraser. As first reported in the Boston Herald,

“the film is based on a true story that has its roots in Boston, but the city and Genzyme Corp., the company that found a treatment for Pompe disease, aren’t in the film.”

The disease, which is also known as glycogen storage disease type II, seriously hampers the body’s ability to break down stored sugar, when progressed, can leave its victims unable to eat, walk, or breathe on their own. Cambridge based scientists at Genzyme Corp. that worked on trying to find a cure for this horrifying condition are excited by the notion that this story is coming to the big screen.

“I hope it increases awareness not only of these diseases and gives more hope to people with other rare diseases.”  Dr. Robert Mattaliano, a vice president at Genzyme told the Boston Herald.

Brendan Fraser’s character was based on the real-life John Crowley, a Harvard Business School graduate who quit his job to launch a biotechnology company in Oklahoma when he learned his young son and daughter have the disease. Years later, a drug treatment was successfully brought to the market, and the Harvard Business School and a Wall Street Journal reporter both published works chronicling Crowley’s inspiring journey. Crowley’s own memoir will be on bookstore shelves soon.

Despite Extraordinary Measures not being filmed in Beantown, star Brendan Fraser is not unfamiliar with making movies in the Boston-area. This past summer, he spent much of his time in the Bay State filming Furry Vengeance, costarring Brooke Shields, and is set to be released in April.

The trailer for the made-in-Massachusetts flick Furry Vengeance was recently released, showcasing a handful of Greater Boston area filming locations. Crane Beach, Danvers, and Topsfield were among the cities that the cast and crew frequented last year during production.

The comedy follows real estate developer Dan Sanders (Brendan Fraser) as he carries out his latest project: a shopping mall that threatens to wipe out a nature preserve. When the locals–raccoons, porcupines, and a huge grizzly bear–learn of the plans, an all-out battle of man vs. wild erupts. Dan’s wife Tammy (Brooke Shields) and son Tyler (Matt Prokop) are caught in the crossfire, and must help Dan realize the inhumanity of his efforts.

Furry Vengeance has partnered with the Take Part campaign in hopes of further promoting the film’s message of environmental action. Check out the site to see how you can contribute to wildlife protection efforts.

The movie is tentatively scheduled for theatrical release on April 2, 2010; be sure to check out the sneak peek below.

★ Amherst’s Eric Mabius, of “Ugly Betty” fame, talks to Boston Common magazine.

★ Conan O’Brien gets 2 covers for the price of one in the new Improper Bostonian.

★ Amesbury’s Jeffrey Donovan charged with a DUI.

★ Hugh Dancy and Rose Byrne stop by Boston to promote their new movie.

★ Brendan Fraser flaunts his bountiful belly around Boston.

★ Mark Wahlberg shirtless and showing it off in Lowell.

After much speculation, Brooke Shields, the former “Suddenly Susan” sitcom star, has joined the cast of the currently filming Brendan Fraser flick, Furry Vengeance. The tall and talented brunette will be making her first big-screen appearance since 1999’s Black and White. While the nation has most recently seen the seasoned actress relating an emotional anecdote during Michael Jackson’s public memorial service, Bostonians caught glimpses of the star all around the artsy Fort Point area of town this weekend. On Friday, July 10, Shields was spotted in the AM outside of Flour2, sitting and reading a book while casually munching on a sandwich. Later on, Shields tried out the popular Barbara Lynch eatery, Sportello.

Furry Vengeance has been filming in around the Boston area, including Topsfield, at the Beverly Municipal Airport. Boston Casting has been featuring casting calls for extras in the film, which is slated to be released in July of next year.