Posts Tagged ‘Kevin James’

It’s summertime summertime sum sum summer-FILM-time! What a fabulous twenty-twelve film season it’s been! The shooting just keeps rolling on in Hollywood East with all this Heat and Labor Day.

Grown Ups 2 is wrapping up this week, in the insanely awesome dome set, and The Way Way Back called it a wrap early last week. Thank you New England boys, Adam Sandler, and Steve Carell! You make our digs bright.

Sure, we crush on cool stars like Kevin James and Sandra Bullock. We are in love with movies made in Massachusetts, but when we get to have a fling on set. Score! Casting notices galore. The LA based Sande Alessi Casting has had us floating in Columbia Pictures extra work this month, even work tomorrow. Boston Casting and C.P keep us smitten all year long.

Have you been on set? Do you want to? Here’s your chance with a  “Club Goer” notice from C.P  looking for EXTRAS EXTRAS early next week for The Heat. It’s a two day commitment and they are seeking attractive, dynamic and fun EXTRAS!  Check out C.P for all the deets.  Also read about the latest posting: An On-Camera acting course at BU. It’s FREE!

Boston Casting is looking for Non- Union Stand Up Comedians/Improvers for a new show going to be shot here in Boston early September. HEC submitted. They are also casting your 70′s car for Labor Day!

In a biz, where we always need to watch what we eat. It was nice to digest the latest bon appetit article with The Way Way Back, Marshvegas boy Steve Carrell who had Dorchester Mark Wahlberg’s back! Questioned about what his last meal on Earth would be. Carell said, “A cheeseburger, fries, and a shake from Wahlburgers, which is owned by Mark Wahlberg and his brothers Donnie and Paul. That burger holds up against all others.” Now that’s two Boston boys sticking together!

As we hang out in the Way Way Back. Let’s continue to support each other too in the roles we all play in the Hollywood East film community of brilliance! Hollywood surrounds us big and small, but what matters most is that we all meet in-between with the passion to be here. Go New England Film and Television.

The New England area has been bursting with movies filming this summer, and the greater Boston region in particular has been chock full. Currently filming in the Swampscott area, Grown Ups 2, starring just about everyone you can think of, has been running a bit over schedule, as the film began shooting late in May, and does not seem to be ready to shut down any time soon. Hundreds of extras have been called in to film a party scene at a lot in Lynn, with background players being dressed in 80s style hair and make-up. The seeming ensemble of cast members on the film, including Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Salma Hayek, Tim Meadows, Steve Austin, Maya Rudolph, and more have been busy on the bustling set. Twilight heartthrob Taylor Lautner has even been spotted mingling with neighbors and fans who have gathered near the set to gawk, sending many teenage girls into a tizzy.

The Way, Way Back, starring Massachusetts native Steve Carrell is currently filming in his adopted hometown of Marshfield. The film also costars AnnaSophia Robb, Sam Rockwell, Amanda Peet, and Maya Rudolph, who is pulling double time between this project and Grown Ups 2.

Also filming all around Massachusetts is Labor Day, starring Kate Winslet and Tobey McGuire. The crew has been spotted in everywhere from Natick to Mansfield to Belchertown filming this drama about a depressed single mother who picks up a hitchhiker who might be an escaped convict. The film also costars Cheshire, Connecticut native, James Van Der Beek.

Recently wrapped in Connecticut, is the feature Hope Springs, costarring Meryl Streep, Tommy Lee Jones, and Steve Carell, once again. The picture filmed in Guilford, Norwalk, and Stonington, Connecticut earlier this year and will be out in theaters August 10^th.

Its not unusual in the movie-making process for some time to pass between when a movie completes filming and when its actually released in theaters. Often the time between the production and its release can mean that the debut of a movie comes in the year following the year it was made. Sometimes, it takes a little longer.

The Zookeeper was filmed in Boston in the summer of 2009, and featured the likes of Kevin James, Rosario Dawson, and Joe Rogan. During production, crews were spotted all around Beantown, in places like Boston Common, Commonwealth Avenue, and the Franklin Park Zoo. The film follows the quirky tale of a zookeeper (James) who aspires to win back the hand of a lost love by getting help from the talking animals who are residents of the zoo he works at. The movie was originally set to be released in the fall of last year, but tested very high with preview audiences, so it instead got pushed to a higher profile summer release for this year. The trailer has just been released, and many familiar Boston sights can be seen, in addition to the amusing CGI effects that make the many animal costars talk.

Kevin James, who is no stranger to filming in the Bay State with other features like Paul Blart Mall Cop and Grown Ups filming here, has recently been spending even more time in the area, filming his newest project, Here Comes the Boom, in the cities of Boston and Lowell. Looking very different from his appearance in The Zookeeper trailer, the actor has reportedly lost about 80 pounds for his new role as a biology teacher who becomes an Ultimate Fighting champion to raise money for his school’s flailing music program. The movie was spotted filming in East Boston throughout the Memorial Day weekend.

He might be most well-remembered for playing a leather-jacket wearing, motorcycle riding, ladies man who had more onomatopoetic catch-phrases than anyone, but Henry Winkler is doing more than riding his mid-70s to mid-80s success into eternity. The actor, now in his 60s, is spending time talking to others about caring for stroke victims.

Winkler’s mother, Ilsa, suffered a stroke in 1989 at age 76, and lost her hand and arm mobility as a result. Winkler was unable to help her recover from these losses, and became one of her caregivers. Yesterday afternoon at the Faulkner Hospital at Brigham and Women’s in Boston, Winkler spoke to a stroke support group at the hospital about his experiences.

The star also has been known to work with the Annual Cerebral Palsy Telethon, the Epilepsy Foundation, Toys for Tots, and the National Committee for Arts for the Handicapped, and the Special Olympics, and has collaborated on a series of children’s books for those with learning disabilities. Winkler was diagnosed with dyslexia at age 31.

Winkler, who happened to also be in town shooting scenes for the new Kevin James comedy, Here Comes the Boom, was also spotted looking rather cheery in a yellow puff jacket on set at the old Quincy High School by the Boston Herald. Another one of his costars on the movie, Salma Hayek, was also spotted lunching at Stephanie’s on Newbury on Monday. Winkler himself has certainly been making the rounds, also popping up to talk to J.C. Monahan on “Boston’s View” on channel 5 and NECN to talk about his iconic role, his new movie, and to talk about his work with the Open Arms Campaign. The Emerson grad even taught some acting classes at his old alma mater.

Movie-making is returning to the Bay State. After a rather jam-packed 2009 which saw numerous major motion pictures filming in and around the Boston area, Beantown has not seen camera crews and production trucks since What’s Your Number with Anna Faris packed up in early July of last year.

Earlier this month, Columbia Pictures announced they had settled on a location for their new movie, Here Comes the Boom starring Kevin James, Salma Hayek, and Joe Rogan. The movie will begin shooting this spring, and will take place in only 20 days, reaching completion by June. The film will be shot almost entirely within the old Quincy High School building.

The story will follow James’s character, who plays a high school  teacher by day, pro fighter by night in order to save the school’s music program.

Boston Casting has already held 2 open calls for both experienced MMA fighters, referees, and announcers, and actors that look like they can play high school-aged teens, for both principal and extra roles. More casting calls will be held as the film moves closer to actual production.

The vacant school building, which is set to be demolished after filming is completed this summer, will earn the city $80,000 in rental fees from the production company.

James is not stranger to filming here–in 2008, he filmed Paul Blart: Mall Cop at the Burlington Mall and parts of West Roxbury, and in 2009 he spent his entire summer here between The Zookeeper and Grown Ups. The Zookeeper is set to be released on July 8th of this year, and was directed by Frank Coraci, who will also direct Here Comes the Boom, and also costarred Joe Rogan.

Facebook lite up with likes and comments after Mass Movie Maven Chris Palmero shared a post by a local Boston channel that funny man Kevin James who was spotted all over Boston just last year filming the disappointing New England based flick Grownups is all geared up for another return to the streets of Boston in twenty eleven.

According to The Wrap, “James will play a physics teacher whose school is facing drastic budget cuts. In order to earn money to save his best friend’s job and the music program that his students hold dear, he moonlights as an MMA fighter, and ultimately winds up doing battle in the UFC.”

We know it’s been a little slow for biz jobs lately and the rumor that Massachusetts was to cap the incentive hasn’t helped. With the Massachusetts Film and Tax credit set until 2023, we need to continue to build up our reputation for future filmmakers like James to come to Hollywood East.  Massachusetts was picked as one of the ten best places for film production in Update Production Magazine.

Don’t forget to check out our Career Scene page where we have all the links to help you find your next job here in Hollywood East. Who knows maybe you’ll be rubbing elbows with funny man Kevin James next year?

Tell us what you think about future filmmaking in Massachusetts?

Throughout high school, South Shore native and movie fanatic, Kevin James spent countless hours making his own short, comedic movies with his friends. The road was full of inspiration and accomplishments, and in 2004, Flim Fest was born.  “ a place where we could gather up our movies, sit down and munch on some popcorn while we enjoyed the fruits of our creative labor,”  James shares with us.

This year’s twenty ten Flim Fest hosted by Not A Tad Bad Film Co, founded by James and Joe Botsch, is happening August 21st and 22nd. Tickets are a cool $12 for both days. This marks the first year the festival will be a two-day shin dig. “In 2009 we ended the festival sometime after 1:00 AM,” James tells us. “Forcing us to realize that Flim Fest had to grow if we were to keep up with the growing amount of material. We had to turn away hours of short films and bands to keep the evening down to 9 hours,” James adds.

This year, opening night is a music-only evening hosted by the Beal House in Kingston, MA. The second night will have short films galore and more music at a new venue. This year the fest has partnered up with the Plimouth Plantations Cinema. “Plimouth Cinema will allow us to give the best possible presentation for an event such as this,” James tells us. “We’ll be taking full advantage of everything at our disposal — the sound system, theatrical lighting, you name it.”

In 2004 the Flim Fest, held in Jame’s back yard, had less than 50 attendees.  This year the festival is expecting hundreds of film and music buffs throughout the two days. “Our limit is somewhere in the 200s for the movie screening due to fire hazards,” James tells us. “Buy tickets now to avoid being left out,” James adds. At six dollars a pop, why not?

James is anticipating some local celebs to hit the scene, but doubts Kingston, MA actor Chris Cooper (The Company Men, The Town) will attend.  However, anyone familiar with the movie-making scene in Mass will recognize familiar faces such as Ryan Murphy, Neil Cicierega, and Eugene DiFransesco.

“I would just like to encourage any independent, local film maker to attend and submit to the festival,” James shares with us. “Even if you think you’re somehow not part of the “indie” scene or what have you, I can guarantee you’ll have a great time enjoying the movies being shown. It is honestly a festival for just about any taste out there — and I’d be hard pressed to find someone who has come to the festival and hasn’t returned every year since.”

The two day event will be full of entertaining music and movies for everyone. Go to the Flim Fest site to get the latest on tickets and venue locations. Check out the video below of Kevin James and his side kick Joe Botsch promoting the twenty ten fest.

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.

Two features filmed in Hollywood East and chock full of celebs will premiere in the next couple of weeks! Knight and Day, starring Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz, will premiere at the Lowes Boston Common theater at 7 p.m. on Friday, June 25. If you’re from the area you might see someone you know in background since many of the extras were found by Boston Casting.

You’ll also be supporting the MA Production Coalition (MPC), the voice for the production industry in the commonwealth. Tickets for the premiere are $35, but order in advance because they won’t be sold at the door. Even if you’re not into action films come support the Legislative Committee in their fight to preserve and protect the MA Film Tax Credits. That, and Cameron Diaz is her usual smokin’ self. For more info take the jump to www.massprodcoalition.org.

If Thursday nights are more your thing, check out the Grown Ups premiere with its huge ensemble cast of the usual suspects of the comedy cub. Who better to play a group of immature 30-somethings than Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Chris Rock, David Spade and Rob Schneider?  Even better, Grown Ups was filmed in Massachusetts so watch out for familiar sites around the Bay state.

You can catch the sneak peek preview at 7:30 p.m. on June 24 at Fenway’s Regal Cinemas. Two pre-screen receptions on the 24th will be held at the Landmark Center Atrium (next to Regal) from 6-7 p.m. for $25. Come try the clam chowder from  Woodman’s of Essex, which is a featured spot throughout the film. If you really want to make a night of it, a VIP reception will take place at Burtons Grill on Boylston Street, complete with appetizers, drinks and a ticket to the premiere, all for $100. For more info on the preview take a look here.

A slew of Massachusetts-filmed movies began hitting theaters in February and continue to roll out this summer.  Furry Vengeance hit theaters last Friday coming in at number five in the box office. The kid flick chronicles a standoff between titan real estate developer Brendan Frasier and some cute and not-so-cuddly woodland critters fighting to keep their habitats preserved. Furry Vengeance also stars Brooke Shields. The Lightkeepers, starring Richard Dreyfuss, opened in March. Set in early 20th century Cape Cod, Dreyfuss plays a reclusive lighthouse keeper who has sworn off women.

And in February, Shutter Island, directed by Martin Scorsese, hit theaters containing scenes shot mostly in or around Boston (including Peddocks Island) and the creepy Medfield State Hospital campus.

Summer blockbusters Grown Ups and Knight and Day are both due out June 25th, but that’s not the only thing they have in common. Both were filmed in Massachusetts, but that’s about where the similarities end. Grown Ups features a star-studded cast headed by Adam Sandler, Salma Hayek, Steve Buscemi, Chris Rock, Kevin James, Rob Schneider, David Spade, Maya Rudolph, and Tim Meadows (whew!). The group reunites as adults after their high school basketball coach dies and inevitably hilarity ensues. Knight and Day pairs up Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz on an action-adventure with a tinge of comedy. The two play a globetrotting fugitive couple on the run who realize nothing is what it appears to be, even each other.

The Social Network (Jesse Eisenberg and Justin Timberlake) and the The Town (Ben Affleck and Blake Lively) are due out this fall. Every college kid will identify with The Social Network with its history and evolution of ex-Harvard student Mark Zuckerberg’s creation of Facebook (which has its roots in Cambridge).  In The Town, Ben Affleck is a bank robber who’s feelings for a bank manager get in the way of his next heist.

Set to come out in 2010 with no official release dates are The Company Men and The Fighter. Ben Affleck is having a busy year, also starring in The Company Men along side Kevin Costner and Tommy Lee Jones which premiered earlier this year. The Fighter (Christian Bale, Mark Wahlberg, and Amy Adams) takes a look at boxer “Irish” Mickey Ward’s early career in the 1980s. Local actress Erica McDermott also makes an appearance.

It seems like no matter where you look this year, there’s a good chance you’ll see Massachusetts in many shots on the big screen!