I just hope it's not him getting slimed and puked out again! Don't know much beyond that yet.

Journalgazette

I saw it last night. It's pretty fantastic. No sliming or puking, I promise you.

That article is nice but it doesn't even do justice to what they went through. It was the largest movie project in New York City history, and for a town where hundreds of films have been shot, that's saying a lot. Largest both in terms of scale as well as money.

It included the single most expensive scene ever shot in New York -- a $5 million scene. Yes, one scene that cost $5 million -- more than the budgets of many smaller films.

The scene took place near the Brooklyn Bridge. They decided to use REAL people and REAL sets instead of CGI and green screen.

A bridge scene was filmed for six consecutive nights in January on the Brooklyn Bridge to serve as a flashback scene in which New York's denizens evacuate the city. Shooting the scene cost the studio $5 million, which was the most expensive shot in the city to date. The scene, which had to meet requirements from fourteen government agencies, involved 250 crew members and 1,000 extras, including 160 National Guard members. Also present were several Humvees, three Stryker armored vehicles, a 110-foot cutter, a 41-foot utility boat, and two 25-foot Response Boat Small craft.
SOURCE

Also check out THIS ARTICLE. It's 3 pages long, just about that one scene.

"The physical scale of the Brooklyn Bridge scene was the most daunting," says location manager Paul Kramer, who began preparations in July. "There were so many moving parts."

In addition to complying with the requirements of no fewer than 14 government agencies, producers had to bring in a crew of 250, plus 1,000 extras, including 160 members of the National Guard in full combat gear. They commandeered a flotilla of Coast Guard boats, grappled with hypothermia-inducing temperatures, coped with dozens of production-related injuries -- and nursed a frozen helicopter.

All this cost the studio at least $5 million, according to executive producer Michael Tadross -- six times that, if Internet reports are to be believed.

While four Department of Defense Humvees and three Stryker armored vehicles waited on shore, a 110-foot cutter and a 41-foot utility boat, two 25-foot Response Boat Small craft and nearly 30 crewmen circled frigid waters for six nights.

To handle the "evacuations," a Coast Guard HH-65 Dolphin helicopter flew in with a crew of five, as did an Army-issue Black Hawk helicopter with four crew members. The dock on which these copters land in the film is actually a spud barge dressed up to look like a pier and floated in from Staten Island.

Then, to light the bridge as never before, crews worked weeks in advance, securing permission from the city's transportation department to dangle lights from catwalks and set up other lights on shores all over the waterfront. Scores of klieg lights were positioned to capture the 124-year-old landmark's every angle and curve -- from the Brooklyn side of the East River all the way to the South Street Seaport and into Manhattan. Even jaded New Yorkers, accustomed to seeing the bridge every night, commented on the vista.

Creating such a tableau would be difficult in any large city, but accomplishing it in post-September 11 New York seems nothing short of Sisyphean. The number of permits and permissions involved was staggering. "Just finding out who you needed the permits from and who needs to sign off was a job," Kramer says. "I needed to get permission from the (Economic Development Corp.), (the Department of Environmental Conservation), the Army Corps of Engineers, the Coast Guard, the New York City (Department of Transportation), the New York State DOT, the Department of Small Business Services, the FDNY, the NYPD Harbor Unit, the NYPD Aviation Unit, the (Federal Aviation Administration), the U.S. Army, the National Guard and the Mayor's Office of Film, Theatre and Broadcasting."

It's $76 million opening weekend was the largest opening weekend for any film in December history and the 20th largest of any film at any time.

The adds look good for this one, I am considering making this the 1 movie I see this year. (Well you know I am the 'Anti-Hollywood' guys, anyway). But I like Will Smith, and dont mind supporting something he did.

rippinchikkin wrote:

The adds look good for this one, I am considering making this the 1 movie I see this year. (Well you know I am the 'Anti-Hollywood' guys, anyway). But I like Will Smith, and dont mind supporting something he did.

It's funny, you know I'm totally anti-Hollywood myself (just glance at my blog lol). But someone I trust saw the film and said I must see it. The fact is, Hollywood theatrics aside, it is an amazing performance. It's essentially a one-man show in a $150 million+ movie.

There are a few more pluses for me. He is from my hometown. In fact, you'll see "Overbrook Productions" before the film. That's his company. He grew up in Overbrook, which is a well-known part of Philly. I actually know him fairly well and spent time with him back in the 80s in his music days.

His one companion is a German Shepherd. Well, say "dog" and I'm there. Say "German Shepherd" and I'm like a little kid again.

I'm also from New York, and know every single street and building shown in the film. It's pretty eerie. But they are locations everyone really knows -- Times Square, the Brooklyn Bridge. Just seeing New York looking deserted is worth the price of admission!

phileysmiley wrote:

I saw it last night. It's pretty fantastic. No sliming or puking, I promise you.

That's good to hear Larry as all I can remember about Smith is him playing the 'cool' jackass all the time. I think I should rent the Ali DVD, as that's touted as a great portrayal of the man.

Quote:

Just seeing New York looking deserted is worth the price of admission!

They used to film those types of scenes in Toronto. but the yankee dollar has tanked so I guess we all will get to see more genuine footage.

augie wrote:

Quote: Just seeing New York looking deserted is worth the price of admission! They used to film those types of scenes in Toronto. but the yankee dollar has tanked so I guess we all will get to see more genuine footage.

ROFL In this case, though, they didn't just want to show "city streets" (where Toronto can pass). They wanted recognizable landmarks like Times Square, Washington Square Park, Grand Central Station, the Brooklyn Bridge, the aircraft carrier Intrepid, etc., and didn't want to use miniatures. Nothing can substitute for the real thing. New Yorkers, especially, can tell if you're looking at 10 blocks of Fifth Avenue or a re-creation of Fifth Avenue. This was real. Except for the trees and brush all over the streets that was supposed to make it look like weeds had overtaken the landscape. Even those were real, not CGI, but they were trucked in from Florida.

I don't usually like trailers because they often give too much away but I think this is a good one.

I Am Legend Trailer

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Well, I just saw it and it really disappointed me as I liked the premise of the story. Starts off with a one car chase, a man and his dog and I won't spoil the ending for you. 2/3rd's of the movie is Will Smith being rightfully paranoid though the fear didn't translate to me as I was bored.

I think I'll get the book by Richard Matheson as this is the third movie made based on this book, there must be something good about it. The other two movies being 'The Last Man on Earth' and 'The Omega Man'.

EDIT: BTW, 'The Omega Man' with Charlton Heston was a much better movie IMO.

Generally speaking I thought it was OK, but I wasn't overly pleased with the ending myself. I think they also could have given a lot more background info. The 'War of the Worlds' ending (they are similarly abrupt IMHO) wasn't horrible... just not what I was expecting.