movie news redux

Denzel Washington?
Russell Crowe?
Ridley Scott?

You’ve heard of these people. And with good reason, because up until very recently they were filming a movie in my neighborhood.

Apparently 2006 Bed-Stuy Brooklyn resembles 1970’s Harlem. All except poor Dunkin’ Donuts. There was a brown tarp unrolled over the store front of my favorite neighborhood 24 hour donut place while they did “construction” for the movie. What irks me is that next door, Popeye’s chicken was left untouched. So, Mr. Ridley Scott, director of Alien and some other movies, you’re telling me that in 1970s Harlem the drug lords (aka Denzel) could get fried chicken at all hours of the day, but not donuts? Racist.

Besides the covering of DD, there were other annoyances met while trying to walk from the train station to my apartment. Several streets were lined with cones, NYPD tow trucks, and giant trailer-trucks used to hold campy 1970s Harlem costumes, props, and cars. Many many workers around, setting up big spotlights on rooftops and lounging around not eating donuts. The holding pen for the extras was across the street from my house. A certain Mr. Washington’s private trailer was visible through my apartment window, and I have it through very reliable sources that Mr. Washington himself was also visible at times.

Of course, I did not see Mr. Washington. Nor Mr. Crowe. Nor Mr. Scott. That I know of, anyway. While both of the latter would have stood out as white people in my predominantly black ‘hood (just like Harlem, remember?) I don’t think I would have recognized them as the newly-feathered-hair version of the star of Gladiator, or the same old director of said movie. If they saw me, they certainly didn’t recognize me either, as I had no part in the afore-mentioned blockbuster. Or any of those other ones.

But my street is clear now. Dunkin’ Donuts still has the temporary “construction” cover – which is removable, so I know it’s not real construction. There are still some pimpmobiles around, but they are no longer in my direct line.

But when you hear of a movie come out called American Gangster (xmas release?) go see it. Then you can see the back of my apartment building – where my apartment is, coincidentally – and my ‘hood. Or what a different part of the city may have looked like 30 years ago. But you won’t see Dunkin’ Donuts. Or me.