Secrets of the City

I stood behind a door while a film crew took footage of the Governor’s Reception room for a documentary on African-American Minnesotans so that I wouldn’t be in the shot. That counts.

I once walked right by Oliver Stone while he was giving direction to Kevin Costner in New Orleans while they were shooting JFK. I think the direction was something like “try not to look so crazy as my script makes us seem.”

I was an extra in the the 1979 film “Breaking Away.” I also acted in some corporate/educational videos. I played a gas station robbery victim (I renewed that role this morning when I filled my tank!) in a video for 3M, and a doctor in a breast cancer video focused on African-American women.

I never was, but back on the rez they like to tell the story of how hollywood would come out there to shoot westerns back in the 40s and 50s. For scenes requiring hostile indians, each indian got $5 a day for riding his war pony and hootin and hollerin in the attack scene.

The movie director told the indians that they could earn an extra $5 if they fell off their horse during the battle scenes. But they ended up having a problem with that policy because everytime one of the cowboys fired his gun, several indians would fall off their horse. heh.

I was totally in this film as an extra.

There was a fight scene they filmed at the Blue Nile and I was totally in the background with my ex. I think I made the cut on the dance floor as well.

We got free drinks at the Nile that day. It was fun.

The movie is about an African immgrant that goes BACK to Africa because he ends up hating Minnesota. It’s a great film! Lot’s of West Bank scenes.

YES! I was an extra in “Untamed Heart” and I’m briefly visible in the background of many shots in the coffeehouse (the old Jim’s on Central, across from Aveda Institute). I made hours of fake conversation with people I had just met.

If anyone remembers when they were shooting that film, they had to use fake snow on the streets, and the Coca-Cola billboard over that intersection stayed Santa/Xmas themed for months. I always thought it was funny they had to use fake snow while filming HERE.

I got to meet Rosie Perez cuz’ she was cool like that. She would talk to extras. Christian Slater and Marisa Tomei, not so much.

Speaking of fake snow …

The indoor and outdoor terminal scenes in the first “Airport” movie were filmed at MSP. Most of the snow in the movie, though, was fake because we had hardly any snowfall that winter. Local radio announcer Johnny Canton was the ticket agent who dealt with the distraught Maureen Stapleton (whose movie husband was the suicidal businessman trying to blow up the plane).

I’ve never been in a movie but was on Japanese TV every week for five years.

I was an extra in a few scenes for Purple Haze filmed at the Lafayette Club on Lake Minnetonka in the early 80s. Saw the movie, and I think the scenes I was in were cut.

My dad was an extra in The Graduate oh-so-many years ago. He was obviously in the East Bay at that time, but only for a bit.

I was asked to be an extra in Angus, which shot a few scenes at my high school, but I was not interested in being a dark-skinned token in that production, even if it meant a day out of school.

I was in New World Symphony as myself, next to Grant Hart, also as himself.

I play a zombie in the as-yet-unreleased Risen. Here’s me with my chin torn off.

I was an extra in Mighty Ducks. As was everybody in Minneapolis, as far as I can tell.

And, of course, I was a cast member in Chasing Windmills.

I’m somewhere in the crowd shots of this George Thorogood video from about 1994. I know. Not necessarily a proud moment. But I was young and those Deleware Destroyers sure could rock out so cut me some slack.

They filmed it at the Orpheum all day one Saturday after a Friday night show. A bunch of us were waiting on the sidewalk before they let us in for filming and a homeless gentleman remarked: “What is this? A black t-shirt convention”? That was pretty funny.

I also remember all the skimpily dressed rented ladies who were strategically placed throughout the crowd shots.

A co-worker was an extra in “A Prairie Home Companion” She played the integral part of “Hand on Pepsi Cup”

Max! I saw a trailer for that zombie movie and it looks awesome!

My apartment’s been used for several independent deals, but I’ve never been an extra.

Advice- don’t let your obnoxious filmmaker friends make movies in your apartment, unless you like dirty walls, blown fuses, and angry neighbors.

I could mention a music video shot in Northrop. But it involves Kenny G and Peabo Bryson. Wasn’t attending the concert, just working… Ugh!

My kids were extras in Mall Rats. My son was has an on screen “reaction” close up when one of the stars says, “There’s no such thing as the Easter Bunny.” My daughter’s scene was cut.
I took the kids out of school for the day and shooting went pretty quickly, they had to have them finished by 6:00 p.m.

Was an extra in Mall Rats – you can see the back of my head in a scene. They filmed us overnight when the mall was empty. A very cool high schoole experience and we got paid!

I was an audience extra in the “My name is Prince” video. You can see my wristwatch in one frame (yes I went frame by frame to find it.)

The first part was shot in Paisely Park, the second half was filmed in the alley near Glam Slam (The Quest) where we watched Prince dance on a cop car. Free Pizza was served.

I was a wee tot in Ice Castles. Crowd Scene.

Also our car, with us in it, was in a Streets of San Francisco in an episode in 1976. We had a sweet 1968 Metallic Pea Plymouth Station Wagon.

Untamed Heart:

I was 13 or so. We went over and threw tennis balls at Christian Slaters trailer while they were filming a front porch scene near the Casket Arts Building N.E.

We also stole a big wooden cutout of fake snow in the middle of the night.

Stupid little brats.

I helped out with set decorations for ‘Jingle All the Way’. The crew decorated Downtown St.Paul with X-mas decoations (in July!) and re-made the KQ studio’s in the old bank on Cedar Street. Fun job-Terrible movie!

I purposely wore my most garish shirt to be able to pick myself out in the crowd scenes of the 1984 indie flick Wildrose, but I never spotted myself.

The prick who (I believe) stole my bike when I was a kid was “Mac’s Buddy” in North Country.

Metallic Pea…automakers need to name paint colors like this again.

I can’t believe no one else seemed to notice this gem from Bob:

and a doctor in a breast cancer video focused on African-American women.

“Hey ladies, let Bob come and take a gander at your lucious lady lumps. He’ll tell you all about the breast cancer.”

Bob knows his business, and business is GOOD.

(blushing)

I can hear the plucky electric guitar riffs with the brass line kickin in as Bob plays his moves on the sisters.

Ohh yeah.

wacki-ticky-wacki-ticky BUH-DUHNT-DUHHH! (Yeeeow!)

and a doctor in a breast cancer video focused on African-American women.

Yet, I still haven’t seen that video.

I was in a local movie called “Second Story Man”. It’s the story of those green adirondack chairs that used to be omnipresent around town.

I was an extra in Mighty Ducks 2. It was in the scene where they were playing Trinidad and Tobago (WTF?), yet somehow I was still told to cheer on the Ducks side. Come on, being an extra on that side seemed like so much more fun plus it’s not like I wasn’t born for the part…

Parts of Mighty Ducks 1 and 2 (maybe 3) were filmed at my school and my school actually played the Ducks in D3. Well, it wasn’t our actual team but they used our uniforms.

Oh and I was in a crowd scene for “Little Big League”.

Part of Mighty Ducks was filmed at my school, too! Ok, it was probably the same school.

Probably, which means that there’s no way we don’t know each other given the school.

You’re viz girls, right? heh

That’s not even on the right side of the river.

Different years, though.

What year?

Btw, just to clarify, I’m not a viz girl. I don’t even think it’s in the same county…no, it’s not. I’m so proud of my geography skills.

This year. I graduate on Wednesday.

Yeah, we didn’t go to the same school then.

eh. oh well

This is the last time I tamper with the comments system for a while.