Desert has plenty to offer

GLAMIS — The white sport utility vehicles take the turn of the desert road that carves its way through the scenic trough surrounded by sand.

The meager traffic is blocked by the California Highway Patrol while the crew gets its take.

In the desolation of Imperial County’s sand dunes lies an oasis for film production. With nothing but desert for miles and the landscape of mountains that can be edited out later, the latest film to take up a brief residence here is “Men Who Stare at Goats.”

The feature film is based on a book by Jon Ronson and has a star-studded cast including George Clooney, Ewan McGregor, Kevin Spacey and Jeff Bridges.

“Word gets around. It could create more action (for the area),” the feature film’s location manager Mike Burmeister said. “This will enhance the film. Once we got out here we started adding new shots.”

Imperial County was a last-minute addition after the film’s final days of production were snowed out while on location in New Mexico. Four days of production in the dunes near Glamis wrapped up Thursday, funneling an estimated $300,000 into the local economy as the crew stayed in local hotels, ate at local restaurants and the production utilized local businesses like Michael Mostrong’s services.

The owner of Mike’s Film Crew Transportation said he has been aiding film industry professionals set up shop in the Valley for more than 15 years.

“We have a different terrain,” Mostrong said. “I’d like to see the filming industry get bigger and bigger here.”

Mostrong has worked with crews on the sets of films and numerous commercials over the years.

Charla Teeters, executive director of the Imperial County Film Commission, said the goal is to continue to draw productions to the Valley, but the state’s lack of tax incentives to film in California makes it difficult.

But although much of the production work takes place out of the public’s eye as films are done utilizing the isolated desert scenes, Teeters said there’s a lot of interest in the Valley for future productions.

“There’s a steady flow of people coming in that use Imperial County as their backdrop,” Teeters said.

Source By BRIANNA LUSK

Loony for Clooney: Starry-eyed, but no stars

I searched the clusters of men with salt and pepper hair. This one could pass for his famed mop. See me with the back of George Clooney’s head? One guy even was wearing an “Oceans 13 Film Crew” T-shirt. But that was too easy. Movie stars don’t walk around wearing T-shirts of films they were in, do they?

I’d love to tell you how I smiled for the camera and forever etched on a memory card that I brushed elbows with Clooney, shook Ewan McGregor’s hand, said something witty to Kevin Spacey and made a reluctant Jeff Bridges say, “The Dude abides.”

But as quickly as the Imperial Valley Press confirmed that Clooney was indeed filming a movie, he vanished into the air like a ghost. My imagination would have to conjure what it would have been like: the Day I Met George Clooney.

When the opportunity arose to meet Clooney, my thoughts soared. I drew the envy of friends and my mother, a longtime Clooney fanatic from way back in the “E.R.” days.

Then reality settled in. What could I say to these stars that hasn’t already been said? My prospective questions were lame. Name your top five. … This was going to play out like a bad regurgitated version of “High Fidelity.”

The story was over before it started.

The Blue Angels tried to entice the stars and upped the ante with a proposed thrill ride. Would you rather be glued to the seat of a F/A-18 Hornet or answer “top five list” questions from a local reporter?

Even if I were Clooney I wouldn’t want to take my interview.

Then I had to take calls from the Blue Angels asking if I was still “hanging out with Clooney.”

Rub it in, why don’t you. No, I am not still hanging out with Clooney.

Walking out into the bustle of crew men assembling cameras against the backdrop of the Valley’s spectacular assets was nothing compared to the 24 hours after I got the assignment.

For 24 hours I had the best conversation starter at dinner and the heart-pounding minutes of speculation with the Press entourage as we drove to the set.

You know that whole journey versus the destination controversy? This experience completely settled it.

As the revelation was made that I would not get to meet the stars nor even admire them at a distance, blank stares passed between me and the photographer.

So it goes.

I plucked a banana from the perfectly ripe bunch and took a sip from the photographer’s pricey pomegranate juice from the catering cart. Our brush with the famed catering cart was our consolation prize.

The “set” was a lone winding desert road and a director’s crew huddled around a camera on the bluff overlooking the dunes.

It was beautiful. The wind whipped stands of hair in my face and the sun shone down but wasn’t blinding.

Months from now when this movie never makes it to our select local theaters I can say I saw that take being filmed. That car driving down the road? I was there.

Oh, um, stars? Did I see stars? Well, it’s funny you should ask. The thing about Clooney is he skips out as soon as he’s done. But the camera-shy heartthrob did let me take a picture with the back of his head before he left. See that signature mix of black and grey?

It was perfect. Yeah, he really does wear that T-shirt from “Oceans 13.” I know, he’s so down to earth.

So 24 hours later, I’ll still be dealing with the straggling questions of the star-studded experience that wasn’t.

It’s a collective disappointed sigh for the Imperial Valley.

Meanwhile, I’ll have to settle for the day that I got to eat a banana off the same catering truck that the likes of Clooney, McGregor, Spacey and Bridges once touched.

And hope that one day I’ll have another moment, when I least expect it, that makes me look up and say, “Hey, isn’t that …?”
Source By BRIANNA LUSK,

“Goats” filming in the Imperial Valley

According to this article from the Imperial Valley Press, George arrived in the area on Monday and will be filming up until the end of today (Thursday).

It is true, to a point. From what we’ve been able to ascertain, Clooney is definitely staying in the Northend, but Brad Pitt’s presence could not be confirmed.

The information we’ve gathered is partly from the Imperial County Film Commission and partly from Internet research on the movie being filmed here, “Men Who Stare at Goats.”

Film Commission executive director Charla Teeters said Clooney and crew arrived Monday night and will be here through today.

While we do know where they are staying and filming, we promised not to disclose the location so our reporters can do a story from the set for Friday.

Teeters said the movie was being filmed on location in New Mexico, but the set was snowed out, forcing the production to a more hospitable climate, and one that could simulate the Middle East, where the story takes place.

As many will remember, George Clooney is no stranger to the Imperial Valley and its Mideast-like terrain, having spent several weeks here back in 1999 while filming the Desert Storm adventure “Three Kings.”

We don’t know who all is here, but according to the Web site Internet Movie Database, “Men Who Stare at Goats” also stars Ewan “Obi-Wan” McGregor, “Usual Suspect” Kevin Spacey, Jeff “The Dude” Bridges and “Liquid Terminator” Robert Patrick, among others.

“Goats,” directed by longtime character actor Grant Heslov who co-wrote “Good Luck, and Good Night” with Clooney, is based on the strange book of the same name by Jon Ronson.

The story is about a former military “psychic” spy brought back in to service after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. The title comes from training for the spies that involves assassinating barnyard animals through the power of the mind.

Productions such as these are always good for the Valley, as the cast and crew spend money here. Teeters estimated (through a California Film Commission formula) that “Goats” will earn the Valley $301,000 over the course of two preparation days and three filming days.

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