Adam Sandler's 'Lake House' ready to roll in Boston

Scouts for the new Adam Sandler flick "Lake House," plan to shoot a scene in the coming months with co-stars Kevin James, Chris Rock, Rob Schneider and David Spade at the upscale Japanese-fusion restaurant, O Ya, located at 9 East Street in Boston's Leather District.

As previously reported in Loaded Gun, Sandler's former “SNL” cohorts as well as “Paul Blart: Mall Cop” funnyman James are slotted for a 66-day film shoot beginning in May centering around a group of five guys who return to their hometown after 30-years apart for a Fourth of July holiday weekend. Think a “Big Chill”-style comedy … but with a lot of laughs.

Pre-production on the flick is heating up. In fact, nearby Essex entered into an agreement on Monday, March 16 to host Sandler and crew at the town’s Centennial Grove this summer.

The made-in-Boston film is also casting a few key roles through Roger Mussenden & Jeremy Rich Casting in California, including:

WOMAN: (70s to 90s) Sassy, snippy battle-ax of a woman. She is old enough to know what she wants, when she wants it, and doesn’t care how she says it. PLEASE SUBMIT AFRICAN-AMERICAN.

BECKY: (age 5) TWINS -- Adam Sandler’s youngest daughter. She is a bundle of love and optimism. Please submit twin Latino girls.

BEAN: (age 4) TWINS -- Kevin James’ youngest son. Please submit twin boys.

Interested? Submit pictures and resumes to: Roger Mussenden & Jeremy Rich Casting, Sony Studios, 10202 W. Washington Blvd. David Lean Bldg., Suite 219, Culver City, CA 90232.

Click here for the latest on Sandler's "Lake House."

INTERVIEW: 'LUCKEY' filmmaker Laura Longsworth

Slotted to premiere at Boston’s Independent Film Festival 2:45 p.m. on Sunday, April 26 at the Somerville Theatre in Davis Square, Arlington-based filmmaker Laura Longsworth says crafting her documentary film “LUCKEY” was a labor of love.

“The lives of every single member of Tom's family were deeply altered by his paralysis, on an emotional and practical level,“ she tells Loaded Gun Boston. “The year or more after his accident was just so hard in terms of reconciling emotionally with the reality of his paralysis and figuring out his care.”

In the documentary, Luckey is coping with recent and dramatic changes in his life. Overnight, he went from able-bodied to a wheelchair. The sculptor and architect was designing a three-story-tall climbable sculpture, the masterpiece of his career building interactive art, when he fell through a window at the Boston Children’s Museum and became completely paralyzed.

“I've come to think that while the details are probably never the same twice, there is probably a universality to their experience,” Longsworth continues. “By that I mean that anyone who has had a family member who is very ill or is injured can probably identify with one aspect or another of the film.”

In a candid interview with Loaded Gun Boston, Longsworth chats about her protagonist’s emotionally raw journey after the accident, offers advice to young, up-and-coming filmmakers and gives perspective from a documentary filmmaker's point of view regarding the booming film scene in Boston.

Click here for the complete interview with Longsworth. Click here for tickets.

--Photo from Laura Longsworth's "Luckey"

QUIZ: Can you name this made-in-Boston movie?

The Boston Public Garden is the locale of a pivotal scene in this made-in-Boston flick starring and penned by then up-and-comers Matt Damon and Ben Affleck. Also, the milestone moment shot here helped win Robin Williams an Oscar for "Best Supporting Actor."

Want more clues?

In the film, the protagonist is a janitor at MIT with a gift for mathematics. He teams up with a psychologist to overcome his fear of abandonment and ultimately learns how to open up. In addition to the Public Garden, other Boston locales make cameos in the film including MIT's McLaurin Building, Harvard's Dunster House, the now-closed Tasty Cafe in Cambridge and Woody’s L-Street Tavern, 658 East Eighth Street in South Boston.

How do you like them apples?

Inspired by the mystery film’s protagonist played by Damon, one winner will receive an Orient Watch CEM5J005W automatic model which retails for $100 and is similar to the timepiece Damon wears in "The Bourne Identity." Check out Orient Watches if you're looking for an affordable, sophisticated watch but can't afford to spend thousands of dollars.

Figured out the mystery flick? Simply register for Loaded Gun’s new bi-weekly newsletter. The sign-up widget is located on the right-side navigation. Once you type in your e-mail address, you’ll be prompted to enter the mystery made-in-Boston movie.

Loaded Gun, a Boston-based pop culture blog, will unveil its bi-weekly newsletter on Friday, April 3. Sign up and register for a slew of Hollywood East-inspired prizes including DVDs of made-in-Boston films like "Mystic River" and "The Departed" to giveaways like the stainless-steel, water-resistant CEM5J005W model from Orient Watches. The promotion officially ends Thursday, April 2 at 11:59 a.m.

Winners will be announced in Loaded Gun’s debut newsletter on Friday, April 3 followed by a post on LoadedGunBoston.com.

Check back for a treasure trove of promotional goodies you can win in the weeks leading up to the launch of Loaded Gun‘s bi-weekly newsletter.

Click here for more details. Also, click here for the contest rules and disclaimer.

--Photo of Boston Public Garden by Sam Baltrusis.

'The Company Men' casting extras in Boston

"The Company Men," a topical flick about the impact of corporate downsizing on the masses, is holding an open casting call for extras on Saturday, April 4 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the John Hancock Hotel and Conference Center, 40 Trinity Place in the George Washington room on the third floor.

Billy Dowd Casting is holding the casting call for SAG and AFTRA members only who are interested in extra work, with several "featured extra" roles still open.

Starring Cambridge homeboy Ben Affleck, Harvard alum Tommy Lee Jones and Kevin Costner, the film is based on the script by director John Wells. The flick is currently in pre-production with filming slotted to kick off in mid-April, with scenes planned for First Church, 10 Putnam St. in Roxbury on Monday, April 13 and Tuesday, April 14.

As previously reported in Loaded Gun, crews are setting up shop in the make-shift Chelsea soundstage located at 121 Webster Ave. across from the Save A Lot/Home Depot. The locale has been used for a slew of made-in-Boston films and TV productions including "Edge of Darkness" with Mel Gibson, the pilot for TNT's "Bunker Hill" with Donnie Wahlberg as well as "Pink Panther 2"

Affleck plays a corporate bigwig whose six-figure salary is suddenly cut after he gets a pink slip. Costner, a blue-collar construction worker, offers Affleck a job installing drywall.

Jones, portraying a senior corporate exec, struggles with the unethical exploits of his partners.

Click here for the latest on "The Company Men." Thanks to Christine B. for the tip!

--Photo courtesy Esquire

'See Kate Run' slotted to film in the South End

In the early evening on Wednesday, April 1, crews from the currently-in-production ABC-TV pilot, formerly known as "I, Claudia" and "See Kate Run," are slotted to film at the Cyclorama located at 539 Tremont St. in the South End.

Starring Amy Smart in the main role, the series with a working title called the "Untitled John Scott Shepherd Project" follows a Boston-based district attorney destined to become the first female president. The pilot also stars Liza Lapira from "21" and local actor Sean Paul Cormier.

Last weekend, crews from FTP Productions LLC, the group orchestrating the massive shoot for ABC, took over the front steps of the Massachusetts State House and filmed exterior shots in front of the gilded-domed building. Filming continued on Saturday, March 28 near the Ashburton Park side of the State House on Bowdoin Street between Beacon and Derne.

On Thursday, March 26, I received a tip that production staff were filming at Chelsea's City Hall for the courtroom scenes. "What a hottie Amy is," Chris Whitt says here about "See Kate Run" star Amy Smart. "Sitting in [Chelsea's City Hall] watching her do her thing. Who knew it takes about 300 people to film a scene?"

And on Monday, March 23, set designers were busy transforming Doyle's Cafe located at 3484 Washington St. into the 21st Amendment, a stand-in for the political watering hole across the street from the State House.

Click here for the latest on "See Kate Run." Also, click here for additional photos on Hub On Location.

'Children of Invention' premieres at IFFBoston

"Children of Invention," a feature film written and directed by Randolph native Tze Chun, will have its New England premiere at the Independent Film Festival of Boston, where it has been selected to screen in the narrative competition. The film, which is set and was shot in and around Boston, had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival and won the Special Jury Award at the San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival.

In "Children of Invention," two young children living outside Boston are left to fend for themselves when their hardworking mother (played by Cindy Cheung from "Lady in the Water") gets embroiled in a pyramid scheme and disappears.

The film is also loosely based on Chun’s own childhood in Boston’s suburbs. “When I was little, my sister and I followed my mother to countless pyramid seminars," says Chun. "The film is a personal story about the world I grew up in – a subculture of immigrant and working class Americans trying to get-rich-quick in order to get themselves out of a financial hole. I didn't foresee the current financial crisis. But with the economy the way it is now, it seems like everyone's living through some version of what the family in the film goes through.”

"Children of Invention" will debut 7:15 p.m. Thursday, April 23 at the Somerville Theatre, 55 Davis Square. The film is also slotted for 7:30 p.m. Friday, April 24.

Click here for more information on Boston's Independent Film Festival slotted for Wednesday, April 22 until Tuesday, April 28. Click here for tickets.

--Photo by Chris Teague

Former News transforms into late-night Splash

Restaurateur Frank De Pasquale is turning News, a seven-year-old after-work hangout located at 150 Kneeland St. in the Leather District, into an upscale, over-25 hangout called Splash. The revamped hot spot is scheduled to reopen in May.

Slotted to serve gourmet bar food ranging from burgers, appetizers and tapas, Splash will rival nearby South Street Diner as a late-night destination. De Pasquale plans to serve food until 5 a.m on Friday, Saturdays and the Sundays before holidays.

Owner of Umbria, Bricco, Gelateria, Mare, Trattoria Il Panino and North End Scene Magazine, De Pasquale is venturing out of his usual turf in the North End.

The decor at Splash will have a water theme including a glass wall with a water feature at the entrance, a new rooftop deck and cabana-style lounge area with beds and lounge chairs.

Splash is opening Memorial Day weekend 2009.

Click here for more on De Pasquale.

NBC's 'Great American Road Trip' casting call

Are we there yet? Is your family more like the "Griswolds" and less "Brady Bunch"? You're in luck.

NBC is launching a new reality TV competition series called "Great American Road Trip" scheduled to premiere 8 p.m. Wednesday, July 1. The show will feature will feature seven families competing in challenges at various American landmarks. And producers are on the hunt for families in the Boston area.

According to the casting call, they're looking for "outgoing, fun-loving, dynamic families for the cross-country trip of a lifetime."

Over the course of eight episodes, the eclectic crew of families will travel through large and small cities while competing against each other in challenges that are set against iconic American backdrops including the Grand Canyon and Washington Monument, as well as more obscure tourist destinations such as the World's Largest Chair and a sneaker the size of a car.

Based on the description, casting scouts are looking for archetypes like the "real-life Griswolds," "Red Sox fanatics" and the "ultimate Trekkie family."

Produced by BBC Worldwide, one family will be eliminated each week based on their performance in the challenges. The last family standing will win a so-called "dream prize." Also, all families that participate in the show will receive a stipend of $2,000 each week .

Interested? Check out the Boston Casting call here or send a family photo, your contact info, brief bio of each member, city where you live, and why your family should be on the show to ashley@bostoncasting.com.

Click here for the official lowdown.

Random Shot :: ABC-TV's 'See Kate Run' shoot

On Saturday, March 28 from 7 a.m. to the wee hours of Sunday, March 29, crews from the currently-in-production ABC-TV pilot, formerly known as "I, Claudia" and "See Kate Run," filmed near the Ashburton Park side of the State House on Bowdoin Street between Beacon and Derne.

Click here for the latest on "See Kate Run and here for additional photos on Hub On Location. Also, click here for more photos from the "Loaded Gun Random Shots" series.

Study revisits dark side of Hollywood in the Hub

Boston Herald reporter Dave Wedge, in his "Say goodbye to Hollywood" piece here, revisits an ongoing debate we've discussed here and here on Loaded Gun Boston: Can the Hub sustain the Hollywood East machine?

For the record, CommonWealth Magazine did an excellent job deconstructing the economic ramifications of using the tax break to lure filmmakers in an article called "Subsidizing the stars" back in the Spring 2008 edition.

However, Wedge dredges up a new study by Cornell University professor Susan Christopherson, who rehashes the questions raised about government giveaways to filmmakers.

“In New York and Los Angeles, this infrastructure has taken over 100 years to build,” concludes the currently under-review report. “And without this infrastructure, a state that subsidizes footloose film or TV production projects has little chance of building a sustainable local industry.”

Christopherson also reiterates the practice of “turning a tax credit into a grant,” where government will actually buy back the tax credits at a discount. Again, this was explored in the CommonWealth Magazine article.

For those unfamiliar with our state's tax incentives, here's the breakdown:

• Rate: 25% (payroll) and 25% (production expenses).
• Requirements: More than $50,000 in Massachusetts production expenses in a 12-month period for payroll credit with more than 50% of expenses or 50% of principal photography days must take place in Massachusetts for production expense credit.
• Exclusions: Salaries for individuals earning more than $1 million are ineligible for payroll credit, but are eligible for production expense credit.
  

According to the Department of Revenue, the film business brought in more than $350 million to Massachusetts last year. The question: Are we paying more than what we're bringing in?

On paper, it's a no-brainer. More movies in the area means more economic stimulus.

However, if you look at states like Louisiana that offered a similar tax credit a few years back, it was costing the state more money than the film productions allegedly were generating. For example, in 2005 the credits ended up costing Louisiana $50 million. Films did boost the economy there a bit but not enough to offset costs of the tax break.

To fuel revenue, some film companies who shot in Massachusetts actually sold their tax credits to banks or insurance companies. Unethical? Absolutely.

While I support the idea of luring quality films into the area, I believe there needs to be more scrutiny, especially from an economic perspective.

--Photo from "The Departed"

Fallon heads to Boston, Kennedy reschedules

Jimmy Fallon, en route to Boston to perform his sold-out, stand-up gig at the Wilbur Theatre Comedy Connection on Saturday, March 28 gives a shout out to his local supporters.

The former "Saturday Night Live" comic turned late-night host of "Late Night With Jimmy Fallon" says he's stoked about his show tomorrow night.

"Tomorrow gig in Boston. Fun!! I love Boston," he tweets here.

Meanwhile, Jamie Kennedy and gal pal Jennifer Love Hewitt missed their flight from L.A. to Boston on Thursday, March 26. Why? The comic says he's suffering from kidney stones.

He recently sent a tweet here to apologize: "Sorry to all my fans in Boston. Had to [cancel] the Wilbur Theatre dates this weekend [because of] this kidney stone. Trying to get [rescheduled] soon."

The appearance has been rescheduled for Friday, June 26.

Kennedy says he's slowly recovering from the painful ailment. "Got the best nurse possible making me soup now," he says. "[It] hurts though. A lot."

Click here for the lowdown on the Wilbur Theatre.

UPDATE: Here's a tweet from Comedy Connection: "Jimmy Fallon just arrived and is sitting in the box taking in [Kris] Kristofferson before he goes on at 10 p.m. Pretty cool night at the Wilbur." Also, Fallon just sent a photo via Twitter from atop the Wilbur Theatre.

--Photo courtesy "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon"

'See Kate Run' crews return to State House area

On Saturday, March 28 from 7 a.m. to the wee hours of Sunday, March 29, crews from the currently-in-production ABC-TV pilot, formerly known as "I, Claudia" and "See Kate Run," are slotted to film around the State House on Bowdoin Street between Beacon and Ashburton.

Exterior shots are planned for the 21st Amendment located at 150 Bowdoin St., the political watering hole across the street from the State House. As previously reported in Loaded Gun, crews transformed Doyle's Cafe located at 3484 Washington St in Jamaica Plain on Monday, March 23 to act as an interior stand-in for the 21st Amendment.

Why shoot interior shots at Doyle's instead of filming at the real 21st Amendment? Apparently, the Beacon Hill haunt is too cramped for cameras.

Starring Amy Smart in the main role, the series with a working title called the "Untitled John Scott Shepherd Project" follows a Boston-based district attorney destined to become the first female president. The pilot also stars Liza Lapira from "21" and local actor Sean Paul Cormier.

Last weekend, crews from FTP Productions LLC, the group orchestrating the massive shoot for ABC, took over the front steps of the Massachusetts State House and filmed exterior shots in front of the gilded-domed building and a motley crew of extras have spent the early evening walking up and down the steps.

Click here for the latest on "See Kate Run." Also, click here for the WBUR podcast about hyper-local content. Loaded Gun Boston was featured at the end of the hour-long program.

Loaded Gun featured on WBUR's 'Radio Boston'

UPDATE: Click here for the WBUR podcast. Loaded Gun Boston was featured at the end of the hour-long program. Great stuff!

Adam Ragusea, an associate producer with WBUR's "Radio Boston," followed me around today working on a behind-the-scenes type segment on Loaded Gun Boston slotted to air 1 p.m. on Friday, March 27.

The hour-long program will focus on the future of local news and is scheduled to feature Adam Gaffin from Universal Hub, Dan Kennedy from Media Nation and Marcela Garcia, managing editor of El Planeta.

Ragusea and I walked around the Leather District and then headed to the Boston Commons and Public Garden where we chatted about the various made-in-Boston flicks slotted to hit theaters this year.

In preparation for the interview, I hunted down the "See Kate Run" production bat cave in South Boston yesterday (pictured above) to see if there was any filming scheduled for today. Of course, they were closed on Tuesday and Wednesday. The ABC crew's work week is off because they're shooting on the weekends, including a return trip to the State House on Saturday, March 28.

An inside source said there was a shoot slotted for today (Thursday, March 26), but he wasn't able to confirm details. "Sorry ,they are really tight with locations," the source says. "I haven't even gotten call sheets yet. However, all of my scenes are interiors, so the sets will be in warehouse factory type locales."

As soon as I finished my interview with Ragusea, I received a tip from one of my readers. "What a hottie Amy is," Chris Whitt says here about "See Kate Run" star Amy Smart. "Sitting in [Chelsea's City Hall] watching her do her thing. Who knew it takes about 300 people to film a scene?"

In other words, "See Kate Run" is filming in Chelsea today.

While Ragusea and I weren't able to uncover any filming action during the radio interview, we did get a tip while chatting with the owner of Sagarinos on South Street in the Leather District.

Scouts for the new Adam Sandler flick "Lake House," slotted to start filming in May, plan to shoot a scene in the coming months with co-stars Kevin James, Chris Rock, Rob Schneider and David Spade at the upscale Japanese-fusion restaurant, O Ya, located at 9 East Street in Boston's Leather District.

I've worked several years in the radio business in NYC and produced a weekly music segment for the local NPR affiliate when I was the A&E editor of alt-weekly in Northwest Florida.

I was extremely impressed with Ragusea. He wasn't afraid to hit the streets with me to dig for a story. In fact, he ended up getting a parking ticket while we walked throughout the epicenter of "Hollywood East," chatting about the story behind the blog. Now, that's dedication.

Journalism is about hitting the pavement. It's about getting dirty ... and sometimes coming up with nothing. It's about embracing new technology without losing focus of the old-school basics we learned as young reporters. It's about hunting down local leads and not repackaging AP headlines. It's about telling a story.

The future of local journalism? He was standing right beside me.

Click here for the lowdown on Boston's NPR News Station, 90.9 WBUR and here for the segment featuring Loaded Gun Boston (it's at the end of the hour-long segment).

Boston-bound Jamie Kennedy asks 'am I a creep?'

Jamie Kennedy, reportedly en route to Boston preparing for his comedy show 10 p.m. on Friday, March 27 at the Wilbur Theatre Comedy Connection, comments via Twitter about the so-called public scorn over his relationship with Jennifer Love Hewitt.

"Boy people are mean," he writes here. "'I feel so sorry for her that she had to lower her expectations and start dating this nasty creep!' Am I a creep?"

He tweets a few minutes later, "I know I'm a creep ... but NASTY??!!"

On Friday, March 13, Kennedy confirmed that he was dating his "Ghost Whisperer" co-star on Ryan Seacrest's radio show, raving "It's like 'Wow, you are so hot...and wow, you can cook pasta fagioli too!'"

Expect Hewitt, who split from her fiance Ross McCall in December, to be at the Wilbur on Friday. In fact, she's even manned the merch table at his recent shows.

No Jamie, you're not a creep ... or even nasty. You're just lucky!

10 p.m. Friday, March 27. The Wilbur Theatre, $23-$29. Click here for the lowdown

UPDATE: Kennedy and gal pal Hewitt missed their flight from L.A. to Boston this morning. The comic says he's suffering from kidney stones. He recently sent a tweet here to apologize: "Sorry to all my fans in Boston. Had to [cancel] the Wilbur Theatre dates this weekend [because of] this kidney stone. Trying to get [rescheduled] soon." The appearance has been rescheduled for Friday, June 26.

Random Shot: :: Shepard Fairey's mural destroyed

Above is a shot of one of Shepard Fairey's infamous graffiti installations on an abandoned storefront on Melcher and A Street in the Fort Point neighborhood. Unfortunately, the public-art piece is ripped and shredded to bits.

The street art-- along with a slew of other Institute of Contemporary Art-commissioned pieces scattered throughout the city including Grand boutique in Somerville's Union Square, the red brick wall outside the Gap at 15 Brattle Street and Central Kitchen in Cambridge's Central Square--has been under fire by anti-Fairey critics.

Click here for more photos from the "Loaded Gun Random Shots" series.

--Photo by Sam Baltrusis

'The Company Men' setting up shop in Chelsea

"The Company Men," a topical flick about the impact of corporate downsizing on the masses is currently in pre-production with filming slotted to kick off in mid-April. Starring Cambridge homeboy Ben Affleck, Harvard alum Tommy Lee Jones and Kevin Costner, the film is based on the script by director John Wells.

Crews are setting up shop in the make-shift Chelsea soundstage located at 121 Webster Ave. across from the Save A Lot/Home Depot. The locale has been used for a slew of made-in-Boston films and TV productions including "Edge of Darkness" with Mel Gibson, the pilot for TNT's "Bunker Hill" with Donnie Wahlberg as well as "Pink Panther 2"

The production office is currently on the hunt for a variety of interns, including production, art and office lackeys and must commit as least 10-15 hours per week starting now until the end of June.

Affleck plays a corporate bigwig whose six-figure salary is suddenly cut after he gets a pink slip. Costner, a blue-collar construction worker, offers Affleck a job installing drywall.

Jones, portraying a senior corporate exec, struggles with the unethical exploits of his partners.

Contact "The Company Men" production office via e-mail at thecompanymen@gmail.com regarding internship opportunities. Also, click here for the latest on the made-in-Boston flick.

--Photo courtesy of Esquire, April '09

The week in quotes from Hollywood in the Hub

“This time I didn’t have to be some superhuman guy who was impervious to bullets and couldn’t be destroyed.”

--WWE superstar and West Newbury native, John Cena, says he plays an average gun-slinging Jake in the film "12 Rounds," a movie about a police officer who is determined to rescue his girlfriend from a kidnapper. Cena is slotted to take over the 93.7 MIKE-FM at 6 p.m. Wednesday, March 25.

“I don’t know yet. But I’m definitely intrigued. It’s a great script. And I’d love to work with Mark.”

--"X-Men" and "Superman Returns" director Bryan Singer expresses interest to Entertainment Weekly in helming the much-hyped project "Prisoners," a set-in-Boston flick reportedly starring Dorchester native Mark Wahlberg.

"The book is very real and original with believable contemporary characters. We want to make an intelligent heist movie that people can relate to."

--Producer Jeremy Bolt confirms rumors that Constantin Film has acquired the film rights to Dave Zeltserman's forthcoming crime novel "28 Minutes," a story centering around mobsters from Russia and, no surprise here, Boston.

"I missed having him because he's so much fun to play off, and we have a great working relationship."

--Kevin James, still on a roll after his made-in-Boston flick "Paul Blart: Mall Cop" exceeded box-office expectations, gushes over bosom buddy Adam Sandler, adding that the duo are slotted to return to the Boston area this summer to work on the ultimate buddy flick tentatively called "Lake House."

"I've been out in L.A. for 10 years, but I'm still a Boston girl at heart. I really think I'd like to end up there one day. Every time I come home and drive through the toll on the Mass Pike, I get shout-outs."

--Eliza Dushku, a Boston-born actress and star of the new Fox series "Dollhouse," spills to Boston Common Magazine that there's no place like home.

--Photo courtesy WWE Raw

'What Doesn't Kill You' debuts at Boston film fest

After a brief theatrical run in NYC and Los Angeles, the made-in-Boston flick "What Doesn't Kill You" will make its hometown debut (not including the screening at Brandeis on Nov. 15) at the Boston International Film Festival 6 p.m. on Friday, April 17.

The BIFF premiere, hitting screens at the Loews Boston Common located at 175 Tremont St., will give locals a chance to see the flick before it's released on Blu-ray on Tuesday, April 28. Also, BIFF's opening night gala kicks off at 9:30 p.m. Brian Goodman, the film's director and a Southie native, will be at the screening for a Q&A.

The real-life crime drama "What Doesn't Kill You," originally titled "Real Men Cry," is set in Boston and stars Ethan Hawke and Mark Ruffalo as childhood friends "who grew up in an Irish-Catholic neighborhood where small-time crimes were as common as confessionals." Fast forward 15 years where the duo is trapped in a cycle of scoring quick cash, drug addiction and an ever-changing South Boston landscape.

Locations include the park in Dorchester Heights in Southie, the Billerica House of Correction and East 4th St. between P street and Farragut Road.

Click here for the backstory on "What Doesn't Kill You." Click here for the lowdown on the Boston International Film Festival.

'VSI' sign mystery and 'See Kate Run' at Doyle's

The online rumor mill was buzzing over several sightings of the "VSI" film sign posted near locations for the currently-in-production ABC-TV pilot formerly known as "See Kate Run."

The yellow "VSI" sign--previously associated with the made-in-Boston flick "The Surrogates" starring Bruce Willis--was used last summer as an acronym for Virtual Self Industries, or the name of the company that creates the futuristic surrogates in the film slotted to hit theaters on Friday, Sept. 25.

Confused? Just wait.

On set today of "See Kate Run" in Jamaica Plain, crews were busy transforming Doyle's Cafe located at 3484 Washington St. into the 21st Amendment, a stand-in for the political watering hole across the street from the State House. Large black tarps covered a portion of the JP hangout and several crew trailers were parked at the MBTA parking lot near the Forest Hills T stop.

The two police officers outside of Doyle's had no clue why "VSI" signs were used for the "See Kate Run" pilot when asked. However, one of the ABC-TV crew guys, busy transforming the Doyle's set on Monday, March 23, responded when confronted by Loaded Gun.

Why are the "VSI" production signs being used for "See Kate Run" production? "Because they already had them," jokes the production guru. "I guess they didn't feel like making us new ones."

According to crew members, "See Kate Run" staffers are using "VSI" hand-me-downs from "The Surrogates" shoot because it's a pilot .. and not a recurring made-in-Boston series. Maybe they'll get their own yellow signs if ABC picks up the series?

Click here for additional photos on Hub On Location. And, click here for the latest on "See Kate Run."

--Photos by Sam Baltrusis

Sneak peek of Martin Scorsese's 'Shutter Island'

Argentinean filmmaker Celine Murga published a diary recounting her impressions during the shoot of Martin Scorsese’s made-in-Boston flick “Shutter Island" in the January edition of Cahiers Du Cinema.

As previously reported in Loaded Gun, two U.S. marshals (played by Leonardo DiCaprio and Mark Ruffalo) investigate the disappearance of a patient from a hospital for the criminally insane to an eponymous Boston-area island in 1954. During the investigation, they encounter a web of lies, a hurricane and a deadly inmate riot that leaves them trapped on the island.

Based on the epic novel "Shutter Island" by Dennis Lehane, the Boston-shot flick features DiCaprio, Ruffalo and Ben Kingsley and was shot in Taunton's Whittenton Mills Complex (recrafted as the horrific Nazi concentration camp Dachau) as well as the Medfield State Hospital and Peddocks Island. Other locales include Borderland State Park, Hyde Park and Wilson Mountain Reservation in Dedham. "Shutter Island" is slotted to hit theaters on Friday, Oct. 2.

There’s some interesting behind-the-scenes info explored in Murga's diary, including a scene in a hospital cafeteria presumably shot at the abandoned Medfield State Hospital. “Dialogues are filmed through close-ups, with the characters virtually looking at the camera shaft," Murga recounts. "The result is something deeply disquieting. It is uncomfortable for the spectator since they are intense monlogues of patients spouting their madness."

Recalling a shoot on June 12, Murga writes, “We are in a studio outside Boston, in a huge warehouse where one feels very small. It’s quite an off-putting place.”

She continues, “I suddenly come upon a huge corridor that brings to mind images of a concentration camp. It’s a very shocking feeling; that corridor wasn’t there early in the morning. Before there was nothing there, and all of a sudden this cold, gigantic, terrifying corridor appears."

Murga’s account of the film’s finale, which was shot at a lighthouse on June 18, is equally somber: “They’ve been rehearsing since we got here. Just Marty, Leo and Ben Kingsley. It’s a long, complicated scene. The dramatic finale of the film. The rest of us, the rest of the crew, are waiting outside of the set. Waiting and listening. In complete silence."

Click here for the latest on "Shutter Island."

Crews transform Doyle's into 21st Amendment

On Monday, March 23 from 7 a.m. to 12 a.m., crews from the currently-in-production ABC-TV pilot, formerly known as "I, Claudia" and "See Kate Run," are slotted to transform Doyle's Cafe in Jamaica Plain into the 21st Amendment, a stand-in for the political watering hole across the street from the State House.

Starring Amy Smart in the main role, the series with a working title called the "Untitled John Scott Shepherd Project" follows a Boston-based district attorney destined to become the first female president.

Doyle's, located at 3484 Washington St., is famous as a stop on the political trail, officially opening its doors in 1882 and served as a speakeasy during Prohibition days until reopening as a legal hangout in 1933. You can see that reflected on the walls throughout the rambling rooms that make up the place.

The Washington Street hotspot was also used in the movies as the "quintessential Boston Irish bar," making cameos in "Mystic River" and was a location in the Dane Cook flick "My Best Friend's Girl" and "21" with Kevin Spacey. Also, actor Mel Gibson, recently in town filming "Edge of Darkness," was spotted there in August '08.

Crews from FTP Productions LLC, the group orchestrating the massive shoot for ABC, are currently filming this weekend at the State House and plan to return there next Saturday, March 28.

Why shoot at Doyle's instead of filming at the real 21st Amendment? Apparently, the Beacon Hill haunt is too cramped for cameras.

Click here for the latest on "See Kate Run."

--Photos by Sam Baltrusis

ABC-TV crews take over State House in Boston

The ABC-TV pilot, formerly known as "I, Claudia" and "See Kate Run," has taken over the Massachusetts State House in Boston as of 6 p.m. today. Crews are currently filming exterior shots in front of the gilded-domed building and a motley crew of extras have spent the early evening walking up and down the steps.

Starring Amy Smart in the main role, the series with a working title called the "Untitled John Scott Shepherd Project" follows a Boston-based district attorney destined to become the first female president.

Crews from FTP Productions LLC, the group orchestrating the massive shoot for ABC, are filming during off hours at the State House for two weekends (including Saturday, March 28) and Jamaica Plain's Doyle's Cafe, acting as a stand-in for the real 21st Amendment hangout located at 150 Bowdoin St.

Click here for additional photos on Hub On Location.

--Photos by Sam Baltrusis

‘Twilight’ DVD bloodlust hits Boston-area stores

The “Twilight’ madness continues tonight with die-hard fans expected to line up at Boston-area stores and around the country to get a first taste of the DVD, slotted to be released at midnight.

Click here for a comprehensive list, but below is a handful of local stores tapped to participate including:

• FYE, 411 Washington St in Downtown Crossing
• Borders, 100 Cambridgeside Place at the Cambridgeside Galleria
• Blockbuster, 235 Massachusetts Ave. near the Symphony T stop
• Blockbuster, 541 Massachusetts Ave. near the Porter Square T stop
  

The “special edition” two-disc DVD set is going for $32 a pop. One disc gives you the movie, with extra-deleted scenes, plus commentary from Robert Pattinson, co-star Kristen Stewart, director Catherine Hardwicke. Also music videos featuring Muse, Paramore and Linkin Park.

British actor turned movie vampire Pattinson was greeted by thousands of screaming fans at Square One Mall in Saugus last November and insisted that his undead turn as Edward Cullen in "Twilight" was a warm-hearted effort.

"If I was doing [the movie] now, knowing it was going to be this audience, I think I probably would have done it differently. It’s a small story. It’s an intimate story and I think it comes across as being very human rather than being a big epic thing.”

Click here for the complete lowdown.

QUIZ: Can you name this made-in-Boston movie?

The Boston Public Library is the scene of the crime of this made-in-Boston flick currently in theaters. While filming at the BPL, there were reports that a priceless marble bust was knocked on the floor of the Grand Staircase in September 2007.

Not an Inspector Clouseau? Want more clues?

In the film, the protagonist teams up with a squad of bumbling International detectives in an attempt to stop a globe-trotting thief who specializes in stealing historical artifacts. Also, other famous Boston locales make cameos in the film like Museum of Fine Arts and the Citi Wang Center, which was given a French manicure and turned into the Petit Palais.

Inspired by the mystery film’s colorful-cat icon, one winner will receive a Tolani Cheetah Cheetah Scarf (27" x 72") which retails for $99 and has been spotted on celebs like Scarlet Johansson and Jessica Alba. Check out Chickdowntown for the latest designer clothing with hot brands such as Diane Von Furstenburg and fabulous Tibi Dresses.

Figured out the mystery flick? Simply register for Loaded Gun’s new bi-weekly newsletter. The sign-up widget is located on the right-side navigation. Once you type in your e-mail address, you’ll be prompted to enter the mystery made-in-Boston movie.

Loaded Gun, a Boston-based pop culture blog, will unveil its bi-weekly newsletter on Friday, April 3. Sign up and register for a slew of Hollywood East-inspired prizes including DVDs of made-in-Boston films like "Mystic River" and "The Departed" to giveaways like the Tolani Cheetah Cheetah Scarf. The promotion officially ends Thursday, April 2 at 11:59 a.m.

Winners will be announced in Loaded Gun’s debut newsletter on Friday, April 3 followed by a post on LoadedGunBoston.com.

Check back for a treasure trove of promotional goodies you can win in the weeks leading up to the launch of Loaded Gun‘s bi-weekly newsletter.

Click here for more details. Also, click here for the contest rules and disclaimer.

Photo of Boston Public Library by Sam Baltrusis.

Nicolas Cage as an all-'Knowing' MIT professor?

In the apocalyptic sci-fi thriller "Knowing" hitting theaters Friday, March 20, Nicolas Cage plays a Hub-based MIT professor who digs up a time capsule that can predict the future at his son's Bay State elementary school.

But how convincing is his portrayal of a boozing astrophysicist working in Cambridge and living in Lexington? Based on a slew of reports, it's up for debate.

"It's hard ... to believe that a Boston astrophysicist would drive a globe-warming Ford F-150," comments the Star Tribune.

Dr. Edward Farhi, an actual MIT-based physicist, says Cage's performance is somewhat realistic.

"Well, I don't usually throw rubber balls at my class. That's maybe a technique I should try. We don't usually toss things ... I thought the questions [Cage] brought up about randomness, chaos and determinism were interesting. We do think about things like that," Farhi says here.

Variety sums it up, "Although he may not fit the received image of an MIT prof, Cage, slimmed down to the edge of gauntness, generally suppresses his more wildly emotive tendencies to deliver an acceptably thoughtful performance."

While the majority of Cage's movie was shot in Australia, crews were filming exterior scenes in Boston last September because the movie is set in Mass. and some things you simply can't fake ... like the MIT campus and the Charles River. The film is directed by Aussie Alex "I, Robot" Proyas, which would explain the Melbourne filming locations.

Even co-star Rose Byrne, an Aussie actress, admits it was hard to get into character because of the location. "I just shot a movie in Melbourne but I had to do an American accent because it is set in Boston. That was a bit weird," Byrne spills to Women's Wear Daily.

Wouldn't it make sense to actually shoot a film that's set in Boston in, well, Boston?

--Photo courtesy of Summit Entertainment

'The Company Men' film heads to Boston in April

Kevin Costner and Tommy Lee Jones join Ben Affleck in "The Company Men," a topical flick about the impact of corporate downsizing on the masses. Based on the script by director John Wells, "The Company Men" is slotted to start filming next month in Boston.

Yep, Affleck returns to his roots and Jones, a Harvard grad, will revisit his collegiate stomping grounds in April.

According to Variety, Affleck plays a corporate bigwig whose six-figure salary is suddenly cut after he gets a pink slip. Costner, a blue-collar construction worker, offers Affleck a job installing drywall.

Jones, portraying a senior corporate exec, struggles with the unethical exploits of his partners.

When asked by Esquire magazine if he's worried about being pigeonholed as a Boston-only filmmaker, Affleck (who is slotted to director another made-in-Boston film, "The Town," in 2009) snipes back.

"Yeah, I think there's always a worry among directors that — unless you're some genius like Paul Thomas Anderson — you'll get pigeonholed, that maybe you can only tell stories about one city. It's simple: I just respond to the story," Affleck says. "I have since I first read it. That fact that it's set in Boston may be part of that, but I'm not out there looking to document Boston. I want to tell good stories."

--Photo courtesy of Esquire, April '09

The week in quotes from Hollywood in the Hub

"It was incredibly beneficial to the film. Our movie needed the scope the size of the Worcester Art Museum and we had a relatively modest budget (about $20 million), so it gave the film a look, a richness that we otherwise wouldn't have gotten."

--Producer Rob Paris says he got more bang for his buck filming scenes for his yet-to-be-released "The Maiden Heist" at the Worcester Art Museum.

"It's simple: I just respond to the story. I have since I first read it. That fact that it's set in Boston may be part of that, but I'm not out there looking to document Boston. I want to tell good stories."

--Ben Affleck, cover boy of the April issue of Esquire Magazine, insists that he's not worried about being pigeonholed as a Boston-only director.

“They said they liked our place because we had a really nice front door."

--Lauren Mauriello, who apparently has a nice brownstone on Broadway in South Boston, spills that she was contacted by a scout from Columbia Pictures to film at her home for the upcoming Reese Witherspoon, Owen Wilson and Paul Rudd flick tentatively titled "How Do You Know?"

"It's a great uplift in terms of spirits. It's been a long winter."

--Bob Coviello, owner of Main Street Antiques and member of the Essex Merchant group, says he's psyched that Essex selectmen entered into an agreement Monday night with Lakefront Productions Inc. to film a feature movie starring Adam Sandler at the town's Centennial Grove this summer.

--Photo courtesy Yari Film Group

Britney Spears sports Agent Provocateur lingerie

Britney Spears, after a very public pop-culture meltdown, clawed her way back to Boston's TD Banknorth Garden on Monday, March 16 bringing her three-ring 'Circus' show to almost 18,000 die-hard fans.

Perpetuating the whole naughty-girl ring master theme, Spears donned some sizzling outfits from Agent Provocateur, a high-end lingerie boutique. The brand's Boston shop, located at 123 Newbury St., boasts scantily clad mannequins striking a come-hither pose. It's a shocking window that has already raised a few eyebrows among Boston's Puritanical crew.

One outfit, a scandalous reinvention of AP's sheer tulle Cendrillon Playsuit and tassled pasties, included a shimmering nude lingerie sneak peek of Spears' svelte new look. She also pulled off AP's revealing Fifi bra, briefs and suspender belt, a boudoir throwback to old-school Hollywood glam.

Co-founder Joe Corre, who opened the label's first boutique back in 1996 with Serena Rees, has crafted a naughty collection of classic to exotic lingerie. Think enticing suspender belts, corsets, garters and see-through undergarments that will add a sizzle to your boudoir during the winter months.

Click here for the lowdown on Agent Provocateur.

Hollywood in the Hub filming heats up ... again

With the on-and-off-again SAG strike in limbo, Hollywood is planning a repeat visit to the Boston area in the next few months. There are several made-in-Boston flicks and TV productions in the works … with a few in the wings ready to strike once the SAG negotiations are resolved.

Here’s the latest:

*Black Mass project
Jim Sheridan, the acclaimed Irish filmmaker of "My Left Foot" and "In the Name of the Father," plans to film the quintessential Whitey Bulger flick based on the book "Black Mass: The True Story of an Unholy Alliance Between the FBI and the Irish Mob." Filming is slotted for April.

*Code of Silence
A film slotted to begin filming in the Spring from "Townies" writer/director Mike O'Dea, "Code of Silence" follows boxer Mickey Callaghan with an extraordinary family legacy ... his father John Callaghan is a feared and ruthless Winter Hill crime boss.

*Grown Ups
Former “SNL” cohorts including Adam Sandler, David Spade and Rob Schneider as well as “Paul Blart: Mall Cop” funnyman Kevin James are slotted for a 66-day film shoot beginning in May centering around a group of guys who return to their hometown. Think a “Big Chill”-style comedy … but with a lot of laughs. The made-in-Boston flick from Sandler’s Happy Madison Productions is tentatively called "Grown Ups." So far, film scouts for the flick have scoped out Franklin Park Zoo and locations in Wellesley, Wareham and Southborough. Also, nearby Essex entered into an agreement on Monday, March 16 to host Sandler and crew at the town’s Centennial Grove this summer.

*How Do You Know?
James L. Brooks returns to the romantic genre with a comedy starring an unlikely trio of Reese Witherspoon, Paul Rudd and Owen Wilson. Rudd will play the part of a businessman vying for Witherspoon's affections, while Wilson is slated for the role of a professional baseball pitcher out to steal her heart. *Filming moved to Washington D.C.

*Serial Buddies
Kevin Undergaro, a friend and business partner of celeb journalist and Emerson alum Maria Menounos, plans to film this so-called comedy following bosom buddies who happen to be serial killers. Filming in Boston kicks off in June.

*The Company Men
Affleck, alongside Kevin Costner and Tommy Lee Jones, plays a corporate bigwig whose six-figure salary is suddenly cut after he gets a pink slip. Filming is slotted for April, with scenes planned for First Church, 10 Putnam St. in Roxbury on Monday, April 13 and Tuesday, April 14.

*The Town
An adaptation of the Charlestown-based blue-collar heist novel by Chuck Hogan, "The Town" will feature Ben Affleck who has signed on to write, star and direct in the film following a bizarre love triangle involving a crook, a female bank teller and a FBI agent. Filming kicks off in August.

*Untitled John Shepherd Project
Starring Amy Smart in the main role, the series with a working title called the "Untitled John Scott Shepherd Project" follows a Boston-based district attorney destined to become the first female president. The ABC TV pilot, formerly known as "I, Claudia" and "See Kate Run," begins filming in Boston on Thursday, March 19. Crews are filming at the State House for two weekends starting on Friday, March 20 and Doyle's in Jamaica Plain.

--Photo of Reese Witherspoon in "Just Like Heaven" courtesy DreamWorks SKG

Irish eyes smiling on latest 'Whitey' Bulger flick

Michael Cerenzie, producer of the soon-to-be-made-in-Boston Whitey Bulger flick based on the book "Black Mass: The True Story of an Unholy Alliance Between the FBI and the Irish Mob," has raised more than $200 million in financing for his production group, according to the International Herald Tribune here.

Tapping director Jim Sheridan, the acclaimed Irish filmmaker of "My Left Foot" and "In the Name of the Father," Cerenzie is gearing for a three-month shoot in South Boston beginning in April. And, according to the article, he plans to make the film within a modest budget of $20 to $30 million.

Securing a deal to give the studio first dibs to distribute the made-in-Boston film, or a "first-look" agreement with Paramount, Cerenzie says he was ahead of the curve in regards to financing the flick.

"I look at it as a bull market," Cerenzie says. "We did our homework and got on the ground early and were able to structure some of these deals ahead of time."

Irish mob overkill? Perhaps. A much-needed boost to Boston's local film community? Absolutely.

CIA spy flick 'Fair Game' staying in Manhattan

You win some, you lose some. As previously reported in Loaded Gun, a Hollywood insider teased that the new Doug Liman flick, “Fair Game,” was considering moving production to the Boston area.

As of Monday, it's a no go. "'Fair Game' will stay in NYC to take the tax credits that are being given to the film," the source confirms.

The drama following the life of CIA agent Valerie Plame Wilson, "Fair Game" stars Naomi Watts in the lead role of the real-life undercover CIA agent whose identity was illegally revealed in 2003.

Liman, a die-hard New Yorker, initially planned to film in Manhattan but was considering Boston as a NYC stand-in because of our state's tax incentives. Crews have already started filming the Washington DC scenes this past weekend.

While "Fair Game" is gearing for Boston, the anonymous source says Hollywood is eager to film in the Hub. "There are plenty of features coming into Boston this summer as long as the SAG dilemma is sorted out in a timely fashion," the source adds.

--Photo of Naomi Watts in "21 Grams," Focus Films Inc.

Beehive unveils its Matthew McConaughey cocktail

Actor Matthew McConaughey must have made one helluva impression on the staff at The Beehive, 541 Tremont St. while he was filming "The Ghosts of Girlfriends Past" in Boston from February to April last year.

Bartender Frank Reardon was inspired to concoct what he calls the "Matthew McConaughey cocktail" after watching the Texas-bred actor on "Jimmy Kimmel" recently. Reardon jokes, "I decided to make a drink that would both give the celeb a shout out ... and also leave people with the same confused state as the actor after drinking a few."

In the flick, McConaughey plays a bachelor haunted by the ghosts of his past girlfriends (including Ben Affleck's wife Jennifer Garner) at his younger brother's wedding, awakening feelings for his first love. Michael Douglas, Anne Archer and Robert Forster co-star in this made-in-Boston flick.

Think Ebenezer Scrooge and "A Christmas Carol" but with a much hotter looking leading man.

Speaking of the film's lead, McConaughey spills about his character Connor Mead on his MySpace blog here. "It's cool being in a very edgy comedy where the dialogue and situations skirt that R-rated innuendo," he writes. "My character ... is cynical about the promises of [marriage] ... Until all those damn ghosts of my girlfriends come visit me and scare the you know what outta me. Hopefully I'll make it out alive."

Filming locations include Sonsie, 327 Newbury St., the Leather District's South Street near South Station and the Crane Estate's Crane Mansion in Ipswich. While filming on Newbury Street, Garner made a dash to the North Face store for a winter jacket.

"The Ghosts of Girlfriends Past" hits theaters on Friday, May 1.

Here's the potent potable created by The Beehive's Frank Reardon:

• 2 oz. Makers Mark
• 1 oz. of peach liquor
• 2 oz. peach nectar
• 2 orange slices
• 2 oz. of water
• Fresh mint

Directions: Combine orange slices and apricot nectar and muddle. Add ice, liquors and water. Stir and garnish with orange slices and the sprig of mint.

Ben Affleck is Esquire Magazine's April cover boy

Officially hitting stands tomorrow, Cambridge homeboy Ben Affleck graces Esquire's April 2009 cover. Based on his comments, he's no April fool.

In the profile, Affleck plays the humble card for writer Tom Chiarella. "Who I am, as a person, in my everyday life, wouldn't sell any magazines," Affleck says. "And even when I've been in circumstances like relationships ended, where that seemed like high drama, the truth was much more pedestrian when you got right down to it."

As previously reported in Loaded Gun, Affleck will follow-up his made-in-Boston directorial debut "Gone Baby Gone" with the Charlestown-based flick "The Town," an adaptation of the blue-collar heist novel by Chuck Hogan which was written for the big screen by Peter Craig.

Chiarella asks Affleck if he's worried about being pigeonholed as a Boston-only director.

"Yeah, I think there's always a worry among directors that — unless you're some genius like Paul Thomas Anderson — you'll get pigeonholed, that maybe you can only tell stories about one city. It's simple: I just respond to the story," Affleck says. "I have since I first read it. That fact that it's set in Boston may be part of that, but I'm not out there looking to document Boston. I want to tell good stories."

Click here for the latest on Affleck's "The Town."

--Cover image courtesy Esquire

Amy Smart's ABC TV pilot casting rockers, rowers

The ABC TV pilot, formerly known as "I, Claudia" and "See Kate Run," begins filming in Boston on Thursday, March 19.

Starring Amy Smart in the main role, the series with a working title called the "Untitled John Scott Shepherd Project" follows a Boston-based district attorney destined to become the first female president.

Mara Casting, a scouting group that held an open casting call at a warehouse located at 300 W. 1st Street in South Boston back on Saturday, March 7, is still on the hunt for specific roles, including:

• 18+ Hispanic men and women who look 15-18 and could pass as being in high school
• Gorgeous Hispanic women who are 18+ but look younger and are comfortable posing in lingerie
• Rowers, bonus if you have access to (or own) a crew team boat
• Rocker types who own and can play your own guitar (no bright colors)

Click here for the casting lowdown.

Sean Penn confirms role in 'Fair Game' spy flick

Sean Penn, fresh from his recent Oscar win for "Milk," has reportedly just signed to portray retired ambassador Joe Wilson in the soon-to-be shot flick, "Fair Game."

However, the burning question: Will the spy thriller film in Boston?

As previously reported in Loaded Gun, a Hollywood insider says that the new Doug Liman flick, “Fair Game,” may move production to the Boston area. A drama following the life of CIA agent Valerie Plame Wilson, "Fair Game" stars Naomi Watts in the lead role of the real-life undercover CIA agent whose identity was illegally revealed in 2003.

The Loaded Gun source says “Fair Game” is currently scheduled to be shot in NYC and, of course, Washington DC which started filming on Saturday, March 14. However, because Manhattan is cutting their tax incentive program there’s a very good chance the full-length feature will move production to the Boston area within the next few weeks.

Director Liman worked with Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie on the spy flick “Mr & Ms. Smith.” If Penn does commit to the project, this will be his second made-in-Boston flick--he starred in “Mystic River”--as well as his second film opposite Watts. The duo paired up in the 2003 drama “21 Grams.”

Casting scouts are on the hunt for actors to portray former National Security Advisor Stephen Hadley, Bush’s chief of staff Andy Card, Weapons Intelligence Non-Proliferation and Control official Joe Turner, and several extras to play various reporters, journalists and businessmen.

Click here for the latest on "Fair Game."

‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ finalist Nina Flowers in Boston

Goth drag diva Jorge Flores also known as Nina Flowers, a top three finalist on “RuPaul’s Drag Race” known for his edgy costumes, tattoos and muscular physique, visited Boston over the weekend to spin at Epic/Roxy last night, according to WickedGayBlog and Mr. Naked Sports.

Here’s what Tony from Mr. Naked Sports writes about his close encounter with Flowers at Machine on Friday, March 13: “He was very friendly to anyone who approached him. He was laughing as he had a few attendees of Machine mimicking her hair dryer commercial from the third episode on ‘RuPaul's Drag Race.’ He was very down to earth, kind and has a great positive attitude!”

Flores, originally from Puerto Rico and currently living in Denver, Colorado, wowed judges last week after winning a vogue mini-battle and then facing off in a drag ball, an event where the finalists had to sport three looks including swimsuit, executive realness and evening wear. Absolut sponsored the ball so each queen had to portray one of the four pre-selected fruits. Flowers did a fierce mango.

Club Cafe, located at 209 Columbus Ave, airs two back-to-back episodes of "RuPaul's Drag Race" at 9 p.m. on Mondays, an event sponsored by Absolut Vodka. Also, finalist Rebecca Glasscock recently made at a guest appearance on Thursday, March 5 at Club Cafe.

Click here for Nina Flower’s MySpace page and here for more on ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race.”

UPDATE: Jorge Flores also known as Nina Flowers was second runner-up in the season finale of "RuPaul's Drag Race" behind the fab Bebe, who won "the next drag superstar" crown.

Pussycat Dolls cancel hosting gig at The Estate

No "Doll Domination" in Boston? As previously reported in Loaded Gun, the Pussycat Dolls were slotted to be in town to open for Britney Spears' show at TD Banknorth Garden and then hit The Estate, 1 Boylston Place.

According to a release from venue, the Pussycat Dolls will not be able to attend the Estate's two-year anniversary party originally slotted for Monday, March 16.

"Because of this, the anniversary party has been officially canceled. We hope to reschedule in the next few weeks so please stay tuned," the Web site states.

"All ticket purchases will be refunded within seven business days. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this causes and can assure you that we are as disappointed as you. Thank you for your understanding in this matter."

The bad news punctuates a celeb-driven series of special guests at The Estate, including DJ Sam Ronson and her crimson-haired gal pal Lindsay Lohan spinning a quick-and-dirty set on Wednesday, Jan 21, "America's Next Top Model" winner CariDee English on Wednesday, Dec. 31 and a party with "Dancing with the Stars" couple Karina Smirnoff and Maksim Chmerkovskiy on Friday, January 30.

Click here for more details.

Elizabeth Banks shines in new L'Oreal Paris ad

Homegrown beauty Elizabeth Banks has taken a star turn since raising eyebrows with her role in "Zack and Miri Make a Porno."

Teaming up with Beyonce and Eva Longoria, the Pittsfield native recently signed a deal with L'Oreal Paris to be a spokesperson for the company which includes print and TV ads for L'Oreal Paris' True Match "Compact Revolution."

"Elizabeth's talent and beauty is matched by her intelligence and approachability," Karen T. Fondu, president of the L'Oreal Paris, says here. "She has a natural charm and an incredible ability to captivate an audience."

Banks, producer of the upcoming made-in-Boston sci-fi film "The Surrogates," is currently in theaters playing wicked stepmother Rachel in a remake of the Korean horror flick "The Uninvited."

Loaded Gun launches bi-weekly newsletter and site

Loaded Gun, a Boston-based pop culture blog, will unveil its bi-weekly newsletter on Friday, April 3. Sign up and register for a slew of Hollywood East-inspired prizes including DVDs of made-in-Boston films like "Mystic River" and "The Departed" to giveaways handpicked by Hollywood in the Hub celebs.

The sign-up widget is located on the right-side navigation. In the coming weeks leading up to the Friday, April 3 launch, I will announce the treasure trove of promotional goodies you can win (click here for the rules).

The bi-weekly eMagazine will offer insider buzz and travel insights into the slew of made-in-Boston films in addition to the Hollywood East-type content we normally cover at LoadedGunBoston.com.

Also on Friday, April 3, I'm officially launching a companion site to Loaded Gun Boston called HubOnLocation.com.

Hub On Location is an online destination focusing on the latest crop of made-in-Boston films and TV productions with an emphasis on the behind-the-scenes buzz surrounding Hollywood in the Hub as well as the people, places and products featured.

Click here for the lowdown. Also, click here for the latest giveaway.

*Some rules apply. Click here for the contest rules and disclaimer.

Made-in-Boston 'Shuttle' hits Kendall Square

Shot at the Worcester Regional Airport in 2006, the made-in-Boston flick hitting theaters Friday, March 13 follows two young women on their way home after a weekend vacation in Mexico. The late-night airport shuttle ride slowly descends into darkness.

"We shot the film at the end of 2006 in and around the worst parts of Boston. So it looks like it could be any city, which was the plan," director Edward Anderson tells FEARNet here. "Because the film is set on a moving vehicle over the course of a single night, we shot mostly exteriors and entirely at night, which is another kind of challenge."

Anderson continues, "Late-fall brings lots of hours of darkness, but in Boston, they are frigid cold hours, so that was tough on cast and crew. But we had some finance reasons to be there, so we made it work."

Click here for the lowdown. Also, click here for showtimes at the Kendall Square Cinema.

Disney launches promo site for 'The Surrogates'

Disney's Touchstone Pictures launched a hype-machine site for the futuristic Virtual Self Industries--a made-up company that plays a major role in the made-in-Boston flick "The Surrogates." The sci-fi film, set in the near future where humans interact with one another through surrogate robots, stars Bruce Willis as a cop who tracks down murderers.

At chooseyoursurrogate.com, users get a glimpse of the developmental history of the first robotic surrogates and allow visitors to take a tour of the VSI factory, customize their own surrogate and sign up for product updates giving them the lowdown on new models.

Slotted for release on September 25, "The Surrogates" was filmed in the Seaport District area on Necco Street as well as the Human Scale office located on 179 South Street which was transformed into a futuristic salon called "Artiface" where the futuristic robots lined up for a makeover ... or better yet, a tune up.

Click here for the Virtual Self Industries site. Click here for more info on "The Surrogates."

Photo courtesy Touchstone Pictures

INTERVIEW: 'The Gardner Heist' author Ulrich Boser

Is there an obsession with Boston's dark side? Ulrich Boser, the author of the tantalizing whodunit “The Gardner Heist,” sounds off to Loaded Gun about Hollywood’s fixation with Boston-based thugs on film. Boser points out the recurring “art heist” archetype in the crop of flicks hitting theaters, including “The Maiden Heist” starring Morgan Freeman and the soon-to-be-shot flick from “The Departed” scribe William Monahan chronicling the life of career criminal Myles Connor.

“I think Hollywood wants good thieves, criminals who aren't really criminals. It makes for better films, or at least ones with a more sympathetic leading character,” Boser tells Loaded Gun. “Art adds another layer of luster, of exoticism, of skill and daring, and at least on film, art thieves are often portrayed as sly and skillful, Pierce Brosnans or Cary Grants, a thief who wears black turtlenecks and dances through lasers like a Russian gymnast.”

Boser says he finds that the archetypal art-heist character is far less glamorous in real life.

“The people who steal masterpieces are largely thugs--aging coke heads, out-of-work purse snatchers, ex-cons looking to pay the rent. They want the cash. They steal art because it’s easy. And while people swipe masterpieces for all sorts of reasons--politics, passion, greed--the idea of a gentleman thief is a myth,” he adds.

Slotted to read from “The Gardner Heist” 6 p.m. Tuesday, March 17 at Barnes & Noble at the Prudential Center, 800 Boylston followed by a discussion 6:30 p.m. Thursday, March 19 at the Boston Public Library, Boser spills to Loaded Gun about Hollywood’s fixation on Boston-based thugs, whether or not James “Whitey” Bulger was involved in the real-life heist of the Isabella Steward Gardner Museum on March 18, 1990 and actually points to the man he believes robbed the famed museum.

LOADED GUN: ‘The Departed’ writer William Monahan plans to direct a Boston-set flick on the forthcoming memoirs of career criminal Myles Connor. While researching ‘The Gardner Heist,’ did you uncover any ties to Connor?
ULRICH BOSER: When you talk about the Gardner heist, Connor's name almost always comes up. I mean he was a brilliant art thief. He stole dozens of works of art. He robbed almost every major museum on the East Coast. But he was in an Illinois jail at the time of the Gardner crime, and so he could not have been one of the thieves. Connor has long maintained that two of his associates—David Houghton and Bobby Donati—committed the robbery. But Connor’s account has a number of problems. Houghton was a 350-pound, unemployed auto mechanic, who appears to have been far too bumbling to have robbed the museum. And Donati was born in 1940 and would have been too old to have been one of thieves, who witnesses say were in their 20s and 30s.

LG: There's a mention of a ‘rock ‘n’ roll art thief’ in the jacket copy? Connor, right?
UB: Yes. I devote almost a whole chapter to Connor.

LG: Any ties to James ‘Whitey’ Bulger and the Winter Hill gang?
UB: At the time of the heist, Bulger was the most powerful gangster in Boston, and there are a number of highly respected British art detectives who believe that he may have taken control of the lost art after the theft. Some also believe that Bulger may have given the paintings to gangsters in Ireland and that the paintings have been stashed somewhere along the western coast of the island. I spent years looking into the lead and even made a trip to Ireland to look for Bulger and investigate the Irish connection. But I never found any hard evidence that Bulger was involved, not a single whiff.

LG: What are your thoughts on Myles Connor and his ‘The Art of the Heist: Confessions of a Master Thief, Rock-and-Roller and Prodigal Son’ memoir?
UB: I have not seen a final copy of Connor's book. I think that Siller is a great writer, and I'm eager to see what they produced.

LG:. Anything else?
UB: I think we now know who robbed the Gardner. As part of my research into this case, I uncovered new evidence that Boston gangster David Turner was one of the thieves who looted the museum. I discovered dozens of FBI files that show how Turner’s crime boss, Carmello Merlino, twice tried to return the paintings in exchange for a reduced prison sentence. I unearthed the last witness to see the thieves before they entered the museum, and he picked Turner out of a photo lineup. And when I confronted Turner with the evidence, he began to brag, telling me that I should put his face on the cover of my book. Turner is currently serving a 38-year jail term; he has never been charged with the museum theft.

Click here to learn more about Boser's "The Gardner Heist."

The week in quotes from Hollywood in the Hub

"It slowed down, like usual, but then it really slowed down. We had a real bad winter here, too. Some of the staff said they'd never seen it like this. I'm not angry. Just kinda bewildered."

--Eddie Doyle, often referred to as the real-life Sam Malone from "Cheers," says he's in shock after receiving a pink slip from the Bull & Finch tavern, the real-life inspiration for the '80s TV locale.

"This is where it all began for us, Boston, Mass."

--U2's iconic lead singer Bono spills to the masses at the 1,000-seat Somerville Theatre during its not-so-secret "surprise" gig in Davis Square.

“There are four of the most gorgeous legs in the universe up here."

--Richard Gere, who received Boston Youth Move's Image Award for "heightening the visibility of dance, in particular for male dancers," was able to make the trek to Boston and gush over sirens Chita Rivera and Mitzi Gaynor.

"I love the whole area, the audience and the people. They’re so full of life. You know, they call Cohasset 'the Irish Riviera.'"

--Boston Youth Moves honoree and "South Pacific" icon Mitzi Gaynor tips her hat to Cohasset.

"Hey, I was holding back. You're lucky I didn't crack her face with my fists. Amber deserved a hair-pull and a kick-down. I mean you would do the same if a drunk blonde came after you with a f****** shoe!"

--"Bad Girls Club" castaway Whitney Collings, a Salem State biology major from Lynnfield and a barmaid at Felt in Boston's Downtown Crossing, had her gloves on during a live tweet session here during last Tuesday's episode.

Photo by Sam Baltrusis

Bonfire unveils A-Roid cocktail, new Red Sox menu

Todd English’s Bonfire steakhouse, located at the Boston Park Plaza Hotel, sure knows how to kick off the upcoming baseball season with snark. In a clever swipe against the team that shall remain nameless, Bonfire unveils the newest addition to their potent potables menu ... the A-Roid cocktail.

An obvious slam on the superstar Sox fans love to hate, the A-Roid starts with a shot of El Mejor Tequila, served straight up. To give the shot a little something extra; a spicy smoky splash is served on the side in a convenient syringe, minus the needle. Inject the performance-enhancing boost of spicy tomato “juice” right into the shot … or use it as a chaser.

The A-Roid costs $11 and is a perfect compliment to Bonfire’s new Red Sox-inspired menu launching opening day, Monday, April 6. Served up by executive chef Bobby Bean, the seasonal Red Sox menu boasts a Truffled Papel-Corn ($5), Pedroia-Sized Buffalo Chicken Bites ($5) and Lansdowne Street in a Bun ($7).

Click here for the lowdown.

Scottsdale, AZ: Annie Oakley meets Louis Vuitton

The piece chronicling my amazing three-day weekend in Scottsdale, AZ just hit stands in the March/April edition of Boston Spirit Magazine.

One of the highlights of my trek was the new W Scottsdale Hotel, a seven-story building on a two-acre downtown lot that recently opened on September 2008. A tactile homage to the Arizona’s elements, the second floor boasts a 21,000-square-foot outdoor recreation and pool deck with two open-air bars named Shade and Sunset Beach. The pool is located directly above the valet and features four large round glass portholes on the bottom allowing guests below to sneak a peek at swimmers above.

Katie Brashear, marketing manager at W Scottsdale, says the pool’s peep-show portholes punctuate a “flirty and whimsical” motif that recurs throughout the edgy design of the hotel--including restrooms near their stellar in-house restaurant Sushi Roku where men and women share sinks and vanities. There’s also a series of silent TV screens that come to life when guys step up to the urinals and are greeted with downward glances from female models whipping out a tape measure with a wink.

"It's a little whimsical,” jokes Brashear. “It’s part of the W's wow factor.”

Brashear says W Scottsdale plans to reach out to the LGBT community to coincide with Pride festivities kicking off in Phoenix on April 18-19. Beginning March 1, 2009, W Scottsdale will offer its PRIDE 365 package for stays at the hotel until February 2010 including a Bliss “Face Value” skincare set, a book on gay travel called “Big Trips,” two complimentary cocktails and a co-branded W Hotels/Flight 001 travel bag. “We’re committed to the LGBT community,” Brashear adds.

Click here to snag a free copy of Boston Spirit Magazine.

Boston's Whitney Collings kicked off 'Bad Girls Club'

As previously reported in Loaded Gun, Whitney Collings did get the boot on the Tuesday, March 10 episode of Oxygen's "The Bad Girls Club."

However, she didn't go down without a fight.

Collings, a Salem State biology major from Lynnfield and a barmaid at Felt in Boston's Downtown Crossing, had her gloves on during a live session on Oxygen's TweetOverse during the broadcast.

A mix of alcohol and tension turns ugly when the cast of “Bad Girls Club” makes a run for the border in a surprise trip to Cancun, Mexico. The girls back up Collings, who gangs up on Meade. It’s a move that escalates into a full-blown street brawl ... which gets Collings kicked out of the house.

After a close call with the Mexican police, Collings is apprehended for pulling Meade's hair. This is how we do it in Boston? I don’t think so.

Her response to the Amber Meade smackdown? "Hey, I was holding back. You're lucky I didn't crack her face with my fists. Amber deserved a hair-pull and a kick-down," she tweets here. "I mean you would do the same if a drunk blonde came after you with a f****** shoe!"

The local, who claims to have a background in boxing and was allegedly raised in the oh-so-mean projects of Boston, continued her non-stop assault on blonde party girl Meade since the first episode.

However, it's not the last we'll see of the local troublemaker. The Ambers, the Fab Three and even expelled members Kayla, Ailea and Whitney, reunite for the first time together since production wrapped five months ago (taped on Wednesday, March 11). Perez Hilton hosts the reunion show airing Tuesday, March 31.

Similar to her reality-TV peer Luke Verge from "Bromance," the Lynnfield local watched the episode as it unfolded at The Place, 2 Broad Street in the Financial District.

Click here for the backstory.

Romentics' Scott & Scott unveil 'E-Male' this week

I recently interviewed Scott D. Pomfret and Scott Whittier, a South End-based couple and authors of the “Romentics” gay romance series of novels. The in-depth profile will run in the Thursday, March 19 edition of Bay Windows. Pomfret and Whittier's latest "E-Male," a Manhunt-meets-Match.com exploration of the whole social networking phenomenon hits shelves this week.

Partnered since 2001, the duo laughs in unison when asked if writing “E-Male” has spiced up their own sex lives. “If you’ve just had an orgasm together, it’s almost impossible to write a sex scene,” Pomfret quips.

“Sex scenes are actually hard to write. And they’re even harder to write when it’s same-sex, sex scenes just because of the English language. Antecedents and pronouns kill me,” Whittier adds. “ It’s droll and monotonous to begin with and then you have to come up with different ways to say ‘penis.’ The repeating of the names is my No. 1 pet peeve because you just want to say ‘he, him and his’ but then it’s difficult to tell who you’re talking about.”

In fact, Whittier had an editor write back pointing out that in one explicit, guy-on-guy scene a character was “reaching around and grabbing his own ass.” Whittier says with a laugh, “I lost it at that point.”

“E-Male,” (ISBN 9781928662167, $14.95) a Palari Pride imprint is available at Calamus Books, 92 B South Street in the Leather District and Now Voyager, 357 Commercial St. in Provincetown or online at Romentics.com.

Click here for the complete article in Bay Windows.

Secret U2 concert: Somerville Theatre fingered

Reports of roadies unloading trucks behind the Somerville Theatre seem to confirm earlier conjecture that U2 will play the Davis Square haunt. Space Rogue tweets here, "Streets closed, no parking, big trucks, police, etc."

As previously reported in Loaded Gun, Somerville Theatre has been fingered as the likely venue. However, the historic Davis Square locale continues to insist that it's not hosting the band. An "anonymous" source claims that those lucky enough to snag a spot at the show will first meet with label execs and then will be taken to the "surprise venue" in a bus. So, where they're meeting is not where u2 will perform. Because it's an anonymous source, it's pure conjecture.

Also, the Boston Herald reports here that 50 Somerville cops have been enlisted to patrol U2's reported club gig at the Somerville Theatre.

As previously reported in Loaded Gun, U2 is orchestrating a mini-tour to promote the upcoming release of “No Line on the Horizon.”

Called “U2 3 Nights Live,” Bono, The Edge, Larry Mullen, Jr. and Adam Clayton will play three back-to-back shows in three different U.S. cities—first in Los Angeles on Monday, March 9, then Chicago on Tuesday, March 10—hitting Boston the following day.

The show in Boston will feature a live performance (a four-song set writes Mark Shanahan from the Globe) coupled with an audience Q&A session. The “U2 3 Nights Live” concert is slotted to be delivered via ABC Satellite Services and Westwood One.

Odds are good that the “secret show” in Boston will attract max capacity. Don’t fret. They're playing Gillette Stadium on September 20.

Photo by Sam Baltrusis

Random Shot: :: Shepard Fairey's South End mural

Above is a shot of one of Shepard Fairey's infamous graffiti installations on a Montgomery Street fence in Boston's South End.

The street art-- along with a slew of other Institute of Contemporary Art-commissioned pieces scattered throughout the city including Grand boutique in Somerville's Union Square, the red brick wall outside the Gap at 15 Brattle Street and Central Kitchen in Cambridge's Central Square--has been under fire by anti-Fairey critics.

In fact, a South End couple, Fritz Klaetke and Susan Battista, had to combat a complaint from the South End Landmark District Commission on Tuesday, March 3. Avoiding a $500 fine, the Boston couple must remove the peace sign mural plastered outside of their row house on Aug. 17, the day after Fairey's exhibit ends at the ICA.

Now, another Fairey mural in the South End may be under fire. Is it me, or does the above Fairey piece on Montgomery Street look vandalized? How ironic ... vandalizing the work of a so-called vandal.

Click here for more photos from the "Loaded Gun Random Shots" series.

UPDATE: Shepard Fairey, a renegade-turned-celeb street artist known for his red, white and blue "Hope" and "Change" posters that became a national symbol of the Barack Obama presidency, is facing 30 additional graffiti charges filed against him today.

The artist is slotted to appear in the Roxbury District Court tomorrow to combat the new charges including placing five additional "Obey the Giant" posters on a Mass Pike building.

Photo by Sam Baltrusis

U2's 360-Degree Tour hits Boston on Sept. 20

Didn't score tickets to U2's not-so-secret performance on Wednesday, March 11 at their hush-hush location? Don't fret. Bono, The Edge, Larry Mullen, Jr. and Adam Clayton have announced the first dates and details for their globe-spanning U2 360° Tour.

U2 is slotted to hit Gillette Stadium, One Patriot Place in nearby Foxboro on Sunday, Sept. 20.

While it's a bit of a wait, the good news is Bono and crew plan to keep prices down for the tour and are slotted to hit the stage with some killer opening-act talent, including the Black Eyed Peas, Snow Patrol and Kaiser Chefs.

The news comes on the heels of the mini-tour hitting Boston on Wednesday, March 11 to promote the upcoming release of “No Line on the Horizon.”

Called “U2 3 Nights Live,” Bono, The Edge, Larry Mullen, Jr. and Adam Clayton will play three back-to-back shows in three different U.S. cities—first in Los Angeles on Monday, March 9, then Chicago on Tuesday, March 10—hitting Boston the following day.

The show in Boston will feature a live performance coupled with an audience Q&A session. The “U2 3 Nights Live” concert is slotted to be delivered via ABC Satellite Services and Westwood One.

Click here for the backstory.

Richard Gere accepts Boston Youth Moves honor

As previously reported in Loaded Gun, Richard Gere, who unleashed his inner song-and-dance side during his killer performance as Billy Flynn in the film version of "Chicago," appeared alongside Mitzi Gaynor at the Boston Youth Moves gala fundraiser called "Swellegance" at the Westin Copley Place, 10 Huntington Ave. this past Saturday, March 7.

Gere, who received Boston Youth Move's Image Award for "heightening the visibility of dance, in particular for male dancers," was able to make the trek to Boston after clearing a few gigs from his schedule.

The 59-year-old silver fox tells the Herald that the BYM is important to the community, adding that his niece Carrie Leone is a graduate of the program. “This is important stuff," he says. "My whole family never had much money but somehow they found a way to get us musical lessons and find a way to get us to be in the school plays."

Tony Award winner Chita Rivera presented Gere his Image Award alongside Lifetime Achievement Award winner Gaynor, known for her work in "South Pacific."

The black-tie fundraiser included an exhibition from Alvin Ailey principal dancer Kirven J. Boyd, as well as performances from the students of Boston Youth Moves. Channel 5 weather girl, JC Monahan, was the emcee.

CIA spy flick ‘Fair Game’ filming in Boston area?

A Hollywood insider tells Loaded Gun that the new Doug Liman flick, “Fair Game,” may film in the Boston area.

A drama following the life of CIA agent Valerie Plame Wilson, "Fair Game" stars Naomi Watts in the lead role of the real-life undercover CIA agent whose identity was illegally revealed in 2003.

Oscar winner Sean Penn, who snagged the “Best Actor” award for his performance in “Milk,” is in negotiations to play Plame’s husband, ambassador Joseph Wilson.

The Loaded Gun source says “Fair Game” is currently scheduled to be shot in NYC. However, because Manhattan is cutting their tax incentive program there’s a very good chance the full-length feature will move production to the Boston area within the next few weeks.

Director Liman worked with Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie on the spy flick “Mr & Ms. Smith.” If Penn does commit to the project, this will be his second made-in-Boston flick--he starred in “Mystic River”--as well as his second film opposite Watts. The duo paired up in the 2003 drama “21 Grams.”

The film based on Plame's memoir "Fair Game: My Life as a Spy, My Betrayal by the White House" is slotted to hit theaters in 2010.

Loaded Gun will keep you posted.

Will Whitney Collings get the 'Bad Girls' boot?

Whitney Collings, a Salem State biology major from Lynnfield and barmaid at Felt in Boston's Downtown Crossing, had her gloves on throughout the third season of Oxygen's "The Bad Girls Club."

The local, who claims to have a background in boxing and was allegedly raised in the oh-so-mean projects of Boston, continued her non-stop assault on blonde party girl Amber Meade since the first episode.

But will she follow in the shoes of Ripsi Terzian, the infamous poor little rich girl from Watertown who was kicked off in the second episode of season one of "Bad Girls" after a violent drunken tirade?

Based on the last episode of “Bad Girls Club,” odds are good that Collings, a.k.a. “Boston,” will get the “Bad Girls” boot on the Tuesday, March 10 episode.

A mix of alcohol and tension turns ugly when the cast of “Bad Girls Club” makes a run for the border in a surprise trip to Cancun, Mexico. The girls back up Collings, who gangs up on Meade. It’s a move that escalates into a full-blown street brawl ... and reportedly gets Collings kicked out of the house.

A Loaded Gun source says Collings and her housemate Ailea Carr are expelled during a chaotic house meeting in response to the bloody street fight in Mexico.

This is how we do it in Boston? I don’t think so.

However, it's not the last we'll see of the local troublemaker. The Ambers, the Fab Three and even expelled members Kayla, Ailea and Whitney, reunite for the first time together since production wrapped five months ago. Perez Hilton hosts the reunion show airing Tuesday, March 31.

Oxygen's "Bad Girls Club" held a preliminary casting call at the Liquor Store back in April 2007 while filming the season finale of "Bad Girls Road Trip" featuring players from season one.

Did Collings get the "Bad Girls Club" boot?

Mark Wahlberg attached to Boston-set ‘Prisoners’

Mark Wahlberg, a Dorchester native who has gone on to star in a slew of big-budget Hollywood flicks including the recent “Max Payne,” may return to his Boston roots with previously unknown Aaron Guzikowski’s greenlit script “Prisoners.”

The project, generating major buzz on the Left Coast that has piqued the interest of nearly every major studio in town according to the Hollywood Reporter, centers around a Boston father whose 6-year-old daughter and her best friend are kidnapped. The film’s protagonist, a role reportedly being eyed by Wahlberg, takes matters into his own hands by kidnapping the man he suspects is responsible.

Endeavor, who represents Wahlberg, snapped up the script a few weeks ago. Insiders say the tone of the revenge-fantasy flick is a cross between “Silence of the Lambs” and “Seven.”

Wahlberg, who plays an equally distressed father in Peter Jackson’s upcoming “Lovely Bones,” was planning to make a homecoming with the on-and-off again Darren Aronofsky flick chronicling the early days of boxer “Irish” Micky Ward called “The Fighter.”

Will Wahlberg take "Prisoners" instead of jumping into the ring with "The Fighter" for his Boston return?

Loaded Gun will keep you posted.

Photo courtesy 20th Century Fox

GQB takes over The Kells and Wonder Bar in Allston

Making a return trip to collegiate dumping ground known as Allston, Guerrilla Queer Bar plans to take over The Kells, 161 Brighton Avenue at 9 p.m Friday, March 6 straight bar takeover.

The group attracted a max-capacity crowd the last time they were there on Friday, July 11. In fact, Josh Gerber says the heteros were in a tizzy.

"Get excited, for the last time we stormed the Kells, the straight folks got scared and didn't come back for weeks," Gerber says in the GQB invite.

One of Boston's livelier Irish bars, the Kells is also one of Boston's better places to go for dancing without the sleaze factor or cover of the dance club scene.

GQB's masses plan to storm the Wonder Bar, 186 Harvard Ave., to accommodate the growing crowd.

Click here for the Boston Guerrilla Queer Bar lowdown.

Photo by Sam Baltrusis

The week in quotes from Hollywood in the Hub

"Buy me on eBay! Well, my voice actually."

--Elizabeth Banks, Pittsfield native who plays the wicked step mom in "The Uninvited" and is the producer of the made-in-Boston sci-fi flick "The Surrogates," tweets here that she's auctioning of a personalized message on eBay to benefit International Medical Corps.

"When you've been where I've been, to cut to all these years later and I've gotten to play Rorschach, and I'm standing across from Leo, doing a scene for Marty. And I'm calling him Marty! Man, It doesn't get any better than this!"

--Resurrected child star Jackie Earle Haley talks about his role in Martin Scorsese's made-in-Boston flick "Shutter Island."

"I feel very fortunate, because there is going to be a mammoth amount of work in this area. I’m trying to build a whole new database of actors from the South Shore so that I can hire or my colleagues can hire me to book for them.''

--South Shore-based casting director Jodi Purdy-Quinlan gushes to The Patriot Ledger saying she's preparing for an onslaught of locally-shot flicks within the next few months.

"Seeing myself on the screen. It was a little embarrassing, but I liked it. Watching some scenes though, I thought to myself that I could have done something different, said a line in a different way."

--Michael Chen, a rising film co-star of the made-in-Boston and NYC flick "Children of Invention," says he enjoys seeing himself on the big screen.

“When it comes to making your business, of course you need experts’ advice, but at some point, you have to go with your gut."

--Walden Media President Michael Flaherty spills to a crew of Boston University students that filmmaking is “all about risk-taking.”

Secret U2 performance slotted for Somerville?

Reports are surfacing that the not-so-secret U2 show hitting Boston on Wednesday, March 11 from 9-10 p.m. is slotted for ... the Somerville Theatre located at 55 Davis Square.

As previously reported in Loaded Gun, U2 is orchestrating a mini-tour to promote the upcoming release of “No Line on the Horizon.”

Called “U2 3 Nights Live,” Bono, The Edge, Larry Mullen, Jr. and Adam Clayton will play three back-to-back shows in three different U.S. cities—first in Los Angeles on Monday, March 9, then Chicago on Tuesday, March 10—hitting Boston the following day.

The show in Boston will feature a live performance coupled with an audience Q&A session. The “U2 3 Nights Live” concert is slotted to be delivered via ABC Satellite Services and Westwood One.

U2 is already performing as Dave’s musical guest on “The Late Show With David Letterman” starting followed by a stint at Fordham University on Friday, March 6 to air on ABC’s “Good Morning America.”

Odds are good that the “secret show” in Boston will attract max capacity. Don’t fret. They're playing Gillette Stadium in September.

Ghostly encounter at the Omni Parker House hotel

The recently refurbished Omni Parker House, apparently the most haunted hotel in New England since opening its doors in October of 1855, has had an alleged history of paranormal activity.

Guests report seeing the misty apparition of the hotel's founder, Harvey Parker, who has reportedly been seen roaming the 10th floor annex. While they mention the close encounter of the Parker kind, staffers at the hotel insist that he hasn't been around lately. The last sighting was apparently two decades ago.

However, one Loaded Gun reader says he recently had a ghostly close encounter on the 10th floor at the Omni Parker House.

"I've been staying at the Omni Parker House for the past few days and find it to be a very comfortable stay," says Tim Shields from Des Moines, Iowa. "I haven't seen Mr Parker on the 10th floor, where I'm staying. However, I have heard what sounds to be a rocking chair in my room in the middle of the night."

Shields recounts his paranormal experience in detail.

"It seems to be coming from near the window. At first I suspected it was a bird scratching outside my window. However, when I looked outside -- no bird -- and birds don't usually fly at night."

Shields continues, "My room looks over an old historic cemetery and a statue of Benjamin Franklin in the courtyard of the Old City Hall. I have to say that I'm not a big believer in ghosts ... but this is unusual."

Click here for the Omni Parker House's ghostly backstory.

Actor Matt Damon meets with African refugees

Cambridge homeboy turned Miami Beach transplant Matt Damon, recently in town to speak about Haiti at the John F. Kennedy Library with Partners in Health founder Dr. Paul Farmer, took a break from filming the Clint Eastwood flick "The Human Factor," to meet with Zimbabwean refugees in the South African border town of Musina.

Part of humanitarian mission on behalf of Not on Our Watch, a non-profit advocacy group Damon started along with George Clooney, Brad Pitt and Don Cheadle. Approximately 3 million people have fled Zimbabwe, a nation torn apart by corruption and disease. In fact, thousands have been impacted by a recent cholera outbreak killing almost 4,000 people.

Damon is currently working with Eastwood in South Africa on a bio-pic chronicling the life of apartheid-fighting crusader Nelson Mandela, with Morgan Freeman starring in the title role. Damon plays a South African rugby team captain in the flick.

Click here for the latest on Matt Damon.

No go for Melissa Etheridge at Boston Pride 2009

After an intense nomination process, openly-gay trailblazer Melissa Etheridge edged out actor Neil Patrick Harris as the 2009 Boston Pride Parade celebrity marshal. The iconic musician beat out a motley crew of nominees including local comedian Amy Tee and trans singer Dana International.

However, according to news from Boston Pride, Etheridge may be a no-show at the annual LGBT parade and week-long celebration hitting Boston Friday, June 5 to Sunday, June 14.

“While the Boston LGBT community did vote for Melissa Etheridge to be their choice for Boston Pride 2009 Celebrity Marshal, Ms. Etheridge is not confirmed to attend the event and it is not on her schedule to do so,” Kristie Helms responds to an inquiry from Loaded Gun.

Helms continues, “We are very excited about our community-chosen theme for 2009, 'Trans-forming our Community' and about our grand marshal, Pathways to Wellness.”

National and regional publications, like the Atlanta Journal-Constitution here, have already publicized the fact the Etheridge has been selected to be the celebrity marshal ... but fail to mention that the musician will probably not make the trek to Boston.

Click here for the Boston Pride lowdown.

Menino declares Paul Rudnick Day on 3.03.09

Here we go again. Mayor Tom Menino has declared Tuesday, March 3 "Paul Rudnick Day" in Boston to honor the contributions of the award-winning screenwriter and author.

Rudnick, known for his musical "Jeffrey" as well as "The Most Fabulous Story Ever Told" and "The New Century," will be in town tomorrow to snag his Founder's Award from the SpeakEasy Stage from 6-9 p.m. at the Hyatt Regency Boston hotel.

The writer's screenplays include "Addams Family Values," "In & Out" and the screen adaptation of "Jeffrey." The openly gay writer also pens a sassy column for Premiere magazine under the pseudonym Libby Gelman-Waxner. Local director Scott Edmiston will also be honored at the event.

Click here for details.

Secret U2 performance in Boston’s horizon?

Will U2 play Boston on Wednesday, March 11? A barrage of online rumors surfaced today claiming that U2 is orchestrating a mini-tour to promote the upcoming release of “No Line on the Horizon.”

Boston radio station 104.1 WBCN plans to break the “major U2 concert announcement” at 7:15 a.m. Monday, March 2.

Called “U2 3 Nights Live,” Bono, The Edge, Larry Mullen, Jr. and Adam Clayton will play three back-to-back shows in three different U.S. cities—first in Los Angeles on Monday, March 9, then Chicago on Tuesday, March 10—hitting Boston on Wednesday, March 11 from 9-10 p.m. at a location to be determined.

The show in Boston will feature a live performance coupled with an audience Q&A session. The “U2 3 Nights Live” concert is slotted to be delivered via ABC Satellite Services and Westwood One.

U2 is already slotted to perform all week as Dave’s musical guest on “The Late Show With David Letterman” starting Monday, March 2 followed by a stint at Fordham University on Friday, March 6 to air on ABC’s “Good Morning America.”

Odds are good that the “secret show” in Boston will attract max capacity. Don’t fret. They're playing at Gillette Stadium in September.

UPDATE: WBCN confirmed the rumors. Click here to win tickets to the U2 club show in Boston. For their listen-to-win contest, the station will play two seconds from U2's club performance at The Paradise in 1981. To win, caller No. 14 has to correctly identify the song to win a pair of tickets to the hush-hush private club location.

Secret U2 location revealed?

Analysis questions state's film tax credit program

The Federal Reserve Bank of Boston's New England Public Policy Center released a new analysis of Connecticut's film tax credit program that's costing the state almost $90 million per year. The research suggests that the state's tax incentives may do more harm than good.

Here are some of the key points pulled from the analysis:

The credit does not pay for itself.

The economic benefits generated by the credit are likely to be short-lived.

The film tax credit may be less cost-effective than certain other business tax incentives offered by the state such as the research and experimental expenditures credit.

There is a race to the bottom among states competing to offer the greatest film industry incentives. It may be difficult to establish a sustainable film industry.

The report also does a comparison of film tax incentives for selected states, including Massachusetts. Here's the lowdown on the Bay State:

Rate: 25% (payroll) and 25% (production expenses).

Requirements: More than $50,000 in Massachusetts production expenses in a 12-month period for payroll credit with more than 50% of expenses or 50% of principal photography days must take place in Massachusetts for production expense credit.

Exclusions: Salaries for individuals earning more than $1 million are ineligible for payroll credit, but are eligible for production expense credit.

According to the Department of Revenue, the film business brought in more than $350 million to Massachusetts last year. The question: Are we paying more than what we're bringing in? Would a similar analysis of the Bay State's tax incentives prove that our tax credit is economically viable?

Click here for the report.

Sci Fi's 'Ghost Hunters' films in Somerville complex

Do spirits frolic in Sacco's Bowl-Haven in Somerville? Danielle Dreilinger reports in today's Boston Globe that crews from the Sci Fi Channel show "Ghost Hunters" were in Somerville last month to investigate so-called haunts at the Davis Square complex.

This throwback to the '50s exudes what Somerville used to be like before the influx of young professionals. Locals flock to Sacco's Bowl-Haven, which originally opened it doors in 1939, to strike out with candlepin bowling and play a few rounds of reasonably priced pool.

Co-owner J.P. Sacco tells Dreilinger that he's a few close encounters of the paranormal kind.

"And then there's the dark shadow," he recalls, adding that a few times after the lights went off, a "mass would go flashing by me at very high speed."

Crews consulted with local historian Dee Morris, who didn't dig up anything ghostly about the location's history, and shot the intro sequence in the complex's boiler room on Tuesday, Feb. 10.

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Photo by Sam Baltrusis

Set-in-Boston 'Fringe' moves filming to Vancouver

"Fringe," the set-in-Boston, made-in-NYC sci-fi FOX show that consistently botches local landmarks like South Station and Logan Airport on the small screen, is reportedly moving season two production from Long Island's Silvercup Studios to ... get this ... Vancouver.

Wouldn't it make sense to actually shoot a show that's set in Boston in, well, Boston?

"Fringe," which reportedly costs Warner Bros. TV around $4 million an episode, initially moved from Toronto to the Empire State to take advantage of New York's much-publicized tax incentives. However, the Sherlocks behind J.J. Abrams' latest romp into the sci-fi genre applied for the credit too late.

Silvercup's Stuart Suna points out the irony of the situation to Variety. "The funny thing is that the show's set in Boston, and Massachusetts has a tax credit," he says.

Suna gives a somewhat rational reason as to why they're moving to Vancouver. "But the exchange rate has gotten better for shows shot in Canada," he adds.

My question to the production managers and set designers responsible for transforming New York, now Vancouver, to look like Boston: Wouldn't if be more cost efficient to shoot at the actual locations instead of spending millions to make another city look like the real deal?

Based on my TV production experience in NYC, I understand that it's difficult to shoot a series without a viable studio facility in Massachusetts. But film crews ranging from Mel Gibson's "Edge of Darkness" to the "Pink Panther 2" have successfully used the makeshift warehouse space in Chelsea as a soundstage. And, based on what I've seen of the show, "Fringe" has a lot of Boston-set exterior shots.

It's a no-brainer, right?

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