STUDIO IN RIO RANCHO?

City councilors have approved a resolution to negotiate with a group who wants to establish a digital media center downtown. The City of Vision Studios needs to provid proof of financial backing by Dec. 2008. If approved, it could bring hundreds of high paying jobs to RR. What with HP coming next year and maybe this studio, RR just could turn around in a couple of years. Let's hope because the real estate market there now is totally stalled.

100 FILMS MADE IN NEW MEXICO!

Amazing, but a dramatic thriller that began production in Santa Fe is the 100th film to be shot in New Mexico since Gov. Richardson started this program. We are all loving it here and you must admit that the backdrop of our beautiful mountains and the quaintness of our towns is terrific in the films that have been done here. Of course, now with our sound studios filming is also moving indoors but who can resist our beautiful outdoor settings? The film is "Run For Your Life" about Paul Stanton.

INDIAN JONES IN NEW MEXICO

We all kinda view the new Indie movie as ours since so much of it was filmed here. The scenes in downtown especially the cafe reminded me that we are definitely retro. Nothing had to be changed to film a 1950's hangout. I always say we are a third world state and I mean that affectionately. My husband and I saw the film this weekend and observed that 90% of the audience were in our age group ...... aging, grey haired (well, I'm not, but the others were) baby-boomers. So what were we doing there? We had all seen all of the series and were perhaps longing for that thrill of suspense we experienced when we were twenty years younger watching the films??? I don't know why we were all there. I mean I enjoyed it; it was formulaic except for the wedding. All in all we had some good laughs and were proud of New Mexico!

FILM MAKERS SEEK HOMES WITH POOLS

The weather would seems ideal, but few homes in Albuquerque have pools, and renting homes with pools is quite desireable for filmmakers here on location. There are nice apartments that can be rented on a month to month basis with outdoor pools, but few homes. I think the main reason we do not see many pools here is the heat. It's hard for pools to survive without cracking issues when you have our freezing winters and hot summers. We found after moving here from LA that you can't lay out in the sun here; it's too intensely hot. Swimming in that heat will fry your skin in a nanosecond. The altitude creates a much more intense heat even though our summers do not get as hot as AZ or Nevada. So here in our Mile High City we head to the half dozen or so wonderful gyms with beautiful indoor pools.

“LEGEND” TO FILM IN NM IN APRIL

You hated him as Silas the albino in “The Da Vinci Code” but this time Paul Brittany is the archangel Michael in the film “Legend.” The movie is about the last days when God loses faith in humanity and decides to end things. Michael tries to save the earth. Most of it will be filmed in Santa Fe, but I am really hoping to run into his wife, Jennifer Connelly, of “A Beautiful Mind”, at Buffalo Exchange or Chez Nous!

Terminator & Indiana Jones Coming to NM

The latest Indiana Jones film is in Southern New Mexico near Roswell. Harrison Ford is said to look terrific. Nice to see a man age well!



"Love Ranch" has finished filming. Many New Mexicans were able to be extras when they filled the Tingley Auditorium for a seventies event. No shortage of old hippie and 70's outfits here!!



And the house just behind mine in High Desert that Kevin Costner just left reportedly now has Christain Bale here to make the latest installment of the "Terminator" film. He plays John Connor. This film will be called "Terminator Salvation: the Future" and will be the first of a trilogy. The filming begins in May and goes through August here in ABQ and up in Santa Fe. Production will be at our new ABQ Studios at Mesa Del Sol. The film is expected to employ more people than any other previously made in the state, according to Lisa Strout, the director of the NM Film Office. Warner Bros will release it in May, 2009. In the press release, the director, Joseph McGinty said NM has an arid look perfect for the American Gothic look or a post-nuclear dead world. What? Our enchanted state?? We beat out Budapest, Hungary!



The "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles" pilot was shot here in ABQ too.



But, the real point is that my 'hood seems to be the place to be if you are here on location for the film. In addition to the house Christain will move into which was purportedly purchased by the studio, there are three other houses, beautiful houses, in the same area that are up for lease for housing of film bigwigs. Give me a call and I will arrange showings.