'Dreamers and Gamblers' doc earns 'Accolade'

Local documentary filmmakers have been acknowledged for shining light on the nascent days of the Ark-La-Tex’s oil industry.

“Dreamers and Gamblers: Spirit of the Pioneer Wildcatters” was singled out for honorable mention in the short documentary category of the annual Accolade Film Awards. The competition is based in La Jolla, Calif., and accepts worldwide submissions in film, TV and video categories.

Subjects of the 57-minute documentary are the wildcatters, risk-taking entrepreneurs who kick-started the region’s oil and gas industry during the first half of the twentieth century.

Teresa Smith Politz, one of the documentary's makers, said the award offers the project some vindication. “It’s a good documentary,” she said. “We’re trying to get some distribution and this is going to help.”

"Dreamers and Gamblers" aims to honor its subject. “There’s really nothing out there that is positive about the oil industry,” Politz said. “We wanted to give them a pat on the back and thank them for what they’ve done.”

Politz made “Dreamers and Gamblers” with Debi King McMartin, G. Scott Griffin and executive producer Ray Worsham. To purchase the documentary or learn more, log on to www.dreamersandgamblers.com or call Politz at (318) 469-1512.

Casting company to make its pitch

The company Breakdown Services, Ltd., will present a multimedia overview of the movie casting process at the LSUS University Center on March 6.

The company’s founder Gary Marsh will take event participants through his casting process, demonstrating how talent representatives work to get actors roles, and how casting agents choose actors for specific projects.

The presentation will be structured around the products and online services of Breakdown Services. Some services are free, like actor registration, while others cost. One of the more useful services appears to be a list of open roles found at www.breakdownexpress.com and www.showfax.com.

The event will take place between 6 and 7 p.m. and will be free and open to the public. It will take place in the University Center’s Webster Room.

Space is limited. Call Robert Alford at (318) 797-5283 to reserve a spot or obtain more information.

Check out the following websites to learn more about Breakdown Services and the types of services it offers:

www.breakdownservices.com

www.actorsaccess.com

www.showfax.com

www.breakdownexpress.com

Calling all filmmakers ... free drinks

The West Edge Artists’ Co-op will host an artists’ meet-and-greet event in its downtown gallery on March 7. Called “Rapid Rapport,” organizers are inviting artists of all disciplines, nonprofit administrators and community leaders to gather and share food, drinks and contact information between 6 and 8 p.m.

The event is free and sponsored by the Co-op and the Robinson Film Center. The Co-op is located at 725 Milam St. For more information, call the Co-op at (318) 221-6961.

(I don't know if those drinks will be of the alcoholic persuasion, but it's worth a shot.)

'The Mist,' 'Mad Money' getting play from the press

"The Mist," directed by Frank Darabont and adapted from a story by Stephen King, is currently filming in Shreveport. It appears Harry Knowles from Ain't It Cool News will have an inside scoop of what's bloody happening inside StageWorks of Louisiana. Apparently, it's going to be the most horrifying King movie yet.

And there's a Katie Holmes project on the Shreveport gossip radar called "Mad Money." I haven't been able to get anyone to confirm it, but Variety did. I'll keep trying.

Here are two suspicious links.

Katie Holmes to make 'Mad Money' with Queen Latifah

Latifah, Holmes are in the 'Money' (Variety)

Down with Oscar the Grouch

So there it is. “The Departed” was chosen as the best motion picture of 2006, and I was, rarely, validated in my pick for the top category. At least I don't have to eat a newspaper article for breakfast.

But more truthfully, 15 of my 24 picks were wrong. Poster Chris-Brad missed only 13 of 24 (getting 11 correct).

Yet again, my taste doesn’t measure up to the Academy’s. And I’m completely at peace with that.

You see, there is a wonderful process about the Oscars, or about any public exhibition of taste-making. We, the movie-theater potatoes, pick our favorites. We make blind judgments about the ones we haven't seen. We often disagree with critics and friends. We argue. We hope. We settle into the couch on Oscar night and keep a mental tab on how we're doing. Some of our picks pan out. Most don’t. And most of us go to bed knowing we don’t have the world figured out, and realize we never will.

I have watched enough of these movies, and enough of these Oscar shows, to know that taste is undeniably personal.

My brother called me tonight, and my mother called me Friday, and told me “The Departed” was a “horrible movie” and a “terrible movie.” Sure, I loved the Scorsese flick and waxed poetic about it. My family and I disagreed, and I don’t disagree with their right to disagree with me.

I consider our points of contention as part of the party, part of the pain, and all of the reward. When we talk about movies, we learn something, albeit obliquely, about the peculiarities of each other’s way of seeing.

On a basic critical level, the movie is the industrialized world's most commonly accepted indicator of the quality of a person's taste. There is no other art form like cinema that inspires so many people to disagree so openly. For this reason alone, it’s important to pay close attention to what your friends and family think, if only to make Friday nights at the multiplex more illuminating.

The process of refining taste offers a vital connection to like and unlike minds. By debating a movie's merits, I learn just as much about film form as I do about forming opinions.

There is little point in being right in my taste. Confident assertions are essential, but there is nothing to be gained by out-arguing a perceived opponent. I talk about movies in the hope of seeing through them through different eyes. I want to know why someone says, “I believe in this.”

So for 2007, I will continue to take interest in those impassioned cellphone calls to friends or heated exchanges with my mother. I will continue to subject my taste to others' scrutiny. I will rest assured that my bizarrely hurt feelings will heal by filling my movie-going hours with more and more questions.

I'll take solace in the license to be wrong, and seek comfort in our pursuit to learn more.

And the Oscars go to ...

The winners are highlighted in green italics.

Best motion picture of the year
BABEL
THE DEPARTED
LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA
LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE
THE QUEEN

Achievement in directing
Alejandro González Iñárritu - BABEL
Martin Scorsese - THE DEPARTED
Clint Eastwood - LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA
Stephen Frears - THE QUEEN
Paul Greengrass - UNITED 93

Performance by an actor in a leading role
Leonardo DiCaprio - BLOOD DIAMOND
Ryan Gosling - HALF NELSON
Peter O'Toole - VENUS
Will Smith - THE PURSUIT OF HAPPYNESS
Forest Whitaker - THE LAST KING OF SCOTLAND

Performance by an actor in a supporting role
Alan Arkin - LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE
Jackie Earle Haley - LITTLE CHILDREN
Djimon Hounsou - BLOOD DIAMOND
Eddie Murphy - DREAMGIRLS
Mark Wahlberg - THE DEPARTED

Performance by an actress in a leading role
Penélope Cruz - VOLVER
Judi Dench - NOTES ON A SCANDAL
Helen Mirren - THE QUEEN
Meryl Streep - THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA
Kate Winslet - LITTLE CHILDREN

Performance by an actress in a supporting role
Adriana Barraza - BABEL
Cate Blanchett - NOTES ON A SCANDAL
Abigail Breslin - LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE
Jennifer Hudson - DREAMGIRLS
Rinko Kikuchi - BABEL

Best animated feature film of the year
CARS
HAPPY FEET
MONSTER HOUSE

Achievement in art direction
DREAMGIRLS
THE GOOD SHEPHERD
PAN'S LABYRINTH
PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: DEAD MAN'S CHEST
THE PRESTIGE

Achievement in cinematography
THE BLACK DAHLIA
CHILDREN OF MEN
THE ILLUSIONIST
PAN'S LABYRINTH
THE PRESTIGE

Achievement in costume design
CURSE OF THE GOLDEN FLOWER
THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA
DREAMGIRLS
MARIE ANTOINETTE
THE QUEEN

Best documentary feature
DELIVER US FROM EVIL
AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH
IRAQ IN FRAGMENTS
JESUS CAMP
MY COUNTRY, MY COUNTRY

Best documentary short subject
THE BLOOD OF YINGZHOU DISTRICT
RECYCLED LIFE
REHEARSING A DREAM
TWO HANDS

Achievement in film editing
BABEL
BLOOD DIAMOND
CHILDREN OF MEN
THE DEPARTED
UNITED 93

Best foreign language film of the year
AFTER THE WEDDING
DAYS OF GLORY (INDIGÈNES)
THE LIVES OF OTHERS
PAN'S LABYRINTH
WATER

Achievement in makeup
APOCALYPTO
CLICK
PAN'S LABYRINTH

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original score)
BABEL
THE GOOD GERMAN
NOTES ON A SCANDAL
PAN'S LABYRINTH
THE QUEEN

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original song)
"I Need to Wake Up" - AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH
"Listen" - DREAMGIRLS
"Love You I Do" - DREAMGIRLS
"Our Town" - CARS
"Patience" - DREAMGIRLS

Best animated short film
THE DANISH POET
LIFTED
THE LITTLE MATCHGIRL
MAESTRO
NO TIME FOR NUTS

Best live action short film
BINTA AND THE GREAT IDEA (BINTA Y LA GRAN IDEA)
ÉRAMOS POCOS (ONE TOO MANY)
HELMER & SON
THE SAVIOUR
WEST BANK STORY

Achievement in sound editing
APOCALYPTO
BLOOD DIAMOND
FLAGS OF OUR FATHERS
LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA
PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: DEAD MAN'S CHEST

Achievement in sound mixing
APOCALYPTO
BLOOD DIAMOND
DREAMGIRLS
FLAGS OF OUR FATHERS
PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: DEAD MAN'S CHEST

Achievement in visual effects
PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: DEAD MAN'S CHEST
POSEIDON
SUPERMAN RETURNS

Adapted screenplay
BORAT CULTURAL LEARNINGS OF AMERICA FOR MAKE BENEFIT GLORIOUS NATION OF KAZAKHSTAN
CHILDREN OF MEN
THE DEPARTED
LITTLE CHILDREN
NOTES ON A SCANDAL

Original screenplay
BABEL
LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA
LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE
PAN'S LABYRINTH
THE QUEEN

____

Poster Chris-Brad picked 11 of 24 right. I picked 9 of 24 right. I broke out of the gate fast but faded. He came on strong in the end with the screenplay categories. Congrats! - Alexandyr

My Oscar picks. And yours are?

My picks for tomorrow's Oscars are in bold. What cards are you holding?

My real prediction? Poster Chris-Brad beats me by 3.

Best motion picture of the year
BABEL
THE DEPARTED
LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA
LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE
THE QUEEN

Achievement in directing
Alejandro González Iñárritu - BABEL
Martin Scorsese - THE DEPARTED
Clint Eastwood - LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA
Stephen Frears - THE QUEEN
Paul Greengrass - UNITED 93

Performance by an actor in a leading role
Leonardo DiCaprio - BLOOD DIAMOND
Ryan Gosling - HALF NELSON
Peter O'Toole - VENUS
Will Smith - THE PURSUIT OF HAPPYNESS
Forest Whitaker - THE LAST KING OF SCOTLAND

Performance by an actor in a supporting role
Alan Arkin - LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE
Jackie Earle Haley - LITTLE CHILDREN
Djimon Hounsou - BLOOD DIAMOND
Eddie Murphy - DREAMGIRLS
Mark Wahlberg - THE DEPARTED

Performance by an actress in a leading role
Penélope Cruz - VOLVER
Judi Dench - NOTES ON A SCANDAL
Helen Mirren - THE QUEEN
Meryl Streep - THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA
Kate Winslet - LITTLE CHILDREN

Performance by an actress in a supporting role
Adriana Barraza - BABEL
Cate Blanchett - NOTES ON A SCANDAL
Abigail Breslin - LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE
Jennifer Hudson - DREAMGIRLS
Rinko Kikuchi - BABEL

Best animated feature film of the year
CARS
HAPPY FEET
MONSTER HOUSE

Achievement in art direction
DREAMGIRLS
THE GOOD SHEPHERD
PAN'S LABYRINTH
PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: DEAD MAN'S CHEST
THE PRESTIGE

Achievement in cinematography
THE BLACK DAHLIA
CHILDREN OF MEN
THE ILLUSIONIST
PAN'S LABYRINTH
THE PRESTIGE

Achievement in costume design
CURSE OF THE GOLDEN FLOWER
THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA
DREAMGIRLS
MARIE ANTOINETTE
THE QUEEN

Best documentary feature
DELIVER US FROM EVIL
AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH
IRAQ IN FRAGMENTS
JESUS CAMP
MY COUNTRY, MY COUNTRY

Best documentary short subject
THE BLOOD OF YINGZHOU DISTRICT
RECYCLED LIFE
REHEARSING A DREAM
TWO HANDS

Achievement in film editing
BABEL
BLOOD DIAMOND
CHILDREN OF MEN
THE DEPARTED
UNITED 93

Best foreign language film of the year
AFTER THE WEDDING
DAYS OF GLORY (INDIGÈNES)
THE LIVES OF OTHERS
PAN'S LABYRINTH
WATER

Achievement in makeup
APOCALYPTO
CLICK
PAN'S LABYRINTH

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original score)
BABEL
THE GOOD GERMAN
NOTES ON A SCANDAL
PAN'S LABYRINTH
THE QUEEN

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original song)
"I Need to Wake Up" - AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH
"Listen" - DREAMGIRLS
"Love You I Do" - DREAMGIRLS
"Our Town" - CARS
"Patience" - DREAMGIRLS

Best animated short film
THE DANISH POET
LIFTED
THE LITTLE MATCHGIRL
MAESTRO
NO TIME FOR NUTS

Best live action short film
BINTA AND THE GREAT IDEA (BINTA Y LA GRAN IDEA)
ÉRAMOS POCOS (ONE TOO MANY)
HELMER & SON
THE SAVIOUR
WEST BANK STORY

Achievement in sound editing
APOCALYPTO
BLOOD DIAMOND
FLAGS OF OUR FATHERS
LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA
PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: DEAD MAN'S CHEST

Achievement in sound mixing
APOCALYPTO
BLOOD DIAMOND
DREAMGIRLS
FLAGS OF OUR FATHERS
PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: DEAD MAN'S CHEST

Achievement in visual effects
PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: DEAD MAN'S CHEST
POSEIDON
SUPERMAN RETURNS

Adapted screenplay
BORAT CULTURAL LEARNINGS OF AMERICA FOR MAKE BENEFIT GLORIOUS NATION OF KAZAKHSTAN
CHILDREN OF MEN
THE DEPARTED
LITTLE CHILDREN
NOTES ON A SCANDAL

Original screenplay
BABEL
LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA
LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE
PAN'S LABYRINTH
THE QUEEN

The Shreve according to Samuel L. Jackson

Black Snake Moan (2007)
Originally uploaded by peter-noster.

What did he say during Letterman tonight?

He called Shreveport a "big casino town." "It's kind of a like a Vegas South." I can see the billboards already.

Apparently, he loves the casinos, but he only goes during the week. He said the character of the town changes when out-of-towners come for the weekends. "A $5 table becomes a $25 table."

Though he likes gambling, he's not into high stakes. "I’m still a kid from Tennessee. A $50 bet is big for me."

Also, "I enjoy the slot machines sometimes too."

He plays golf. A lot. He said we have some nice courses. "Southern Trace is really nice." If you listen closely, you can hear the real estate agents upping their listings.

SLJ said he was staying at Stonebridge, where he can play 18 without anyone knowing. Except for everyone on the planet watching Letterman tonight, of course.

He also talked about "Black Snake Moan," which looks fantastic, and played blues guitar and sang with Shaffer's band.

Anyone catch anything else?

Watch Samuel on Dave tonight

samuel l. jackson
Originally uploaded by Blinky Pitz.

That headline needs a little work, but remember that Samuel L. Jackson appears on Letterman in just a few minutes. Watch! Times reporter Stephanie Netherton wrote that he brags about SBC and calls us the "Vegas of the South."

___

Dear Mr. Jackson,

Shreveport may be dandy, but here's a little tip.

What happens in Bossier City stays in Bossier City.

Hoping to be your caddie,

Alexandyr

___

PS: If you watch it tonight (even you Mr. Jackson), let me know what you thought was the best, weirdest or funniest part.

Big Momma says don't forget casting call for 'The Better Man'

Martin Lawrence in Drag. Big Momma's House 2
Originally uploaded by The Cocoa Lounge.

No more fat suits for Martin or Eddie, please!

Now that that's out of my system, it's important to remind you of tomorrow's extras casting call for "The Better Man."

The Universal Pictures feature, starring Martin Lawrence himself ... or herself (no more fat suits, please! I'm very confused), begins shooting March 19 and is looking for extras, extras, extras.

Read all about it below.

If you have any questions, log on to www.gloriosocasting.com.

What: Open extras casting call for "The Better Man."
When: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Feb. 24 (Saturday).
Where: Pierre Bossier Mall, 2950 E. Texas St., Bossier City.
What to bring: Applicants may bring a recent non-returnable photo. If you do not have a picture, one will be taken for you.
Special needs: Everyone may register! There's a strong need for children, ages 10 to 15, all ethnicities (African American, Hispanic, Asian, East Indian males and females are strongly encouraged).

Extras casting director Ryan Glorioso didn't say a word about fat suits. That's a relief.

Fine, I'll confess. I can’t wait to see “Norbit.” I laughed at "Big Momma." I laughed at "Nutty Professor." The second one, even. I'm so ashamed.

"Hercules, Hercules!" Hilarious!

So spare me more public humiliation, please. Protest the fat suits. We know they are wrong. I have fake standards to uphold.

P.S. Anybody know the show times for “Norbit?”

We lost the 'Factory Girl' contest!

It's a shame. A guy from Nashville created the best poster in the "Factory Girl" poster contest. Congrats to Dimitri LaBarge. His poster hangs in a Nashville movie lobby, and he gets a private screening of the movie for him and 25 of his closest friends.

But I'm a bit bummed that we didn't take the poster crown. It was made here, for Warhol's sake!

Didn't somebody get a embarassing, cheeky photograph of Pearce or Miller or Fallon or Christensen while they were in town?

"Factory Girl" is still showing at the Louisiana Boardwalk. See it while you can, but only if you enjoy scenes of rump-shooting drug addicts who party like it's 1965.

Sasha Alexander: From fan tributes to working with Sizemore

During my set visit to "The Last Lullaby" last week, I spoke with Tom Sizemore's costar Sasha Alexander. She starred on CBS's "NCIS" as Kate for a long spell (2003-2005), and she was also Pacey's sister on "Dawson's Creek" (20 episodes).

These primetime roles, plus her other work, have earned her YouTube tribute status.

Most of the tributes are fanvids, or simple video collages set to music. (I wouldn't call them music videos as their creators sometimes do.)

They are pieced together by fans who appear to have super-sized crushes on Alexander (or Mark Harmon or Michael Weatherly), or a super-sized interest in "NCIS." I take it most of Alexander's "NCIS" faithful are angry about her character’s demise (Kate) and the end of the romance between Kate and Tony.

Some YouTube tributes are sweet. Some are voyeuristic. Some are creepy. Watch a few for yourself. (Hyperlinked below.)

NCIS Tony & Kate
NCIS-Gibbs and Kate
KateGibbs: I’ve learned to walk alone
KateGibbs - It's you I have loved

On YouTube, you’ll also find a some luridly selected clips of Alexander.

What is it like to be the subject of such interest, especially in an age where fans can use the Web to broadcast their interests/infatuations to the masses?

“It’s pretty crazy how the Internet affects everything you do know. What you do and put out there will forever been seen,” Alexander said. A cousin recently showed her a few of the YouTube tributes. “I was shocked by the amount of footage that they got, and the time they spent doing it. In the same way, it’s kind of like receiving a fan letter from a 16-year-old girl in Brazil or Germany or wherever else, and you read it and you go, 'Wow, somebody was moved by what I did.' On the one hand, you’re very grateful. And on the other hand, it’s so scary. It’s, ‘How does this stuff get out to people?’”

If you have ever made a fan tribute video and posted it to YouTube, I'd be interested in knowing what you made and why you made it.

In my view, fanvids do more than simply publicize a personal obsession. They do more than put an itsy bit of power in the viewers' hands to decide who are celebrities, and who aren't. They allow fans to literally repaint celebrities in whatever ways, and in whatever shades, they want. Good thing? Bad thing? I have oodles of boring opinions on this.

Why Alexander chose “The Last Lullaby”

Alexander and I also spoke about why she took the role of Sarah in Jeffrey Goodman’s “The Last Lullaby.” Her choice largely came down to the impact of a single scene shared with Sizemore’s character, the hit man Price.

Sarah is the hit man’s target until he makes it personal and the two bond romantically. (Keep in mind that this is a movie about a lonely hit man. The romance will be noir romance, not happy romance.)

“There is a scene in the film where he sort of saves me from this ex-boyfriend of mine, where I’m looking at him and he just saw me in a very vulnerable situation,” Alexander said. “And there aren’t a lot of words. They just kind of look at each other. Now he has been watching her for a while, but it is the first time that they see each other. The truth is that that moment really sets the tone for the entire film.” If it doesn’t work, she said, the relationship's credibility is shot.

“It was a scene that we took very seriously, and we really tried to show a window into (the relationship),” Alexander continued. “I think it worked great. It felt really great. After the scene, Tom actually started crying. It felt very vulnerable on both sides. The window we both found for these characters was this sort of lonely, very vulnerable place that these two people live in. And they saw that in each other.”

Photo: Sasha Alexander stands on the set of "The Last Lullaby." Greg Pearson/The Times.

More Sizemore on Sizemore: "I care about three things. I care about God, my momma and my work"

I hope you caught my story on "The Last Lullaby" in Sunday's paper. I spoke with the movie's star, Tom Sizemore, and he had a lot to say. About the VH1 reality series "Shooting Sizemore," Sizemore said: "I despise it. It's not true, and it's the truest reality show ever made."

But he said a lot more I couldn't work into my story. Here are a few highlights.

During the interview, Sizemore talked about losing his $5 million mansion after the 2003 Heidi Fleiss trial.

He said that episode in his life cost him $40 million in income, and that he ended up homeless and living in a garage. Regarding money, he said: "Having had it and lost it I can tell you it buys nothing. It makes life better. It buys off a lot of discomfort. But it doesn’t buy any happiness. It doesn’t buy any peace of mind. It’s just green shit, and we’re killing each other over it."

Sizemore also discussed why he chose to work with Jeffrey Goodman. The Shreveport director raised all the money for his $1.5 million independent feature, "The Last Lullaby." The movie wrapped its production phase Saturday. Goodman will soon head to Los Angeles for a 10-week editing session.

Apparently, Goodman's pitch to land the controversial star was convincing. Sizemore loved the story of "The Last Lullaby," which is about a lonely hit man named Price who comes out of retirement to do one last job. Price falls in love with the girl he's supposed to kill and things get complicated.

Anyway, Goodman apparently thinks Sizemore is one of the greatest actors of his generation and told him so. Sizemore replied: "I don’t think it. I know it." Sizemore then added: "I’m in it to win, Jeff. I’m brutally competitive.” My bet is Sizemore got the part with that statement alone. The following didn’t hurt his chances. "I care about three things. I care about God, my momma and my work. And everything else is kind of gravy. They never could take God from me. They never could take momma from me. But they could take my work from me, and they did."

Sizemore followed this statement by saying he was coming all the way back. That he was just 42. That he was just getting started.

If you judge the guy's potential on screen talent alone, it's easy to believe the bravado. See "Black Hawk Down," "Heat" and "Bringing Out the Dead" for stellar examples of his craft. And if you ever saw the TV series, "Robbery Homicide Division," you know Sizemore ain't playin'. He is ice cold, as he described himself (and punctuated with a choice bit of profanity), and totally captivating when he's on his game.

During perhaps the most controversial moment of the interview, Sizemore talked unapologetically about his interest in sex. He asked what America's biggest export was. I answered pornography. He corrected me: Entertainment. He asked what makes up a big part of that entertainment. I said pornography.

To illustrate his frank viewpoints, Sizemore pulled out a pornographic magazine and opened it. "Is this a denigration of women? That remains to be seen. Obviously it suits me to say no. I don’t know if it does or it doesn’t. I just think they look pretty."

Sizemore said he is just honest about himself and that we (as Americans, I took it) vilify sex. He then alluded to the Heidi Fleiss trial. "What the prosecution didn’t like about me is that I’m OK with this shit," Sizemore said. "I am not any more sexual than the next person."

Photo: Greg Pearson/The Times. Tom Sizemore discusses a scene on the set of "The Last Lullaby."

New film production studio announced

The following moved on the AP wire this morning:

Film studio project moves along

PORT ALLEN, La. (AP) - A proposed $325 million television and film production studio near Port Allen is moving closer to being built.

The company putting up the project - Studio City Louisiana - predicts it will create thousands of permanent jobs with an annual payroll of more than $100 million.

The State Bond Commission has approved the use of GO Zone bonds, a set of special incentives created by Congress to spur hurricane recovery. Those bonds allow businesses to tap into tax-free, low-interest borrowing with state approval.

The West Baton Rouge Parish Council has already rezoned more than 800 acres of an old plantation and 350 acres of land inside the Mississippi River levee for the project.

Plans call for the studio to be fully operational by 2009.

____

If this Baton Rouge area facility comes to fruition, competition between cities inside Louisiana will become fiercer than it is now. LIFT is already planning a studio facility in New Orleans. Shreveport is quickly gaining its production credentials. The question for producers will no longer be: "Can we save money by shooting in Louisiana?" It will be, "In what Louisiana city can we save the most?"

A more detailed AP is posted here.

'Factory Girl' special screening begins at 7:50 p.m.

Vintage cars are sitting outside the Regal Cinemas at the Louisiana Boardwalk right now in anticipation of the 7:50 p.m. screening of "Factory Girl." There also will be art in the lobby, moviegoers dressed in mod (hopefully, but it's really cold) and likely a few extras on hand to talk about their brushes with Sienna Miller, Guy Pearce, Jimmy Fallon and other stars they didn't recognize.

I gathered a few reactions this afternoon. Read them here. I think most moviegoers who aren't into Warhol will be shocked by the graphic depictions of drug use, sex and celebrity-making. My advice is to chase the popcorn with a little Pepto after watching those needle-in-the-rump scenes. Yikes.

'Factory Girl' opens today, share your thoughts with me

The most buzzed-about movie to be made in Shreveport finally opens in a local theater today. "Factory Girl" opens for at least a one-week run at the Regal Cinemas Louisiana Boardwalk Stadium 14 (Bossier City). Today's show times are noon, 2:45 p.m., 5:20 p.m., 7:50 p.m. and 10:10 p.m.

For the 7:50 screening, there will be a pre-screening "gallery party" in the lobby and a short post-screening Q&A session with some of the folks who worked on the movie. For more details, click here.

If you happen to catch an earlier screening and want to talk about it, please email me at akent@gannett.com or call me at (318) 459-3256. I'm gathering local reactions from viewers, and my article will appear in Saturday's Times.

Did you love it? Hate it? Tell me!

You also might catch me outside the theater after the 2:45 screening.

Photo caption: Jimmy Fallon (Chuck Wein), Jack Huston (Gerard Malanga), Sienna Miller (Edie Sedgwick), Tara Summers (Brigid Berlin), Guy Pearce (Andy Warhol) and Armin Amiri (Ondine) star in George Hickenlooper's Factory Girl. Photo by: Courtesy of The Weinstein Company. Photographer: Patti Perret

Filmmaker killed in accident

Updated story posted here.

The following was posted to shreveporttimes.com this morning:

By John Andrew Prime

A filmmaker working on the sequel to "Harold and Kumar" in Shreveport was killed late Tuesday in a motor vehicle accident in southeast Caddo Parish.

According to Caddo Parish sheriff's office spokeswoman Cindy Chadwick, the accident occurred on state Highway 1 near Frierson at 9:10 p.m. when a 1998 Honda Accord driven by Carol Trevino, 31, of Ohio, pulled out into the path of a southbound tractor-trailer rig.

Trevino was pinned in the wreckage and had to be extricated by members of Caddo Fire District 5 using the Jaws of Life.

She was taken by Life Air Rescue to LSU Hospital in Shreveport. She was pronounced dead at 10:20 p.m., hospital nursing supervisors said.

Caddo Parish 911 dispatch reports had a more specific location for the accident, the 10000 block of Highway 1 between between Douglas Attaway and Francis Bickham boulevards.

Trevino was working as an assistant to "Harold and Kumar 2" executive producers Greg Shapiro and Carsten Lorenz. Film cast members named to date include John Cho, Kal Penn, Neil Patrick Harris and Christopher Meloni.

Trevino worked as a writer, producer and director and also taught film, in one instance in New York City as a project facilitator for the LIFT project, a program designed to introduce inner city youth to film making. Trevino also had worked as a boom operator, sound mixer, assistant director and script consultant.

According to the International Movie Data Base, she also was an assistant director for the 2005 movie "Don't Tell" and was a writer for the 2005 movie "Times Like These."The Bossier City-based tractor-trailer rig was driven by Shamichael Snow, 26, of Shreveport, and was empty, Chadwick said.

Before she is Bond's girl, see 'Factory Girl'

Before you read on, read this: Sienna Miller to be Next "Bond Girl."

"Factory Girl" will open for a one-week run at the Louisiana Boardwalk's Regal Cinemas on Friday. There will be a special screening at 7:50 p.m. Friday (Feb. 16).

Organizers will recreate a 1960s atmosphere for a gallery part of sorts. Moviegoers are asked to wear 1960s-style clothing, but dress participation is not mandatory.

The event will feature a question-and-answer session with persons who worked on the movie, including Ryan Glorioso, casting director for the film; and Richard Folmer and Matthew Wolf, featured extras in the film. The lobby will also offer a display of art and 1960s "mod" fashion wear.

Tickets are on sale at the Louisiana Boardwalk's Regal Cinemas box office or online at www.fandango.com.

"Factory Girl" is rated R for pervasive drug use, strong language and nudity.

The event is being organized by the Robinson Film Center, Regal Cinemas, the Bossier Arts Council and the Shreveport Regional Arts Council.

'The Better Man' casting call announced

Extras should get ready to register Feb. 24 for "The Better Man."

The feature will star Martin Lawrence and begin shooting March 19. If you have any questions, log on to www.gloriosocasting.com. The following is from Ryan Glorioso:

What: Open extras casting call for "The Better Man."
When: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Feb. 24 (Saturday).
Where: Pierre Bossier Mall, 2950 E. Texas St., Bossier City.
What to bring: Applicants may bring a recent non-returnable photo. If you do not have a picture, one will be taken for you.
Special needs: Everyone may register! However we do have a strong need for children, ages 10 to 15, all ethnicities (African American, Asian, East Indian males and females are strongly encouraged).

'Mr. Brooks' trailer is up, and Costner is a killer

Click here to see the "Mr. Brooks" trailer. What do you think?

My favorite part is when Costner is awarded something from a Portland, Ore., chamber of commerce and then he's soon seen standing before a lake filled with cypress trees.

Um, the swampy southern trees may very well grown in Portland (never saw one when I lived in Oregon), but they are hardly ubiquitous there. The city is known for one plant: roses.

Other than the frightening botanical liberties being taken by the location scout, "Mr. Brooks" looks promising.

It's interesting to note, if memory serves me right, that Shreveport was rumored to have replaced Portland in the search for a location.

I can just hear the producers: "Shreveport? Portland? Roses? Cypress? Whatever. Costner can look cool as a killer in both places. ... Let's just ditch that pruning scene."

'Factory Girl' to open at Louisiana Boardwalk Feb. 16

“Factory Girl” will open at the Louisiana Boardwalk Regal Cinemas in Bossier City on Feb. 16 for at least a one-week run. It is being arranged through a partnership between Regal Cinemas and the Robinson Film Center.

A special Friday night screening (Feb. 16) is being planned, and organizers are still working out the details. Moviegoers will be asked to wear 1960s fashions to the event.

For more information, call the Robinson Film Center at (318) 424-9090. I'll share more details as I get 'em.

'Factory Girl' opens at the Magnolia in Dallas tomorrow

I was in Dallas yesterday reviewing "Factory Girl." Click here to read.

You'll be surprised to see how Shreveport is repackaged as New York and elsewhere. There's a funny moment when Guy Pearce (Warhol), standing atop The Factory, is framed in front of AmSouth Tower.

But everything else looks authentic. A screening at the Strand Theatre of "POOR LITTLE RICH GIRL" is especially convincing.

I noticed a few local faces, including East Bank Theatre head and local actor Richard Folmer playing a waiter. He gets short but funny lines.

But really ... is the sex between Miller and Christensen real? I seriously doubt it, but I'm sure someone will analyze the DVD frame-by-frame and say otherwise. It's a fairly tame scene compared to the rest of the movie. Expect to see a lot of drug use, a lots of emotional breakdowns, and lots and lots of eyeliner.

In Dallas, I know "Factory Girl" is opening tomorrow at the Magnolia (3699 McKinney Avenue), and not the Angelika, as I was previously told. Click here for showtimes. Call (214) 764-9106 to confirm.

If you haven't been to the Magnolia, this is a good chance to go to one the best modern movie theaters I've experienced. In additional to eating a bagel dog, you can drink booze in the theater.

Incidentally, I saw "Letters from Iwo Jima" there last night and should have brought in a tall one. It's incredibly hard to watch. (Much, much harder than "Flags of Our Fathers," and just as good.) Eastwood probably won't win Oscars for these flicks, but they will age very, very well.

Photo caption: Sienna Miller and Guy Pearce are Edie Sedgwick and Andy Warhol in George Hickenlooper's "Factory Girl." Photo courtesy The Weinstein Company. Photographer: Patti Perret.

'Mr. Brooks' on ET tonight; Radio story on Texas incentives

TV's Entertainment Tonight will do a piece on "Mr. Brooks" tonight. The Kevin Costner film was filmed here in 2006. The star plays a serial killer.

ET airs on CBS at 6:30 p.m.

And here's a new public radio story about the Texas film industry. It doesn't share any new news, but it's more evidence that the fear about runaway productions is spreading. Texas will offer "Friday Night Lights," "Prison Break" (pictured), commercials and other projects $20 million in direct incentives over two years. Basically, it means the state is trying to keep the business it has. I wouldn't be surprised to see this story grow during the coming months.

A couple of weeks ago, a location scout for "Prison Break" was scouting the Shreveport area.

Neil Patrick Harris to the rescue

Forget all this nonsense about Sienna swearing on the Today show and allegedly (not) doing authentic love scenes for "Factory Girl." You can forget, if just for a few minutes. Right?

Neil Patrick Harris is back for the "Harold & Kumar" sequel. I've gotten a few eager emails hoping he would reprise his role. (Quite strange, actually.) He's back.

For the uninitiated, Harris played an ecstasy-dropping sexhound in the first installment. He humped a car seat, 'jacked Harold's ride, fondled the scantily clad and basically stole the movie. He also talked about his sexual conquests from the set of "Howser." Bad, Doogie. Very bad, Doogie!

My advice is to not pick up hitchhikers and keep the doors locked for the next two months. Especially if you drive a silver Toyota.

'The Better Man' nabs Lawrence

Martin Lawrence will star in "The Better Man." The Universal Pictures project begins shooting in and around Shreveport on March 19. It's a 10-week shoot, and the production team is currently crewing up.

We're starting to get very busy. Three projects are shooting right now: "Cleaner," "The Last Lullaby" and the "Harold & Kumar" sequel. "The Mist" begins at StageWorks about Feb. 20. Millennium Films has three more projects on the way.

"Prison Break" is scouting. The Austin paper still thinks "Dallas" is going to shoot here for eight weeks some time in 2007. (I'll believe the latter when I see it.) More are rumored.

My story on the economic impact of all this business will run in The Times on Sunday.

Photo credit: Martin Lawrence in "National Security." Gannett News Service/Columbia Pictures.