'Cool Dog' to screen Aug. 29 for cast, crew

As a thanks to The Shreve, cast and crew of "Cool Dog," director Danny Lerner will present the movie at 6:30 p.m. Aug. 29 at the Regal Cinemas Bossier Corners 9. It's a one-time only private screening. Doors open at 6 p.m.

The movie was shot locally in early 2009 and produced by Studio Operations, a local subsidiary of Nu Image/Millennium Films. The company's local effects division, Worldwide FX, did post-production work.

It's a family adventure flick about a famous German shepherd (hmm, what's that name?) that journeys through the Big Apple.

If you're going to local screening, I hope to be there taking pics, etc.

If you worked on the movie but didn't get an invite, let me know at akent@gannett.com and I'll put you in touch with the right folks. Act fast. There are only a handful of tickets remaining.

PHOTO (top): Actors Jackson Pace (left) and Michael Pare' act out a scene on the set of "Cool Dog" in February 2009 in downtown Shreveport. (Greg Pearson/The Times)

PHOTO (middle): "Cool Dog" does some stunt work on the downtown train bridge connecting Shreveport and Bossier City. (Greg Pearson/The Times)

PHOTO (bottom): The "Cool Dog" stand-in has ice (and stuffing) in his veins. (Greg Pearson/The Times)

Yo, Shreveport! Get ready for an alien invasion ...

... with stunts. And explosions. And car chases. And smoke. And helicopters. And Aaron Eckhart. And Bridget Moynahan. And director Jonathan Liebesman (who made "The Killing Room" here).

"Battle: Los Angeles" will film here Sept. 9 through Oct. 9 and then move on to Baton Rouge.

In The Shreve, there will be tons of exterior work which will involve some pretty big street closures and traffic interruptions. The I-49 overpass -- stretching from I-20 to Murphy Street -- will shut down for five weeks. I'll learn more details tomorrow.

To prepare citizens for the shoot, local mayors and two of the movie's producers will talk to the press tomorrow at 3 p.m. I'll amass as many details as I can.

Can I ask any questions for you, besides ones like, "Where can I get Michelle Rodriguez's autograph?"

Do you want to know about street closures? The cost to the cities? The most affected areas in terms of traffic? Public safety concerns? And how the hell The Shreve and The Boss will stand in as L.A.? (Magic, I tell you. And lots of digital crayons.) What do you want to know?

P.S.: Don't worry: I'm volunteering to be first reporter blasted by an on-screen death ray, if "Battle: Los Angeles" requires as much. Hey, on that note, it's time for a reader poll: vote to your right.

Are you back at work?

For those of you who endured The Shreve's recent production drought, "Straw Dogs" and the upcoming "Battle: Los Angeles" should be encouraging signs.

If you are back at work -- as crew, vendor, actor, etc. -- let me know how you feel. You can respond by leaving a comment here, or you can reach me at akent@gannett.com or 318.459.3256.

QUESTIONS FOR YOU

• Who's working on "Straw Dogs" this week, or "Battle: Los Angeles," which begins shooting early September?
• When was your most recent film job?
• What are you doing now?
• How does it feel to be filming again in The Shreve?
• What's your outlook for local work?

Two to talk about at RFC

When you're listening, you hear movie chatter in surprising places. Tuesday at yoga – yes, I'm an on-again, off-again yogi – the class was all abuzz about "Food, Inc." The documentary about an industrialized food industry opens today at the Robinson Film Center. Now, it's not that I wouldn't expect yogis to be interested in the doc. They're healthy. They care about what they eat. Their buzz makes perfect sense. What's interesting is how movies like this become sincere lifestyle conversation pieces. As often is the case with talk about docs, people use the subject as a starting point for their own inquiries. You can participate in one of those publicly on Saturday at 3 p.m., when there will be a panel about community gardening and all things salubrious. (Full disclosure: The panel is sponsored by the host of my yoga class, but he wasn't the one who started the Tuesday conversation!)

Additionally, my Facebook inbox has been all a chatter about the 20^th anniversary screenings of Spike Lee's "Do the Right Thing," also at RFC. To call this masterpiece about race relations "a masterpiece about race relations" only scratches the surface. "Do the Right Thing" remains an astounding piece of filmmaking not only because of its subject, style and form – all brilliant, by the way – but also because it successfully uses humor to seriously examine the tension between nonviolence and in-your-face protest. If you haven't seen this on the big screen, do it.

Extras needed for overnight shoot on 'Straw Dogs'

Glorioso Casting needs extras for an overnighter beginning Wednesday (Aug. 19).

To register (if you haven't before), click here. If you haven't worked on a project in a spell, call the GC office at (318) 751-9140.

MUST BE: 18 or older, and able to work outdoors at night.

PAY: $64 for 8 hours work. Time-and-a-half thereafter. 12-hour shoots are common. You'll be fed. There will be prize drawings. Biggest prize is a $500 gift card.

La. Produces to meet 7 p.m. tonight at RFC

Kendrick Hudson will speak at tonight's Louisiana Produces meetup.

Hudson has done a lot of location work in the film industry. Projects include "Skateland," "W." and "I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell." He also produces indie projects, like "Outside Sales" and the forthcoming "For Whom He Tolls."

From RFC's Will Bryant: "Kendrick will speak about his experience in the industry, encompassing everything from documentary production ('Ghosts Of The Abyss,' 'Aliens Of The Deep') to reality-show production ('The Next Action Star') to his latest project, the indie suspense thriller 'For Whom He Tolls,' which was shot in and around Carthage, Texas. We hope to see you tonight!"

WHEN: 7 p.m. tonight.
WHERE: Robinson Film Center, 617 Texas St., Shreveport. (Second floor.)
COST: free.
INFO: (318) 459-4119 or (318) 424-9090.

'Acceptance' debuts Aug. 22 on Lifetime

The locally filmed cable movie will be unveiled this month. It's a comedy about the stress of college admissions. You'll notice campus scenes shot at Centenary College. Stars Joan Cusack, Mae Whitman and Brigid Brannagh.

* I'm also excited to hear about the debut of "Leaves of Grass" at the Toronto Film Festival in September. Also shot in The Shreve, it stars Edward Norton. He plays twin brothers who get rolled into an Oklahoman pot pickle.

Trailer: 'I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell'

I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell in HD


Shot in The Shreve during the coolest days of summer, year 2008. Thoughts? Find more info at the website. Movie's got a multi-city "Premiere Tour" beginning Aug. 11. Theatrical release is Sept. 25. All the details here.

Trailer for local indie: 'For Whom He Tolls'

Kendrick Hudson, who has done a lot of location work for the local movie industry, is producing a small indie drama with local resources. He and a team recently wrapped production on "For Whom He Tolls," and it looks like it will be screened in September at the Robinson Film Center. I sent Hudson a few questions about the project, and here are his answers:

Alexandyr Kent: Where did you shoot the indie project, and how did you pull the team together?

Kendrick Hudson: It's a feature length psychological/suspense thriller, set in East Texas and shot in Carthage. It's directed by Randal Reeder, who is from the area, and his brother owned the property where we shot. Due to budget restraints, the script was written around the property and most of the story takes place inside the home.

We were able to pull together a crew by sending out the script to friends of ours that all work in the industry, who happen not to be working at the time. People were very receptive to the story and the script sold them to work on the film.

AK: What is “For Whom He Tolls” about, and why did you want to make it?

KH: Its a story of a young girl named Kayla, played by Lena Clark who comes back home to take care of her mentally ailing Grandmother, played by Gina Brazell. With the help of a mysterious new neighbor, played by Lije Sarki and an at-home nurse played by Angela Ware, they try to mend their relationship and find peace in a small east Texas farm house while dealing with eerie visions of a Man in a Suit, played by George Wilson.

I wanted to produce this movie because, I believed in the script and in the director's vision. I had some personal experiences with my own aging grandmother that were similar and thought the audience could relate. In the story the grandmother is experiencing dementia, and it allows the actors to use their range due to the emotional roller coaster they were going through. There are some really heavy scenes and it allowed us to showcase some the areas acting talent in that regard. Also, I wanted to do this project because of the message. It has some "Sixth Sense" qualities and mixes dramatic tones with the classic thriller or horror style but in the end has a message of love and forgiveness.

AK: What do you hope to do with the film?

KH: We plan on screening the movie at the Robinson Film Center next month and onto the festival circuit with the hopes of distribution.

Trailer: 'The Killing Room'

Made in The Shreve. And directed by Jonathan Liebesman, who is in pre-production on "Battle: Los Angeles," which will be shot here and Baton Rouge.

What do you think?

'The Collector' rings up just $3.6M

"The Collector" earned $3.6M at the box office this weekend, according to Box Office Mojo. The total -- earned from 1,325 theaters compared to "Funny People's 3,008 ($23.4M) -- clocked in at no. 11 of the weekend's top grossing flicks.

Weekend results, according to Box Office Mojo
1. "Funny People," $23.4M
2. "Harry Potter," $17.7M
3. "G-Force," $17.1M
4. "The Ugly Truth," $13M
5. "Aliens in the Attic," $7.8M
6. "Orphan," $7.3M
7. "Ice Age," $5.3M
8. "The Hangover," $5.1M
9. "The Proposal," $4.9M
10. "Transformers," $4.6M
11. "The Collector," $3.6M
12. "(500) Days of Summer," $2.8M

LSUS's animation program to offer open house

What's AVEP? The Animation and Visual Effects Program at LSU Shreveport.

What can you do there? AVEP trains students in animation and visual effects for film production and other disciplines. Learn all about the opportunities at an open house on Aug. 17. You can chat with professors, kick the tires on the hardware (not too hard), and get a look at the Advanced Flight Simulation System.

WHEN: 6 p.m. Aug. 17.
WHERE: LSUS Technology Center Room 209.
COST: free. There will be door prizes, too.
MORE INFO: avei@lsus.edu or 318.795.2480.

DigiLou is now Moonbot Studios

I just received this transmission from the relatively near reaches of cyberspace. Later this week, I hope to learn a bit more about Moonbot's experience at Siggraph:

Lampton Enochs and Alissa Kantrow of Louisiana Production Consultants and William Joyce of howdy ink, LLC are proud to announce the formation of Moonbot Studios (formerly Digilou), a digital animation and visual effects company. Headquartered in the Inter Tech Science Park in Shreveport, LA, Moonbot Studios will support the growing film, television, and digital interactive media industries in Louisiana and worldwide, by combining the incredible talents of its team and the generous entertainment industry incentives in Louisiana.

Currently in production at Moonbot, "The Fantastic Flying Books of Morris Lessmore" is the story of a man whose life is erased and who loses everything. Co-Directed by William Joyce and Brandon Oldenburg, Morris Lessmore, with no place to go, finds a new and wonderful world through the curative power of story and is thus inspired to rewrite his own story.

And, hey. They're hiring. Click The Legion for details.

'The Collector' rips into local theaters

Opening today in theaters is "The Collector," a horror flick shot in The Shreve in early 2008. It was known as "The Midnight Man" while filming.

Some critics don't seem to love it. "The Collector" has been given the "torture porn" label, which will attract as many moviegoers as it will deflect.

Writer/director Marcus Dunstan penned a few of the "Saw" flicks and "Collector" marks his first time the director's chair. How did he do?

Says The Austin Chronicle: "This is Dunstan's feature debut, and both he and co-writer Melton have Project Greenlight's 'Feast' on their screenwriting CVs, as well as entries 4-7 of the Saw films, but if anything, 'The Collector' ends up feeling like a series of leftover gore gags and audio stingers from those earlier, freakier horror shows. It'll probably get your date to crawl into your lap (or ask for some earplugs), but 'The Collector' feels like the final, welcome nail in the bizarrely popular torture-porn coffin."

Says MTV.com: "To say that 'The Collector' is a torture-porn movie of a particularly vile and hateful sort is already to waste more words than the picture merits. Still, gore fans should be aware that this is not an especially scary film in any but the most primitive big-boo sense. It's a monotonous procession of gouged eyes, crushed hands, snapped necks, ripped guts, barbed-wire bindings, fish-hook torments and nail-board impalings."

But, hey, let's be fair and include a few words from a critic who loves him some torture porn. Writes MrDisgusting for bloody-disgusting.com: "Most impressive about this new slasher/torture hybrid is the debut of a potential horror icon. The Collector (played by Juan Fernandez) is a creepy character that has two different colored eyed and an S&M-esque mask tied tight to his face (you can see him in the one sheet). His motives take a cue from classic slashers as it’s as simple as 'he just wants to own you.' There’s no revenge or idiotic motive behind this mask, he’s quite simply EVIL."

Sounds like my plumber.

SORTA LAME GIVEAWAY: A free "Soul Men" poster to the first commenter who correctly identifies the house/basement where much of this was filmed!

Louisiana Film Museum in works for NOLA

Did you know that Louisiana has been in the motion picture business for more than a century?

To honor the state's production history, a group is aiming to open a Louisiana Film Museum in New Orleans.

What might you learn there? Northwestern Louisiana readers would be curious to discover the following tidbit about the making of "The Horse Soldiers," which I found in The Times' archives: "On Dec. 5, 1958, during filming on a Natchitoches bridge, actor Fred Kennedy fell off a horse, broke his neck and died."

If all goes well, the Louisiana Film Museum will open by Sept. 1 at the Riverwalk Marketplace at One Poydras Place.

I recently received a note from the museum's executive director, Jeffrey Pipes Guice.

Guice wrote: "We have over 250 items (posters, stills, costumes, props) that will be on display from the 400+ movies and television shows that have been filmed in Louisiana since 1908."

The group also aims to build a website that digs a bit deeper. Noted Guice: "We are also in discussions with Redstick Internet to redesign and launch our more comprehensive website at the same time. The new website will include all movies from the past as well as current and future productions. We will also feature a database of actors and sound tracks for each movie."

For more info, log on to www.louisianafilmmuseum.org.

PHOTO: John Wayne in John Ford's "The Horse Soldiers," which was partly filmed in Natchitoches. The movie got a world premiere at The Shreve's Strand Theatre on July 17, 1959 (AP Photo).

---

For fun, I'm posting a 2004 editorial by James Gardner, former mayor of The Shreve.

Published Aug. 22, 2004, in The Shreveport Times.

The Duke comes to Shreveport

By James Gardner

In early November 1958, my duties as mayor took me to the Shreveport Regional Airport to participate in a welcoming ceremony for a group of Hollywood film people, including John Wayne. The event concluded with me having some unexpected private time with a hung over actor who loved trees.

The occasion was the arrival in Shreveport of the cast for a movie called The Horse Soldiers that was to be filmed near Natchitoches. It was a movie to be based on the Civil War exploits of Col. Benjamin Henry Grierson and his raid with 1,700 Union calvary troopers from La Grange, Tenn., to Baton Rouge in the spring of 1863.

The Horse Soldiers was to feature several notable Hollywood stars, including William Holden, but clearly "the star" was John Wayne. In 1958, he was a vigorous 51 years old and had already achieved fame in such movies as Fort Apache, Red River, She Wore a Yellow Ribbon and The Quiet Man. Several thousand area residents were at the airport to catch a glimpse of the famous man on a beautiful late fall afternoon.

When the Hollywood group stepped off the plane they were greeted by a delegation of local officials, including myself, some Shreveport personal friends, Chamber of Commerce representatives and Miss Shreveport. An honor guard of the Dixie Drill Platoon from the Fair Park High School JROTC unit, dressed in Civil War era uniforms, gave the visitors a saber salute.

After the official welcome ceremony was concluded, there was a brief informal visitation on the airport tarmac. There were further plans for the group, but Wayne indicated he desired to go directly to his hotel. I was given the welcome assignment to drive him to the Captain Shreve Hotel, which was located downtown.

At the airport, surrounded by fans, Wayne had been the picture of energy and vitality, but his countenance changed immediately as soon as we were alone in my automobile. As I tried to make conversation, he informed me he had partied virtually all night long and had slept only two hours -- which was the reason he desired to go directly to the hotel. It was a way of telling me that he preferred no conversation, which I only viewed as a challenge.

In 1958, there was no Interstate 20 to provide a fast drive from the airport to downtown. I chose a somewhat out-of-the way route to pass some recent city street improvements and the then-new Confederate Memorial (now LSU Health Sciences Center) and Schumpert hospitals.

We drove over the Linwood overpass and then passed the recently opened City Hall on Texas Avenue. I continually "pointed with pride" but John Wayne said absolutely nothing. Then we turned off Texas Avenue onto Grand Avenue (now named for Elvis Presley), passing the then newly air conditioned Municipal Auditorium.

Suddenly John Wayne was alert and animated but by nothing that I had said or pointed out. It was the Oakland Cemetery that caught his eye.

"Those trees are magnificent," he exclaimed. "They are absolutely beautiful. We have nothing like that in California."

Unfortunately, many of those trees that caught the attention of John Wayne in 1958 have fallen victim to age and storms. But he brought to my attention how easy it is to just accept the beauty around us. Oakland Cemetery had not been on my list of things to brag about.

James Creswell Gardner is a former mayor of Shreveport.

'Invisible Children' screens tonight at RFC

Documentary followers: At the Robinson Film Center tonight, there's a good opportunity to participate in a Q&A about "Invisible Children: The Rough Cut." The doc focuses on child soldiers in Uganda, and screens tonight at 7:30 p.m. (It's a one-time event. Free, but $5 donation requested.)

Reports RFC's online newsletter, "A member of the organization Invisible Children – which organizes and hosts screenings of the film around the country to raise awareness of this issue – will be on-hand to participate in a post-screening discussion."

Who is Invisible Children? According to its website: "As a non-profit we work to transform apathy into activism. By documenting the lives of those living in regions of conflict and injustice, we hope to educate and inspire individuals in the Western world to use their unique voice for change. Our media creates an opportunity for people to become part of a grassroots movement that intelligently responds to what's happening in the world."

Learn more by clicking here.

On CNN.com: Jeffrey Wright speaks out on 'W.' arrests

Have you checked out Jeffrey Wright's recent CNN column regarding racial bias and the arrest of Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates Jr.?

The actor draws parallels to his own arrest in Shreveport in July 2008 at a downtown bar. To refresh, "W." was holding its wrap party at the Stray Cat, and actors Wright, Josh Brolin and five crew members were arrested after an incident.

Wright offers a clear first-person account, so I'll leave the details to him. He writes on CNN.com:

"I was arrested last July in Shreveport, Louisiana, outside a bar where dozens of members of the cast and crew of the movie 'W.' and I had gathered to celebrate the end of filming. There was no bar brawl as widely reported -- nor even a pre-election political argument.

"Nine police cars and a fire engine responded; seven people were arrested. Two of the seven suffered minor head wounds at the hands of the Shreveport police. Josh Brolin and I were pepper sprayed by cops, and while face down in the street, I was made to feel the business end of a Taser.

"The truth of what led to the whole morass has never been accurately reported. I was asked to leave the bar by a white female bartender who took exception to a comment I made.

"As with Professor Gates, the police in my case backed unquestioningly the suspicion of a white woman that the black man she accused must be guilty of something. Once that die of accusation was cast, a ghost of racial bias, misperception, and the potential abuse of police authority was set free to make mischief."

I urge you to read the entirety of Wright's column to clearly understand the context of his statements. It's a supremely interesting read.

Also, take note of Wright's account of a private conversation with Shreveport Mayor Cedric Glover. Wright writes:

"Shreveport Mayor Cedric Glover is known as a law-and-order mayor. The day after the encounter, in the presence of his police chief, Glover apologized to me and privately acknowledged that while most Shreveport's cops were good, there were some 'devils' among them.

"In public meetings regarding the 'W.' incident, however, he held fast that the responding officers acted appropriately. Either Glover's public statement was dead wrong, or the joke was on us."

PHOTO 1: Jeffrey Wright (Wikipedia Commons).

PHOTO 2: In this bystander photograph taken on the night of July 12, 2008, actor Josh Brolin (left) holds onto his "W." costar Jeffrey Wright on a Shreveport sidewalk outside the Stray Cat bar. The pair were sprayed with pepper spray just after this was taken. (Submitted photo to The Times)

What's on tap for Louisiana: July 27

Here's the latest update from the state:

Welcome to (225) 342-FILM, the official hotline of Louisiana Entertainment. Here’s what’s happening for the last week of July 2009:

Pre-Production (9)

The Sony Pictures feature film Battle: Los Angeles starring Aaron Eckhart is in pre-production in Louisiana with shooting scheduled for Shreveport from September 9 - October 9 and Baton Rouge from October 11- December 10. Resumes and inquires are being accepted by fax at (225) 330-6961 (no headshots, please).

The Disney feature film Secretariat starring Diane Lane is in pre-production in South Louisiana with shooting scheduled from September 28 through December 4. Resumes and inquiries are being accepted by e-mail at secretariat.themovie@gmail.com.

The Screen Gems feature film Straw Dogs starring Alexander Skarsgard, James Marsden, and Kate Bosworth is in pre-production in Shreveport with shooting scheduled to begin August 17 for eight weeks. Resumes and inquiries are being accepted by e-mail at strawdogslouisiana@gmail.com.

The independent feature film The Somnambulist is in pre-production in New Orleans with shooting scheduled from August 10 through August 29th. Resumes and inquiries are being accepted by e-mail at tst.nola@gmail.com.

The Nu Image/Millennium feature film The Mechanic starring Jason Statham will begin pre-production in New Orleans on August 10 and will shoot for nine weeks beginning October 14. Contact details are coming soon.

The Films in Motion feature film Wrong Side of Town Part II starring Rob Van Dam and Batiste is soft-prep in Baton Rouge with three weeks of shooting scheduled for late August and September. Resumes and inquiries are being accepted by e-mail at info@filmsinmotion.com.

The Bullet Films feature film Monster Wolf is in pre-production in Lafayette with shooting scheduled from September 21 through October 14. Resumes and inquiries are being accepted by e-mail at jobs@bulletfilms.net.

The Bullet Films feature film Swamp Shark is in soft-prep in Lafayette with shooting in Lafayette scheduled from Oct. 26 – November 18. Resumes and inquiries are being accepted by e-mail at jobs@bulletfilms.net.

The independent feature film Keep It Together will begin pre-production in late August and will shoot for five weeks in the New Orleans area. Details are coming soon.

Now Filming (4)

Horizon Entertainment’s feature film Father of Invention starring Kevin Spacey, Camilla Belle, Heather Graham, Virginia Madsen, Johnny Knoxville and Craig Robinson is shooting in the New Orleans area through July 31. Inquiries are being accepted by e-mail at fatherofinvention2009@gmail.com

The second season of the September Films A&E reality television series The Exterminators starring Billy Bretherton is shooting in the Shreveport area through the end of August. Inquiries are being accepted by e-mail at vexcon@bellsouth.net.

The Disney Channel children’s television series The Imagination Movers is shooting in Jefferson Parish through September 17. Resumes and inquiries are being accepted by e-mail at. imnola504@gmail.com

The Most Wanted Films feature film Death House is shooting in Baton Rouge through August 15. Inquiries are being accepted by e-mail at info@mostwantedfilms.com.

And for more information about the film and television industry in Louisiana please visit us online at www.louisianaentertainment.gov.

City of Shreveport confirms, comments on 'Battle: Los Angeles'

I just received the following press release about "Battle: Los Angeles." It includes confirmation from city officials, executive producer. Read on:

July 27, 2009

THE BATTLE STARTS HERE … FILMING BEGINS SOON

The Columbia Pictures feature film, “Battle: Los Angeles” starring Aaron Eckhart (“The Dark Knight”), will begin principal photography in the Shreveport-Bossier area on Wednesday September 9, 2009.

Directed by Jonathan Liebesman and produced by Neal H. Moritz and Jeffery Chernov, the action packed Sci-fi feature is about a Marine platoon that faces-off against an alien invasion in Los Angeles, California.

For one full month - September 9 through October 9, 2009 Shreveport-Bossier will be the site of that alien invasion. “Battle: Los Angeles” actors, crews and stuntmen will shoot all of its battleground action scenes, high speed chases and explosions in Shreveport-Bossier. And after wrapping-up here, “Battle” heads to Baton Rouge for the completion of filming.

“I am extremely pleased that a significant part of the movie’s locations are in our area as this was literally a battle to compete with other cities to get it here,” says Shreveport Mayor Cedric B. Glover.

“We are very excited that the producers of “Battle: Los Angeles”, have chosen the Shreveport-Bossier City area to shoot its primary location scenes, we look forward to the battle in our LA,” says Bossier City Mayor Lorenz Walker.

More details about the filming of the Sony project will be announced at a news conference set for mid-August. “Stay tuned, because this will be the most action packed film project that we have ever had in our area,” says Arlena Acree, Director of Film, Media and Entertainment.

“I want to extend a huge thank you to Mayor Glover, Mayor Walker, Arlena Acree, and the people of Shreveport-Bossier,” says executive producer Jeffery Chernov. “We needed a freeway and the City with the support of DOTD delivered. They knew what it would take to get this movie, and they stepped up big time.”

'Streets of Blood’ spills onto DVD Tuesday

Has the summer blockbuster schedule come up short in the old violence department? Of course it has.

"Streets of Blood," a movie starring Val Kilmer, Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson and Sharon Stone, gets released on DVD Tuesday. It was shot in The Shreve last summer and produced by Studio Ops/Nu Image/Millennium Films.

It's about cops, murder, New Orleans and a post-Katrina criminal underworld.

Of course I haven't seen a final film but I watched a few minutes of a first cut when I visited the set last summer. (That's when 50 Cent playfully thumped me on the chest for nearly blowing an interview opportunity. I was led to mistake him for Kilmer, but that's another story.)

From the footage, I'm going to make a wild guess "Streets of Blood" isn't a family film. Pretty violent. A lot of gun play. People without clothes. And yes, a few dead things. All about corruption and drugs and the law breaking the law to maintain the law. Kind of like "The Shield" unrated. The teaser is perhaps representative of what to expect.

A few post-Katrina flood scenes were filmed at the Louisiana Wave Studio, which was built by "The Guardian" (2006) and also booked a couple days for "I Love You, Phillip Morris" (2010).

Are you excited for "Streets of Blood?" Disappointed by a DVD release? Are you playing hooky from work? Is it good? Bad? Let me know.