Sox Shuffle Continues
Friday Afternoon Diversion
Jay-Z Announces 2010 Tour Dates. Chicago Not On List.
Around Town
I Fight Dragon$
Two months after the bill landed on his desk, the Guv signed it into law today with a photo op ceremony at Loop landmark Italian Village. So why the delay in signing the bill? The speculation is that G-Rod previously didn't want to have to take any questions from the press. Apparently he's gotten over his skittishness in exchange for some potentially good publicity.
Also present were filmmaker Harold Ramis (director of both the classic Groundhog Day and the not-so-classic Analyze That) and members of the Chicago-based production company Beverly Ridge Pictures, whose $3-million feature Chicago Overcoat was partially shot at Italian Village. Ironically, for an event designed as a photo op, we haven't been able to find many details about the provisions of the new law, but an earlier version included tax credits of 20% of the Illinois production spending, up to $100K for feature films (anything over 30 minutes). The governor's office says that $115 million was spent on film production in Illinois last year.
photo of Biograph marquee, dressed for Public Enemies, by jonjanego
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How come when Johnny Depp is filming a couple of scenes in some suburb, it is reported on the local news as a big deal, but when an entire block of Lincoln Ave. is rebuilt with false facades to look like the 1930's, there is no mention. Nobody thought the transformation of Lincoln Ave. was newsworthy? Or, do they not report it so people will not know to show up and gawk. I think they likely shot all the scenes this past weekend.
Probably Nicholas - all the gawkers get in the way of filming. Everything outside of the filming in the suburbs we usually hear about after the fact.
I knew about the facades, but I was surprised to find that they laid streetcar tracks down Lincoln when I went by on Saturday night. That was neat.
I don't think the filming is done yet on Lincoln. There is no parking through June 1 and that banner that says "cooled by refrigeration" was only installed yesterday afternoon. It is pretty cool to see Lincoln Ave. looking like that.