OCTOBER
23, 2006 --
LPR
heard a news report on radio, October 21 that said we had a "sluggish
economy." It was not clear, however, just what the reporter
meant by that statement.
From what LPR sees, there is a construction boom in Manhattan (and even in
the Riverdale section of The Bronx). And movies now rival television shows
in using New York City for locations.
In addition to "American Gangster," LPR
has seen film crews from "I Am Legend," starring Will Smith, in Washington
Square Park, and from "The Tourist" starring Hugh Jackman on West
End Avenue.
Here are photos taken a few weeks ago of Denzel Washington getting into a car,
during filming of " American Gangster," and of director Ridley Scott
on Broadway, near 135th Street.
People sympathetic to terrorists might cite the cliche justifying revolutionary
violence: "You can't make an omelet without breaking eggs." (The
apologists
probably don't themselves identify with the eggs.)
Perhaps the cliche might be updated to: "You can't make a movie on location
without blocking traffic."
(Alternatively, "Jams are not only created by forbidden fruit.")
The photo of moving traffic "parked" on the downtown side of the
aptly named Park Avenue, in Manhattan indicates that New York City does not
need movies to bring traffic jams to the streets.
This is simply to report that horns started to get honked on the downtown side
of Broadway, when traffic was held at 136th Street so that an "American
Gangster" scene could be filmed.
This film is set in the days when NYPD cars were painted white, black and green.
LPR hopes frustrated motorists did not see those old-style police cars parked
and wonder why police were not easing the traffic flow -- much less think the
white and blue trim police cars were being phased out for the old white, black
and green.
LPR does wonder when all parking in Manhattan will be taken up by movie and
TV location filming, with citizens no longer sure if emergency vehicles are
authentic or part of filming.
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Park
Avenue traffic …
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Broadway
Traffic Jam …
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Cause
of the Broadway traffic jam …
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Denzel
Washington getting into his car after a day on the set.
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Director
Ridley Scott
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Admittedly,
not all jams are in traffic …
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Old-style
police cars on location …
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