Friday, March 29, 2024
Miles from the Mainstream
D. R. ZUKERMAN, proprietor
The Big Movie Lot
(a/k/a The Big Apple)

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.


Park Avenue traffic …


Broadway Traffic Jam …


Cause of the Broadway traffic jam …


Denzel Washington getting into his car after a day on the set.


Director Ridley Scott


Admittedly, not all jams are in traffic …


Old-style police cars on location …