Astoriamovie's Blog

Welcome to AstoriaMovies

•February 21, 2009 • 1 Comment

UPDATE: May 28, 2011

Here is a new place for the latest info on films made in Astoria.
Previously covered movies include: The Ring Two, Cthulhu, The
Abu Ghraib Effect, Crimps and Into the Wild …
The new film “ASSEMBLY”, to be filmed starting in June through
September, will be featured here!

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ASTORIAMOVIES

“JourneyQuest”, a new web series from Dead Gentlemen Productions (“The Gamers: Dorkness Rising”) will be filming near Astoria on Tuesday, March 9th.

” Medieval Zombies Needed!”

“We are looking to cast medieval zombie extras for a
fantasy webseries. Dead Gentlemen Productions
(www.deadgentlemen.com) is shooting Tuesday
March 9th near Astoria, OR.”

“Potential extras must have medieval shoes!
Please send a photo of yourself in distressed medieval
clothes (brown, grey, old, even tattered if you have such,
unlikely but you never know), and another picture of your
shoes. Interested? Please contact nebutron(at)gmail.com”

“Nancy Frye
Extras Coordinator, JourneyQuest Season One
Zombie Orpheus Entertainment, LLC”

ASSEMBLY the movie summary:

The new feature film, ASSEMBLY, to be shot
entirely in Astoria, OR is the first of three
films currently planned by Seattle-based
Pendergast Pictures. Now fully funded, and in
pre-production, ASSEMBLY is a real-life Church
drama with tales of betrayal and intrigue based
on a real-life ‘good samaritan’ Pastor and his
family.

Adam Zytniowski, of Astoria, OR has been cast
as the Pastor’s son. More than 60 locals showed
up at the first casting call in Astoria, and many
more have signed up through the Pendergast
Pictures website. This website serves as both
a contact point, and an archive of this production.

Now with 10 web pages, this site is approaching what
the origional astoriamovies.com had, with the one film
ASSEMBLY in mind. Production photos are coming, and
those behind-the-scenes stories as well … there are
constant updates, including the photo of “LA_Stevie”,
or Steve Thorne in a visit to L.A.

I’ll try to keep THIS Movies in Astoria website under 900
pages THIS time

Special thanks to Michael Desmond, of KAST, for
his publicity, and helping to get the word out …

Not everything will appear on this site – there are many
‘secret plans’, high drama, multiple ‘leaked’ screenplay
pages, none of which are actually from the film, as well
as plans for newsprint and radio interviews … UPDATED
- see ‘the saga begins’ …

UPDATE: May 23, 2009

” … You (Astoria) are so dedicated. That really rocks!”

Steve Thorne – Screenwriter for ASSEMBLY

Stay Tuned …

3/16/09:
Keep the pages list in mind – the ASSEMBLY pages are growing!
“A Magical Journey” page is also about ASSEMBLY … enjoy!

Please check all the subpages for ASSEMBLY info:

Pages:
Assembly – a new hope
Assembly – a new movie in Astoria
Assembly – a new music
Assembly – the main characters
Assembly – the saga begins

“Thanks a million for the info… I appreciate it.”

Steve

LATEST PRODUCTION NEWS FOR ASSEMBLY:
HERE: The Saga Begins

As of April 17th, still no comments from Brent Spiner, Mark Hamill,
or anyone else … Updates for Casting Calls, and Crew Help will
be updated as it happens … Stay Tuned …

April 21st – UPDATE

I spent the day in Portland working on TNT’s “Leverage” TV
Series, as a stand-in actor, and body double, for a visiting
cast member …

Christian Kane was fun to work with, and we both started
laughing at a demolition scene, and it was worked into the
script – look for the mad scientist villian laugh in an upcoming
show – I’m available for any future callbacks – the show’s
attention to details, 2nd Unit insert scenes, etc. remind me
of major film productions!

NOTE: I was nearly cast a week later as a Martial Arts extra,
but my look wasn’t ‘rough’ enough. Still on the list … I think I
know what I’ll be doing soon. (hint:)

UPDATE: May 6, 2009
Steve Thorne contacted me today – yes, things are beginning now
on ASSEMBLY, and oddly, my recent time on-the-set of “Leverage”
has had some effect … seeing some crude prop boxes, on a ware-
house floor, with dark lighting, intense spot lighting in the background
and a smoke machine turned a new warehouse in Portland into the
dark, scary docks of Boston – and watching the actor I was a stand-in
and body double for do a scene there, I realize no one has ever used
Astoria, OR to anywhere near it’s full potential, as a setting, including
DreamWorks … until now, until ASSEMBLY the Movie!

UPDATE: May 27, 2009:

I am returning to the set of “Leverage” this Wednesday, as a
congressman/pentagon staffer … It was a 13 hour shoot, with
an additional twist – 20 of us were ‘kidnapped’ and taken by
white vans to go a few blocks away in Downtown Portland
to appear in a shot for the “Untitled Crowley Project” – a
local Film with Harrison Ford and Brendan Fraser. We did a
Pioneer Courthouse establishing shot, as business ‘extras’.

Christian Kane, and the rest of the Leverage Cast had a tense
day on the location set at City Hall (Pentagon). Major drama
scenes for the ‘military’ upcoming episode, and it was 79
degrees, and had rained earlier that morning – just like D.C.!

I actually lost count of how many scenes I was in – despite
some $14,000 spent on hiring extras for that day – We were
used multiple times, in different wardrobe, on different ‘days’,
in different places – at least 5 scenes that I can recall …
The first time on the set I spent hours watching the director’s
monitor and checking the insert shots matching against the previous
video for a seamless match. This time, it was a location shoot, and
the movement of background extras was critical to how believable
the scenes would be – props were flawless, and with the higher
temparatures, and delays, there was definitely a restlessness with
the cast and some of the extras – location work is always harder,
and there were traffic diversions because of the Crowley Film in
the same area too. The end result, with the tiredness, and constant
tweeking, like shoe-padding for the marble steps, etc. – the scenes
are tense, restless, and pre-shadow the major drama and conflict -
in short, it all really worked! Our holding area was a public park with
wardrobe tents and food tents nearby, and some of the locals noticed
“all the suits” – and the M.I.B. and Military all about. My best memory
is the conversations with extras from Mexico, Greece, China and
Oregon – a true international group!

“If you’ve been in downtown Portland during the last couple of
months, you’ve probably seen the blocks of parking lots filled with
trucks from two different productions that have been filming here:
the TNT drama “Leverage,” which stars Timothy Hutton, and an
as-yet-unnamed motion picture, working under the name “Untitled
Crowley Project,” starring Harrison Ford, Brendan Fraser and Keri
Russell.”

“On Monday, members of the media were invited to spend a day on
the “Crowley Project” set while they filmed scenes inside the Portland
VA Medical Center and Oregon Health Sciences University.”

From Jerry Olson:

“My son and grandson answered the casting call that was in the
paper last weekend and were selected for “The Crowley Project.”
They only needed 15 extras. My grandson who is 11 years old
got to fly a kite, in the scene which was shot at Neahalem State
Park, near Manzanita. They didn’t see Harrison Ford, but saw
Brenden Fraser and Keri Russell …”

BTW – Jerry Olson took the crew from STARZ aroung Astoria,
Oregon to show them all the movie shoot houses – thanks Jerry!

June 9, 2009:
I was asked to be in “The Untitled Crowley Project” again this
Thursday-Friday in Manzanita, OR. I had to pass – I won’t see
a day off from Camp Rilea for some time … However I may be
able to get another day or two in “Leverage” again the following
week on 6/17, or 6/18. No word yet, but they wanted me back
on-set Monday, but the Camp Rilea job has been ongoing, with
days-off every 8 or 9 days or so … Stay Tuned …

I’m probably not going back to the previous work on the
Highway 101 as a Traffic Flagger anytime soon, but I’ll be
thinking about ASSEMBLY, about what’s coming soon, and
what Astoria has in store! More to come …

UPDATE: May 29, 2009

from Steve:

“It was great to start filming Assembly. Only had to
leave for health reasons, will be back ASAP. We captured
some amazing, dramatic scenes and I can’t wait to pick
up where we left off. The actors were easy to work with and
super dedicated. I am so proud of the work that I am letting
others hear the audio because it captured the essence and
passion of ASSEMBLY.”

UPDATE: on Michael Silberman

NOTE: Michael is a friend, and not involved with ASSEMBLY … He’s
currently working on a film to be shot at Camp Rilea … more to come …

Chuck Wicks – will be here on July 17th – I’m working the show
as a stage hand, along with three others … Seems he’s got quite
a tour! Don’t ask me for any backstage passes – however if Christian
Kane wanted to join in for a jam session, like what happened in his
Portland show, it would make sense to me … just carry a music case.
More to Come …

“No One at All”
- by Joe Altieri

(tribute to Roger Miller)

“You’re too old, and you’re too young! (C)
You’re too happy, you’re too glum; (F)
Well, I really like you son, (G)
but I can’t give you this job …” (G)(F)(E)(D)(C)

“I blew up my water pump,
in my ol’ white Chevy Truck;
If I get that Casting Call,
I’ll have no way there at all …”

“I came here for a new life,
with my girlfriend, now my wife;
made some friends and lost them all,
this ol’ town is too dang small …”

“I’ve looked high and I’ve looked low,
now it’s really time to go,
see, I used to be somebody,
now I’m – no one at all”

“Well, I used to be somebody,
now I’m – no one at all”

“Yes, I used to be somebody,
now I’m – some-bod-y’s dad”

Ohhh … Ohhh … Bom Bom Diddle-diddle li
bom pow – bump ow!

UPDATE: May 31, 2009

Just in case you may think life is stranger than fiction – read on!
ASSEMBLY is written about a real life family, and their tribulations.
Oddly, I had another talk with my neighbor today, a former
Rockwell Engineer/Consultant. I handed him a piece from Fred
Ferguson of Astoria about a missle launch, during Vietnam, of a
‘nuclear’ missile into Russia. Apparently a political coup, and a
range ‘test’, my neighbor confirmed the story, and said that no;
most of the people at the Northern Radar Site weren’t CIA, but
manufacturers reps and consultants – he was there as well. More
on the 500 foot flight of the test missile, which, of course,
disappeared – but nearly started WW III – one of many incidents
in US History …

This today, from a man who also was one of the investigators of the
Space Shuttle mishaps – who is recovering from a stroke, and slowly
is beginning to remember a lifetime of stories he has nearly completely
forgotten – was it a stroke, or did he ‘know too much’ ? A connected
friend says they used LSD and electroshock therapy as debriefing.
Theory: Could recovery from a recent stroke have re-energized the
brain pathways that were once blocked? He now remembers the other
four engineers on the ‘Hound Dog’ Project … Stay Tuned …

UPDATE 7/7/09: Below is a composite photo from an aircraft
museum of the GAM-77 Missile … seems it all checks out …
More to Come …

UPDATE: June 2, 2009:

I’m at the Camp Rilea Armed Forces Training Center for the
month of June. Will post updates for ASSEMBLY when I can – Joe

Seems “Aliens in the Attic” is an even better film made than Gremlins ;-p

BTW – I have been booked in a very minor role for “RESTLESS” being shot
in Portland, Oregon next week – hopefully it will be more visible than the
Untitled Crowley Project, now “Extrodinary Measures” to be released next
January … My work so far:

Restless (2011)
Extraordinary Measures (2010)
Assembly (2010)
Crimps (2010)
The Abu Ghraib Effect (2010)
TNT’s “Leverage” – April, May 2009
Into the Wild (2007)
Cthulhu the Movie (2007)
Shanghaied in Astoria (2007)
HomeTeam: Astoria (2006)
The Polar Express – Musical (2006)
The Ring Two (2005)

Things I passed on:
“Twilight”, “The Burning Plain”, and “Star Wars” …

“Dames and his team have remote viewed what he calls the “next,
mass human death-causing earthquake,”– something akin to what
we just witnessed in Japan. Though he couldn’t name a date, the
site of this will be the New Madrid Fault and the Wabash Valley
seismic zone, and St. Louis, Missouri will be particularly hard hit
with the most deaths, he declared, adding that we might even
see the Mississippi River change its course.”

“The solar ‘Kill Shot,’ which will cause the collapse of Earth’s
magnetic field and lead to huge power outages, will begin
within the next couple of months, with dangerous activity from
the sun continuing through late 2012, he outlined. According to
Dames, the safest places in North America to deal with the
disastrous upcoming earth changes include Alberta, Saskatchewan,
parts of Manitoba, parts of east Oregon, Arizona, parts of New
Mexico, the southern portion of the Appalachian Mountains, and
an area west of the Great Lakes. He also updated his remote
viewing project looking into the mysterious bird deaths around
New Year’s– the cause of their deaths was indeed due to their
disorientation brought on by fireworks, he said.”

“Remote viewing teacher Major Ed Dames discussed his previous
prediction of a major quake in Japan, and shared insights into
forthcoming quakes, the solar ‘Kill Shot,’ and safe places to live.”

“In a 2003 show with Art Bell, he predicted a massive earthquake
would hit Japan and damage a nuclear reactor. (He was off on
the year, which he told Art would be in late Spring, 2005.) He also
shared this prediction with Japanese TV.”