Big production: The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3, starring John Travolta and Denzel Washington, is being filmed all around and inside the Schermerhorn and Bond Street subway station in Downtown Brooklyn today. The area is crawling with cast and crew, and a large number of trailers and equipment trucks are parked on Schermerhorn.
A remake of the original thriller The Taking of Pelham One Two Three, the movie's plot revolves around a terrorist group taking over a subway train and its passengers, threatening to kill them if their ransom is not paid.
According to Wikipedia, Danzel Washington plays portrays Zachary "Z" Garber, the chief detective of security for the subway. John Travolta has the role of Bernard Ryder, the leader of the hijackers.Several blocks in Downtown Brooklyn have been transformed into a movable studio. Signs on lampposts tell the crew where to find the set, the food, or makeup.
The Belarusan Church on Atlantic Avenue (photo below) is being used for makeup, wardrobe and holding.
Filming will take place on Atlantic Avenue later today as well, according to signs posted up and down the street. (We wonder if this will conflict with Rev. Sharpton's Sean Bell pray-in -- at the Church of the Lord -- scheduled for exactly the same block on Atlantic Avenue today?)The film is scheduled for release in July of 2009.
Photos by MK Metz
Why, oh why do they insist on remaking classic films like this one? The first one was just about perfect. Now 1,2,3 will be just another Mcmovie.
ReplyDeleteOf course they'll throw in a lot of stupid technological nonsense that I guarantee you doesn't exist at the Transit Authority or the NYC police department.
ReplyDeleteWho in God's name is going to replace Robert Shaw, Walter Matthau or Martin Balsam? Are they crazy?
Denzel is replacing Matthau as the cop. Look I love, love Denzel but no way. Why doesn't he play the Balsam character and show us a little range. Play a wimp for a change.
Travolta is the Shaw character Blue. A sigh (of exasperation) is all I can give.
There's also Gandolfini, possibly Turturro and Marlo's hitman from The Wire (a fine actor btw named Gbenga Akinnagbe)
This is actually the second remake. There was a TV movie (made in Toronto) UGH!
All in all I'm disappointed when they remake good entertaining movies. There's no reason for it.
They can no more do the original justice than they can bring back the wonderful pre-sex in the city nyc.
ReplyDeleteWill the irony and wry humor be there? Impossible. At best it will be a sad reminder of a grittier more beautiful time gone by.