Huh. I just got an email from a friend back home. Hollywood has invaded Shreveport (actually they're just using it while NO is out of commission). She was driving home from work last night and Ashton Kutcher's latest was filming down the street from my mom's house. There's like 6 movies in production over there. Not a big deal to coasters, but I think there have been maybe 6 movies filmed there since I was born.

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Project: "Chlorine," a movie through Mercer Films and Miranda Entertainment. Country club member becomes involved in a savings and loan scandal.

Status: Casting call happened Sunday. Filming Oct. 29 through Dec. 9. Expected to be out in fall 2006.

Stars: David Arquette, Ray Liotta and Julianna Margulies.

Local jobs generated: About 100 jobs expected with production.

Cost: Producer would not say.

Project: "Road House II," a movie being filmed using crews from LIFT. Nephew of Patrick Swayze's character in "Road House" has his own bar to defend.

Status: Filming to start Oct. 17, end before Thanksgiving.

Filming locations: Bars in small towns. Houses being scouted off of Caddo Lake.

Local jobs generated: 100-135, as with each LIFT production. Crew is staying at Stockwell Landing Luxury Apartments.

Cost: $5 million-$5.5 million

Project: "The Guardian," a movie being distributed through Disney. A Coast Guard enlistee is helped by a renowned rescue swimmer haunted by an accident.

Status: Filming to start about Dec. 5, end in the first week of March. Will be in wide release a year from now. About half of locations are secured, but this will be an ongoing process throughout the filming.

Filming locations: Classrooms, a swimming pool, houses and restaurants. The former BPCC campus will be used.

Stars: Ashton Kutcher and Kevin Costner.

Local jobs generated: A crew of more than 200 is expected. Union and non-union jobs will be offered with a preference for Louisiana residents, not necessarily from New Orleans. Resumes can be dropped off at the Clarion Hotel.

Cost: Producer would not say.

Project: "The Thief," a television series through FX Networks. The head of a robbery crew, though recently reformed, plans one final heist.

Status: Filming to start the third week of October. Five episodes will be shot, and parts of the pilot will be reshot.

Stars: Andre Braugher.

Project: "Factory Girl," a movie through LIFT. About Andy Warhol's muse.

Status: Shooting will start Nov. 28.

Filming locations: Warehouses, older parts of town that will be converted to look like New York.

Stars: Sienna Miller and Guy Pierce.

Cost: $8 million.

Project: "Premonition," a movie through LIFT. A housewife finds her husband is dead, then wakes up the next morning to find he's alive.

Status: Preproduction begins in two weeks. Filming likely to start in early 2006.

Stars: Sandra Bullock.

Cost: Just below $20 million.

There must be someone on this board who needs a Holiday Edition Darth Vader.

I'm glad to say it's not me.

You could combine the palantir with a Magic 8 ball.

"The One Eye is hazy. Try again."

Ooh, now that I want.

I am so braindead that I can't prioritize what I need to do this afternoon.

Meant to say, Burrell, this is me. I'm feeling more human, though still overly caffeinated. And accomplished as some grading got done. and some copying.

I'm just getting my afternoon caffeine hit now. I need to finish a letter of rec, sigh. Ah well, at least I took care of a parking ticket that I should have dealt with ages ago.

HEY! Me too! and some lab fees I kept forgetting to pay. AND even though there was no mail, a box with a new skirt, two shirts and a pair of brown sandals arrived today. It's like christmas, if Santa were a UPS guy.

HEY! Me too!

Whoa, that's freaky.

Nah. we live in LA. There is always a parking ticket.

The upside to federal holidays is I sometimes get the day off. The downside is the stuff I really have to do (bank, post office errands etc) are often closed.

David Arquette, Ray Liotta and Julianna Margulies.

I am fascinated with this combination.

I have a cat poking the back of my arm. Noodge.

and grossed out. Ray Liotta has terrible skin. A college friend tried to offer him a blow job in the men's room once. When she was turned down, she was so disconsolate she tried to drown herself in the lady's room sink.

Ah, college. Good times, good times.