ba dum bum KRASH

Finally saw BOONDOCK SAINTS tonight. Really interesting, since I'd already seen OVERNIGHT (basically about what a megalomaniacal asshole the director was once he got his deal approved and how it ended getting the movie basically zero release in theaters). The non-release of the movie theatrically had to be entirely based on the bullshit Troy Duffy was pulling while making the movie, because the movie itself is monumentally entertaining in the most lunatic way, and would have found some kind of audience (IOW - the Weinsteins strangled the movie in it's crib out of spite). While it's not quite as deranged as SHOOT EM UP, it does hold together better as a movie overall (SHOOT EM UP ran out of gas about a half hour before the end).

Willem Dafoe's FBI agent gives Dale Cooper a run as most eccentric FBI agent ever (Hoover withstanding - real life does trump in the strangest ways, doesn't it) and I'm beginning to think that Billy Connelly has had THE most eccentric career of any actor I can think of. Seriously fun movie, but outrageously violent (and cat lovers beware - this may be the worst movie since 1900 or Argento's INFERNO for you).

I love Boondock Saints!

And I haven't seen Overnight, although I keep meaning to and your reminding me about it is A Good Thing. But yeah, everything I've heard even outside it is that suggests that Duffy is a colossal ass. Even for an industry used to assholes. He's been claiming there's a sequel that'll be turning up any second now for years and years.

One of the sound stages at Universal is on fire.

Holy crap! Kevin is not kidding.

I just looked out my window in the direction of Universal, and there is a GIANT column of smoke rising into the air. It looks bad. And it looks like more than just one stage.

Holy shit - stay safe LAistas!

ND's not working at Universal today, is he?

[eta: BBC has video]

ND's not working at Universal today, is he?

I imagine he's currently sleeping soundly in Pasadena, and if he was going anywhere today, it would be down to Costa Mesa.

The column of smoke coming from behind the hill is enormous. From here it looks like half the backlot is on fire. And those stages are crammed together like sardines.

I think the closest stage on the video is the old Serenity one, if I've placed it right.

Looking at the video, it's looking like they have lost at least half of the back lot -- the city/western/roman street exterior sets.

They've also lost several large buildings, one of which may be the King Kong ride (part of the back lot tour), and some prop buildings.

I'm so very glad this happened early on a Sunday morning. There was, in all probability, no filming going on this morning, and the park isn't really open yet.

I hope the firefighters stay safe.

This is going to be a big loss for Universal (though insurance will mitigate that somewhat). But there was at least one trailer that got totaled by the fire, and that's going to be a hard hit for whatever production was using it. And if there were trailers around, that means that there was something filming in the area that probably just lost their sets, and anything else that was in the path of the flames. That type of loss is usually death to a production.

I wonder how this is going to affect Halloween Horror Nights.