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Matt Damon News Column - Informant filming continues, MTV Awards
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Informant filming continues, MTV Awards
  • New video and photos of Matt and Scott Bakula filming The Informant on Friday at a residential location are at the Herald & Review, with photos by Kelly J. Huff. The paper has extensive coverage of the filming, including reports by extras and reader photos. A report on Friday's filming is here, including:

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    “Bad timing on your part; the party is obviously here in Illinois!” - Matt Damon, talking to a fan’s out-of-state friend on a cell phone after filming scenes for The Informant Friday

    The whole vibe was more like a block party than a Hollywood film shoot. Obviously, when they were working everyone had to mind their Ps and Qs, but before and after it was extremely laid back.

    I asked one crewmember what it was about this particular neighborhood that appealed to them. “I know they really scoured the area prior to filming,” he explained. “This neighborhood had just the right combination of a house that fit [Scott Bakula’s] character, and a layout that allows us to set the scene perfectly.”

    Bakula himself strolled around after filming had wrapped. I asked him how he and the rest of the cast and crew were enjoying their time here. “We’re having a ball,” he replied. “We are truly having a ball.” His makeup artist agreed. “It’s a nice change of pace,” she said, citing the often-frenetic feel of Los Angeles.

    The big draw of the day though was once again Matt Damon. And once more he proved to be nothing but aces as he again took the time to sign autographs and pose for pictures. The kicker? He actually came prepared this time with a stack of cards and Sharpie.

    And when he was told he needed to get moving since they were apparently behind schedule? “OK guys,” he announced. “Just a few more, then I need to eat something and get moving. I gotta work!”

  • More photos from Decatur and details of filming are available at the website for radio station WBNQ. A video and report of Matt and Soderbergh filming at local TV station NewsCenter 17 is at WAND TV, with an interview with Matt and more footage promised in coming weeks.

  • The Informant will no longer be released by Warner Independent Pictures, as the studio has announced plans to close the specialty release division. The film had previously been attached to the main Warners studio, but was transferred in an attempt to save the struggling studio (this article from the LA Times was released a day before the announcement).

    Warner Independent's most notable upcoming project is Steven Soderbergh's "The Informant," starring Matt Damon. According to someone involved with the film, "The Informant" was developed by Warner Bros. proper but has been given to Warner Independent to release in part to prop up the division.

  • Matt has been nominated for two MTV Movie Awards: Best Male Performance and Best Fight (with Joey Ansah). Voting is open.

  • From an interview with actor Chiwetel Ejiofor at the Washington Post:

    That's because the more you know about an actor as a person, the harder it is to believe in the character. Some of the actors Ejiofor most respects are those whose private lives, in his words, represent "something of an enigma," despite their fame: Daniel Day-Lewis, Al Pacino, even Matt Damon.

    "It's important to live in order to do the work, I think," says Ejiofor, explaining that the ability to remain a blank slate is what makes him, or any other actor, good at the job. "A lot of acting is about living," he says simply, "as opposed to anything else."
  • Comments
    From: (Anonymous) Date: May 10th, 2008 12:56 pm (UTC) (Link)

    MTV Movie Awards

    Link to vote is here: http://www.mtv.com/ontv/movieawards/2008/
    From: (Anonymous) Date: May 10th, 2008 05:10 pm (UTC) (Link)

    the coverage

    All this stuff is terrific! Almost like being there. Thanks!
    mattdamoncolumn From: [info]mattdamoncolumn Date: May 11th, 2008 06:05 am (UTC) (Link)

    Filming locations - rumors

    Locations for filming this week (not confirmed - referenced on blogs etc):

    Monday – Planned filming at a cafe/restaurant in Moweaqua was moved to Sunday because of the weather - completed
    Tuesday - Decatur prison and around Main and Merchant Streets

    Edited at 2008-05-12 02:48 am (UTC)
    mattdamoncolumn From: [info]mattdamoncolumn Date: May 11th, 2008 07:49 am (UTC) (Link)

    WAND-TV

    Local Decatur TV station WAND-TV now has a site for their videos, photos and stories, including pics of Matt being interviewed last Friday (that video is yet to be broadcast).

    http://www.wandtv.com/Global/category.asp?C=135252

    Edited at 2008-05-11 07:49 am (UTC)
    mattdamoncolumn From: [info]mattdamoncolumn Date: May 12th, 2008 07:48 am (UTC) (Link)

    Report on filming and Whitacre

    Lucy and kids met Matt after the morning's filming at the Hog Trough on Sunday for a Mother's Day lunch. Cute.

    There's an article at the Chicago Tribune about the filming of The Informant, ADM scandal and Whitacre:
    http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/chi-mon-adm-whitacre-decatur-may12,0,3848643.story

    (A picture of the cement deer is available on the blog of actor Tom Wilson: http://tomwilsonusa.blogspot.com/ )

    Free after serving eight years and eight months in federal prison, Whitacre reluctantly supports the production, too, and considers Damon a good choice to play him because of his psychological intensity, if not his looks. "My kids tell me he is, like, the sexiest man alive. I'm 50 years old and bald-headed," he said.

    Whitacre had moved into a horse estate once owned by patriarch Dwayne Andreas in Moweaqua, 20 miles south of town. Soderbergh has restored it to its early-1990s condition for the movie, including a pair of fake deer in the front yard.

    Down the road, at Moweaqua's Hog Trough Too restaurant, a movie crew hung plaid wallpaper and painted the wainscoting a handsome shade of red in preparation for a shoot. They also ordered barbecue ribs to go—for 100. "It's been a nice boost to the economy around here," said owner Angie Knight.

    Edited at 2008-05-12 07:53 am (UTC)
    From: (Anonymous) Date: May 12th, 2008 06:34 pm (UTC) (Link)

    Re: Report on filming and Whitacre

    They ate at the Hog Trough? That's too fabuous for words. Mother's Day, yet. Welcome to the glamorous midwest, Matt.

    Do you have any idea what Tim Cain is referring to in his "What I like About Matt Damon" column when he says, "... none of these has anything to do with anything that may or may not have transpired over the weekend." ??? What transpired? I'm SO curious, and thought if anybody would know, you would!
    Paula
    mattdamoncolumn From: [info]mattdamoncolumn Date: May 12th, 2008 09:06 pm (UTC) (Link)

    Re: Report on filming and Whitacre

    I don't know, but guessed that Matt may have done an interview with him.
    mattdamoncolumn From: [info]mattdamoncolumn Date: May 13th, 2008 12:19 pm (UTC) (Link)

    And more reports

    I'm not posting most of the stories - just look at Yahoo or Google news or the Herald & Review. A few recent stories are here, but don't say much.

    http://www.herald-review.com/articles/2008/05/12/news/local/doc48283bb6cd3c7807950205.txt

    http://www.herald-review.com/articles/2008/05/13/news/local/doc482924129d576213550899.txt

    A more interesting report is from the blog of a news guy at the station they filmed at last week about his reactions to encountering Matt. To wake this site up, leave your comments if interested. I'm guessing the actor with an attitude is Joel McHale.

    http://www.wandtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=7991516

    My response would be that an encounter like this probably marks the difference between Matt and someone like George Clooney, who I think would perform for anybody at anytime. I don't think Matt really cares about being 'on' whenever he's in public, and just wants time out when he can.

    Edited at 2008-05-13 12:24 pm (UTC)
    From: (Anonymous) Date: May 14th, 2008 08:58 am (UTC) (Link)

    Re: And more reports

    Thank you for the link. It made very interesting reading. I'd love to know who the actor with an attitude is. It's very discreet of him not to say who it was damn it! 'Publish and be damned' I say.

    Joel McHale hmm..... One of my other guilty pleasures is watching The Soup and I think he's pretty funny (OK I admit it, I watch a lot of trashy television but I try to make up for it by doing good works and being very charitable).

    Thanks also for posting those great pictures of Matt and his fans sporting the moustaches, made me laugh out loud. I wonder if he'll pay for my therapy after seeing him look like Ned Flanders ;) Marcia
    9 comments or Leave a comment
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