Sunday, February 24, 2013

Excited About Silver Linings Oscar Party

I don't watch sports much. I usually only get excited about a local sports team when it makes it to the final series.  I don't go to the cinema much either. I do get excited when a TV show or movie is recorded in or around my home town, Philadelphia. In the past I was so preoccupied with figuring out at which location a scene was filmed in Philadelphia that I didn't get the clues in "The Sixth Sense" that the character, Dr. Malcolm Crowe, Bruce Willis played was dead.

Scene from the movie "The Shooter" filmed before Independence Hall, Philadelphia, PA with my son playing a Secret Service Agent, as an extra.
I also get excited when someone close to me is involved in a movie, show or performance. My son has appeared in a few films staged here in Philadelphia and that excited me. When we sat down and watch any of those movies together, I am unable to pick him out unless the movie is paused and my son actually places his finger on the screen next to his image. No matter how trivial his appearance, I was excited.

My son now works at The Movie Tavern. As a perk he is able to bring two guests to see a movie, free. I have not seen as many movies in one year as I have in the last two months. One of those movies was "Silver Linings Playbook" which was mostly filmed just outside of Philadelphia, in and around Drexel Hill, PA.

I first became aware of the filming of "Silver Linings ..." in October of 2011 through a blog by a Philadelphia movie fan, who has been an extra in several movies. On her blog PhillyFilmGirl she had self shot photographs and video of Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence and Robert De Niro in and around Drexel Hill and the Llanerch Diner on US 1, 95 E. Township Line Rd during filming.

I know these locations. I ate at the Llanerch Diner. I worked in and around these locations when I built, demolished, maintained and changed billboards for some 34 years. I feel like I own part of this place. So when I go to a movie that is set in my town, I go with a critical eye. I go holding a magnifying glass to the screen with my thinking cap on, in acute mode. I want to figure out where each scene was filmed. I get excited.

Tonight is Oscar night 2013. In the Delaware County Daily Times I read there will be two Oscar parties relating to "Silver Linings Playbook" near the filming locations in Drexel Hill. I got excited.

At this time, there is no local sports team in any finals. There is no one I personally know in any kind of show. There is, however, a movie filmed in the Philadelphia area that relates, a little, to sports that is up for several Oscars. I am excited.


©Damyon T. Verbo - all rights reserved




No comments:

Post a Comment

Don't be shy. Leave a comment. I won't bite your head off.