Home > Pulpwood Queen Blog > Archives > 2006 > October > 16 > Entry
“LIGHTS, CAMERA, REACTION!�
I hate to miss church. First, because it kind of sets the tone for my whole week and second, because I just feel plain guilty. I got up this morning, puffy eyed, with swollen feet, and flat out tired. There was no way I was going to make it to church. I was too tired. I slumped into my favorite winged backed chair with a hot cup of java and thought. Here is what happens to you when you finally get in the movies. Yes, last night or should I say this early, early this morning, I was an extra in the filming of a new movie, “The Agenda.�
I first heard about the film when our Tourism Director, Juanita Chitwood, sent out an email with a call for extras for the film, “The Agenda�, to be filmed in Longview by Azisa Pictures. Below is the write up on the Longview Public Library website and newsletter:
Longview Public Library is a “Star�! Longview Public Library will get top billing when the locally based Azisa Pictures films a large segment of their new movie “Agenda� here sometime during the first two weeks of October. Just like most movie “stars�, however, the library will be temporarily getting a total “make-over�… to an art museum! Statues and artwork will be moved in by the movie company to transform the library courtyard and interior into the art museum as needed for some major scenes in this exciting movie. Oscar night and red carpet, here we come!
Wow, I love the movies, almost as much as a good book. How exciting, red carpet and Oscars here we come. The movie “The Agenda� is a film about three people who are drawn together, through what is perceived as one interest. The truth is each individual has their own “agenda�, thus the title of the film. There’s mystery, suspense, and MURDER! Shades of Agatha Christie, here we come!
After we were called and were approved by casting (the men had to wear tuxedos, the women floor-length gowns), I was told I was to be a wealthy art patron attending a gallery opening. I had the gown and being an art major, felt well qualified for the role except the wealthy part. Well, I had acted before in high school and local theatrical productions, I would do my best. My co-worker and stylist, Nelson Collier and his life partner, John Baribeau would also be attending as they had the tuxedos. Darrell Jones of The Carriage House Bed & Breakfast was attending too and actually drove us to Longview for this theatrical adventure.
When we arrived at the time specified, 7:30 p.m. this past Saturday, there was no one at the table at the entrance of the library. They had a scotch taped handwritten sign that said, “Extras Sign-In�. We did not see a sign in sheet anywhere or a soul for that matter. Finally, we stopped someone walking by and were directed to help ourselves to refreshments at the hospitality room on our left. As we entered, we spied bottles of water and bags of chips slung out on a bare folding table. Chairs were lined up across the room in rows. Someone was scurrying to drop a screen from the ceiling to show us a movie while we waited. Evidently, production was running behind. They would begin to set up the scene now at 9:30 p.m. We had two hours, I was thinking I hope it is a film I had not seen.
We settled as best we could into the chairs for the long wait and proceeded to watch “Second Hand Lions� starring my favorite actor Robert Duvall and co-star Michael Caine. After a long, strenuous Saturday of doing haircuts and color, I suggested maybe we go to find a Starbucks and get some heavily dosed espresso shots of coffee for the long night ahead. I had seen the movie several times before. We left the building.
As we walked into the Starbucks, I knew we created quite a spectacle. Here was a woman in a ball gown with three men in tuxes. I felt just like I was an extra on a Will & Grace Television show episode. We slurped down our lattes and scarfed pumpkin cheesecake muffins to fortify us for the night ahead as we watched the continuous parade of patrons entering and leaving the building. Sated and caffeinated we headed back to the library.
Unfortunately, when we got back, we found out production was running now real behind. It looked like it would be more like 11 or 12 midnight before we started our scene. I silently wondered why I had rushed to get ready for this event. I saw resigned dissention amongst the troops. We conferred. My thought on this was, damn it, if I had already invested three hours of being uncomfortable, I might as well be in it for the long hall. No way was I going home to say I sat in a library in a ball gown for hours just watching movies. By God, I was somehow, someway going to be in this film. Everyone agreed!
We settled in now with a tray of sandwiches that the movie gopher presented as “Look they are from Jason’s Deli�, like caviar for our taste buds. Nelson asked if they were fresh and the young wild haired-blonde replied, “Sure they are, they have only been sitting around for around for like an hour.� I passed and took my seat.
The best part of the evening was watching the next film “Steel Magnolia�, one of my favorite movies of all time. The boys and I laughed our fool heads off at the antics of the Dolly Parton and the women of “Steel Magnolias�. The costumes alone in the movie had us noticing some of the other participants in this extra shoot surrounding us. One woman had I swear swiped a bow off of a Dilliard’s wrapped wedding gift and perched it on top her bird’s nest of a do. Her beaded eighties shoulder padded jacket kept gaping open at the beaded buttons to show gaps of really white bloated flesh as she sat and ate her chips. Another had on a brown imitation snakeskin pantsuit with a real fox boa. Another woman had Rapunzel like red hair with orthopedic shoes and her partners Tux was a Sears Navy blue serge suit with gray cowboy boots. I guess their rendition of what to wear for a gala affair and gallery opening, only in East Texas.
The worst part of evening was right during the grave yard scene in the movie, when Sally Field is crying her eyes out over the loss of her daughter, the producer broke in to report, they would now be starting to set up for the filming and would take only another 20 to 40 more minutes more. He went on and on as we, all were trying to ignore him and catch the most pivotal part of the film, the “Steel Magnolias� reference. I got the giggles thinking about us all being more into the movie we were watching than being in the film as extras. Well, I do have a distorted sense of humor.
We all tried to ignore him best as we could as Olympia Dukakis told Sally Field to hit Shirley MacLaine if she wanted to hit somebody. We laughed as Nelson passed Kleenexes and blew our noses. I am not sure if we were crying for the loss of the diabetic daughter, Julia Roberts, or the fact there was another delay in our scene of the film.
By now, I was exhausted from the wait. Therefore, if any of you are thinking about becoming a movie star go sit in a library for a day in a ball gown watching movies. That should be a mandatory prerequisite of anyone dreaming of stardom. To tell you the truth, I wished I had walked around the corner and found myself a good book and forgot the whole thing. By now I had invested a good 4, 5, 6 hours of wait time and the glitter from my name in lights had fell to the floor faster than feathers on a chicken feather boa.
Suddenly there was action, we were asked to please come and take our places outside of the library for the gala scene. We stood as quickly as our now butt numbing seats would allow and passively stood, herded like cattle out to the corral. Back and forth, we walked in and out of the building so many times, so many takes that I myself was seeing the mystery, suspense, and MURDER of my crocodile killer dress pumps!
The star of the movie came out into view in a chocolate spaghetti strapped dress. Her name may or may not have been Illeana Alexander. We were told the stars were Matthew Mochonahie and Sally Kirkland. Matthew was a Longview native and Sally, hadn’t she been the original “Hotlips Hollihan� in the film M.A.S.H. We never saw those stars. I noticed that the star had the same murderous killer shoes that I did with her shoulder draped with a gym class looking grey hoodie. Evidently, she was feeling a chill. I noticed she kept turning and talked to my friend John, as he was a few steps ahead of me escorting a Longview woman I knew from our district Rotary meetings. They told me she was nice. Some other guy kept running through the crowd to find the co-star and they would have conversation but it was out of our earshot. I walked in and out of the building with a young college age student, or could be high school wearing a bronze satin Carole Lombard number, a stunning girl, maybe an East Texas version of Paris Hilton as a patron of the arts. She was from Diana, Texas so we talked mostly about how my hometown ofJefferson had beaten them in football and the fact that they had an awesome band. They could really march in straight lines. Thrilling evening to say the least but she was a sweet girl.
Finally, the words I was dying to hear, “It’s a wrap.� As I dragged my sorry “Extra� bum to the car, wincing at the bite of my crocodile heels, I slumped against the S.U.V. waiting for the boys to arrive. All I can say is never live to regret anything you have not tried at least once. I tried the movie scene and now I am ready to move on. Next time I am at the movie theatre and I see those glamorous actors on the screen I will remember, painfully, what they went through to get there. Movie stars make millions on films. All I have got to say is they deserve every penny of it. Oh, by the way, a crewmember whispered to us as we inquired what the pay would be for being an extra, “I’m sorry, nothing.� I guess this big budget film was spent on the stars.
In looking back, I find that that was just what I needed to prove my own personal theory. Yes, the book is always better. Next time they make the casting call, I am saying, “No thank you,�, and heading to my nearest stack of books. May I suggest “Steel Magnolias� by Robert Harling? May I also suggest for your own curiosity to check out the movie and trailer of “The Agenda’ at www.agendathemovie.com. We on the way home decided that maybe this was a Spanish made for TV. movie with English subtitles, both the co-stars reminded us of Spanish television. Now that was just our perception as who knows maybe we were just in the next blockbuster film. I think the part we were involved in mostly will be on he cutting room floor. I think the scene on film will involve less than a few minutes.
On the other hand, if you go and see the film, look for me in the gallery opening crowd, I am the wealthy art matron in the killer crocodile shoes dreaming of being in my pajamas and reading in bed. Quote me on this: “Forget ‘Here’s to Hollywood’, all I want is to be tucked into my Hollywood bed in jammies reading a good book.�
Tiara wearing and Book sharing,
Kathy L. Patrick
Founder of the Pulpwood Queens, the largest “meeting and discussing� book club in the WORLD!�
Comments
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By Tammy Cromer-Campbell
October 16, 2006 7:43 PM | Link to this
Hi Kathy,
We’ve been watching them film the movie near my gallery. They have Center St. blocked off with movie trailers and interesting lighting stuff hanging around. My husband asked why didn’t I try out to be an extra. After reading your blog, I am happy to just watch from my store front. I have to admit I catch myself gravitating to what they are doing. I’ve known Danny Martin for years and am very happy that he is finally doing what he has always wanted to do. Break a leg!
Best, Tammy Cromer-Campbell
By Kathy L. Patrick
October 17, 2006 8:51 PM | Link to this
Tammy, Of course you would want to be involved. IT’S THE MOVIES! Don’t get me wrong, we had a blast just being together, watching the flicks, and supporting the Texas Film Commission in East Texas. We hope a ton of movies are filmed here and why not? I sit on my porch everyday at the shop and see unbelievable things that would be perfect for the movies! Go for it Tammy! Just be sure and wear flats, ha! Truly, the Hollywood Kat