Where Are You From?

[ahab]

I am from western PA. Originally from a small town and going to college in a small town.



Shop Smart. Shop S-Mart.

[wheresthecarrot]

It's not posted because its a small gathering of people who take a special English class devoted to him every year.  It's denounced as a rumor because every year more and more people who are not part of the class try to go....it's not open to the public or anything, though that rumor is circulating.  It's essentially dinner and some really creepy-ass stuff he shows everyone on the tour, but people will routinely jump out and grab at you and stuff....I've never been myself, but I've had friends that went.

[systemcr4sh]

Another Canadian.
Peterborough Ontario.
Extremely small town that consists of mostly old folk and rednecks.

[Dano]

Arlington VA - less than a mile from the Pentagon.  Not too many low budget movies filmed around here, although my then girlfriend/now wife once jogged by the Marine Corps Memorial (often wrongly called Iwo Jima Memorial - maybe Andrew will appreciate that I got it right) and saw a film crew filming the sunrise behind the memorial and the DC skyline.  They were taking shots of just the memorial, and then asking people to walk in front of it for some of their shots.  Given the timing (1995), I think it may have been for an establishing shot used in Independence Day.  There have been about a trillion movies filmed here - which is funny to go to the movies and listen to all the locals snicker at the continuity errors.  Worst offender ever was the Jackal.  I don't know where the climactic scene of that movie set in the DC Metro was filmed, but it was not the DC Metro.  I also recall more than a few people in the theater during Planet of the Apes whispering "there's our house!" as Markey Mark swooped in over the Ape version of Washington.  

Another favorite of mine is the broad stone staircase behind the Lincoln Memorial that goes down almost to the banks of the Potomac.  In all the movies, that's where the heros or villains go to have secret rendevous and discuss illicit and covert topics.  Several problems: first, you cannot get there any way other than on foot.  The nearest place where the public can park is maybe a half mile away at the closest, parking there is damn near impossible, and you'd have to cross a very busy street with no crosswalk.  The only other way is to walk more than a mile.  Problem two, a major thoroughfare runs along the top and bottom of the stairs and they're always full of heavy traffic.  Bad place to go for those not wanting to be seen.  Finally, the noise of the traffic makes whispered conversations extraordinarily difficult to have.  But it's scenic... and I guess that's the whole point.

[Pete B6K]

Edmonton, London, England.

And no, I don't have yellow teeth.

Pete

[Funk, E.]

Pacifica, CA just outside of San Francisco

[Scottie]

You live in NC? Well I'll be damned. I live in Greesnboro not two hours down the road from you!

-Scottie

[Deej]

 I am from Atlanta, Ga. I currently live and work in Brcko,Bosnia. I'm not sure if this is something that could only happen in Bosnia, but I'm positive it wouldn't happen in the states. I'm not a particulary big guy, but I shave my head and wear a goatee, so the locals seem to think I'm Stone Cold Steve Austin. I've also have been asked if I am Bruce Willis. I look absolutely nothing like either of these gentleman. Oh well, in highschool they called me Doogie Howser, so I guess it's a step up. Happy Holidays to all.

[Bernie]

NYC.  I live in Brooklyn, work in midtown Manhattan.  Stories?

I once saw Patti Smith and David Peel get into an argument in Washington Square Park (circa 78-79).  Once came out of the subway in the Village in the dead of winter and almost walked into Lou Reed and Laurie Anderson looking in the window of Sam Goody's.  My wife used to work on the upper West Side, saw many soap stars on the streets; she once walked into (literally) Sean Lennon while she was wearing her John Lennon t-shirt (she was embarrassed).

Some of the scenes in As Good As It Gets were shot about 2 blocks from my house.

[Scottie]

Greensboro, North Carolina. It's the gateway to the gateway on the third left, two halls down. Not much goes on around here: not much filming, not many plans for terrorist attacks; just a lot of disappearing woodland area being lost to expanding corporate commercial stores like Kohls, Best Buy and Target. And I remember when Greensboro was pretty.

My story about living in America? Well, there's always the awesome power of being able to create your own business on a whim and not have your government bring a fist of opression down on you. But, me personally, I don't think I have any. Well, maybe going to see Woodstock 94 WAS INCREDIBLE, but that's about it.

-Scottie-

[Deena]

Indiana here.  There is not all that much special going on here in Indiana.  Sometimes you can see John Mellancamp in stores and restaurants here in the college town I live in.  I know, he's such a huge star and all. =0P

Deena

[Vermin Boy]

Templeton (read: Backwoods) Massachusetts. The only movie I can think of that was shot in my area is School Ties, which featured a young Brendan Fraser, Ben Affleck, and Matt Damon. I remember when they shot it, they changed the name of the diner, so now the diner's got two names, depending on which angle you look at it from. Apart from that, the nearest frequently shot location is Concord, MA (about 45 minutes away), where Steve Martin shot a movie or two, and I know there've been others.

[JohnL]

>what state do you hail from?
>
>Can you tell a positive story or something specific that happened to you that
>could've ONLY happed to a person if they lived in THE STATE OR COUNTRY
>that you live in?

State: Connecticut

Story: The place where I get my glasses made is owned or run by the father of Ellen Muth, the girl who played the younger version of Jennifer Jason Lee's character in Dolores Claiborne. After the movie came out, she was autographing pictures at a video store within walking distance from my house.

>Just like in the movie, if you look hard enough, you can envision the players
>emerging from the rows of corn.

 Do you often see imaginary people? :)

>It was then that I reached into my pocket and pulled out the diamond
>engagement ring I'd been carrying around all day. You could have knocked her
>over with a feather.

Nice move! I'd love to have seen her face.

>I have lived my entire life in the San Francisco Bay Area and really don't want to
>love anywhere else.

Yes, it's always best to keep your love in your home town. :)

[Pancho]

I'm from farm country upstate New York.  The only story I can think of is about the time my cousin and I almost got arrested for trying to sled on the Hill Cummorah (a mormon holy site a few towns over).  I was only 7 at the time and my cousin is from Brooklyn and didn't know it was a holy site.  Imagine my parents suprise when we came home in a police car.  And Ash, for your book, I wear boxers and have type O negative blood.  I enjoy candle-lit dinners and long walks on the nonexistant beach (unless Lake Ontario counts).

[J.R.]

Born in Hemet, California, raised all over (Michigan, New York, North Carolina), but I consider Oregon my home.