NEWS
"The Majestic" lives up to name
01 Mar 2001 That's it! We're moving to Ferndale! And we bet you'll be too after reading this week's report from our friend on location:
«Will it be a pawn shop? or a dress shop or a Buster Brown shoe store? My friend Ellie Green isn't sure, but Castle Rock is going to use her space for something---earlier in the week they were going to remove all her merchandise and turn her shop into a pawn shop and shoot a scene inside, then today she heard it would be a Buster Brown shoe store. She's still waiting to hear. Her shop (called 'Valley Arts') is in the building right next door to the big Majestic theatre set, right behind the town clock, so it will be in many shots of the theatre: the theatre set has blocked out a lot of sunlight from Ellie's side window. The construction crew has put up wood siding and painting crews are busy making the siding look weathered and peeling even down the narrow passage between the buildings.
The theatre building is solid looking, just like a real building: it has a solid roof, so looking in through the front doors of the theatre you see deep blackness as you would if you looked into a real theatre. Its as tall as the tallest buildings on Main Street, and wider than many of them. With the paint, it will look as if its been there since the 1890's.
Awnings have begun to go up on the grocery store which will be right in the middle of filming: many other businesses will be dressed with new signs and awnings as the week goes on.
Castle Rock has been fascinated with Ring's pharmacy and have taken many photographs---its a great old building with the original turned wood shelving interior intact: for us, its just the local drug store, but it does look like it belongs in a museum. I have heard the Castle Rock wants to digitize the building and move it across the street...
The diner set is now in place, in the parking space of Lino's service station which was still wearing its stage makeup from its turn in Outbreak in 1994. Lino is a real guy in town, and his place was once a real gas station: now its the temporary home to the stainless steel art deco style diner on the corner (the same corner where Dustin Hoffman and Cuba Gooding Jr. swiped that helicopter in Outbreak)
Diagonally across the intersection the three story Town Hall set has enveloped the one story US Bank building: the US Bank was also completely hidden in Outbreak, playing the role of the local hospital with all those stricken patients (many of whom are our friends and neighbors).
The most interesting thing this week: big 'carved wood' figures were hoisted up onto the front of the Victorian-style Majestic theatre set this morning: they're not wood of course, but they are cast and painted to look like it. On the right is a lady in classical robes carrying a comedy mask: on the left a man in a flowing toga with a mask of tragedy. Makes a really majestic picture already, and its not even close to being finished: there is a lot of neon yet to come, being hoisted in place next week.
Local artist Jack Mays is keeping busy making drawings of the set buildings as they go up around town.»
-- With an extra big Spank You to our Ferndale correspondent for the "Majestic" news. Click to comment this article.
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