Loud noise coming from Downtown???

**urbanoutdoors** · November-13-09, 11:42 PM

There was a loud noise coming from downtown just now any clue what it was?

**cycledetroit** · November-13-09, 11:45 PM

Lafayette Demo????

**mcsdetroitfriend** · November-13-09, 11:47 PM

bet you anything it was from "Red Dawn"

**urbanoutdoors** · November-13-09, 11:48 PM

that was my initial thought but it almost seemed to constant figured it was either that or a late night movie shoot....

DetroitDad · November-13-09, 11:55 PM

Oops, just made a post about this too. Didn't see this one. You know, it had to be one of the two scenarios above.

On an unrelated note, has anyone else been flashed by that helicopter that keeps coming by, they keep shining a spotlight in my living room window.

Ahh, the joys of living in the city. Never a dull moment. Urbanity

**Gannon** · November-14-09, 12:13 AM

They were setting up for a HUGE explosion on the set of Red Dawn when I left downtown. They were worried about blowing out windows in the buildings around the intersection, actually as far away as 1001 Woodward and the green monster by Campus Martius.

Whomever saw it will see it again when the movie is done, these kinda things they don't film twice...unlike most scenes they get twelve takes on.

I wonder if the Book Cadillac had any complaints...

**bigtreble** · November-14-09, 03:48 PM

**mcsdetroitfriend** · November-14-09, 04:06 PM

Originally Posted by bigtreble

Awesome!!!!

**buildingsofdetroit** · November-14-09, 04:34 PM

With the hotel and residential right next door, I can't believe they'd do that in the middle of the night. Why not do it at 6 p.m. or even 9 p.m. on a Saturday? Downtown is dead then.

**mcsdetroitfriend** · November-14-09, 04:41 PM

Originally Posted by buildingsofdetroit

With the hotel and residential right next door, I can't believe they'd do that in the middle of the night. Why not do it at 6 p.m. or even 9 p.m. on a Saturday? Downtown is dead then.

isn't hotel traffic considerably slower on weekdays vs. weekends?

**margdar** · November-14-09, 07:34 PM

The folks at Red Dawn have not alerted or made any efforts to alert the residents of the downtown area of potential disturbances caused by massive explosions, machine gun fire, sidewalk blockages, parking lot closures and bright-as-day lights shining into resident homes at all hours of the night.

When confronted about the excessive noise, street impediments and bright lights late at night shining into apartments, Eric, [[who I understand was the liaison who arranged for several business on Washington Blvd. to be compensated for inconvenience caused by the film blocking off the sidewalk) assured me and other residents of Capital Park that we would recieve word from him and be "taken care of." No one has heard anything since that conversation several weeks ago.

In my experience, when a movie sets up shop in any neighborhood, the businesses and residents of the area are alerted of closures and other activities by signage posted a week in advance. Most people love being surrounded by the excitement and are very accomodating of the project. That is, if they don't, with no warning get woken up at 3 A.M. by machine gun fire or all of a sudden cannot park in the lot next to their homes. Those for whom the activity is a significant inconvenience or disturbance should receieve compensation of some sort.

In a move that I thought was rather audacious, a neighbor of mine was told that he may not be allowed to enter or exit our building for a period of time. What?! Please believe that if you expect me to be governed by your rules as to when I am able to come and go out of my own home, you had better be prepared to compensate me accordingly.

It's wonderful that the industry has taken a liking to Detroit and I hope to see this kind of activity continue and grow. But Detroiters, like residents of any other city, would appreciate the courtesy of prior notification and when appropriate, a slice of the $40 million budget.

**Gsgeorge** · November-15-09, 02:12 AM

Originally Posted by margdar

The folks at Red Dawn have not alerted or made any efforts to alert the residents of the downtown area of potential disturbances caused by massive explosions, machine gun fire, sidewalk blockages, parking lot closures and bright-as-day lights shining into resident homes at all hours of the night.

When confronted about the excessive noise, street impediments and bright lights late at night shining into apartments, Eric, [[who I understand was the liaison who arranged for several business on Washington Blvd. to be compensated for inconvenience caused by the film blocking off the sidewalk) assured me and other residents of Capital Park that we would recieve word from him and be "taken care of." No one has heard anything since that conversation several weeks ago.

In my experience, when a movie sets up shop in any neighborhood, the businesses and residents of the area are alerted of closures and other activities by signage posted a week in advance. Most people love being surrounded by the excitement and are very accomodating of the project. That is, if they don't, with no warning get woken up at 3 A.M. by machine gun fire or all of a sudden cannot park in the lot next to their homes. Those for whom the activity is a significant inconvenience or disturbance should receieve compensation of some sort.

In a move that I thought was rather audacious, a neighbor of mine was told that he may not be allowed to enter or exit our building for a period of time. What?! Please believe that if you expect me to be governed by your rules as to when I am able to come and go out of my own home, you had better be prepared to compensate me accordingly.

It's wonderful that the industry has taken a liking to Detroit and I hope to see this kind of activity continue and grow. But Detroiters, like residents of any other city, would appreciate the courtesy of prior notification and when appropriate, a slice of the $40 million budget.

'

Margdar, this has been Larry Mongo of Cafe D'Mongo's main complaint as well, though he welcomes the new industry in town and thinks it is good for the region. But he wished Detroit would get the same treatment as the suburbs or Grosse Pointe--if they shoot a film there, neighbors are well compensated for the inconvenience. Because this is downtown Detroit, filmmakers feel they have free reign. I have experienced this firsthand. The overall abandonment and lack of attention to the area has the affect of making filmmakers think it is their playground, and that they can stretch the rules or get away with more than what was negotiated.

Overall, though, it should be noted that it is common practice to notify and compensate all businesses and residents immediately affected by a big-budget film production such as this--however, on a shoot as immense as Red Dawn, you cannot notify EVERYONE. It would be impossible. Inevitably some people outside of the immediate film area will be aroused by gunfire and explosions, but residents of Washington Square Apartments should not necessarily be compensated for filming that is taking place blocks away, even if they can hear it and it causes traffic problems in the neighborhood. The impact on our downtown & neighborhood streets is part of the payoff for welcoming these big-budget ventures into our State. I can guarantee Detroit has seen significant returns from a film as grand as Red Dawn -- think of all the extras and crew members and cast members downtown, eating out, using our banks, restaurants--all the vendors involved from hotels to car rental to equipment rental. There are a lot of locals on the Red Dawn crew and I can guarantee that none of them have complaints about their paycheck. And location fees are covering months worth of rent in buildings that are otherwise vacant or abandoned. And films like Red Dawn, after all, with their big explosions and incredible action sequences, could not be shot any other way. Sure, you could CGI the crap out of it, but who wants to see computer explosions on city streets when real ones are so much cooler?

What I'm trying to say is -- sorry you were inconvenienced. As someone who works in the film industry, I like to see everyone affected or involved taken care of. But because of the nature of on-location filmmaking, you cannot and will not make everyone happy, no matter how large the budget or how good the film.

DetroitDad · November-15-09, 09:36 AM

I don't know, on our walk last night, the police officer was polite and helped with getting the stroller around the K rails on Michigan Avenue. All of my fellow Downtowners seem excited about the filming, though. They brought some more vitality into Downtown, if not just for a moment.

**RickBeall** · November-15-09, 12:50 PM

Cool video!!! Thanks for posting! Blow up those commies!

Oh, I forgot for a moment it was not real.

**Gannon** · November-15-09, 12:57 PM

Larry Mongo and his mother are no friends of the movie industry.

I know of their lame attempts to derail the filming of both 8 Mile [[where his mother WAITED until she heard them call 'Action!' before scraping her snow shovel on the sidewalk to destroy the dialogue capture) and this last one where Louis Aguilar did his one-sided reporting that Dave Krieger had to correct with a lengthy opinion column in the News.

Sure, Dave is charmed now by Larry's magical powers and alcohol elixirs [[ahem, heh!)...but this stuff about the Hair Salon losing money and that EMPTY storefront being bothered by the shooting/filming in their doorway and on the sidewalk is simply bullshit. Larry made it eighteen times harder for them to do their work, and believe me this will not be forgotten by the industry...Hollywood-types have long collective memories about this sort of thing. They travel in packs!

Only thing I could think about, while hearing the barrage of machine gun and anti-aircraft fire during the SETUP to the big boom scene, was the neighbors...I'm sure having WWIII down your block with the depot yard of vehicles and everything a block further would be a terrible disturbance, but nothing more than what the entire city of Los Angeles became VERY used to over the decades.

But when one fellow told me they were worried about windows over a block away, I knew there were variables they were willing to risk...collateral damage, as it were. I was bummed that my ride back to my car at Sala Thai needed to leave, but we'd have waited another hour for that explosion...glad someone ON THE CREW got it up on YouTube, nobody else got that good of an angle or could get that close!

Many people thought that bank robbery with the heavy-laden gunmen in 2000 [[or summer of 1999) by that Bank of America in North Hollywood was fake.

Then again, most witnesses to the 9/11 disaster thought they were watching a movie being filmed as well...total disassociation with reality, perhaps Hollywoods greatest goal for us!

Cheers, and sorry for your aggravation, Margdar. I know you're a friend of Larry's...please don't take my commentary too heavily, I'm just not washed away by the fellow's charms, especially when I see and hear how he and his mother act and treat people who AREN'T customers of theirs. This doesn't lessen your wounds, nor the worse of your trapped friend...