St. Louis has never been known as a popular destination for moviemaking. As such, us St. Louisans cherish the moments when we do get a little attention from Hollywood. The crew of Up In The Air, an upcoming George Clooney flick, was here a few months ago to film some scenes...some of which took place in a church right here in Maplewood! Also utilized: some downtown buildings, the Cheshire Inn and the now-unused C-concourse at Lambert Airport.
However, no matter how successful Up in the Air may be, the circumstances of its filming in our fair city may never top that of the wildly popular 1981 cult classic Escape from New York. The premise of this John Carpenter film borders on the ridiculous: in 1988 the crime rate in America spiked 400% and as a result, all of Manhattan island has been turned into a maximum security prison walled off from the outside world...once you go in, you never leave (or you can opt to "terminate" yourself before entering the prison for good). Now, in 1997, Air Force One has crashed into NYC, and it's up to a new convict (Kurt Russell) to rescue the president from the roving gangs within the prison.
The story goes that John Carpenter needed to create a destroyed, post-apocalyptic New York City on a shoestring budget. After some location scouting, Carpenter settled on East St. Louis and St. Louis, both of which had been in a state of abject decay. The filming took place in the summers of 1979 and 1980. I assume that East St. Louis (which was far worse off than St. Louis) was used in a lot of driving shots. However, some St. Louis landmarks were used in the film.
Last night, I sat down to watch the film for the first time. I was able to spot the following places quite easily:
1. FOX Theatre
The FOX's facade was used as a dilapidated theatre where Kurt Russell character tracks down a homing device presumably shackled to the president. (Appropriately enough, 1979/80 was a period in which the FOX had been closed due to its failure as a movie theatre. It would be renovated into a live venue a few years later.) There's a blatant wide-angle shot of the theatre's facade. Boy, did that place look sad. I don't believe the interior was used, as the theatre interiors in the film look nothing like the FOX's architecture. The film crew makes the FOX appear to be an old Broadway theatre, but if one looks closely, there is some graffiti that clearly says "FOX THEATRE" right by the ticket booth.
2. Grand Hall, Union Station
Just like the FOX, this location was also dilapidated but would later be renovated. Carpenter uses the Grand Hall to represent Madison Square Garden for a gladiator-style fight. My uncle was one of the extras in this scene...though I cannot spot him at all. :)
3. Old Chain of Rocks Bridge
This old bridge--functioning as the "69th Street Bridge" during a climactic getaway sequence--was bought from the government for $1--for liability protection--then sold back.
Places I didn't spot in the film, but read about later:
The Crew Would Like To Thank:
THE CITY OF ST. LOUIS
THE CITY OF NEW YORK
THE CITY OF LOS ANGELES
THE MISSOURI COAST GUARD
PT's -- CENTREVILLE
I laughed out loud at that last one. For those not in the know, PT's is an infamous strip joint on the "East Side" that, according to one of the bartenders at Dressel's Pub, the film crew frequented to "blow off steam" and pay the strippers for more than just a strip show, if you get my drift.
Am I a dork to want to rent the version that has a director's commentary track????
However, no matter how successful Up in the Air may be, the circumstances of its filming in our fair city may never top that of the wildly popular 1981 cult classic Escape from New York. The premise of this John Carpenter film borders on the ridiculous: in 1988 the crime rate in America spiked 400% and as a result, all of Manhattan island has been turned into a maximum security prison walled off from the outside world...once you go in, you never leave (or you can opt to "terminate" yourself before entering the prison for good). Now, in 1997, Air Force One has crashed into NYC, and it's up to a new convict (Kurt Russell) to rescue the president from the roving gangs within the prison.The story goes that John Carpenter needed to create a destroyed, post-apocalyptic New York City on a shoestring budget. After some location scouting, Carpenter settled on East St. Louis and St. Louis, both of which had been in a state of abject decay. The filming took place in the summers of 1979 and 1980. I assume that East St. Louis (which was far worse off than St. Louis) was used in a lot of driving shots. However, some St. Louis landmarks were used in the film.
Last night, I sat down to watch the film for the first time. I was able to spot the following places quite easily:
1. FOX Theatre
The FOX's facade was used as a dilapidated theatre where Kurt Russell character tracks down a homing device presumably shackled to the president. (Appropriately enough, 1979/80 was a period in which the FOX had been closed due to its failure as a movie theatre. It would be renovated into a live venue a few years later.) There's a blatant wide-angle shot of the theatre's facade. Boy, did that place look sad. I don't believe the interior was used, as the theatre interiors in the film look nothing like the FOX's architecture. The film crew makes the FOX appear to be an old Broadway theatre, but if one looks closely, there is some graffiti that clearly says "FOX THEATRE" right by the ticket booth.
2. Grand Hall, Union Station
Just like the FOX, this location was also dilapidated but would later be renovated. Carpenter uses the Grand Hall to represent Madison Square Garden for a gladiator-style fight. My uncle was one of the extras in this scene...though I cannot spot him at all. :)
3. Old Chain of Rocks Bridge
This old bridge--functioning as the "69th Street Bridge" during a climactic getaway sequence--was bought from the government for $1--for liability protection--then sold back.
Places I didn't spot in the film, but read about later:
- 21st & Locust -- site of Air Force One wreckage
- Civil Courts Building -- site of a minor character's hideout
- Masonic Temple on Lindell....which I assume is now the Moolah Theater??
The Crew Would Like To Thank:
THE CITY OF ST. LOUIS
THE CITY OF NEW YORK
THE CITY OF LOS ANGELES
THE MISSOURI COAST GUARD
PT's -- CENTREVILLE
I laughed out loud at that last one. For those not in the know, PT's is an infamous strip joint on the "East Side" that, according to one of the bartenders at Dressel's Pub, the film crew frequented to "blow off steam" and pay the strippers for more than just a strip show, if you get my drift.
Am I a dork to want to rent the version that has a director's commentary track????
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