Zombies at Convoy's Wharf

The fact that Andrew was coming out of the Dog & Bell last week is not the reason why he saw zombies, I'm sure. Instead it was yet another film crew...

He says:
"I had a chat with one of the production staff, apparently they're filming a zombie movie with Danny Dyer in the building's old shell.
Looking on-line I suspect it's "Devil's Playground" due out next year."

All that was left of the filming the next day was the little yellow helicopter (bottom left of pic). Or maybe it was all a dream...

The Nags Head

Pelton Road, SE10

Egad! After 100-odd years, the Pelton Arms changes its name? Shock! Horror! I mean I know there's a new guv'nor, who's been shaking things up around there (I've been hearing very good things about the new feel, and as I passed the other day the little garden at the back looked great - I will be going, I just haven't got there yet...) but a name change!

But as that truly irritating man on the telly says, Calm down, dear...it's only a fake pub.

I'm not entirely convinced of the wisdom of creating an Only Fools And Horses spinoff about the early years of Del Boy and Co, but at least they're filming Sex & Drugs & Rock & Chips round here. Jon discovered the news on the Sun website, of all things, and I guess it could be interesting.

It's only a one-off special, and according to the website, they're hoping to get the major stars of the original back as, presumably, relatives of themselves. Maybe a litmus test of whether or not it's going to be any cop will be if Nicholas Lyndhurst and Sir David agree to appear.

Filming started on Monday (eek - hope it was indoors...) I think I'll pop down for a nosey later on...

The Hobbyist

Off-topic-ish, I know - but I have to tell you about the short that comes with District 9 at the Picturehouse just now.

The Hobbyist had me chuckling all the way through its couple of minutes. Given how grim D9 is, maybe they should show it afterwards, too, to cheer everyone up.

But that's what I love about the Picturehouse - bringing back the concept of the short as part of an evening's movie entertainment.

I'm still really impressed with the way the Picturehouse goes that extra hundred miles in comparison to the Odeon and the O2 (and it's cheaper than the other two local venues too - Seamus (oops sorry Seamus) was telling me that for under-16s it's £5.50 compared with the Odeon's £8.50. For the rest of us, Monday night is cheap night at the Picturehouse - £6.50 a ticket or, if a fiver if you're a member (you are a member, aren't you..? Unless you are a dedicated film-hater, Picturehouse membership is one of those things you HAVE to have if you live in Greenwich. You save money almost the moment you join...)

Next Greenwich-filmed movie coming up is Dorian Gray, which has 'average' reviews, but hey. Sean sent me the trailer, which is littered with Greenwich bits and bobs - and a badly-disguised yellow box.

Gulliver's Travels

This week's location shoot at the Old Royal Naval College is Gulliver's Travels. I'm guessing the security guards got fed up with explaining what's going on to curious passers-by as there's a big board at the entrance that not only tells us what the production is, but apologises for inconvenience - something I've never seen before and really appreciate - Thank you, 20th Century Fox, for being polite.

Unlike Wolfman, which barred the gates to gawpers, this seems to be a fairly open set. They close off areas while they're actually shooting, but the rest of the time the public can just wander around. Clearly, Fox have worked out that if someone sees something being made, they're more likely to be curious to see the finished article.

Being the world's worst star-spotter, I have no idea who this handsome couple are, or, indeed, who the panto-style guards may be, but apparently Jack Black is to play the titular hero. This could either be a brilliant or a terrible move, but there's only one way to find out, I guess...

At this point, may I renew my plea for anyone who's in the loop on filming in our fair borough, to maybe get in touch? I'd love to have a "what's being filmed where this week" section on the blog...

Aarrrooooo!

"Me" asks:

"According to signage on the site, "Wolfman Films" is doing a bit of night filming around the University to May 27th. Do you know if it is connected to the filming done last year ('08) on the "Wolfman Film"? I walk through the University most days to and from work and had to walk through grimy streets and horse poop this morning - Ewww! It was still cool though because lots of props were hanging out to sneak a peek at...and how cool is it to tell my friends and family that I walk through film sets on the way to work! :-)"

Sadly, "Me," my call for a mole in the Greenwich Film Unit has gone unheeded (probably because I wasn't particularly polite about it once. Damn my mouth...)

So I had to resort to my old friend the Internet, which, as everyone knows, is never wrong. It is, indeed, more filming for Wolfman, which apparently had too much boring old plot, so they're tacking on some more action shots before the much-delayed release. The Big Picture is sceptical about it all - if a film's going to be boring, adding extra shots only makes it longer, argues Bruno, but hey - it will also add extra Greenwich...

And it gives me an excuse to add another pic from last year's shoot...

Putting the Green in Greenwich

Anyone know what the latest filming extravaganza down at the ORNC is?

Dazza asked the workmen who were building this 'claustrophobic little alleyway' but they just shrugged their shoulders and didn't answer.

The one setting we can guarantee it won't be, with this amount of green-screening, is Greenwich itself. Greenwich must be in half the movies made, the amount of filming that goes on - but it never actually gets to be - well, Greenwich. I'm guessing that someone's setting something somewhere that doesn't have a river and is going to CGI-in the appropriate background, 'cause it's cheaper than going to the proper place.

If you could uproot Greenwich and plonk it down in another environment, where you you put it? The wild west? The moon? The rainforest? I bet we can think of a better setting for it than the film makers...

Greenwich Park Prods

It's not just the major studios that find Greenwich a draw. I was delighted to see this group of students(?) filming their own music video (?) on this park bench a few days ago.

They got a beat going, then took it in turns to rap - not sure what it was about - I couldn't hear properly - but I wish I could.

If any of you guys are reading this (unlikely, I know) and it's on YouTube or similar - let me know - I'd like to see it...

Bones

While I was down checking out the Wheel last night, I ran into yet another film shoot. Fox seemed to have taken over the whole of the ORNC, which appeared to be standing in for Whitehall. Two miserable looking 'sentries' in bearskins stood as sundry meeja types buzzed around what I assume were the stars. I'm guessing they're the girls in the mac and suit.

Being the sad Phantom I am, I had no idea who these people were, so I asked a security guard (always ask the security guards - they love to talk...) what the show was. It's apparently Bones, A Sky 1 series...

Well, there you go. As you can see from the photos, a somewhat smaller affair than Wolfman, but since they're all over the ORNC I'd guess there are lots of scenes being shot at once.

Aaaaarrroooo! Wolf Man's at the Park - And The Moon's A Balloon

Greenwich Park, sometime creepy-o'clock...

What I love about writing this blog is that all I have to do is moan I don't have information or pictures about something - and all you lovely people rush to my assistance. We were discussing the massive night shoots for Wolf Man (starring, among others Benicio del Torro, Emily Blunt, Hugo Weaving and all-purpose-horror-bug-a-boo-these-days Anthony Hopkins) in the park. I happened to mention I had no pics, and voila!

Vicky sent me these daytime pics - you'd never know this wall wasn't part of the whole Greenwich Park furniture, would you - especially since it's all night-shoots anyway. Just plywood and paint, folks, just plywood and paint. Then there is a very strange picture by Benedict of some kind of War of the Worlds alien invasion:

But what intrigues me most is this strange orb, which Vicky reckons looks like something out of Doctor Who:

Although my first thought was that it's one of those giant paper lampshades; I can only assume that it's actually a balloon, that during the shoot gets dangled over the set as that all-important moon. Aw, C'mon - it's Wolf Man - you gotta have a moon...

Then Simon sent me the oddest pic of all:

Don't get excited, UFO-spotters. He tells me "it's a helium-filled moon balloon - held down by the three weights and there's a coil of wire underneath it connected to a box of electricity."

To top it off, I received this from SweetsandRuby. We mere mortals can't get into the park at night for any closeups, but that's not going to stop S&R. And even at this distance it's quite a view...

Of course - if there are any Phantom-readers out there who happen to be film crew/actors/park rangers etc, then I won't object at all to any more pics ;-)

Which brings me to that giant shindig at the ORNC last night. Any Phantom-readers who also happen to be hedge fund investors (I get a lot of them, you know...) and were gaily snapping away, send 'em my way, baby...

Wolf Man Yet Again

In a wonderful piece of seredipity, I've had equal numbers of people asking me what was going on overnight in Greenwich Park last weekend and people telling me what was going on overnight in Greenwich Park last weekend...

Yes, folks, it's Wolf Man again. As usual, night shots (obviously - it's about a werewolf...) but this time in the flower garden. Maggie reckons she's never seen so much kit anwhere. What - even when Wolf Man was down at the ORNC, Maggie? Blimey...

I'd include pics to go with this, but once again Blogger's playing up...

Ho-hum.