A Man and His Mountain from Justin Vander Velde on Vimeo.

Mt Mancelona Postcard, Cardcow.com

Last winter Jason Dodge of miskireport.com and his crew spent time at Mount Mancelona and, with intern Justin Vander Velde and the  assistance of the documentary class at Grand Valley State, produced this very cool video about long-shuttered Mt. Mancelona.  Jason writes:

This project is the pinnacle of things that I have been involved with up until this point. A Man and His Mountain not only tells the story of Mt. Mancelona, but it uncovers the true passion that owner Joe has been hanging onto for the past 22 years.

After having the privilege of meeting Joe, listening to the stories, and working alongside the crew to capture the history, I ask myself why would I not want to come to Mt. Mancelona? Why would I not want my family to experience this place? After all, isn’t this true ski culture? Perhaps I’m a touch traditional and don’t get that knocked out about the fancy high-speed lifts, gondolas and magic carpets. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy riding in a Cadillac as much as the next guy, but there is a lot to appreciate about rusty t-bars, the smell of raw fuel in a 1960’s Tucker, and an old weathered lodge. This is the natural patina of skiing and snowboarding, captured at Mt. Mancelona.

Looking down Mt Mancelona, miskireport.com

Read on for more about the project and some production stills. A cool site we found is Michigan Lost Ski Areas Project (MILSAP). Their entry for Mt. Mancelonanotes that:

In 1958, Sports Illustrated reported a 1200′ t-bar with a 300′ rise, and 5 ropes. New for 1958 were 3 rope tows, the lodge with locker room and bar, a new trail, lights for Friday night skiing and hi-fi skiing music.

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The Carl D. Bradley, circa 1950 (Photo From the Edwin T. Brown Collection, Archives of Michigan)

Editor’s note: This article was first published in the January/February 2009 issue of Michigan History magazine.

“A Deafening Thud”

Abandon ship! Abandon ship! The whistle squawked seven short blasts, then one long blast. It was a signal twenty-six year old deck watchman Frank Mays knew well, but never expected to hear. Just minutes earlier, he had been having a smoke with Gary Price in the dunnage room, deep in the bow, when they heard a deafening thud. “We hightailed it out of there to find out what had happened,” Mays recalls. “When I reached the upper deck, I looked aft and saw the stern flapping up and down like a dog’s tail.” The Carl D. Bradley‘s back had broken, and it would be only a matter of minutes before water filled the tunnels and cargo holds of the 639-foot vessel. It was 5:30 p.m. on November 18, 1958.

Final Voyage

The Bradley had departed Gary, Indiana the day prior, running in ballast in building southwest seas along Lake Michigan’s western shore. On the season’s final voyage, the veteran boat was scheduled to head to Manitowoc, Wisconsin for repairs during its winter lay-up. The rusting cargo had been due for an $800,000 replacement for over a year, but its owner, Bradley Transportation Company, a subsidiary of U.S. Steel, pushed the work back until the end of the season. A radio call from headquarters ordering an additional stone delivery before lay-up proved to be the demise of the Bradley. Despite reports of gale-force winds and thirty-foot seas that compelled other freighter captains to take shelter along Wisconsin’s shore, Captain Roland Bryan, known as a “heavy weather man,” headed northeast across the lake from the Door County peninsula toward the Straits of Mackinac and back to Rogers City. At 5:35 p.m., the Bradley sank twelve miles southwest of Gull Island.

“The Worst Night of His Life”

Even today, survivor Mays recalls that horrific night with clarity. Hunkered down on the life raft just aft of the pilothouse, he trembled realizing the sinking beneath him. His eyes were drawn aft toward the flying sparks as the huge steel deck plates began to tear apart. In the growing darkness and mayhem, he could make out second mate John Fogelsonger running toward the stern and leaping over the break. Before his eyes, his friend disappeared as the Bradley ripped apart. The next thing Mays recalls was being pitched into the air, landing in the icy, angry water and then struggling onto the raft where he fought to hold on through the worst night of his life.

“A Painful Memory”

By morning, only Mays and first mate Elmer Fleming were alive. After fifteen bone-numbing hours in the icy waters, the U.S. Coast Guard cutter Sundew rescued them. All thirty-three of their mates, including Gary Strelecki and Dennis Meredith, who shared the raft for most of the night, as well as two of Frank’s own cousins, perished. These men left behind twenty-five widows and fifty-four fatherless children. Considering twenty-three of the crew hailed from Rogers City, the home port of the Bradley, the loss personally affected nearly everyone in the small community. Fifty years later, the sinking is still a painful memory.

As promised, here is the trailer for November Requiem. You can get the Emmy Award Winning DVD right here from the Presque Isle County Historical Museum.

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One of the many encounters listed on Steve Cook's great website took place in the summer of 1938. 17-year-old Robert Fortney was fishing on the banks of the Muskegon River near Paris, Michigan when a pack of what appeared to be large feral dogs emerged from the woods:

Fortney remained silent, but the sensitive noses of the dogs quickly picked up his scent. Since he had been small game hunting earlier in the day, Fortney had his loaded rifle nearby. As the dogs approached, they assumed the group posture of a pack on a hunt. Fortney picked up the gun and fired a shot into the air.

The dogs cringed and turned to slink back into the forest, all except one: a huge black dog with unusual eyes.

"They were blue," said Fortney. "What kind of dog has blue eyes?" The big dog and Fortney considered each other for a long moment, less than ten feet separating them. Fortney fired another shot over the head of the strange dog. Then to Fortney's shock and amazement, the black dog stood up on two legs and cast a glare that sent shivers down his spine.

"It reared up on its hind legs and stared at me," said Fortney in a phone interview in 1987. "It may be that I was just scared, but I swear that dog was smiling at me."

Click for many more encounters and also check the website for details on a DVD to be released in 2012. Don't miss another pair of tales from Weird Michigan's Linda Godfrey of the Dogman at Fayette and the Dogman in Washtenaw County & near Bay City.

Profits from Cook's sales of Dogman merchandise support AC Paw, a no-kill animal rescue program that specializes in animals that have been injured, abused, or neglected. Click their logo for details.

The Dogman legend has grown over the years, and soon Michigan filmmaker Rich Brauer has just wrapped up the filming of "Dogman" which will be released soon. In a nice feature in today's Detroit Free Press, Brauer opines:

"Every culture has a mythical woodland creature that they blame stuff on. I don't know what it is about people that they want to blame stuff on something like that. There's an inherent imagination that people have, especially when they go in the woods and start to hear things and their hair stands up on the back of their head. ... It might turn out to be a chickadee on a stick, but up until that moment, it was something huge."

The photo to the right is a scene from the filming - click to read more at the Brauer indie films blog and definitely stay tuned to Absolute Michigan for more on the film. If you have a story of the Dogman, you can share it with Brauer & Steve Cook this Saturday - click here for details & appointments. Here's Cook's song ... Happy Halloween!

Looking for more? “Ghost” on Absolute Michigan brings up a graveyard full of spooky stories including the rowdy ghosts of the Fenton Hotel and the Ghost of Minnie Quay. The Great Lakes State even has its own cryptid, the Dogman. For more on the Dogman and many more scary stories, turn to Linda Godfrey’s Weird Michigan, a compendium of strange tales from all across Michigan.

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The MiMFF started off in 2008 with just a few film submissions and even fewer ticket sales. Thanks to growing support from the Michigan Film Industry, the local community and the hard work of a small group of dedicated volunteers, the MiMFF has grown into one of the most respected small-town film festivals in the state. In fact, a second screening room has been added to the schedule this year to accommodate the large number of quality film submissions, essentially doubling the amount films to be shown. "We are very excited about each and every film that was chosen for this years festival", says Made-In-Michigan Film Society President, Juliane Bagley. "We understand the hard work and level of commitment that goes into making these films and it is an honor for us to be able to present them to our community."

The film festival’s growth is perfectly aligned with the Made-In-Michigan Film Society’s goal to showcase and promote the State of Michigan and as many Michigan- made films as possible while providing a low-cost cultural, experience for the local community. With ticket prices at just $6 for a full a day of films or $10 for a weekend pass, the MiMFF is one of the best entertainment values around. "It is extremely important to us to keep ticket prices low. We understand that Michigan and the Lapeer County area especially have been hit hard with economic woes because we live and raise our families here." says Bagley. "We do the best we can with what we have. You may not see the eye-popping glitz, sparkle and shine of Cannes or Sundance here, but you will feel the small-town hospitality and sincerity. We are fortunate to have a few generous sponsors who recognize the value in what we do not only as the MiMFF but as the Lapeer County Film Office, bringing jobs and revenue into the area. We would not be able to do this without these sponsors and we are very grateful for their support."

In addition to the film screenings, the MiMFF has several other events planned for the weekend including an educational free film workshop geared toward local middle and high school students, a Michigan Filmmaker Panel Discussion and the Festival Afterglow Party. Festival times and a full program schedule including film and activity descriptions is available at madeinmichiganfilmfestival.org. If you are interested in volunteering at the festival or would like to register for the MPI Student Film Workshop please call 810-882-1022 or email juliane@madeinmichiganfilmfestival.org.

We have the trailer for one of this year's films, the Bicyclist, which tells the story of Lester Cribs who has just lost his restaurant and his wife. He leaves behind Grosse Pointe, MI on a 300 mile bicycle trip to the Mackinac Bridge.

The Bicyclist - Official Trailer from Cass Corridor Films on Vimeo.

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A poster for McCay's Gertie the Dinosaur cartoon, 1914 (Click for a larger view).

Winsor McCay, pioneering animator and comic strip artist, was a native of Spring Lake, Michigan. Spring Lake is also where he began his career in art. His father, Robert McCay, and mother Janet ran a grocery store in the village. While it is probable that Winsor was born in 1867 during a visit to his mother’s family in Ontario, McCay stated that he was born September 26, 1871, in Spring Lake, Michigan. He always considered Spring Lake his hometown.

In 1880, the Goodrich steamship Alpena, en route from nearby Grand Haven to Chicago, was wrecked in a terrible storm and sank to the bottom, carrying with it nearly one hundred passengers. At the age of thirteen, young Winsor drew a picture of the wreck on the blackboard of Union School, which he attended on Exchange Street. The illustration was photographed and copies were sold as postcards.

A panel from the comic strip Little Nemo in Slumberland (1905-1914)

McCay’s comic strips included Little Nemo in Slumberland and Dream of the Rarebit Fiend. McCay created the very first animated cartoon in America with the release of Little Nemo in 1911 (See video link below).

Many in the animation world hail McCay today as the “Father of Animation.” As a tribute, the highest award that an animator can receive is an “Annie,” which is the Winsor McCay Award for Lifetime Achievement in Animation. When Disneyland first opened in 1955, so the story goes, Walt Disney took Robert McCay, son of Spring Lake native Winsor McCay, on a guided tour. He stopped near the end and said, “You know, this should really belong to your father.”

Winsor McCay passed away on July 26, 1934.

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Actor Ray Milland (1905-1986) figures in this week’s blog post. I love Ray Milland – whether he is the dashing Major Kirby who befriends the lovely but scamming Ginger Rogers in The Major and the Minor(1942) or the evil Tony Wendice who plots to murder the beautiful, but unfaithfulGrace Kelly in Dial M for Murder (1954). Milland’s name, along with Paulette Goddard‘s, appears on the theater marquee in this photograph of the Gratiot Drive-In.

Gratiot Drive-In Theater, Roseville, MI

The Gratiot Drive-In

The Gratiot was located in Roseville, Michigan. This elaborate theater, with its cascading waterfall on the front of the screen tower, opened in 1948. By the 1950s, such drive-in theaters had become part of American culture. Drive-ins promised movies at a cheap price, to be enjoyed by families or teenage couples from the comfort of their own automobiles.

Cars and Movies

The combination of cars and movies was the brilliant idea of thirty-year old Richard Hollingshead, Jr., of Riverton, New Jersey. (Some sources attribute his mother as being the inspiration, because she found theater seats too uncomfortable.). Hollingshead experimented in his backyard by tacking a projection screen on a tree and mounting a 1928 Kodak projector on the hood of his car. A radio was placed behind the screen for sound. An important hurdle to overcome: visibility. Cars could not be directly parked behind other cars. Hollingshead designed a configuration that varied the distance between cars and placed blocks and ramps under the front wheels of the cars further away from the screen. These terraced ramps were instrumental to the patent (Patent # 1,909,537.) that Hollingshead received on May 16, 1933. Hollingshead then formed a company – Park-In Theaters, Inc. – with Willie Warren Smith, his first cousin.

Click this line to view Hollinghead’s patent

Hollingshead and Smith built the Automobile Movie Theater (known as the Drive-In Theater) on Crescent Boulevard in Pennsauken Township, New Jersey (Some sources give a Camden address, but the theater was built just over the town line.). Its first movie, Wives Beware (1932) opened on June 6, 1933. In 1936, Hollingshead sold his drive-in, and the operation moved to Union, New Jersey. Factors that contributed to the sale: the high cost of film rental, problems with sound synchronization, and insects.

Drive-In Boom

Retaining his interest in Park-In Inc., Hollingshead felt he would enjoy steady income from licensing fees. Unfortunately, other entrepreneurs were ready to thwart this plan by questioning the legality of his patent. After years of legal morass, Hollingshead lost when the First Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the patent “was not inventive at all, but a mere facsimile of the layout an indoor Theater utilized, only having cars instead of seats. The terracing of vehicles was deemed to be a mere adoption of the sloped floor in a Theater auditorium and was an obvious design, not novel in any way.” The Drive-In Theater patent was overturned in 1949 (See: Water Winter Wonderland: Drive-In History).

The demise of this patent and technical innovation in sound quality led to a United States drive-in boom, particularly in rural areas. While statistics vary, it appears that by 1955, Americans could enjoy the outdoor movie experience at about four thousand venues throughout the country. Some of these were huge, ready to accommodate thousands of cars, provide concession stands and offer additional fun, such as amusement park rides or playgrounds. Others were more modest in screen size and number of automobiles served. Some were so basic that the movie was shown by a 16mm projector. The Gratiot Drive-In boasted a waterfall illuminated by colored lights. If the cartoon and main attraction did not entice you onto the grounds, perhaps the water would. The cost of construction is estimated at $400,000. Car capacity: one thousand. It operated from April 30, 1948 until Labor Day, September 3, 1984.

End of an Era

The Gratiot, like many others, closed because of economic factors. American movie habits tended toward indoor multiplexes or the video stores. In addition, monolithic drive-ins were taking up expensive real estate that could be developed for more lucrative retail business ventures. The Gratiot Drive-In was demolished on the same day that the Detroit Tigers won the 1984 World Series (October 14, 1984). While others were celebrating the victory by cruising up and down Gratiot Avenue, Joe Niedzielski was using his 1958 Edsel to salvage the heavy steel letters of the Gratiot Drive-In sign. You can read a 2004 blog post from Joe Niedzielski at http://www.michigandriveins.com/gratiot82.asp

Sources:

Drive-In Theaters: A History from their Inception in 1933 by Kerry Segrave. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Co., 1992.

“The Drive-In Theater Turns 75″ by Robin T. Reid. Smithsonian.com, May 28, 2008

Drive-In Culture: Drive-In Theater (University of Michigan Web site)

Water Winter Wonderland: Drive-In History

Michigan Drive-Ins.com: Gratiot Drive-In Theater

About.com: Drive-In Inventor

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Surfing Michigan by farlane

We've pulled together a great collection of Great Lakes & Michigan surfing videos with a few links:

• The photo was taken on Lake Michigan at Leland. You can see more surfing photos on Michigan in Pictures and also on Northern Michigan Surf on Facebook and in the Surfing slideshow from the Absolute Michigan pool!
• The best of the bunch is below, a TV special on Grand Haven filmmaker Vince Deur's movie Unsalted. the 7 minute short introduces you to the history and present day of Great Lakes surfing. There's also a couple of outtakes that take you to surfing hot spots like Michigan's Lake Superior shore in winter! Last December we ran Michigan Film: Unsalted: A Great Lakes Experience that has all the details (including where to get it!) and tons of clips from the definitive work on riding the freshwater wave.
• The Roxy Get Outside Tour recently visited Grand Haven, Michigan with a couple pro female surfers. They also answered the "Michigan question" and visited the Great Lakes Surf Association (more Michigan footage including waterskiing at the Roxy blog)
• Surfing isn't just for lakes any more, there's also the Grand River Surf (featuring some cool Police tunes...)
• If surfing isn't fast enough (or the waves aren't big enough) there's always kiteboarding. Boarding Lake Michigan Waves from South Beach in South Haven shows you highlights of surfers, kiteboarders and windsurfers. Every September, the King of the Great Lakes Kiteboarding Competition is held in Grand Haven. You can visit Mackinac Kites for information on the event.
• Pure Michigan gets in the act with the Fresh Water Surfing page.
• Check out Absolute Michigan keyword surf for surfing articles and surfing-related businesses! Might as well try Absolute Michigan keyword kiteboard too!

Did we miss something? Of course we did!! Tell us and/or add a link in the comments.

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You can check out the film schedule right here. One of the coolest parts of the festival is the TechFair on Saturday the 25th. It takes place from 11:30-4:00 and features a wide spectrum of educational and professional development activities targeted to both seasoned professionals and aspiring students. It's anchored by an exhibition with leading suppliers of digital tools and techniques for digital cinema, animation, visualization and game development., and includes workshops covering a variety of topics, skills and tools for film and video production, animation, game development and more.

All summer long Absolute Michigan is partnering with some of Michigan's most amazing festivals & events to give our readers FREE tickets and a chance to enjoy the food, music and celebration that is part of summertime in the Great Lakes State!

Our winner has been contacted - to enter every one of the Festival Summer giveaways, just join our email list using the form below!

Absolute Michigan will not share your email address with anyone. Period. Your inbox is safe with us. What we will share with you is a periodic but usually no more than weekly update, possibly including a special offer, potentially a prize or giveaway and definitely some great news about what is working and fun to do in the Great State called Michigan that we love!

You can stay connected with DWIFF on Facebook. Below is a video that gives you an idea of what to expect at DWIFF, and you'll also want to check out Michigan Film Reel's interviews of some of the presenters and attendees in 2010.

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Untitled by maggiesonmain

A little movie company called Disney announced that the blockbuster Oz will be filmed in Michigan! The AP reports:

A Sam Raimi-directed prequel to the story of "The Wizard of Oz" — called simply "Oz" — will be filmed later this year at a Detroit-area studio that recently opened on the site of a former General Motors truck plant and office complex.

Raleigh Michigan Studios said Friday the Disney film will be the largest feature to shoot in the state, which has been luring some major film projects in recent years thanks to a program that offered some of the most generous tax credits in the nation.

..."'Oz' was originally written in Holland, Michigan, and so it is fitting that our great state should be part of this new production," said Michigan Senate Majority Leader Randy Richardville.

The film also represents a homecoming for Raimi, who grew up near Detroit and attended Michigan State University. He's known for such movies as "Spider-Man" and "The Evil Dead."

While the Michigan Film Incentive that brought this production to Michigan looks to be doomed, a bill was introduced last week to preserve the tax credit.

WOOD-TV has details on the cast for Oz which tells the story of the Wizard's arrival and rise to power. James Franco will play the Wizard with Mila Kunis & Rachel Weisz in the role of Wicked Witches East & West with Blake Lively as Glinda.  You can get the details on casting for extras for Oz: The Great and Powerful from MichiganActing.com.  It will come as no surprise that they are Looking for people age 18+  that are 4' 10" or shorter, but they're also looking for folks that are 6'8"+ as well.

While we don't have a video directly related, but this video of the University of Michigan Marching Band performing the Wizard of Oz last fall is pretty cool!

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Wealthy Theatre, 1936

The Wealthy Theatre in Grand Rapids turns 100 this year. Located at 1130 Wealthy Street, the theater was constructed in 1911 for vaudeville and live theater, later becoming a neighborhood movie house. During World War I, the Wealthy served as a warehouse for the Michigan Aircraft Company and in the 1960s is was the only regional venue for foreign films.

The theater closed in the late 1970s and remained empty for over 25 years before the South East Economic Development neighborhood association launched a capital campaign to fund its restoration. The Theatre re-opened in 1998 as a community arts center and has helped to spawn a renaissance of the entire Wealthy Street business district. (check the video below for the astounding before & after photos!)

Streets of Grand Rapids by RichardDemingPhotography

In 2004, the Theatre closed and sought a nonprofit partner who could commit to the continued growth of the theatre. The Grand Rapids Community Media Center (CMC) rose to the challenge, and with a successful capital campaign was able to acquire the Wealthy and make critical improvements including a concert sound system,  new projection screen, a micro-cinema space and repainting, upgrades and renovations throughout.

In addition to providing a modern and comfortable venue for performance and film, the Wealthy Theatre is home to CMC projects including GRTV Television and  WYCE-FM Radio.  Absolute Michigan is excited to be helping the Wealthy Theatre mark 100 years and also to present some of the amazing projects that the CMC is involved with.  This weekend, our Driving Michigan crew including host Seth Bernard will be visiting with the crew at the CMC/Wealthy to learn about what they do and how and why they are doing it!

This Saturday night at 6:30 PM you can enjoy a very special night of music and memories, as  Seth Bernard (and friends) pay tribute to the best of Cat Stevens. This concert is a fundraiser for the Wealthy Theatre Centennial Sustainability Campaign, which celebrates the 100th birthday of Wealthy Theatre with greening and technology upgrades as a means of historic preservation. You can learn about and donate to the Sustainable Centennial campaign right here.

PS: Tonight they are screening the classic film Harold & Maude which of course features the music of Cat Stevens.

Visit grcmc.org to learn much more about them including their services for nonprofit organizations including media production, website creation and social media training. Now check out this cool before & after video!

Wealthy Theatre Before & After from Wealthy Theatre on Vimeo.

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John Grooters

Absolute Michigan  caught up with John Grooters, producer and director of Frontier Boys and asked him a few questions about this Michigan-made movie. One thing that makes the film unique is the fact that the story is actually set in Michigan. Read on for the interview and also check out the trailer!

How did the community of Charlevoix respond to your filming and to the rather difficult story?

The community of Charlevoix was cooperative with the filmmakers of The Frontier Boys on several fronts. We had great support and cooperation from the City Council, City Manager's Office and Mayor Boogie Carlson, from the Charlevoix School Board, from the City of Charlevoix Fire Department and Police Department, as well as from a number of local business and churches. The Sheriff was resistant at first, but when he saw our intention was to depict the town Sheriff in a very positive light, he became a wonderful friend and helper of the film. We think small towns like Charlevoix are often portrayed in films in unflattering lights, and it was one of our objectives to counter that.

We also were welcomed very warmly in Mancelona and East Jordan, and in all Northern Michigan communities we have made enduring friendships. Now that the film has played in Charlevoix, Elk Rapids, Frankfort, Petoskey, Lansing, and Grand Blanc and has opened in Traverse City, Midland and Marquette, it is our goal to have more people come to see the film than actually live in town. I think we're close!

What do think Michigan offers to filmmakers as a setting?

I'm a big fan of our state. I grew up in Scottsdale, Arizona and moved to Michigan as a high school freshman. To this day, I am a fan of all four of our seasons and of our abundance of green grass, black dirt, and blue water. I'm especially in love with the Northern Lower Peninsula, and so it was easy for me to choose Charlevoix as the setting of The Frontier Boys. We chose to film in the doldrums of the late winter; for many it's the ugliest time of the year. However, the weather and the change of season were both integral to the arc of our story. We were telling a story of survival, and a story of hope. The promise of spring is an annual and tangible reminder of hope for us Northerners.

How do you think Michigan has enough assets to continue to grow as a movie industry hub?

The film industry in Michigan was growing and was on the verge of becoming a stable and solid industry. In 2010, Michigan was number two or three in the nation as far as production dollars spent. I hoped that the state would continue to invest in the industry statewide as I believed that it was good for the economic, marketing, and future health of Michigan. Outside the benefits that the Michigan Film Incentive brought to entice the industry, our company was here and producing projects long before the incentives, and we hope to be viable long after them as well. We still offer the hardest-working people with the most honest and fair prices in the business. Our production and post-production company in Holland (Grooters Productions) continues to attract work from all over the country because of our quality and value. And our state's natural resources, diversity and beauty will always be an attraction.

You can watch the trailer below or at the Frontier Boys website.

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From a snowy small town in Northern Michigan to the mountains of Afghanistan and back, Where Soldiers Come From follows the four-year journey of childhood friends and their town, forever changed by a faraway war. The film is an intimate look at the young men who fight our wars, the families and town they come from, and the everyday struggles of their return.

That's how South by Southwest describes this Michigan film that captured the "Best Editing" prize in the documentary category of this prestigious festival of music, film and technology. The film was shot over 4 years in Hancock and other parts of the Keweenaw Peninsula and also in Afganistan.  In this excellent IndieWire interview, director Heather Courtney relates how the project came into being:

A little over four years ago, I returned to the shores of Lake Superior, on the northern tip of Michigan's Upper Peninsula, to explore the idea of making a film about the place I come from. Frustrated with how small-town America was often portrayed in the mainstream media, I wanted to tell a story about my rural hometown that countered those stereotypes. With no clear idea of what my story would be, I began to peruse the local paper (the Daily Mining Gazette) and read about the local National Guard unit. I didn't even realize that a National Guard unit existed up there (I later learned that many National Guard armories are based in rural areas across the U.S.), so I went to one of their monthly trainings to check it out, and that's where I met Dominic.

As he stood with his buddies, Dom told me he joined the National Guard after graduating from high school, for the signing bonus and the college tuition support. Pointing to the group of teenaged boys around him, he said, “These are my friends and we all joined more or less together.”

...I spent nearly two years filming them as regular 19 and 20-year-olds before they became active duty soldiers serving in Afghanistan. I also spent a lot of time with their families, friends and girlfriends. My goal was to get to know them as people rather than soldiers, and by knowing them and their families and town before they leave, we see how they all change over these four years.

Courtney's project would end up taking almost four years of her life, as she followed the young men from their training process, to the war zones of Afghanistan and back home to Michigan, where they and their families tried to return to a normal life after the tour.

See reviews here and here and stay connected at wheresoldierscomefrom.com.  Heather says that she hopes to screen the film sometime this year in the Keweenaw.

You can watch the trailer at YouTube but I liked this interview with Heather best.

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Read on for a report on last night's Town Hall meeting but we definitely want to start off by featuring High Five for Film Incentives. Deep Blue Pictures takes a road trip to hear from some of the people and businesses who are benefitting from the incentive. When you hear numbers like 200 jobs at one company and 6,000 room nights at one hotel, you have to take note. Tip: Stick around for the closing song. Amazing work!

Not Your Average Point & Shoot
by photofrenzy2000

The Detroit Free Press has a report on last night's overflowing Michigan Film Town Hall Meeting:

More than a thousand strong, members of Michigan's movie industry came together Thursday evening in a dramatic show of unity, gearing up for a massive lobbying campaign in Lansing to save their livelihoods.

..."We spawned the growth of a new industry in Michigan that might be 1/20th or 1/10th of the 21st-Century economy," said Andy Meisner, treasurer of Oakland County, who helped create the tax breaks. "Can you put a price on bringing young people back to Michigan?"

(and from the other side of the argument)

Though the industry has generated $649 million in spending in Michigan since April 2008, John Nixon, Snyder's budget director, has said the incentives are too much of a drain for a state facing a $1.8-billion budget deficit. Since the program began in April 2008, Michigan has approved $304 million in tax credits for 202 productions, paying out $96 million so far.

The Detroit News has a report as well. On the video front, America Jr was on the scene and has some videos from including Jeff Daniels & Mitch Albom addressing the crowd and some interviews with attendees. There's lots more at absolutemichigan.com/Film!

What do you think? Post a comment, Tell Rick on Facebook or  head over to Rick's Wrong (About the Michigan Film Industry Tax Credit).

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The budget process has just begun, but already Michigan is feeling the pain with news that the big-budget movie featuring Iron Man, the Hulk and Captain America -  The Avengers has decided not to shoot in Michigan.

"They were all set to come here," said Chris Baum of Film Detroit, a division of the Detroit Metro Convention & Visitors Bureau. When producers couldn't get confirmation that they would still qualify for the incentives, they decided to pull out of the state, Baum said.

You can see Mitch Albom discussing the issue in a video below. He asks in  his excellent article on how (and why) Michigan should fight this if  any other field grew 100 times over -- from $2 million to $225 million -- in two years and if any other field kept our young, bright minds from leaving or brought more attention to the beauty and talent of our state. The answer is definitely "Heck no!" and  I think Albom makes a great case for what a baffling move this is on Snyder's part to shoot our booming media production industry in the head. Mitch writes that the paltry $25 million allocated to the program will do little:

Either way, he kills the future of the film/TV/video game industry here. With such a low cap, few new projects will come. Many have pulled out in the last few days. Studios just washed millions down the drain. Folks who moved here to be part of a growing industry will leave again.

And we look like fools. Imagine a state that yells, "Come on in!", leads the nation in a program -- then three years later shuts it down. Would you want to do business here?

Learn about Snyder's thinking right here and see how the Center for Michigan reads Snyder's budget. One thing is sure - the numbers don't add up, something that is puzzling given Snyder's "Nerd" reputation. WLNS reports that:

Ernst & Young has found that Michigan's film incentives generate nearly 6 dollars in economic activity for every dollar spent. It also shows the production of movies and TV shows in Michigan during 2009 and 2010 generated 812 million in economic output and more than 6,000 full-time equivalent jobs. A senate fiscal agency previously said the incentives generate 10 cents in new tax revenue per dollar spent. Governor Snyder's budget proposal calls for the elimination of the film tax incentive program and orders a 25 million dollar cap on film credits starting later this year.

In case anyone is keeping track, that is well above the $3 figure we've heard for Pure Michigan. Here's Mitch talking about the issue.

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Crow's Nest by Jeff Gaydash

Great Lakes Echo has a cool series about City Recycling in the Great Lakes Region that looks at how brownfields and abandoned industrial centers are being reborn in our region. About a month ago, Courtney Morra wrote Former truck factory could make Michigan a movie star, an in-depth feature on the Raleigh Michigan Studios reconstruction project well underway at the General Motors Pontiac Assembly Center (video from employees on last day). LA based Raleigh Studios is  the country's longest-running film studio with over 2 million square feet of production space. The project is slated for opening this year and  will add significantly to their capacity and create over 5,000 new jobs:

The studio will be equipped for 3D animation and special effects, and serve as a learning center for Michigan film students. Students are expected from the nearby Detroit College for Creative Studies and Oakland Community College.

...The new studio's financing includes $11.1 million in Michigan Film Infrastructure tax credits, according to a report from Crain's Detroit Business.

“The infrastructure credit was put in place to encourage the building of film infrastructure projects, including studios, sound stages and post houses,” said Michelle Begnoche, a communications representative from the Michigan Film Office. “Approved applicants receive a 25 percent tax credit against their Michigan business tax.”

There is a Raleigh Michigan Studios site that is apparently coming soon, but you can get information on the Raleigh Michigan Studios Facebook. There's also a section at raleighstudios.com that includes a studio map, location,  a photo gallery and information about the unique design of 9 sound stages (175,000 sq. ft.) and support space. You can also get more at Raleigh Michigan Studios on mLive including this video tour & interview with the devleopers.

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by Bob Garrett, Archives of Michigan

The Green Hornet's car, the Black Beauty. Photo by Bill Johnson. Taken at San Diego Comicon, July 2010

This weekend, the Green Hornet “flies” on to the silver screen. Seth Rogen will portray the latest incarnation of this beloved hero.

While the character may have a new coat of paint, his roots run fairly deep. They go back to 1936 – and a radio station in Detroit, Michigan.

A New Masked Man

By 1936, Detroit radio station WXYZ had already impacted popular culture. Three years earlier, WXYZ president George Trendle had developed a radio show about a new Western hero. This hero was the Lone Ranger. Now, Trendle wondered if lightning could strike twice.

In his memoir WXYie Wonderland (An Unauthorized 50-Year Diary of WXYZ Detroit), Dick Osgood describes the Green Hornet's beginnings. Osgood notes that the Lone Ranger appealed to children. According to Osgood, Trendle now wanted a radio program for “young people who are about to vote.” Osgood explains that this new program was to feature a modern-day hero who exposed corrupt office holders. Thus, the Green Hornet was born!

Family Business

The Green Hornet – like the Lone Ranger before him – wore a mask. The two heroes also shared a common surname. The Lone Ranger's real name was John Reid. The Green Hornet was the alter ego of newspaper publisher Britt Reid. The two masked men were, in fact, related (The Hornet was the Ranger's great nephew.).

Both also preferred “colorful” modes of transportation. While the Ranger rode a horse named Silver, the Hornet owned a car called “the Black Beauty.” Kato, his valet and sidekick, drove.

A closer look at the Black Beauty

Kato

In On the Air: The Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio, John Dunning states that Kato was “a master chemist” who created “gas guns and smoke screens” for the Green Hornet. Dunning also describes Kato as “blessed with keen intelligence” and “an expert in the secrets of Oriental combat.”

In the program's earliest years, Kato was identified as Japanese. Dick Osgood notes that Kato “changed miraculously overnight from Japanese to Filipino” after the United States entered World War II. According to Dunning, this isn't completely true, as “Kato was described as a Filipino of Japanese descent at least two years earlier.” Regardless, Osgood states that Raymond Toyo Hayashi, the Japanese actor who provided Kato's voice, “disappeared.” Osgood speculates that Hayashi may have been placed in a wartime internment camp. Regardless, Osgood recalls that “no one at WXYZ ever saw Raymond again.”

From Then Until Now

The Green Hornet radio program ended in 1952. In 1966, a Green Hornet television series debuted. Van Williams performed the title role, and Bruce Lee played Kato (Lee, of course, later became a star of martial arts films, including Enter the Dragon). The show ran for a single season but many viewers recall it fondly.

Of course, even cancellation can not stop the Green Hornet and Kato. As the two prepare to ride on the big screen, Michigan residents can feel a special tinge of pride. It all began, after all, with one radio station in Detroit!

Absolute Michigan's Green Hornet page contains a link to original Green Hornet radio programs. There is also a clip from the Van Williams/Bruce Lee tv series!

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On a whim, I checked the YouTube and found, in its entirety, Paddle to the Sea!

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mcs by buckshot.jones

David Byrne of Talking Heads fame was in Detroit to perform the title track for This Must Be The Place by Paolo Sorrentino, one of the big budget pictures now filming in Detroit. In his journal entry Don't Forget the Motor City he relates his thoughts & photos as he wanders the city, mostly by bike. It's well worth your time. He also writes:

A few weeks ago I watched a documentary called Requiem For Detroit by British director Julian Temple, who used to be associated with the Sex Pistols. It's a great film, available to watch on YouTube, that gives a context and history for the devastation one sees all around here. This process didn't happen overnight, as with Katrina, but over many many decades. However the devastation is just as profound, and just as much concentrated on the lower echelons of society. Both disasters were man-made.

We've got the documentary below. Featuring a wealth of great historical and present day footage & music, knowledgeable experts on the city's history and even Mitch Ryder, it's an unflinching look at what created the amazing fall of the city, from the rise and dominance of the auto industry to its catastrophic, slow-motion fall. Setting the stage, the narrator intones:

"Not since the last days of the Maya have the Americas witnessed a transformation as traumatic as that which has befallen the Motor City. Here time seems to be running backwards. What was once the frontier city of the American Dream, the Paris of the Midwest, is now in its strange beauty the first post-American city. It's a darkly cautionary tale for the entire industrialized world.

But as you listen to the buzz of cicadas among the wildflowers and prairie that have reclaimed one third of the city, it is possible to feel you've traveled a thousand years into the future, and that amidst the ruins of Detroit lies a first pioneers map to the post-industrial future that awaits us all."

That, I think it the thought I'd like to leave you with. Yes, Detroit is a city that has fallen to perhaps the lowest depths that any US city has ever fallen. However, many of the challenges that Detroit is facing are those that we will all have to face as we run into the hard realities of wanting to spend more than we have, being equipped to make things that nobody wants and having cities that are built for purposes that no longer exist. Detroit is a cautionary tale about changing before you are forced to change to be sure, but within its story lies the hope of a thousand stories of people working to create a new way of being.

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michigan central detroit transformers 3
by Detroitmi97

A recent article titled Motown Becomes Movietown in the Wall Street Journal begins:

The set of the gritty cop show "Detroit 1-8-7" is one of more than 100 film and television productions that have flocked to Michigan in the last two years, the result of generous tax rebates. Producers have spent nearly $350 million in the state so far, a figure expected to reach $650 million by year's end, up from $2 million in 2007, according to the Michigan Film Office. About 80% of these shoots take place in and around this iconic but much-maligned city, sprinkling a little stardust, optimism and controversy along the way.

Workers who used to build cars are learning to build sets. The entertainment sector is "a lifeboat as the auto industry adapts and restructures," says Wayne County Executive Robert A. Ficano.

Signs of activity are everywhere. Hip-looking film-school grads on bicycles run errands in an empty warehouse that once served as a Chrysler distribution center and is now a cavernous 166,000-square-foot production studio for "Detroit 1-8-7."

The article goes on to look at the nuts and bolts and numbers behind Michigan's industry leading film incentive, how the production of a prime time TV show impacts the city's bottom line and at the controversy around the image of Detroit that the show and other productions feature.

Metromode goes in-depth on something that WSJ feature touched on, the thriving market for actors and extras in southeast Michigan.

According to Michelle Begnoche of the Michigan Film Office, since the film incentive went into effect, the state has seen 117 projects shoot here, creating more than $600 million in local spending. Half of that amount came from 2009 productions. This year should be similarly robust, with four films in pre-production and another 10 currently filming. These include Transformers 3, This Must Be The Place (starring Sean Penn), and The Reasonable Bunch.

With nearly 4,000 jobs created for Detroit extras last year, many displaced workers have found their second scene in film. And although life as a movie extra isn't all glitz and glamor, it does offer the chance for unemployed, underemployed, aspiring starlets and those who are just curious about the movie-making business to get a glimpse into what transpires behind the scenes.

Supporters of Michigan's film incentive are worried that a growing movement to end the incentive will kill Michigan's burgeoning film industry. Michigan Film Reel talked with a number of industry pros about the incentive last month:

Michigan Film Reel | Economic Impact from Michigan Film Reel on Vimeo.

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"The best summers of my life were spent in the cottage Pop had built on Lake Muskegon in 1908."
~Buster Keaton

Buster Keaton's Favorite Place on Earth, by Ron Pesch features this photo of legendary comedian Buster Keaton's parents, Joe and Myra Keaton riding on an elephant in Muskegon somewhere around 1915. He explains how the Keaton family ended up with a summer home in Muskegon:

While performing at the Lake Michigan Park Theater in July 1908, his parents, Joe and Myra, visited property that was for sale along the shore of Muskegon Lake. The Keaton's arraigned a purchase, and then returned to the road, informing friends and acquaintances of the little slice of paradise they had found in Muskegon, Michigan.

The move laid the groundwork for a thriving community of actors that grew in Edgewater and the neighboring Bluffton area. It was known as the Actors' Colony and thrived during the summer months, when performers relaxed as bookings on the vaudeville circuit were down due to the heat.

With Pigeon Hill, a soaring sand dune, serving as a backdrop, Joe had a cottage built for his family on a lot that faced the water. For Buster, his sister Myra and his younger brother Harry (nicknamed Jingles because of his “noisy way with toys”), Muskegon provided a chance to be kids.

That legacy is honored every year when the International Buster Keaton Society holds their convention takes place this weekend, October 1st & 2nd, 2010. The weekend features visit to the baseball diamond, a trip through the neighborhood and discussions on Buster's years as a performer are capped with a public showing of some of his classic comedies at the city's restored movie house, the Frauenthal Theater.

We'll close with a Convention regular, Dennis Scott, playing at the Frauenthal...

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Over on our On Location blog we featured this photo from the Traverse City Film Festival. Every year for the Traverse City Film Festival they show free movies on the big screen. Still to come: Raising Arizona, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade and Mary Poppins!

Pamela Ann Photography (Pamela Bevelhymer) writes that she's a photographer in Traverse City, Michigan who would love to take your picture.

Here's her web site and you can check out her sets including Film Festival 2009, HDR, Cherries and Most Viewed (slideshow).

Dive into her Flickriver.

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In honor of Absolute Michigan's film fest theme this week, Linda has assembled an octoplex of Weird Michigan movie trivia:

1. The first Robocop movie, starring Peter Weller in 1987, was set in Detroit on the premise that a ruthless police-killer was on the loose there.

2. Otto Preminger's 1959 Oscar-winning film Anatomy of a Murder was based on a novel about a murder trial held in Big Bay in the early 1950s. The novel was written by the judge of the actual case.

3. Die Hard 2, or "Die Harder," the 1990 film starring Bruce Willis, filmed winter action scenes in Alpena and Sault Ste. Marie.

4. Lily Tomlin, comedienne and star of films like The Incredible Shrinking Woman (1981), was born in Detroit in 1939 on the day Germany invaded Poland.

5. Lunatics: A Love Story, a 1991 movie about a poet who seldom leaves his apartment in Los Angeles, was filmed in Pontiac and Pontiac Hills.

6. Wes Craven's Scream 4, scheduled for release in 2011, brings back the ghost-faced killer, was shot on locations in Ann Arbor and Detroit and features "Cougar" and "Friends" star Courteney Cox.

7. The 1980 time travel movie Somewhere in Time, starring Jane Seymour and Christopher Reeve, was shot at the Grand Hotel on Mackinaw Island. The hotel is reputed to be haunted. Also, in parts of the film that are set in 1912, producers didn't bother to edit a modern water tower from the background.

8. Downtown and church scenes in the 1989 film about Santa's reindeer, Prancer, were shot in picturesque Three Oaks. The town's United Methodist church choir was tapped to sing Hark the Herald Angels Sing for the movie and their faces made the final cut but their actual voices did not. Also, the church's pastor wasn't old or bald enough to play himself in the movie but his gray robe was worn by the actor who portrayed him.

Because it's so tremendously awesome, we're including the trailer to the Michigan film classic Anatomy of a Murder. Probably one of the best trailers ever. Enjoy!

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• (7/29) TCFF Dailies for Wednesday from the Traverse City Film  Festival (video produced by Absolute Michigan for the TCFF!)
• (7/29) Free Movies Every Night at the Open  Space
• (7/27) Anatomy of a Murder Trailer (awesome!)
• (7/27) Weird Michigan: Michigan Movie Special Edition
• (7/25) Greening the Traverse City Film Festival
• (7/22) Film Forum Series @ Traverse City Film  Festival
• Complete OnLocation Archive for the Traverse City Film Festival

Untitled by Ken Scott

All next week Absolute Michigan will be on location at the Traverse City Film Festival in Traverse City, Michigan. The festival takes place Tuesday, July 27 through Sunday, August 1. Check their site for tickets and also the times of free panels and free movies on the BIG screen at the Open Space

We're a sponsor of the festival so we may have a little biased, but we have to say that this is one of the coolest weeks we get a chance to be a part of. In 2010, we're going to be working with a great group of folks including the University of Michigan Film School to produce daily online video - stay tuned at Absolute Michigan's On Location Blog!

Here's a great video produced by Scott Allman that will help get you in the mood.

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Hugh Jackman by malaca11

One of the cool things about the Michigan Film Incentive is that you never know who it will bring to your town. Marlene lives in Mason and got this shot of Hugh Jackman (and some others) at the Mason courthouse.

Jackman is in Michigan for a few months filming Real Steal (more about the movie), a movie directed by Shawn Levy (Date Night, Night at the Museum). The movie is slated for release November 2011, and has Jackman as a "corner man" in a world where human boxers have been replaced by 2000 lb robot fighters.

They are apparently still seeking some extras - check their Facebook page. The incentive really seems to be working too - looking for Michigan filming locations for this movie I found that Scream 4, Harold & Kumar 3 and The Double.

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...the Green Hornet was one of the first masked costumed crime fighters, making his radio debut on January 31, 1936 - seventeen days before The Phantom started gracing newspaper comic strips and about six years after The Shadow came to radio. His crime fighting efforts were not exactly liked by the police, who viewed him either as a meddling amateur or outright criminal. In future years, popular heroes such as Spider-Man walked a similar path.

The Hornet was the brainchild of Fran Striker and George W. Trendle, the team that had brought us The Lone Ranger exactly three years before the Hornet, with both shows originating on Detroit's WXYZ radio station. The similarities went one step further, in that the Hornet was the secret identity of newspaper publisher Britt Reid, who was the Lone Ranger's nephew Dan Reid's son.

Reid was helped by his trusted butler and sidekick Kato. In the original storyline, Kato was a Filipino of Japanese descent, but as the 1930's brought conflict with Japan, his character was altered and said to be Korean. This was especially critical when two movie serials were released in 1940 as America was weighing entry into World War II.

The crime fighter's prime means of locomotion was a powerful sedan called the Black Beauty. When the show began, the producers used the engine sound of the so-called "world's quietest car", the Pierce Arrow, for the Beauty. Kato was the car's chauffeur in addition to his other duties.

The radio show lasted until 1952, eventually being syndicated on The Mutual Network and the NBC Blue Network, which became ABC. Al Hodge originally voiced the Reid/Hornet character and Raymond Hayashi was Kato.

You can listen to a number of the original Green Hornet radio programs from at the Internet Archive and get more about Wikipedia's entry on The Green Hornet. Although this fight scene from the Green Hornet TV show has no real Michigan tie-in, it does have Bruce Lee!

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Lake Freighter ducking into Suttons Bay by jsorbieus

The AP's John Flesher takes a look at a five-year blueprint for rescuing the Great Lakes announced by the Obama Administration on Sunday:

The plan envisions spending more than $2.2 billion for long-awaited repairs after a century of damage to the lakes, which hold 20 percent of the world's fresh water...

"We're committed to creating a new standard of care that will leave the Great Lakes better for the next generation," Jackson said in a statement.

Among the goals is a "zero tolerance policy" toward future invasions by foreign species, including the Asian carp, a huge, ravenous fish that has overrun portions of the Mississippi River system and is threatening to enter Lake Michigan.

Others include cleanup of the region's most heavily polluted sites, restoring wetlands and other crucial habitat, and improving water quality in shallow areas, where runoff from cities and farms has led to unsightly algae blooms and beach closings.

Read the rest of the story in the Traverse City Record-Eagle and get the details on the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Action Plan from the EPA. You might also enjoy the Great Lakes slideshow from the photographers of the Absolute Michigan pool. For an idea of the challenges the Great Lakes are facing, I urge you to seek out the amazing film Waterlife by Kevin McMahon. Here's the trailer:

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From mysteriesofthegreatlakes.com:

The giant screen film, Mysteries of the Great Lakes, is as much a celebration of Earth's greatest freshwater ecosystem as it is a rallying cry for protection. The story will take audiences on an inspiring voyage through these amazing inland seas. In the film, a few stops along the way highlight the stories of three key species - one each from water, air and land. The film also turns the camera on us, as humans - by touching on the human interface with the Lakes including the role of shipping to commerce, the use of the Great Lakes' water by the millions of people who rely on it for life, and the general sense of well-being that people receive from simply being near these massive bodies of water.

The scenery and wildlife footage captured through the IMAX lens for Mysteries of the Great Lakes is spectacular, with some shots being unlike anything ever captured for this medium before. Filming took the production crews from beneath the waves of the Wolf River in Wisconsin - where thousands of lake sturgeon, the world's largest freshwater fish, thrashed in the shallow rapids en route to their spawning grounds - into the skies to shoot aerial footage of all of the Great Lakes.

Thanks nasunto for the find! The film opens February 12, 2010 at Celebration! Cinema in Grand Rapids.

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Scroll down to tell folks in the comments. Please keep them brief and friendly! Subscribe to Michitwitter via RSS or check out Absolute Michigan on Twitter!

Photo: You with the camera, enough pictures!! by Daylily18

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Scroll down to tell folks in the comments. Please keep them brief and friendly! Subscribe to Michitwitter via RSS or check out Absolute Michigan on Twitter!

Photo: You with the camera, enough pictures!! by Daylily18

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Director Larry Charles, Producer/ Actor Jeff Garlin, festival co-founder Michael Moore, TCFF Director Deb Lake and others give their thoughts on Traverse City and the Traverse City Film Festival in this video by Scott Allman Video.

Absolute Michigan: On Location has much more coverage from the 2009 Traverse City Film Festival.

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