Coen Brothers Filming "True Grit" in Northwest Arkansas (Fayetteville: taxes, live)

[Curmudgeon]

Originally Posted by Dr. Foosball

Arkansas has been known to be unwelcoming to movies. Most states who get movies made have very good tax laws that favor the crews. Apparently, Arkansas does not.

Comparitively, neither does CA anymore, Arnold notwithstanding. Canada is raking it in, however.

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by Dr. Foosball

Arkansas has been known to be unwelcoming to movies. Most states who get movies made have very good tax laws that favor the crews. Apparently, Arkansas does not.

you are right. That is why so many are now being shot in NM.

Nita

[gthog61]

Ah, for the good old days when cinematic legends like Brian Bosworth roamed our great state!

At least if the new True Grit is shot in New Mexico maybe they won't be trying to pass off 12000 ft peaks as being right outside Ft. Smith like in the original.

[bluenoter]

New Mexico has some big old mountains. Isn't Santa Fe 8,000 ft?

Originally Posted by gthog61

Ah, for the good old days when cinematic legends like Brian Bosworth roamed our great state!

At least if the new True Grit is shot in New Mexico maybe they won't be trying to pass off 12000 ft peaks as being right outside Ft. Smith like in the original.

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by bluenoter

New Mexico has some big old mountains. Isn't Santa Fe 8,000 ft?

yes, it is about 7000 but still damn high. Albuquerque is a little over 6000. Many people do not realize that.

Nita

[joebaldknobber]

Do you think if they make a movie about Bill Clinton, they will film it in Shreveport, Louisiana?

Arkansas needs to do whatever it takes to get movies filmed in the state. There are so many great locations for filming.

[Dr. Foosball]

I remember getting to watch a western movie being filmed in downtown Van Buren when I was a kid. It was sometime in the early/mid 1990's. Randy Travis was the only actor I remembered meeting, so he must have been the main character.

Downtown Van Buren is a perfect place to film westerns. All the roads were covered with dirt and it really felt like you were stepping back in time about 100 years.

[wconell]

Watch out "John Wayne and Glen Campbell"!!!

[jim9251]

Funny how I'm from Hamburg where Charles Portis who wrote True Grit lived, and retired to Ridgway, Colorado where the real True Grit was filmed. I still laugh while walking around "Ft. Smith" and looking at 14,000 ft mountains. One of the stores still has Ft Smith Saloon on it. This new True Grit was filmed in Austin, Texas (gasp) and is in post production. For the life of me I cannot understand why this wasn't filmed around Ft. Smith other than some production location scout is from Texas. Here's an interesting clip -


YouTube - John Wayne in True Grit, Then and Now, Extended Video

[Old Hippie Lady]

Originally Posted by Dr. Foosball

Arkansas has been known to be unwelcoming to movies. Most states who get movies made have very good tax laws that favor the crews. Apparently, Arkansas does not.

Why can an Arkansas group not do their own movie? Who led you to believe that only "Hollywood" could produce a truly good thing? Tax laws are tax laws. They apply to local as well as other states. Everyone has to pay their taxes, but I don't think the tax law there will prevent one from doing something "local". Just might work???? Why do you have to have someone from California come do YOUR business?

I personally don't have a clue as to how to get it done, but with all the beauty and resources in your state, why can you not do it on your own? This is a free country. Maybe some of your local businesses will support you in developing a production crew, etc. I remember the people there being resourceful and independent thinking. I have traveled most of the USA and have found Arkansas to be one of the most beautiful, and the people there are absolutely gorgeous looking. Naturally, too. Hollywood people look amazing after being covered with make-up. Arkansas has it naturally!

I think the days of a small group of nepotism people should not stop you from doing something great on your own.

I happened to read a small "book" about a girl who grew up in Northern Arkansas. She wrote about growing up, poverty stricken and the atrocities that occurred in her life around her. The book/manuscript was so compelling that I (nor others who read it) could put it down until they read it to the end. It was so vivid. I've never seen a movie or read another book that was so enlightening. It's only about 40 pages or so, as I remember. My God! What a story one could tell from those pages! I heard she writes music and sings some also. Sings from the soul.....

Try reading Louise Adams's "book" by the title of "A Cry From Wallace Knob". She's out of Baxter County Arkansas (Mountain Home area). You can find out about her by googling or contact the Baxter County Newspaper or phone book there. I don't think you will be disappointed. The last I knew, she did not have "big business" backing here. What a mistake they made!

Yep, go make a movie! I bet you have lots of beautiful people & friends there who will help for hardly anything. I bet there's lots of great old shacks in the woods where you can film almost for nothing. Not to say anything about the beautiful scenery.