BACK TALK for September 18, 1999: Secret BTTF filming underway on Universal backlot?

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September 08, 1999
September 07, 1999
August 30, 1999
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August 19, 1999
August 16, 1999
August 05, 1999
July 31, 1999
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July 29, 1999
July 26, 1999
July 21, 1999

September 18, 1999
Secret BTTF filming underway on Universal backlot?

Recent "Hill Valley" conversion to clocktower raises questions

As you may remember from the July 21 report, the Hill Valley clocktower was in the process of getting a new facelift this summer in what had been reported to us for an upcoming shoot for The Klumps, the sequel to The Nutty Professor. The Klumps has not yet gone into production (it begins filming October 5 with Eddie Murphy and Janet Jackson, and is now unclear if shooting will take place on these sets), but there's been a lot of activity this week on the Court House Square sets. Our friends over at the SoundWaves website have reported about a secretive BTTF shoot that took place on the backlot Thursday night for a promotional reel for for Universal Studios Japan. The report goes on to tell about the details of the shoot that night, and the transformation that took place to get the clocktower looking Hill Valley-ish again. A deeper inquiry into the events revealed that earlier this week, a crew of grips had a big lift putting the familiar pair of black panthers up on the clocktower, as well as installing the lampposts next to the pillars, and setting out trees & shrubs up on the building's steps.

At the moment, we're unclear as to what exactly the clips filmed that night will be used for at USJ, but we have learned that the Hill Valley set will be used as a backdrop for a clip that will feature Steven Spielberg, apparently who will be/was shot on blue screen elsewhere to be matted in later. Perhaps this is all specifically for the new Back to the Future...The Ride that we've learned is currently being developed, or then again it could be just for the new park in general which opens in 2001 — we just don't know at this point. The shoot was on a closed set, and if we find further details, we'll certainly pass them along! Regardless, the clocktower's looking outstanding these days, considering the fires it has sustained and everyday weathering. The new changes have brought the building back to near film condition, and it looks beautiful! But one question — whatever happened to that big cedar treethat's always been to the left of the clocktower throughout the series? [Thanks to SoundWaves for the news and photo!]

Sixth Sense bumping Future

This weekend will knock Back to the Future down another notch on the Top 25 Films list, as The Sixth Sense continues its journey into box office history. Back to the Future presently ranks #24, but will certainly be repositioned to #25 by tomorrow. Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me (presently #25) proved to be quite a threat, but has since dropped out of the race and now seems unlikely to do another $3 million to also surpass BTTF before it hits video store shelves on November 16.

Project updates ANGRY WHITE MEN: According to In Hollywood, this film has dropped back into development. The Robert Zemeckis produced film had been in active development since it was first announced, but apparently either Zemeckis can't get to it anytime soon, or Mel Gibson can't fit it into his schedule for the time being. Gibson is attached to star and possibily direct this film about a group of corporate employees who retaliate against their employer by carrying out a series of train robberies which affect the people who fired them.

GLORY DAYS (a.k.a. INTERVENTION): Robert Zemeckis is no longer attached to direct this film, which is now listed as inactive according to In Hollywood. At one time, Tom Cruise had been interested in starring in this drama that tells what happens when a shrink fails to show up to lead an intervention session for a charming alcoholic, the participants must depend upon non-professionals to sort out the problems.

HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL: The Robert Zemeckis produced remake of the 1950's original is reportedly being delayed for release until early 2000. Dark Horizons reports that there are currently some reshoots being done, and that coupled with the lack of marketing push at the moment has caused Warner Bros. to postpone it from its previously announced October 29th release date.

MAN ON THE MOON: If you didn't catch the trailer to this highly anticipated film starring Jim Carrey as Andy Kaufman on Entertainment Tonight last Friday, never fear — Universal has uploaded a digital video clip on the official site. This is the one film this year that I'm dying to see, as I was always a huge fan of Taxi and never missed an episode in its original airing for the entire run of the series. This is where I first became the Christopher Lloyd fanatic that I am, as I'm sure many of you did as well. While Lloyd does not appear in the trailer, he does appear in the film as himself portraying "Reverend Jim" briefly. Carrey's performance is absolutely amazing from what we're shown, and there's no doubt in my mind that he's gonna be up for an Oscar again this year with this one. I recall the tagline some twenty years ago for the firstSuperman film being "You will believe that a man can fly!". From seeing this trailer, I can see that I will believe that Jim Carrey IS Andy Kaufman. This is a first class production, and I tip my hat to the folks at Universal who greenlighted this one. No doubt they're gonna have a huge hit on their hands at year's end. Man on the Moon opens nationwide Christmas day, and not a minute too soon for me. To view the trailer, click here (requires QuickTime 4.0). You can also catch the trailer on the big screen this weekend, as it is attached to Universal's For Love of the Game — another sure-fire hit for the studio and an excellent film!

TALES FROM THE CRYPT 3: Robert Zemeckis had been set to executive produce another feature film based on the popular HBO series, but the two proposed films — Body Count and Fat Tuesday — have been inactive for a few years now due to poor theatrical box office of the first two. With horror films making a comeback, apparently one of these two stories is headed back into development. Dimension Films picked up the theatrical rights from Universal earlier this year, but the project just now appeared in Baseline's listings for Zemeckis, who is actually listed as a producer instead of executive producer. No plotline is given, nor is there any hint as to which story Dimension plans to develop first.

— Stephen Clark