I THE EIGHTS I
Photo Credit: FUBAR 2 (Cardinal Film Inc.)
HOME MOVIES
(Sort of)
If you’re still cooped up at home, check out some major flicks shot in the Capital Region BY GENE KOSOWAN
THE CURRENT PANDEMIC had
Cowboys Don’t Cry
folks in the Capital Region hunkered down in droves resulting in the area coming off relatively unscathed compared to several regions in Canada. That included more family time in front of the screen to the point where folks ran out of flicks to watch. But if you’re still cautious about venturing outside as the economy begins to open up, try a few of these offerings shot in Edmonton and surrounding area to see if you can identify a few sites.
Former Edmonton filmmaker Anne Wheeler racked up accolades over this heartbreaking story that includes several scenes shot in St. Albert. In this 1988 drama, a former rodeo champion comes to terms with the death of his wife, killed when he was drunk behind the wheel. (Google Play, primevideo.com)
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford Brad Pitt plays outlaw James who meets his maker at the hands of a fellow gun-slinging gang member in this 2007 biopic that included scenes shot in Fort Edmonton Park. Although the flick was up for two Oscars, locals will better remember the celebrity sightings of Pitt and now ex-wife Angelina Jolie at West Edmonton Mall and a Safeway in Spruce Grove. (Shaw On Demand) 16 T8Nmagazine.com
Fast Company Canadian director David Cronenberg is known for suspenseful outings from Scanners to The Fly, but his first featurelength movie released in 1979 had nothing to do with horror. Instead, he focused on the life of a young racer revving his way through the drag circuit. Nostalgia buffs might want to see what Old Strathcona looked like before its artistic renaissance as well as lingering shots of the late, lamented Edmonton International Speedway. (primevideo.com)
FUBAR 2 Bob and Doug MacKenzie might have started the hoser craze, but the Canadian stereotype hilariously remains intact with this FUBAR followup. This 2010 comedy follows two young slackers
hitting the road looking for work as well as band gigs involving one of the duo. (CBC Gem)
Intern Academy A Canuck triple-threat of comedic veterans Dan Ayckroyd (Saturday Night Live), Dave Foley (The Kids In the Hall) and Dave Thomas (SCTV) headline this medical comedy with more hijinx than an actual plot. Previously called Whitecoats, the 2004 comedy was filmed in the abandoned Charles Camsell Hospital, which was called St. Albert’s hospital, presumably to amuse the locals north of Edmonton. (YouTube Movies)
Small Sacrifices Hollywood star Farrah Fawcett and her beau Ryan O’Neal headed to Edmonton to shoot this 1989 made-for-TV drama about a woman on trial for murder and attempted murder of her three children. A couple scenes were also filmed at the Camsell, although much of it was shot inside what used to be Allarcom Studios right beside the Global Edmonton TV station. A free feed of the show was recently spotted online. (YouTube)
Snow Day Edmonton was chosen for exterior shots of Syracuse, New Jersey, the setting for this 2000 comedy. Chevy Chase plays a TV reporter who joins other residents contending with a heavy snowfall hitting the city. Although Edmonton snowfall was already knee-deep for the film crew, that wasn’t enough, so director Chris Koch ordered 4,500 dump trucks to cart more of the white stuff to the shoot (YouTube Movies, Google Play)
#Roxy This 2017 production is a modern high-school twist on the romantic classic surrounding matchmaker Cyrano de Bergerac, this time portrayed by a hacker named Cyrus. The real draw here is watching Danny Trejo, a villain in such outings as Desperado and Sons of Anarchy, play a principal in scenes at St. Albert’s Bellerose Composite High School. (primevideo.com, YouTube Movies) t8n
