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"Under the terms of the no-interest loan, New Mexico will receive 8.5 percent of any profits the film makes after paying its production costs"

Hollywood is the Home of Creative Bookkeeping. How much "profit" do you think the State will realize?

"The practice of awarding such prizes is rare"

Yeah, cuz most background/extras/atmosphere is PAID to be there! The only way you are going to get people working for *free* is to dangle that carrot, whereby they HAVE to be there at the end of the day to win the prize.


Will NM become the next Canada?
Maybe. The State will offer BILLIONS and BILLIONS of $$$ in incentives. H'wd will flock to ___________ [insert NM State Motto here]. After a while, the pool of free background will dwindle, due to every "civilian" who has ever wanted to "be in a movie" will have had their 15 minutes (aka 12 hour unpaid day with poor food) & be thoroughly "done" with the experience, while the people who crew these gigs will get tired of getting sub-standard pay, & will start demanding decent wages.

Then, H'wd will start looking to other states that will offer them gargantuan incentives.

Not only did these people fill the stands, they were required to stay all night. Yes, all night. 1000 extras committing to a scene that required substantial energy and enthusiasm (on their parts) is laudable, no matter the location city. Some of these people traveled quite the distance (hours) to be a part of this film. The raffle for some seriously high value prizes certainly helped fill the arena, but that didn't seem to matter much as it was a very upbeat crowd even after the prizes were awarded. The practice of awarding such prizes is rare even from productions that are floating in cash. Kudos to New Mexico and to Costner, who intends to leave even more money here in the future. Sanchez, clearly, is not very familiar with the industry or it's rigors. Surprised? BTW, Costner's band is pretty good and certainly a lot of fun.

I'd say 1000 people ain't bad for an event that wasn't advertised. very well.

Insult to who? Costner's?  Now if Julia Roberts was singing...

Actually Julian, if you have ever been involved in a crowd scene shoot, you know it is about the most boring thing in the world. The band wasn't scheduled to play until 11:00PM which is pretty late for folks that have been working all day.   

One thousand people is that all! That an insult if I may say so!

I do believe that the no interest loans are or have been paid back, the 500k is in addition though it is hard to tell from this and every other article that has appeared in the SFNM about the film industry. 

The way the multiplier works is that by spending money locally it gets spent a number of times by different people. The local farmer spends it at the local hardware store where the employee spends it (from paycheck) at the local burger joint where an employee spends it at Walmart ..... opps then it's gone to Alabama & China .. well not completely.

Good points, James Brethour.  They make sense, too, but I'm still scared.

 

Yes, Ms. Chavez, guys like that are no longer former inmates. They are the new pachuco and they are everywhere in movies. No need to fear them.

Well Ms. Chavez: they look sort of hot to me.

I think that it is wonderfult that New Mexico is incubating a new industry.  These things take time, and any time new industry comes in and brings in money from outside of the state, you can always count on a multiplier effect for the economy.  Just what the multiplier is is indeed up for debate.  But the fact that it is the 3rd largest industry today bodes well for the future.

Ms. Chavez, I find it curious that you find the guys in the picture scary.  I too have many tattoos and am a big guy, but I am certainly not a scary person.  In fact, in my experience, the more "unusual" a person looks, the nicer they are.  The ones you have to watch out for are the clean-cut ones -- you have to wonder what they're hiding...

Film is the third largest industry in the state right now...

2007 fiscal year: $475.5 million

Like others, I find this hype hard to believe.   I'd like to see some independent assessments.

I'd like to see the actual numbers on each film.  Not just Bush-like fuzzy math.

"Estimated impact of film industry on New Mexico’s economy............................  (Estimates assume that every dollar a film project directly spends in New Mexico generates another $2 in other spending in the state.)"

Wow.  Where does THAT come from?  That's pretty creative book keeping, no?  Sorta like saying that every dollar in my pocket automatically generates 2 more dollars just by being there?  I wish!

Judging by these photos, I would be too scared to work on that film, "Felon."  Or are those guys in the photo on the inside?

Jesse Martin (from Law & Order and Rent) is one of my favs

Sounds like the state is investing dollars and getting back pennies.  If I did that, I would be broke pretty fast but the state can just go on collecting taxes.   If my broker operated on that basis, I'd fire him pretty darn fast.

where do you get the idea that these are "short term" jobs? by that logic, construction workers are on "short term" jobs. so are hair stylists. painting contractors. landscapers. They will be short term jobs after the movie industry leaves the state with no new productions coming in due to ignorance, hostility, and plain ole in hospitality. just like what is already happening in the tourist industry. BTW: Film is the third largest industry in the state right now.

What a rip off of New Mexico residents and taxpayers!
A return of $500K on a $200,000,000 mutli year investment.... 3000 short term jobs?
What percentage of loans have actually been repaid - the principle, never mind the interest/earnings?

Thanks to Mr. $Bill, we have an unfinished spaceport, unused train tracks to Raton, a jet, and massive investment in movies - But no improvement in high school dropout rates, DWI rates, Health Care availability or water infrastructure.

$Bill is playing in his own fantasy/horror movie - and even after all our taxpayer money, Hollywood is going to split for Hillary and Obama. An we are just going to pay.

Sounds like a movie I'd like to see. Cowboys, Brad Pitt, yum.

I think I'd like to make a movie in New Mexico. Can I have $15 million too? Please? I'll even hire an actor who bothers to shave and bathe and fix his shirt and tie so he doesn't look like some sort of filthy street urchen.

Peter Dekom and the States Investment Council’s Private Equity Investment Advisory Committee make me wanna puke. First, Peter gets paid to tell the Investment Advisory Committee what they want to hear. Oh by the way he is also the advisor to several other states.

Peter Dekom has advised the state on many film project that have not turned a profit for the state. Assistant Attorney General Zachary Shandler is worried about the loan amount and so should all the others. To date New Mexico has lost money and truly has not made a penny back from all it's investments into these projects.

Granted, these movies are bringing work to New Mexicans, but it would be less costly just to give these crew members the money to live off of. We also hear about the exposure that these projects bring to New Mexico. Last time I heard, actors, like Val Kilmer get on Television and trash talk our state. Don't get me wrong, we do have many problems, poor education, too many drunks on our roads, and the state inviting business's to move to our state and pay our citizens slave wages. Oh forgive me, the good wages are paid to film crew members. The majority are transplants from California and Texas within the last 5 years.

The committee also recommended Wednesday to revise its loan policy to prohibit the state from making direct equity investments in films. Too little too late... New Mexico is close to losing 100 million in film investment that have not paid a return. I love this quote..... State Investment Council spokesman Charles Wollmann said such investments are too risky, and the council never has made an equity investment in a film. Duh New Mexico citizens have been saying that for years and no one has listened.

I guess because we have poorly educated citizens and those New Mexicans that are educated are too meek to stand up to these fast talking LA based gucci wearing suits, that we have no one to blame but ourselves. Geeez, evertime I'm in Santa Fe no one talks about the loss of New Mexico money on these projects they only talk about who is in town. These people need a reality check... look at our national economy, it's crashing and when it hits home it will be worse for us.

Using public money to invest in for-profit industry is a big mistake.  Newsflash:  The movie business has several ways to make a movie look like it lost money and besides that, 15 million is chump change for the studios.  If there were genuine interest or rather a snowball's chance in you-know-where of success, there would be a line of 'investors' at the door.  They are only too happy to give a starry-eyed glitzy vision of what this means to NM economically but when the bill comes due they'll offer nothing but a smile as repayment.  This loan proves the corporate welfare system is alive and well in NM.  With that amount of money they could give a 100K interest-free loan to 150 NM homebuyers whose property tax obligation would more than exceed the revenue generated by a few temporary movie jobs.  Bawhoosh!.........thats the sound of public money down the drain forever.  As far as I'm concerned heads should roll for making such a bone-headed blunder. 

I just got home from seeing the movie. I'm not usually a fan of Westerns, but the plot in 3:10 to Yuma particularly held my interst although I couldn't help but be distracted by all the places in the movie I know: Diablo Canyon, the Cerrillos Hills, Cerro Pedernal . . . even the Sangres had their brief moment on the screen.

This remake is as powerful as the original... meaningful as a representation of America's past that only predates our eldest citizens' World War II experience by 65 years or so. For my dad with whom I watched this movie, it was a wonderful eye-opener and expansion of historic perspective. Thomas McIntosh

ala "Wyatt Earp"," City Slickers", and " Tombstone," Marc?

Funny, i thought it was shot at Bonanza Creek. Not Eaves...

I enjoyed this movie.  Santa Feans will recognize the Ortiz mountains, the Eaves Movie Ranch, the cliffs around Abiquiu, and Pedernal mesa. 

Ah, a western that takes place in Arizona shot in New Mexico...

Didn't they?

Instead of electing one.

It is so fitting that the French would identify with a rodent

Wow Derek.  Your a ball of laughs, aren't you?

What's so great about Viggo Mortensen?  He doesn't look very hot to me and what kind of a name is Viggo?

LET'S FOCUS ON THE IMPORTANT STUFF FOR A CHANGE, SHALL WE?!

VIGGO FREAKIN' MORTENSEN IS COMIN' TO TOWN!

As my sister said when I emailed the news, "Diet camp, here I come!"

I give up Judy.  What does "tanker" mean?

The story isn't from the "Hollywood movie mill".  It is from a Robert Parker book. 

tanker

"..................two lawmen who are hired to bring order to the town of Appaloosa, which is being plundered by a renegade rancher. But their plans are disrupted when an attractive widow arrives on the scene."

Golly jee whiz!  What an innovative story line.  Isn't that the story line of about 95% of all Westerns that have ever been produced by the Hollywood movie mill?  Well, I shouldn't speak too soon.  Maybe there will be a new twist like the "two lawmen" are gay or something.  That would be fun.

Why should she be forced to stay clean, PC?

She needs to pay for her crime of DUI and that should be it.  Why should the state of California control her life?  She is young and she likes to party.  I know that I did when I was her age. 

When I was in college in Socorro, I got pulled over during a beer run and my whole back seat floor board was full of empty beer cans.  The officer was nice enough to follow me back to the apartment and everything was fine.  If he had pressed charges, my life would not be the same.

Let's get real people!

Don't worry guys, she's in more trouble for not staying clean while out on bail then she is for this actual DUI.  Remember, she just turned herself in last week on her previous DUI crash and leaving the scene and was released pending sentencing for that.  Screwing up while out on release for another crime is what is going to get her the jail time.

Besides, the three guys that were with her in the SUV were all over the news ratting her out.  One claims she even ran over his foot and the news camera went down and showed his wrapped up bandaged foot.  They also claim, when she stopped and ran out of the vehicle to the officers, she told them she wasn't driving, the Black guy was.

Lindsay is not having a good day.

Oh, I agree.  She needs to pay the price of driving under the influence.  That price should be jail time or community service.  She should not be forced into a 12 step program however.

I still can't figure out why a person with so much money would want to drive.  They can afford to hire a driver.

Aggreed, Khalil; she does need to step up and take her punishment. She's obviously just another no-talent, spoiled, Hollywood brat who thinks she can get away with it because she's a "celebrity".

Having said that, I totally agree with the rest of your comment, Jim: The whole rehab system is a bunch of BS, seemingly designed to teach people that it is not their fault.

She needs to pay the piper, Jim. 

Also, I suspect that like a lot of these young and talented people in Hollywood, the stardom and pressure really have effed up her mind.  Time for her to back off the fast track and get her head together before she hits the wall completely.

I really feel sorry for Lindsay.  The way our totally f'd up system of drug and alcohol rehabilitation is set up, a person has to go through the false trauma of believing they have this incurable disease.  Alcohol and drug abuse are simply that - abuse.  Any pleasureable thing can be abused.

The problem with our system now is that a person is generally forced into a 12 step program which is basically a form of religion.  Most people do not want to be a part of that religion which is why AA or Narc anon have a dis mill 5% success rate.

Let Lindsay have her fun while she is young.  She can afford to hire a driver to take her wherever she needs to go.

If she doesn't die from having to much fun, perhaps then we'll start to believe her.

Not My Cocaine???? Lindsey, is the local dealer short on trucks?

I am again saddened to see that yesterday at the age of 90, Glenn Ford died. He was another of my favorites.

I don't remember where I got the DVD, it might have been Smith's in one of their old budget DVD bins.

I was looking for it last week so I could show my daughter's friends what a star I am, but I didn't find it. That means it's time to clean the house, or the kids rooms, where it's probably buried under piles of stuff.

Well, shoot now I am impressed =)...it's been easlier over 10 yrs. since I've seen that film...I think I'll take time out this Sunday to chill & check it out...I'll be sure to look for ya!

BTW where'd you manage to get a DVD?? I'm thinking maybe Casablanca here in SF wud have it...they have a pretty good stock of "oldies"...?? any ideas?

Vanessa, when the paratroopers started to drop, there's one very fast moving scene where I pull a girl out of the yellow bug. I was very happy when I got the movie on DVD so I could freeze frame on that part.

There's another scene where I'm in the back of a truck as the mayor's car turns toward the Serf. Thanks to the miracles of movie making, I'm in front of the bank as a guard just 10 seconds later. I came like that close to being one of the book burners, except that I was a "paratrooper" and not "infantry."

I also was the officer in charge of the raodblock the kids had to get past after they got their supplies. I had to act like I got shot in the leg as I dove into a ditch.

One scene that got cut out of the movie was where Bella walked out of the Castadena hotel to see his dead troops. Me and another guy practiced snapping to attention as they walked by. We did that on our own, after all you have lots of time between takes. We were told that the producer and directors commented that we looked real good on camera, but that scene didn't make the final movie.