El Mitote, 09/30/2007

Oscar-winner, red-carpet standout and by all reports, all-around nice person Renée Zellweger is the latest celeb to shop at Back at the Ranch, the boot store extraordinaire. Zellweger, a Texan who knows her way around boots, picked up a pair of rough-outs (in boot lingo, boots made with the rough side of the leather showing) at the popular shop.

Later last week, she went in for coffee at Ecco Espresso and Gelato, where word is, she was nice as can be.

Zellweger is slated to begin filming Appaloosa, the Ed Harris film combining friendship, a small town, a rancher-in-charge and a young widow who complicates the picture.

Lately, Zellweger has been in the news for making a new friend: Sir Paul McCartney. The two reportedly met earlier this summer in the Hamptons, setting off a storm of speculation that Bridget loves a Beatle.

►Eating lunch earlier this month at Santa Fe Bar and Grill was none other than House Speaker Ben Luján, who could hardly sit down for shaking hands.

►More on Bernadette Peters, who did her part to help the Santa Fe economy when she was here in August to raise money for Kitchen Angels. In addition to shopping reported last week, Peters also stopped at Jett Gallery on Old Santa Fe Trail near the Plaza, where she purchased three handmade rings by local jewelry designer Johanna Becker-Black.

Peters was accompanied by best-selling author and TV personality James Van Praagh, known for his book, Talking to Heaven, and for co-producing the CBS primetime series The Ghost Whisperer. Van Praagh bought a gold “Desert Angel” pin designed by gallery owner Jett Spencer.

►More good news for New Mexico’s movie industry: First, 3:10 to Yuma opens at No. 1 and In the Valley of Elah is an Oscar contender. Now, local writer Wolf Schneider revisits the state of New Mexico’s fledgling industry for The Hollywood Reporter, bringing more publicity to a state’s success.

The verdict? Movies are here to stay. In a comprehensive report (we’ll bring you more on the stars’ fave places to wine and dine later), Schneider interviews the big Hollywood players to discuss why New Mexico is such a hit with Hollywood.

One bonus for New Mexico — in addition to the 15 percent tax rebate — is its sunshine and varied landscape. The Land of Enchantment is a hot substitute for Pakistan, Iraq and Afghanistan these days.

►More domestically, Kevin Costner’s Swing Vote, filming in New Mexico now, needed a variety of locations. Producer Jim Wilson told Schneider: “It was like, I need some stately buildings ... that’s in Santa Fe. I need large warehouses. I need chicken factories. I need something that looks like Vermont for Dennis Hopper’s character’s palatial house — we found a big A-frame home in the Sandia Mountains. I need Santa Barbara for where Kelsey Grammer, (who plays) the incumbent president, can live — that’s in Corrales.”

Film production is now credited with bringing $409 million in direct expenditures to New Mexico. Fifteen projects are here or on the way, the article explains, and with studios going up and crews being trained, this could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship!

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