Economic Stimulus -- Local Version

New Coen Brothers Movie
Shooting in St. Louis Park

I have no idea if the new Coen brothers movie -- about their upbringing in St. Louis Park, circa 1965 -- is going to be a money maker or not. But the movie shoot is clearly injecting hundreds of thousands into the local economy.

The location, at Highway 7 and Ottawa Blvd. in St. Louis Park, looks like a makeshift city, albeit an especially well-lit one (banks of lights, hydraulic lifts, and what appears to be sound equipment are everywhere). Trailers and trucks extend a couple blocks along the highway frontage road.

Word is that the former cantor at my synagogue plays the same role in the movie. Hundreds of "extra's" are just regular local's who showed up at a casting call, including a good friend, who had to be outfitted with a period-appropriate suit and tie . . for a tiny, non-speaking part in a bar mitzvah scene! (If they'd picked me, they could have saved the wardrobe expense.)

If this is a low-budget, "indie" film, I'd like to see the real (reel?) deal!