As mentioned here previously, filmmakers Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini were recreating the Tompkins Square Park riots of 1988 last night for their low-budget adaption of the Eleanor Henderson novel "Ten Thousand Saints." (Read more about the film, due next year, right here.)
Now here's a look at some of the action, thanks to several EVG readers who sent along photos/video.
The first batch of photos are by Michael Donovan …
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Here's a snippet of video from Gail George showing riot rehearsal before the cameras rolled…
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And from Michael Paul …
… and a few photos from Michael from the late afternoon…
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And how did it all eventually come together? Here is video from Michael Donovan's Instagram account …
Previously on EV Grieve:
Filmmakers will recreate the Tompkins Square Park Riot of 1988 this Thursday night
Film crew recreates 'tent city' in Tompkins Square Park
Film crew uses 'D Squat' and phone booths to recreate an 1980s East Village on 6th Street
[Updated] First Avenue subbing for Avenue D today
17 comments:
Interesting. The people being beaten up look cleaner than in 1988 though.
They were filming right outside my window (and I do mean *right outside* - I live on the ground floor). That was the quietest riot ever!
There's certain noise laws all NYC filming locations need to abide by, which is why even loud scenes filmed outside are quiet until post-production. Love seeing the old cop cars, were they Plymouths or Chrysler? (I know it's tech. the same thing)
Sad really sad .... Turkey award on this ....
Man I miss those fabulous old police cars. Agree with Anon. 8:20, those "rioters" were way too clean, clean-shaven, clean-clothed, clean-teethed.
Eric, I believe that's a Dodge Diplomat. The Plymouth Gran Fury was based on the same platform but had a 440 V8 as an option for pursuit vehicles.
I was in the park in the early evening and the cops stationed around the entrances didn't even know what was going on. One kept telling passersby that they were there because "someone is protesting a film or something." These same cops had never heard of the riot and didn't even seem to know what park they were in.
At least the film makers are using the real location and not some romanticized Hollywood backlot.
Funny, I assumed the cops were just there because it was also May Day, and NYPD stations a shit ton of cops at Tompkins pretty much any time there's a protest about anything anywhere in the city on the assumption that some baby anarchists will lead a breakaway march there and maybe spit on some windows or something. Am I wrong about this?
Kinda hilarious that they decided to shoot it on May Day. I'm disappointed that some actual protestors didn't pile in as time warped extras (and the future cops after them, of course).
Not sure what pseudo cop vehicles they are using for this filming, but NYPD bought mostly Plymouth Fury's for many many years. As a matter of fact I had one that they had decommissioned and painted flat black and sold at auction that picked i up for next to nothing, the suspension was tired but the engine still had PLENTY of get up and go, I seem to recall it as 383 displacement, and the vehicle specifically titled as a "Fury III", with the roman numerals rather than the digital "3".
I wish I was an extra in this so badly! "let's make it more realistic!"-throws bottle at actor/cops head runs screaming off the set..
Against the Clayton footage, these police come off as, well, pretty benign. I mean the riot gear back then was pretty intimidating. This stuff they are wearing looks like low-tech military surplus. Jeez it makes the protesters look bad. Yet another instance of revisionist history. Life sucks if this is this all we get. This and a Zone A rating.
Why anyone would ever agree to be an Extra in one of those douche bag Hollywood movies infiltrating our neighborhood will forever remain a mystery to me. So for the price of a cup of coffee and a donut you like to be told by a 20 year old PA where to stand and how to behave? WTF is wrong with people?
Riot squad riot squad gonna call the riot squad SSI before I die ....
They really got the John The Communist banner style right
The extras don't know or care what they are in or what it is. Many don't even live in NYC let aline near the park. It's a job. You submit for roles that fit you and wait to hear back sometimes doing four or five days of work a week. Pays very well if you are in SAG-AFTRA. They don't care about what the scene is or what it stands for. Why would a 20 something "artsy, punk hipster looking" type which is what I am sure the submission said was turn down a night of work outside in an area they don't know she they can make maybe 200-350 bucks for night work? Blame the filmmaker and writer. Extras are kids trying to make a living and hoping for a line thrown their way. Some are 18 years old. I am sure none knew what this was about or cared. Wish I saw this going on..those pics are too much.
alot of the squatters (drugged takeover conartists,as lame as the actors skuse me extras....in this farce......i was there in fact i started a riot 2 weeks before by my self.......i will tell my story on the phony squatter scene,anarchists and thats all .mostly junkies......and i have over 25 years of nice steady footage.,an expert with the video cam......not only did more than all the squatters but i'm still at it city lore.mosaic man jim power "longest lasting gurillia artist in history of new york city.....raw vision england...,clayton patterson vice magazine and more........im here and so are the new phonys lame and nobodys who sink to the bottom of the cesspool...the east village.
I hope in recreating this event, the actor cops covered up their badges with black tape like the real cops did.
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