Tuesday, October 8, 2024

Prop or not?: Looking at Avenue A during the 'Caught Stealing' shoot

Crews yesterday continued to undress parts of Avenue A after standing in for a late-1990s version of itself for the Darren Aronofsky-helmed crime thriller "Caught Stealing."

The Benny's Burritos signage was removed from its one-time home (RIP 2014) on the SW corner of Sixth Street and Avenue A, a main hub during the several evenings of filming.
At times, it was hard to distinguish between the props for the shoot and the everyday randomness you'd expect to find along Avenue A.

Here's a quick guide to help determine what was a prop or not.
Bikes in a bunch: PROP
Michigan football flag outside Offside on the NE corner of A and Sixth: NOT a prop
Burgeoning sewer collapse on A and Sixth: NOT a prop
Pigeons devouring the 50 pounds of bread someone dumps in the once-mucky tree pit: NOT a prop, obviously
Obey Giant wheat pastes on the side of Amor Y Amargo: PROPS
Canopy left atop the M14 stop between Fifth Street and Sixth Street: NOT a prop
A sketchy-looking casting notice for a Young Zendaya: NOT a prop (and actually legit) 
Stop Warehousing Apartments Flyers: PROPS
Stack of school desks of the SE corner of A and Sixth: PROPS (sadly)
Phone booth: PROP
Bikes locked up outside the Cherry Tavern: NOT SURE!
Unhoused encampment on Sixth near A: PROP
Building-wide tags on the NW corner of Avenue A and Second Street: NOT props
REVS COST tags on Sixth Street plus other tags: PROPS
Jesus Loves You ("Think About That") flyer: NOT a prop
Rather hunky-looking guy dressed as if he could either be the building's porter or a serial entrepreneur who incubates and invests in breakthrough fintech companies: Guy, NOT a prop (though an actor); Car, PROP
Sidewalk message: NOT a prop 
The Hairy Balls signage outside Key Food: NOT a prop

We haven't heard anything official... but we're guessing that we haven't seen the last of the "Caught Stealing" shoot. We've heard rumors (and seen evidence of) a Pyramid Club and Mars Bar redux.

As we've been reporting, "Caught Stealing," based on Charlie Huston's novel of the same name, features a cast that includes Austin Butler, Zoë Kravitz, Regina King, Matt Smith, Liev Schreiber, Bad Bunny, Griffin Dunne, Vincent D’Onofrio and Action Bronson.
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5 comments:

  1. AnonymousOctober 8, 2024 at 5:54 AM

    I don't know why film productions continue to use 4-sided phone kiosks when those were never around in the 90s. It is as bad as seeing Toronto stand in for NYC with blatant red post boxes, Canadian flags on buildings and such.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. AnonymousOctober 8, 2024 at 8:48 AM

      I find the latter hard to believe. Which movie was that?

      Delete
  2. Miranda BlackOctober 8, 2024 at 9:12 AM

    I LOVE seeing the east village in its 90’s glory. And stuff I forgot like “COST” (what was that about??) And of course OBEY which I think got co-opted by some clothing company? Not sure. The piles of bikes. Love this post 💕. I hope they bring Pyramid back from the dead for a night.

    ReplyDelete
  3. AnonymousOctober 8, 2024 at 9:25 AM

    The Obey and other wheatpaste on 6th street was pressure-washed away last night. I wish some of the props could have been left up, like the pizza shop sign.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Liam ROctober 8, 2024 at 10:48 AM

    Amazing post. so entertaining.

    What's with the stacks of bikes and desks? Was stacking things common in the 90s?

    ReplyDelete

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