'My Dead Boyfriend' filming in Tompkins Square Park

Crews arrived today for a two-day shoot in Tompkins Square Park for "My Dead Boyfriend." There's promise here ... because the film is based on Arthur Nersesian's novel "Dogrun," which is set in the East Village in 1999.

Here's a description of the book:

Mary Bellanova came home to her east village apartment, cooked dinner, and fought with her boyfriend, Primo. But soon Mary realized that Primo's silence in front of the tv set was more than just one of his bad moods: Primo was actually dead.

Suddenly Mary's life — defined so far by a string of temp jobs and unfinished short stories — takes off on a tantalizing adventure as she follows a trail of Primo's ex-lovers ... in this powerful new novel edged with black humor and poignancy.

Heather Graham (below) plays the lead... "ER" star Anthony Edwards makes his directorial debut.

Oscar winner Jennifer Connelly films 'Shelter' in Tompkins Square Park today

Crews for the Paul Bettany-directed "Shelter" were back in Tompkins Square today... the film stars Oscar winner Jennifer Connelly in a "love story set among the homeless living on the streets of Manhattan."





... Bettany, her real-life husband, was also spotted minding one of the couple's children... (or, perhaps, just a random kid...)



Meanwhile, crews were also trimming trees in the Park today, as Dave on 7th noted...



And we forgot to ask how the film crew-tree crew battle ended up...

@evgrieve Now they cleared the grass so they can cut trees. THERE IS AN EPIC BATTLE ABOUT TO HAPPEN HERE.
— Eden Brower (@edenbrower) September 30, 2013

Film photos via Bobby Williams.

You have another chance to see Jennifer Connelly play a homeless person today

Crews return today to Avenue A/Tompkins Square Park to film scenes for "Shelter," the directorial debut of actor Paul Bettany ... and starring his wife, Oscar winner Jennifer Connelly.

They filmed in the Park last Tuesday... According to published reports, the drama is a "love story set among the homeless living on the streets of Manhattan."

There's something about filming in the East Village; Little Orphan Annie likes Citi Bikes

Film crews are out in force this morning along Avenue A and East 11th Street, among other locales... signs point to a Columbia Pictures release called "Moonquake Lake" ... which is apparently code for the remake of "Annie."

Per various Internet reports, the movie started filming in NYC yesterday .... Quvenzhané Wallis ("Beasts of the Southern Wild") plays the title role while Jamie Foxx plays Benjamin Stacks (aka "Daddy Warbucks").

Citi Bikes apparently also have a starring role, based on this photo of Wallis yesterday...


[Via]

Which may explain the new, presumably temporary, Citi Bikes docking station on East 11th between A and First Avenue...



Columbia reportedly plans to release this film on Dec. 19, 2014.

Updated 10:18

A few photos from the set on East 11th Street via Shawn Chittle...

Seeking 'Shelter' in Tompkins Square Park

[Bobby Williams]

Films crews were set up today in Tompkins Square Park for "Shelter," which marks the directorial debut of actor Paul Bettany ... he is directing his wife, Oscar winner Jennifer Connelly, in a drama called "Shelter." According to published reports, the plot is "a closely guarded secret," though he did tell The Telegraph earlier that the film is a "love story set among the homeless living on the streets of Manhattan."

They filmed on Astor Place on Saturday...



The Daily Mail has more photos and stuff here.

As for the filming in the Park, we didn't get any paparazzi shots... though Bobby Williams did find Jennifer Connelly's stand-in...

Let's star in a movie!

You may have seen some sort of film shoot going on today on East Seventh Street between Avenue A and First Avenue... we walked back and forth dozens of times thinking it was connected to "The Smurfs," which filmed right here back in the heady days of April 2010.



Oh! Oops!



Anyway, we have no idea what this was all about. Maybe you do?


[Next stop — Cooper Union!]

Photos by Bobby Williams

Amex shoot takes over Avenue A skid row for the afternoon

A crew was on Avenue A at East Seventh Street today filming some sort of commercial involving, well – all this...



... along the site that usually looks like this of late...





Perhaps becoming the edgy go-to spot now for shoots.

Photos today by Bobby Williams.

Tonight in Tompkins Square Park

Filming the HBO series "The Newsroom."

Jeff?! Jeff! I love Jeff Daniels! Jeeeffffff! I love you! Shit, I lost my phone. I gotta pee. Oh shit...

'Newsroom' flash!

You may have sign the signs up like this one on East 12th Street... Aaron Sorkin's "The Newsroom" will be filming in parts of the neighborhood today and tomorrow...

Dave on 7th, who took the photo, asks, "Wonder what big news event they'll be recreating?"

Oh, and the second season starts on HBO on July 14. Guest stars this season will include Jane Fonda, Patton Oswalt and Marcia Gay Harden.

Another show that I've never seen. Anyone?

'Mania Days' back on Avenue A today; KATIE HOLMES HIGH ALERT

You may have noticed the fairly large production camped out in various streets around the neighborhood... such as Avenue A and St. Mark's Place...



...where crews were filming a scene yesterday for "Mania Days" at the Odessa Cafe...







...and the crew is back filming today...



We didn't mention this earlier because ... THE MOVIE STARS KATIE HOLMES, the former East Village resident who broke our collective hearts last summer following the dissolution of her fairytale marriage to actor Tom Cruise. (Ah, love is so fickle...)

And we were worried about The Pandemonium this sighting might cause. And you thought you'd never see her here again! (Except for a few weeks ago on Avenue B.)


[Via Just Jared]

Anyway, on a more serious note, the movie sounds serious. Per Just Jared:

The 34-year-old actress is reportedly starring in the film about “a manic depressive rapper (Luke Kirby) who gets involved with a manic depressive poet (Holmes) in a passionate affair that results in a pregnancy.”

Spike Lee is a producer; Paul Dalio, a producer at the David Lynch Foundation, makes his directorial debut. (Perhaps worth noting that his father is billionaire Ray Dalio, founder of hedge fund Bridgewater Associates.)

Anyway (again). Pensive Katie! on Avenue A... thinking about Mamani Pizza...


[Via Celebrity-Gossip-Net]

Previously on EV Grieve:
East Village reeling over breakup of Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes

Non Katie Holmes photos by Bobby Williams

'Straight Outta Tompkins' is real, and it is now filming around the neighborhood

"Straight Outta Tompkins" started filming on March 12. We heard about the film, but, to be honest, we thought the person who told us was joking. You know — a play on Straight Outta Compton. However, it is an actual production. Here's the description via the film's Facebook page:

A feature film written, directed and starring Zephyr Benson.

"Straight Outta Tompkins" is real, authentic and: Straight Outta Tompkins

Inspired by true events, "Straight Outta Tompkins" is a shocking, brutally honest view of today's Lower East Side, New York City drug trade.

We witness a powerful drug ring many don't dream exist: a consortium controlled by upper class, white, privileged young adults.

Seen through the eyes of Gene, a charming 18 year-old, a ‘pitch away’ from a college baseball scholarship.

Abandoned by his family, Gene finds a 'surrogate,’ seemingly more loving family within the underbelly of the L.E.S. drug community.

Gene is faced with one simple decision that could rob him of his youth, his innocence, his life.

There are also updates on the production's Twitter account. There's video of a shooting-up-heroin scene here.

Zephyr Benson, who attended attended NYU's Tisch School of the Arts in Filmmaking, is the son of Robby Benson, the boyish-looking actor your older sister totally had a crush on in the 1970s.

Party of 5: 'Gaffigan' filming today in the East Village

Comedian Jim Gaffigan is filming his CBS pilot around the neighborhood today. Expect trucks and crews and stuff on parts on East Seventh Street and St. Mark's Place adjacent to Tompkins Square Park ... (Crews are also filming on the Lower East Side too.)



Per the sign up here on East Seventh Street, "the comedy revolves around Galligan as a happily married man and New York City father of five — as he is in real life."

In real life, he lives on the Bowery.

TV show love outside Vazac's

"Golden Boy" cast members Theo James and Bonnie Somerville (yes, we looked it up) on Seventh Street and Avenue B today. The incoming CBS NYPD-related drama about the two best looking detectives in history filmed all over the place today... or so it seemed.

Photo by Bobby Williams.

First look at Lehane's Tavern on Seventh Street and Avenue B

A new TV crime drama titled "Golden Boy" is filming around the neighborhood today ... including scenes at Vazac's, the old-reliable location for TV and movie locations...

Looks like the fake bar sign for the shoot reads "Lehane's Tavern." (I don't recall seeing that name on the upcoming CB3/SLA docket. Haha.)

Photos by Bobby Williams.

Here comes 'Golden Boy'

Crews working on a new TV series called "Golden Boy" will be rolling into parts of the neighborhood this evening... we spotted the above sign on Seventh Street and Avenue B ... there are others along parts of Avenue A and B ... and some side streets...

According to IMDB, "Golden Boy" involves "the making of a man that tracks one cop's meteoric rise from officer to detective to police commissioner." The cast includes Al Sapienza, Nicolette Pierini and Theo James.

'Eleanor Rigby' filming: Day 19

OK. Today is just the second day this week for "The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby" crews here on this portion of Seventh Street ... (they were on Seventh at Cooper Union a few weeks back...)

... per the signs, they'll be filming from approximately 4 p.m. to 4 a.m. today... and 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. tomorrow... not sure how approximate this is...

As BoweryBoogie noted, they've also been filming along Avenue B between East Second Street and Third Street this week (they were using the interiors of the former Zaitzeff space on Monday) ... and they'll be back here on B all of next week.

The film tells the story of a troubled marriage, in two installments, from the husband's and the wife's perspective ... it stars Jessica Chastain and James McAvoy ... as well as Viola Davis, Bill Hader, Isabelle Huppert and William Hurt.

McAvoy makes his triumphant return to the East Village, where he hung with Angelina Jolie on the side of the now-demolished Nevada Smiths on Third Avenue in June 2008...

Can Shooting a Movie in this Heat Make an Actor Sweat?

Oh, just a few photos from the "Can a Song Save Your Life?" shoot going on now outside Vazac's on Seventh Street and Avenue B...

As mentioned earlier, the film is about "a dejected music business executive forms a bond with a young singer-songwriter new to Manhattan." It stars Keira Knightley, Mark Ruffalo and Catherine Keener.

Knightley is currently cooling off inside Vazac's with a 24-ounce can of Natty Light. Well, not really.

Photos by Bobby Williams.

Can a Movie Set Ruin Your Weekend?

KIDDING WITH THAT HEADLINE.

Crews for the feature motion picture presentation "Can a Song Save Your Life?" have been been spotted around the Lower East Side this week. (BoweryBoogie has photos here.)

IMDB describes the plot this way: "A dejected music business executive forms a bond with a young singer-songwriter new to Manhattan."

Today, and this weekend, crews will be on parts of East Sixth Street, Avenue B, Seventh Street and elsewhere... we wholly expect them to film inside Vazac's at some point too...

Keira Knightley, Mark Ruffalo and Catherine Keener star in the film that John ("Once") Carney is directing from his own screenplay.

'Totally Clueless' in the East Village today

A crew will be filming "Totally Clueless" today on Seventh Street between Avenue A and First Avenue. (And elsewhere? Didn't investigate all that closely) ... It's a new MTV series... that The Wrap described this way:

"Totally Clueless" will follow "Punk'd" into MTV's hidden-camera programming — with the difference being that, in the new offering, people will win cash for figuring out that they are on television. "Our team of improv actors puts people into escalating rounds of uncomfortable situations," the network said of the show. "The sooner they figure out they are on a game show the more money they win."

MTV should come back and film this weekend. They'd never have to hand out any money.