Friday, May 03, 2019

Off the Map (2003 production, 2005 release)

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Last updated: March 12, 2020

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Drama/comedy, based upon the play by Joan Ackermann. A family comes to grips with the father's depression, as seen through the eyes of the 11-year-old daughter. Starring Joan Allen, Valentina deAngelis, Sam Elliott, J. K. Simmons, Amy Breneman, and Jim True Frost. Set in 1970s New Mexico; filming locations: Albuquerque, Arroyo Hondo, Carson, Carson National Forest, Questa, Rio Grande Gorge, San Cristobal (main set, Donner Ranch), Talpa, Taos, Tres Piedras.


I'm not familiar enough with the intricate geography of northern New Mexico to pick off many filming locations on a quick scan. For the moment, I'll settle for three filming locations.



Notes on Individual Scenes
-----------------------------

Northern NM views - Unresolved


Office - NW corner of the Sunrise Bank Building (Old First National Bank Building, now called the Banque Lofts) in Albuquerque, NM (35.084804°, -106.650114°).

View looking north-northwest, at a strange structure on the parking garage next door. This structure, sporting a hole, was featured at the start of the movie "Off The Map."


View looking north-northwest, at a strange structure on the parking garage next door. This structure, sporting a hole, was featured at the start of the movie "Off The Map."


Maria's Taos Junction Cafe/Bar - (from imdb) US-285 & New Mexico 567, Taos, New Mexico, USA
(Maria's Taos Junction Cafe Bar is just north of this intersection) (36.364269°, -105.897685°)

K-Mart - (from imdb) 233 Paseo Del Pueblo Sur, Taos, New Mexico, USA
(truck pulls into Kmart which then stood across from Indian Hills Inn and next to Siler Rd)

Target shooting

Library

Rio Grande Gorge

Taos Mountain Candles Gallery, 121 N. Plaza C

Nuestra Senora de San Juan Chapel, Talpa, NM

Santa Fe Gallery - Unresolved

Adorable Russian Spy

Pay attention to me!:
BERLIN — An alleged Russian spy whale is refusing to leave a Norwegian port city, in what appears to be a high-profile defection after a week of global attention on the unnamed beluga.

...Contrary to the species’ normal behavior, the beluga had allowed residents to pet its nose over the last few days.

The whale was first spotted by Norwegian fishermen last week, when they noticed that the whale defied normal behavior by persistently harassing their boats. The fishermen subsequently spotted a strange harness wrapped around the whale’s body.

Wiig said an inscription on the harness they later recovered read “Equipment St. Petersburg.” He said he had handed the harness over to Norway’s special police security agency (PST).

...Researchers say the harness could have carried weapons or cameras, triggering fresh speculation about a sea mammal special operations program that the Russian navy is believed to have been pursuing for years. Although the Russian Defense Ministry has denied the existence of such a program, the same ministry published an ad in 2016 seeking three male and two female bottlenose dolphins and offering a total of $24,000.

In this part of Europe, nobody would be surprised if the latest Norwegian discovery did indeed turn out to be the fallout of a military experiment gone wrong. Since the 2014 Russian annexation of Crimea, there have been creepy reminders of the Kremlin’s massive military apparatus lurking on Europe’s eastern outskirts: mystery submarines; unidentified jets, including one that almost crashed with a passenger plane; and strange troop movements.

Wednesday, May 01, 2019

Sicario: Day of the Soldado (2018)

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Last updated: March 8, 2020

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Notes on Individual Scenes
-----------------------------

Borderland - Desert wash, NM - Prayer rugs

Kansas City - Big Box store - Abandoned store near Juan Tabo Blvd. & Central Avenue (35.070507°, -106.513409°)

Village

Camp Lemonnier

Office

McAllen, TX, neighborhood - About 800 Santa Fe Avenue SE

House - about 714 Santa Fe Avenue Southeast, Albuquerque, NM, USA

Bus Stop - Walter St. and Pacific Ave. SE

Rio Grande River - approximately (35.380191°, -106.508257°)

Washington D.C.

Office


Vintage 423, 8000 Paseo Del Norte Blvd. NE.


Vintage 423, 8000 Paseo Del Norte Blvd NE.








Vintage 423.


Vintage 423.


Bogata

Mexico City

Double Eagle Airport


El Madrid Lounge - Yard next to Zachary's House, on 1st Street between Coal and Lead.


Coal Ave. Overpass





Rail Yards - heading south on 2nd

Mall - Cottonwood Mall

Corpus Christi air field (supposedly)

Deserted house - towards Belen

Underpass - Unresolved

Office

Food Court - likely Cottonwood Mall

Storefront - Resembles Hastings, but apparently not

Border Crossing - Unresolved

Brick glassy building


Hangar resembles Albuquerque solar facility.

Former Schott Solar facility, 5201 Hawking Dr. SE.

(Photo of Adam Ramirez by William James Dickey.)

(Features: Bell-shaped lights.)


Former Schott Solar facility, 5201 Hawking Dr. SE.

(Photo of Adam Ramirez by William James Dickey.)


Former Schott Solar, 5201 Hawking Dr. SE (35.005800°, -106.610937°).


Desert road

Approaching border - Laguna Pueblo (35.034514°, -107.385640°)

Shooting at pursuing vehicles - somewhere at Laguna, north of freeway

Border coming up at fast - Meadow Dr. & Old San Jose Rd. - (35.036317°, -107.383620°)

Hailing car - Unresolved

Finding house near To'hajiilee

Roadside, with gas station

Riverbank - probably south of Algodones (35.376356°, -106.503221°)


On the south side of Algodones, on the south side of the E-W ditch that cuts across the valley, there is a road that leads one close to the Rio Grande. I hiked over to the site, crossing only two fences in the process. No challenges - lower stress!


First, you cross through a grove of cottonwood trees.


On San Felipe Pueblo land.
















Bus unloading spot.


Town

Building with windows

Possibly nighttime Laguna Pueblo

Arroyo semicircle - Tijeras Arroyo ( 35.017534°, -106.613103°)

Jumps off truck

Bobby Foster Road


In vicinity of Breaking Bad's 'Sunset' (Season 3) location - (34.967616°, -106.640506°)


Sunset (Season 3)


Sunset (Season 3)


Sunset (Season 3)


Back to Bobby Foster Road.

Left: Bobby Foster Rd. SE, near Q Studios, has been used for highway-related scenes in numerous movies, including "Sicario: Day of the Soldado."


General area of the roadblock location.


Double Eagle Airport.


Double Eagle Airport.

Rururu’s Capital is Covfefe

Dignity

Poet Stumped By Standardized Test Questions About Her Own Poem

It figures:
Texas' STAAR tests are administered in part by Pearson Assessments, a testing company that Holbrook called a "sadistic behemoth."

Happy Birthday, Jasper!

Born April 29, 2018.

Big Turkey

NorCal’s favorite bird shows up randomly everywhere these days. So big, at first glance, I thought it was a baby emu.

The California 2018-19 Rainy Season Is In The Books

The California 2018-19 rainy season is over. The rains started late - too late to prevent the Camp Fire - and ended early, but rained heavily while it was going. Rains were above average over much of the American West. Sacramento Executive Airport rainfall ended up 122% of average.

Sunday, April 28, 2019

Love Lies Bleeding (2008)

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Last updated: March 7, 2023

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Crime Thriller. Factions pursue a young couple who are on the run with money they found after a shootout. Starring ara Summers, Josh Berry, Dylan Kenin, Dave Colon, Luce Rains, Chris Ashworth, Mike Miller, Edward A. Duran. Filmed around Albuquerque.




Notes on Individual Scenes
-----------------------------

Plaza or square - Houses - 2500 Commercial Street Northeast, Albuquerque, NM, USA

Bedroom

RR Crossing

Supermarket - Lowe's Neighborhood Market, probably 4701 4th St. NW (Fourth & Griegos)


Hurricane's Restaurant, 4330 Lomas Blvd NE.








Gun sale

Bus - brief glimpse of downtown

RR Crossing

Car Pros Auto Sales, 5029 N. Fourth St. NW

Maybe West Central, Nine-Mile Hill? Or far-south Broadway Blvd.? More likely, near Interstate 40 east of town


Alley behind Jimmy John's Pizza, between 3rd & 4th Streets, just north of Central Ave.


Alley behind Jimmy John's Pizza, between 3rd & 4th Streets, just north of Central Ave., looking east at night.


Alley behind Jimmy John's Pizza.


Possibly Rio Puerco?

M & S Transmissions, 9400 Central Ave SW

Wedding Parlor


Railyards.


Railyards.


Railyards.


Railyards.



Route 66 Casino Hotel.

Route 66 Casino Hotel.

Route 66 Casino Hotel.

Route 66 Casino Hotel.

Route 66 Casino Hotel.



Looks like State Fair. Uncle Cliff's? Cliff's Amusement Park, 4800 Osuna Rd NE, Albuquerque, NM

Real estate office, Tiffany Homes Anasazi Ridge, 6511 Desert Spirits Rd NW - Anasazi Ridge and Desert Spirits NW

Store


Exterior of Hotel - Crowne Plaza Albuquerque, 1901 University Blvd. NE


Drive

Vacant House - likely at Anasazi Ridge - 6533 Ancients Road Northwest, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA


Police Offices are staged at the Bernalillo County Courthouse Annex, located at the corner of 5th St. and Tijeras Ave. NW.


Bernalillo County Court House Annex, located at the corner of 5th St. and Tijeras Ave. NW.


Bernalillo County Court House Annex.


Bernalillo County Courthouse Annex, located at the corner of 5th St. and Tijeras Ave. NW.


Stairwell.


Second floor doors.








Fantasy House

Motel formerly at 10th & Central - Silver Moon Lodge

Trailer Park South Valley, but partly elevated - - Unresolved

Freeway north of town - Unresolved

Road north of Algodones - Unresolved


Algodones Power Plant, Public Service Co. of NM, 1500 Pan American Central Highway, Algodones, NM 87001











Power plant.


Power plant.





Big Building

House - 9400 Endee Road Northwest, Albuquerque, NM, USA