10 Classics & the New Mexico Film Revolution
Sept 8, 2018 1:10:20 GMT
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Post by petrolino on Sept 8, 2018 1:10:20 GMT
New Mexico : The Land of Enchantment
"Maybe it’s the remote, inhospitable look of its desert landscapes, the tangerine light that blooms across its open skies, or its sheer isolation, but there’s something that keeps bringing filmmakers back to New Mexico. The state became an especially popular film setting during the 1940s and 50s, no doubt owing something to the role it played as the site of the Manhattan Project. Alamogordo played host to the 1945 Trinity bomb test, revealing to the world the obliterating power of nuclear warfare. Capturing the mid-century imagination like nothing else, the scarred land had to attract the movie colony. Two years later, a mysterious crash in Roswell only further fuelled fascination with the secrets that the barren, sun-drenched landscape might hold.
Maybe that’s why – in spite of all that blazing south-western sun – depictions of New Mexico reveal plenty of darkness and mystery. On film, it’s been home to irradiated monsters, serial killers, outlaws and aliens, festering out in the open sunshine like yesterday’s trash. The vastness of the state’s terrain lends itself to fresh starts, but also to hiding in plain sight."
Maybe that’s why – in spite of all that blazing south-western sun – depictions of New Mexico reveal plenty of darkness and mystery. On film, it’s been home to irradiated monsters, serial killers, outlaws and aliens, festering out in the open sunshine like yesterday’s trash. The vastness of the state’s terrain lends itself to fresh starts, but also to hiding in plain sight."
- Christina Newland, The British Film Institute
"Presently we might associate New Mexico most with the series “Breaking Bad,” which is set and filmed around Albuquerque. As for feature films, they are plentiful lately as well, thanks to great financial incentives and a recently built studio that have wooed numerous productions and billions of dollars to the state. Traditionally, though, New Mexico has been primarily affiliated with three kinds of motion picture stories: Westerns, movies regarding the state’s history with the atomic bomb tests and movies involving the alleged UFO crash at Roswell."
- Christopher Campbell, IndieWire
"New Mexico’s current film & TV production incentive offers a refundable tax credit of up to a 30% on qualified in-state spend, making it competitive with other popular domestic production hubs such as Georgia and Louisiana, which have tax credits that top out at 30% and 40%, respectively.
The power of the incentive is evident at Albuquerque Studios, which has hosted such tentpole films as “Independence Day: Resurgence” (2016), “The Long Ranger” (2013) and “The Avengers” (2012). It’s also been home to NBC’s recently cancelled hospital drama “The Night Shift,” which traded off stage space and crew with AMC’s “Better Call Saul” (currently gearing up for its fourth season), as well as “Midnight, Texas.” The studio is expecting several pilots and one or two features next year."
The power of the incentive is evident at Albuquerque Studios, which has hosted such tentpole films as “Independence Day: Resurgence” (2016), “The Long Ranger” (2013) and “The Avengers” (2012). It’s also been home to NBC’s recently cancelled hospital drama “The Night Shift,” which traded off stage space and crew with AMC’s “Better Call Saul” (currently gearing up for its fourth season), as well as “Midnight, Texas.” The studio is expecting several pilots and one or two features next year."
- Todd Longwell, Variety
'Americano' - Lady Gaga
10 :
'The Leopard Man' (1943 - Jacques Tourneur)
The psychological horror thriller 'The Leopard Man' is based on the book 'Black Alibi' by Cornell Woolrich. The story's set in New Mexico and features location work.
'Pursued' (1947 - Robert Wise)
The romantic melodrama 'Pursued' is set in New Mexico around the turn of the 20th century and follows a man haunted by tragedy. Location filming took place in Gallup.
'Ace In The Hole' (1951 - Billy Wilder)
A scathing satire scorched with newspaper noir in which a reporter takes a job at the 'Albuquerque Sun-Bulletin'. In 2017, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".
'Salt Of The Earth' (1954 - Herbert J. Biberman)
The landmark political drama 'Salt Of The Earth' had been pre-targeted for the blacklist by members of the Hollywood establishment due to the makers' alleged involvement in communist politics. It's one of the first films to address the feminist social and political point of view and is based around the 1951 strike against the Empire Zinc Company in Grant County, New Mexico. Set in Zinctown, New Mexico, the film finds solidarity with miners.
'Easy Rider' (1969 - Dennis Hopper)
The ultimate juvenile delinquent, triptease road movie, 'Easy Rider' features a bike ride through New Mexico.
'The Muppet Movie' (1979 - James Frawley)
The Muppets journey to Hollywood in their first feature film outing. Having been joined by Rowlf the Dog and reunited with Miss Piggy, Fozzie's 1946 Ford Woodie station wagon trade-in breaks down in the New Mexico desert.
'And God Created Woman ...' (1988 - Roger Vadim)
Roger Vadim's remake of his own groundbreaking French classic 'Et Dieu… Créa La Femme' (1956) shocked audiences by becoming a New Mexico dream with scenes filmed all over. As one local film critic noted : "Just sit back and savor the many inside jokes and references that only locals will fully appreciate. ... To bestow credit where it is due, And God Created Woman gives Santa Fe the most luxuriant exposure it has ever received on the screen. Vadim's original version turned St. Tropez on the French Riviera into one of the world's hottest tourist Meccas. The new version won't cause as big a splash, but a smart travel agent could make a few quick bucks instituting a behind-the-scenes Woman tour."
'Contact' (1997 - Robert Zemeckis)
'Contact' is based upon a book by Carl Sagan. Despite mounting record-breaking constructions in California, some shooting took place at the Very Large Array (VLA) near Socorro, New Mexico. It was said to be spectacular.
'Vampires' (1998 - John Carpenter)
John Carpenter's stunningly beautiful gothic horror western is a Catholic tale of Vatican funded monster mania. Filming locations included (source : imdb) :
Historic Plaza Hotel, 230 Plaza Park, Las Vegas, New Mexico, USA
(Hotel where Montoya and Katrina are staying until Jack Crow's arrival)
Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA
Bonanza Creek Ranch - 15 Bonanza Creek Lane, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA
Cerrillos, New Mexico, USA
Las Vegas, New Mexico, USA
Rancho de las Golondrinas - 334 Los Pinos Road, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA
San Juan Pueblo, New Mexico, USA
Stanley, New Mexico, USA
(Hotel where Montoya and Katrina are staying until Jack Crow's arrival)
Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA
Bonanza Creek Ranch - 15 Bonanza Creek Lane, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA
Cerrillos, New Mexico, USA
Las Vegas, New Mexico, USA
Rancho de las Golondrinas - 334 Los Pinos Road, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA
San Juan Pueblo, New Mexico, USA
Stanley, New Mexico, USA
'Crazy Heart' (2009 - Scott Cooper)
It's no wonder Jeff Bridges later thanked the good people of New Mexico for their hospitality - he finally took home an Oscar for 'Crazy Heart', a faux-biopic loosely based upon the life of Texan country singer Hank Thompson. Filming took place during 2008 in New Mexico (Albuquerque, Española, Galisteo, Santa Fe), in Houston, Texas, and in Los Angeles, California.
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