[houstonsemipro]

I think this could be a great nickname for houston "The Forgotten City." It sounds like a movie title, and I think a screenwriter should make a movie of the city of houston. People passes up Houston to visit other cities in Texas. They come to Houston last if they only have family here, or doing business. We're the fourth largest city in the nation behind Chicago, L.A., and New York, and they treat us like we're 50th largest city. They rather talk about Dallas, or San Antonio before they talk about Houston. Houston get's no respect at all, and we hosted the superbowl, and baseball all star game. They rather film movies in L.A., Chicago, and New York, even New Orleans. What about Houston? Houston has alot of areas to film movies. I guess they don't know what Houston offers, but I hope movie companies well know soon.

[tamtagon]

Quote

People passes up Houston to visit other cities in Texas.

...and they treat us like we're 50th largest city.

They rather talk about Dallas, or San Antonio before they talk about Houston.

Houston get's no respect at all,

What about Houston?

Come on, really?!?! Hasn't this incessant whining gone on long enough?

The barrage of complaints about how Houston is always getting the shaft reveals a limited perception; Houston has a positive image with most people. Stop freaking out every time a NY newspaper craps on SE Texas weather or Houston's version of suburban sprawl, or whatever. Sorry.

[tw2ntyse7en]

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[NewMND]

I don't know what my point is, but Reality Bites was on TV last night, I like that movie. Anyways, back in the day when I used to watch it, I never payed attention to what city they were in, but now that I live here, last night while watching it, I was like "Hey, that's downtown!" Again, I don't know what my point is, but it was interesting for me.

[dbigtex56]

There have been many movies filmed in Houston (even a few pretty good ones) - we've had a couple of threads which listed some of them.

Economics is as much a factor as aesthetics - maybe more. Texas has an advantage in being a 'right-to-work' state (meaning the entire crew doesn't have to be paid union scale). From what I understand, permits are fairly easily granted here, and most residents are unaware of what a great big pain in the neck it is to have a movie filmed in their neighborhood. Ask me; I know. Among the movies filmed in my neighborhood:

Terms of Endearment (outdoor scene)

Rush

Houston: The Legend of Texas (aka:Gone to Texas)

A Woman of Independant Means

I Was A Teenage Zombie

Warning: Parental Advisory

[tw2ntyse7en]

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[CincoRanch-HoustonResident]

Houston gets blown up in Independence Day. In Day After Tomorrow they keep on referring back to Houston.

[dbigtex56]

1. Movies set in Houston & SHOT in Houston - Eve's Bayou, Terms of Endearment, The Evening Star, Brewster McCloud, Tin Cup, Urban Cowboy, The Sugarland Express, Reality Bites
2. Movies set in Houston but NOT shot in Houston - Rollerball, Apollo 13, Urban Cowboy(remember seeing the majestic mountains in the background in "Pasadena"?)
3. Movies that have at least 1 prominent Houston scene Ordinary People

I know, there's more, but that's off the top of my head.

Should add a category - which cities has Houston 'subbed' for?

Washington DC (Arlington Road, Warning:Parental Guidance ),
San Diego ( The Chase )
Detroit (Robocop II )
Los Angeles Bill:On His Own (the reason they chose Houston is because parts of the Heights more closely resembled pre-war LA than did the original).

[tw2ntyse7en]

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[Astro]

For a list of films and TV shows shot in Houston:

IMDB Link


I remember seeing Reality Bites in the theaters 10 years ago, and the ONLY shot I remember seeing that showed they were in Houston was like a 2 second shot of them getting out of their car, filmed on West Clay or West Bell Street, with DT in the background. It's been ages since I've seen this movie though, were there any other Houston scenes?

[NewMND]

"Still, has anyone seen "Sidekick"??? I"m telling you, for Houston shots - no movie can beat this one!"


Is the one with that kid from the NeverEnding Story 2? He's like trying to be in a martial arts competition or something, and Winnie from The Wonder Years is in it? I saw this movie a long time ago, but I wasn't paying attention to what city it was in, so I don't remember. I do know Houston gets a shout out in just about any movie having to do with space. "armageddon", "space cowboys," "apollo 13", those Mars movies, etc...

[dbigtex56]

Astro, on Saturday, December 18th, 2004 @ 2:52pm, said:

I remember seeing Reality Bites in the theaters 10 years ago, and the ONLY shot I remember seeing that showed they were in Houston was like a 2 second shot of them getting out of their car, filmed on West Clay or West Bell Street, with DT in the background.  It's been ages since I've seen this movie though, were there any other Houston scenes?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Lots of 'em.

Near the beginning of the movie is a shot from on top of a downtown skyscraper (the old Tenneco building, I think) which shows off the surrounding buildings very nicely. There's a scene in Tranquility Park, another driving down Allen Parkway - there's no mistaking that this movie was shot in Houston.

That being said, I read somewhere that the interior shots were done in Hollywood.

[tw2ntyse7en]

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[Lowbrow]

One of my favorite movies of all time was shot in Houston. Rushmore. Theres a scene shot on Tanglewild, right around the corner from me. You'll see Metro buses and a scene in the parking lot by Rice stadium.

[KinkaidAlum]

Rushmore is awesome.

Wes Anderson (director) is a graduate of St. John's right there on Westheimer. If you liked Rushmore, make sure to see another Anderson film, Bottle Rocket.

My favorite scene has to be when Max is forced to leave the private school and walk across the street to the public school. Great shots of both St John's and Lamar H.S.

[CincoRanch-HoustonResident]

Your right. I was driving down Highway 6, south of the Katy, and I saw about 3 different California license plates.

[tw2ntyse7en]

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[The Great Hizzy!]

A couple of movies:

1) There's a Burt Reynolds movie from the 80s called "The Man Who Loved Women" or something like that, and in one of the scenes, he comes accross the eccentric Kim Bassinger, a Texan from Houston, on a visit to Houston. You can see a police officer giving Bassinger a ticket on Memorial Drive between downtown and I would guess it's Waugh Drive. You can see the America Tower in the background.

2) "Jason's Lyric" starring Jada Pinkett and Allen Payne. Urban love story set and filmed in Houston. Lots of charming scenes of the surrounding meadows and pine forests as well.

3) The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, has several Houston skyline shots as a lead in to scenes of Dom DeLuise (playing hall of fame KTRK News personality Marvin Zindler) doing his "show." For hose of you who aren't familiar with the movie, it's a film version of an actual incident between Zindler and the sheriff of a small Texas town, who allowed a full-fledged cat house to exist. Members of the 1975 Texas A&M Aggie football team were said to have been some of their notable clients--that is, until KTRK's Zindler called attention to it.

[Subdude]

There's an excellent movie called "Local Hero", most of which takes place in Scotland but part of it is filmed and takes place in Houston.