[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]

...

[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]

...

[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]

...

[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]

...

[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]

...

[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.

[WestGrayGuy]

I have always wondered the exact address of "Aurora's house" in Terms of Endearment.

Anyone know?

[Hunter]

tw2ntyse7en, on Saturday, December 18th, 2004 @ 2:26pm, said:

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

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yea Ive seen it. it is one of my Ladies favorites movies. After I moved her here she had me go all over the city until she got to see each and every place where the majority of the scenes were shot!

I was surprised that I was ever able to find many of them!

[jt16]

I was flipping through the channels and saw Reality Bytes and there were scenes from the top of a building downtown. I haven't seen the whole movie, so I don't know how much of Houston was shown.

[N Judah]

CincoRanch-HoustonResident, on Sunday, December 19th, 2004 @ 8:41pm, said:

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

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yeah - I grew up in Jersey Village, but my parents just moved out to Katy...I went to visit them and was astounded by (1) all of the out of state license plates and (2) the absolutely disgusting amount of road rage. And I have a feeling the two are related...

[ssullivan]

WestGrayGuy, on Monday, December 20th, 2004 @ 11:45am, said:

I have always wondered the exact address of "Aurora's house" in Terms of Endearment.

Anyone know?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I found it online earlier this year but have since forgotten where. I can tell you the house is not in River Oaks proper, but is on Avalon just north of Westheimer and a few blocks west of Kirby. It has had some exterior modifications but still looks very much like the house in the movie.

The house used in the sequel, The Evening Star is a different house that is almost identical on the outside, and located somewhere near Rice University but I have never found the address for it. Supposedly at the time the sequel was made, the house used in it was owned by a relative of the people who owned the house from the original film at the time it was made.

[greystone08(returns)]

dbigtex56, on Saturday, December 18th, 2004 @ 2:22pm, said:

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

You also fogot to include that the movie "Jason's Lyric" took place in Houston which was casted by some rather famous actors such as: Treach from Naughty by Nature, Jada Pinkett-Smith, and Allen Payne. -

[The Great Hizzy!]

Already covered, Grey.

[djrage]

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 Your not thinking of "My Best Friend is A Vampire" are you, scenes filmed at Milby High School the year I went there in 86.

Warning: Parental Advisory

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

[/quote]

Wasn't there a low budget comedy filmed here in the early 80s, a slasher parody called "Student Bodies" I remember there being a parade downtown in this movie.

also a 1976 TV movie called "Murder at the World Series"
I have this one taped when it aired on channel 20 back in 1992

[ssullivan]

I stumbled upon a really cheesy made for TV movie from the late 1980s or early 1990s called Trial - The Price of Passion on cable the other night. It was set in Houston and at least partially filmed here. There were some background freeway shots that I don't think were filmed here as they didn't look like our freeways at all, even with what they looked like at that point in time. For one thing there was a total lack of frontage roads and billboards. But there were outdoor scenes filmed downtown that were obviously shot on location, as well as scenes shot at the old Harris County Civil Courts building downtown. Several scenes that were supposed to take place in that building were obviously shot inside of it. There was also a scene in an attorney's office that was supposed to be in the Enron building, and it was filmed in an office in that building with a perfect view of the Exxon tower in the window. Overall the movie wasn't all that great but there was nothing else on and it was fun to watch and see what was actually filmed here and what was probably not.

[CincoRanch-HoustonResident]

N Judah, when I said, 'the Katy', I mean't, 'the Katy Freeway', not the city of Katy.

[greystone08(returns)]

The Great Hizzy!, on Wednesday, December 22nd, 2004 @ 9:02am, said:

Already covered, Grey. 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

"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.

I see your post now Hizzy. Overlooked it. My bad!!!

[westguy]

I remember that Arlington Road was shot in Pearland and UH. Did anyone see that episode of Insomniac with Dave Attell from Houston? I can't remember some of the places that he went, but one was the West Alabama ice house.

[greystone08(returns)]

Did anyone mention that BET hosted Rap City here at TSU a month or so ago?

[squatterkid]

Posting from California here.

[tw2ntyse7en]

...

[tw2ntyse7en]

...

[tony]

ssullivan, on Monday, December 20th, 2004 @ 11:57pm, said:

I found it online earlier this year but have since forgotten where. I can tell you the house is not in River Oaks proper, but is on Avalon just north of Westheimer and a few blocks west of Kirby. It has had some exterior modifications but still looks very much like the house in the movie.

The house used in the sequel, The Evening Star is a different house that is almost identical on the outside, and located somewhere near Rice University but I have never found the address for it. Supposedly at the time the sequel was made, the house used in it was owned by a relative of the people who owned the house from the original film at the time it was made.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yes, the house in 'Terms' was in Avalon, which is indistinguishable from River Oaks proper except the houses there average only in the $750K range for a 3BR/2, 2000 sq ft. It is just north of Westheimer but I can't remember the exact address. When the movie was made, my best friend was an agent for Martha Turner Realtors. The movie studio contacted Martha and she put them in contact with the owner of the house who was an agent there. The studio paid her 50K, moved her and her daughter to an apartment for 6 months, and redid the house to make it into a compatible set for the movie. After the shooting was finished, the studio replaced the interior and backyard. The owner gave a party the night of the Academy Awards and, as you know, Terms of Endearment won for best picture. All I remember about it was that Nathan's Hotdogs had a stand in the back yard and I talked to Red Duke and that beastly Elma Berrera a reporter on one of the local news channels.

[Subdude]

There was also some low-budget horror movie spoof that was filmed in Houston, from the looks of it back in the 1970s. At the beginning there is a parade downtown around the Houston House apartments. Has anyone else seen this one?

[Astro]

Subdude, on Thursday, December 23rd, 2004 @ 10:12am, said:

There was also some low-budget horror movie spoof that was filmed in Houston, from the looks of it back in the 1970s.  At the beginning there is a parade downtown around the Houston House apartments.  Has anyone else seen this one?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I have a copy of this. The movie is "Student Bodies" from around 1981. I hadn't seen it in over 20 years... I only recently got a copy of it and was just watching some of it last night.

[bruce_oneal]

if i'm not mistaken there were a couple of other films made here (partially or in total).

1) one of the 'westworld' movies was filmed downtown and in some mall (shops?) downtown

2) robocop (not the first one)

3) some campy (teen) vampire movie was set here in houston. a lot of scenes of places in river oaks if i remember correctly

4) a lot of commercials also use the houston downtown (allen parkway view) skyline as a backdrop

[KimberlySayWhat]

Hello. I just came across this forum.


ABC's "Extreme Home Makeover" is currently looking for a Houston family to feature.

The WB's "Reba" is set in Houston.

The recent CBS movie "Suburban Madness" was set in Houston (the Clara Harris story, so obviously, but still...). Interiors were shot in Canada, but there were plenty of downtown Houston shots.

An old 80's NBC soap called "Texas" was set in Houston (probably taped in Burbank or NY).

[KimberlySayWhat]

Oh, I forgot. There was a sitcom in the '90s called "Thea" starring R&B singer Brandy. Yep, it was set in Houston.

[bruce_oneal]

it sure was... i forgot all about that one! also, did anyone mention 'urban cowboy' with john travolta and debra winger?

KimberlySayWhat, on Sunday, January 23rd, 2005 @ 5:49pm, said:

Oh, I forgot. There was a sitcom in the '90s called "Thea" starring R&B singer Brandy. Yep, it was set in Houston.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

[bruce_oneal]

the chase with charlie sheen was partially filmed on the unfinished beltway 8. i hear that the millenium tower figures prominently in either the film or the background.

[KimberlySayWhat]

Oh yeah, "The Chase". I remember standing around one hot summer day watching them filming part of it.

[djrage]

KimberlySayWhat, on Monday, January 24th, 2005 @ 7:58am, said:

Oh yeah, "The Chase". I remember standing around one hot summer day watching them filming part of it.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Also filmed on 290 around the W.34th area. You can see the now Wells Fargo bldg in the background. I think it was Primebank back then.

[bruce_oneal]

djrage, on Monday, January 24th, 2005 @ 11:49am, said:

Also filmed on 290 around the W.34th area. You can see the now Wells Fargo bldg in the background. I think it was Primebank back then.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

i gotta rent this movie .. was it (the movie) set in houston, or was houston just the location for the film that was supposed to be some other city?

[Hunter]

bruce_oneal, on Monday, January 24th, 2005 @ 2:14am, said:

the chase with charlie sheen was partially filmed on the unfinished beltway 8.  i hear that the millenium tower figures prominently in either the film or the background.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

There is also a part where they show the triple fountains from the Museum District in that film as well.

[djrage]

bruce_oneal, on Monday, January 24th, 2005 @ 11:10am, said:

i gotta rent this movie .. was it (the movie) set in houston, or was houston just the location for the film that was supposed to be some other city?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The movie was supposed to be set in California. Charlie Sheen is running from the cops and is trying to make it across the border to Mexico. They even use one of the toll plazas as the border. Never figured out which one.

[bruce_oneal]

djrage, on Monday, January 24th, 2005 @ 1:31pm, said:

The movie was supposed to be set in California. Charlie Sheen is running from the cops and is trying to make it across the border to Mexico. They even use one of the toll plazas as the border. Never figured out which one.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

they're pretty much all the same ... boring and expensive. speaking of tolls, can anyone tell me why some are $1.25, some are $.75, and some are $.50? is it by distance, by city zone, or just some arbitrary amount?