Oakland Tribube Article - Excerpt
By Barry Caine, Oakland Tribune
April 25, 2005

'Rent' is due ... "Rent" wraps in Oakland on Tuesday.. It's been a good run for star watchers, with Taye Diggs, Rosario Dawson, Jesse L. Martin and other cast members popping up during shoots at the Paramount Theatre, the old Amtrak station at 16th Street and Wood Street, an alley between 12th and 13th streets and the Oakland Tribune parking lot.

Cast and crew will finish filming in airplane hangers at the Alameda Naval Station. ("XXX: State of the Union," which opens Friday, also shot there.)

Director Chris Columbus' movie musical is scheduled to open Nov. 11.

Among the many area people working on "Rent" are Berkeley cinematographer Stephen Goldblatt, whose resume includes the "Lethal Weapon" series and "Angels in America," and Oakland sound designer Nelson Stoll, whose other films include "The Matrix Reloaded" and "Basic Instinct."

"Mistress of Spices," which wrapped here a while ago, is due out in the fall. The film, which stars Dylan McDermott and Aishwarya Rai, whom Julia Roberts called "the most beautiful woman in the world," is due out in the fall.

When you see it, pay attention to the art. The paintings and sculpture are by Delfina Bernal of El Cerrito, Gabriel Navar of Lafayette, Jesse Hernandez of Concord, Miranda Bergman of Berkeley and Jackie Brown and Lew Levinson of Oakland.

The small variety store featured in the movie is Legogo on Washington Street.

Oakland film commissioner Ami Zins is also waiting to hear if the pilot for the TV series "Evidence" will be picked up. If so, she and the San Francisco Film Commission plan to put together a "Nash Bridges"-like package to entice the show's cast and crew to set up permanent residence in the Bay Area.

- Mail your movie-related questions, answers or insights to The Movie Guy, c/o Bay Area Living, 4770 Willow Road, Pleasanton, CA 94588. Faxes can be sent to (925) 416-4874. E-mail The Movie Guy at bcaine@angnewspapers.com or call him at (925) 416-4806.

back to In the News