MovieChat Forums > Pretty Poison (1968) Discussion > Living where a film is made ruins it

Living where a film is made ruins it

posted 17 years ago by rspear61
9 replies | jump to latest

I lived in great barrington, Massachusetts for a while and have to say that living in the location of a film puts a damper on the movie that most people don't feel. It is hard to explain, somewhat akin to watching home movies.

The strongest sensation was that this movie was shot with no technical tricks and therefore was almost like a grade B movie. Coming here and finding that poeple think it is a great movie, well, I was surprised.

Of course it doesn't help to be watching the background constantly to see if I recognized anybody's car or even someone I knew.

Anyone else from Great Barrington have any thoughts...

"We're going to need a bigger boat..."

[–] Flickers-4 17 years ago

You just saw it on Fox Movie channel? I'm watching it now. The factory just collapsed...

I live in Miami and it's always funny to watch a movie made here and how they turn a corner and are 20 miles across town. Biggest offender was Fast&Furious2, used 3 different expressways for that one big chase. I guess people living in LA have the same problem, but worse.

Most famous that everyone remembers here was on Miami Vice TV. It was a great shot Bad guys go up an on ramp to highway but make a sharp left and C&T go straight. It took me a second to realize that they drove up an I-95 off ramp for downtown. So when the bad guys made the left, they were actually going the correct southbound direction. C&T were actually going the wrong way! Haven't seen that ep since it first aired, but always remembered it.

there was another great one in a movie, can't recall which one, where they drove down Macarthur Causeway first away from the beach, then to the beach, then away again all in the same conversation.

[–] renard-1 15 years ago

I live in Pittsfield, and it was 15 minutes or so into this that I realized it was filmed in Great Barrington. That bridge! The road sign saying "Stockbridge 7 miles"! Also the poster for the Cole Circus (which still comes to Pittsfield now 30 years later! What fun to see all that in this film! Wonder which red barn that was, though . . .? And OMG! All I could think of was how prescient it was--dumping chemicals into the Housatonic River, PCBs, . . .Anthony Perkins as some sort of idiot savant!

So, no, living here didn't ruin the film at all for me. Au contraire, it made it so much more interesting. All I could wonder was why, having lived in the Berkshires for more than a decade now, I never heard of this movie before.

[–] jac91604 13 years ago

Well I lived in LA(mostly in the Valley)for several years and frequently saw familar sights.

I actually found it more interesting and enjoyable.

OP, you should be more appreciative of having a movie filmed in your town.

[–] HeywoodJablomy 13 years ago

I live in New Orleans, so I know what you mean (sort of).

I don't understand your statement about lack of "technical tricks" making this a B-movie, though....

[–] rspear61 13 years ago

Yeah, I can understand your question about that statement. I meant that as I watched the movie it seemed like a straight "aim the camera and capture the words of the actors" kind of movie without any special effects of any kind. I would almost liken it to someone with a handheld home camera shooting a film. Its been a while since i've seen it but I remember some scenes where it seemed like they just sat the actors down and basically recorded the conversation in one shooting.

and by the way, I don't necessarily mean that as a negative comment. Its just that I didn't think it was a grade A block buster of a movie.

I suppose i should amend my comments to say that to live in a place that is "usually not" a setting for movies makes it strange to watch the movie. I mean, really, living for a while in NYC did not detract from all the movies made there. However, it was very strange to see Rutgers University (where I worked) as the back drop for scenes in the World According to Garp.

"We're going to need a bigger boat..."

[–] steve-carrasco 8 years ago

I'm assuming he meant visual effects, like matte paintings or something like that, to "better" the look of the film.

[–] hannahrose313 10 years ago

I know this is 8 years on but...

I'm sorry, are you mental? I'm not from Great Barrington, rather I'm from central Massachusetts, but I can't describe the elation I get from watching a film that takes place in my home state! It was such an honour and absolutely amazing to see a street in Worcester I've driven down so many times captured in American Hustle. I was so devastated when I learned Shutter Island wasn't going to be filmed at the local mental institution there. Wow, never heard of anyone saying it ruins a movie...talk about it being a nostalgia trip for sure!

I currently live in a region called Gippsland in Australia. My boyfriend and I checked out a film because it's took place there. We were so bummed when we learned it was actually filmed in a whole other state!

[–] ilahilda 9 years ago

Considering it was filmed almost 50 years ago, does anyone know if the area is still rural and industrial? I kinda figured that was MA, due to their accents. But considering both actors are from the East Coast, you never know.

[–] holdencaulfield2007 8 years ago

What movie was set in Gippsland?