MovieChat Forums > The Ice Harvest (2005) Discussion > It was not even filmed in Wichita.

It was not even filmed in Wichita.

posted 19 years ago by katzeisking
43 replies | jump to latest

I thought the movie was ok, but when i watched it i looked for any signs of wichita, the keeper of the plains, downtown wichita, any thing.

For most people this did not occor to them, but i actuallty live in Wichita, so it was very evedint.

When i watche the bonus fetures on the DVD the admetted that they filmed it in Guess where, The suburbs of Chicago.

And as a final thought, we almost never have very thick ice, we occasionaly have ice for 2 days and snow is never on the ground more than a day. so the movie did not fit the weather.

Finally the lake scean, there are not many lakes near wichita, we have ponds but not many deeper than 15 foot, and i have never ssen a peir on any of them.

Over al i stil like the movie

[–] aknapp-2 19 years ago

It made Wichita look very dark and seedy - which some places in Wichita are - but overall it is a great city. If you want to see a movie that actually shows Wichita, rent "The Big Kahuna" with Kevin Spacey and Danny DeVito.

[–] nomad20 19 years ago

No sh*t it wasn't filmed there. Most movies aren't actually filmed where they portend to take place. Most movies set in Seattle are filmed in Vancouver, etc.

And I don't think anybody saw this movie to "see a movie that actually shows Wichita."

[–] kevdun22 12 years ago

u beat me to it 05yulca893. a great many NY and Boston based movies are done in Toronto. Incidently John Cusack grew up in the suburbs of Illonois. There was no way they were going to get ice and snow like this movie had in Kansas. that last scene on the river when Cusack gives Bellamy the gas can u can actually feel the cold and wind. great movie ! cheers.......

[–] 12 years ago

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[–] phrozack 19 years ago

I don't care. I hadn't even heard of Wichita before this movie.

Four Brothers wasn't filmed in Detroit, and anyone from Detroit knew it in about five seconds, but I don't think that's why the movie was terrible.

[–] brfts2001 18 years ago

I too grew up in Kansas and noticed how the buildings and surrounding area looked way too dense to be Wichita. You could definately tell it was filmed in Chicago.

[–] boatthing 18 years ago

hey man, we did have that ice storm a couple years ago that lasted for about a week. it sucked, i didn't have power for more that two weeks.

[–] Katz5 18 years ago

Planes, Trains & Automobiles had a big sequence in Wichita, and Almost Famous had a sequence there too.
Not sure if those movies were filmed there, but check them out.

Big Kahuna was set in Wichita but I remember that movie being mostly set inside a hotel. Could have been anywhere.

Human Beings...Wow

[–] aknapp-2 18 years ago

Yeah, you're right about "The Big Kahuna," although they do show some glipses of Wichita's Old Town district.

"Almost Famous" had Stillwater spending the night in Topeka. I don't remember any references to Wichita, but I could be wrong.

[–] wlmmn 18 years ago

I don't care. I hadn't even heard of Wichita before this movie.

What? Okay, it's not New York City, but you haven't studied geography enough if you haven't heard of the only city that shows up in Kansas on a world map.

What kept messing me up was that the saying in the bar bathroom said something about Wichita Falls, which is not Wichita, Kansas. Wichita Falls is a town in Texas. So was it set in Wichita, Kansas or was it set in Wichita Falls, Texas? If it's set in Wichita, then why did the saying on the bathroom wall keep saying Wichita Falls? Which one is it? Make up your mind is what I kept thinking.

[–] Potatoes9000 18 years ago

The line was "As Wichita falls, so falls Wichita Falls." It was a pun.

[–] adbasspatrol 18 years ago

yes, why are we even assuming it took place in Wichita?

[–] 18 years ago

[deleted]

[–] edrisi 18 years ago

Tokyo Olympiad was set in Tokyo.

[–] Bizarro_Saints 18 years ago

"DOES ANYONE KNOW WHAT TOWN THE SEEDY BARS WERE IN?"

It wasn't mostly filmed in glenview as a previous poster said. It was mostly filmed in Waukegan, IL. I was living there at the time and that's where they filmed most of the outdoor shots and the "seedy bars." The production crew converted an old seafood restaurant and gas station into the bars in question. After they were done shooting they tore the structures down. It was pretty cool having john cusack, billy bob thorton, and oliver platt running around town. Most of it was filmed during above freezing weather and they just dumped fake snow and ice on the ground. In addtion to using local neighborhoods and houses, as well as the structures they converted into the bars and strip club, they used the downtown bank as well. They were in town for a few weeks and completely took over someone's house for about a week to film in. Everybody was really cool about letting people come and watch the filming going on. If you don't believe me just google city of waukegan and on the website look under the PR section that says something like "films shot it waukegan." Harold Ramis also filmed part of Groundhog Day in Waukegan so he has filmed there in the past.

[–] wlmmn 18 years ago

yes, why are we even assuming it took place in Wichita?

Because it was set in Wichita. Why film anywhere else when you have a Hollywood budget? It's a lot easier to make Wichita look like Wichita when you're, well, IN WICHITA, and a lot harder to make some other place look like it.

The question that needs to be asked is, why wasn't it filmed in Wichita?

[–] katzeisking 17 years ago

in the extras on the dvd it said on of the producers or directors was haveing a baby so he didn't want to leave chicago

[–] karlheckman-2 17 years ago

Are you sure? It could have been on a sound stage in Arizona....

[–] 17 years ago

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[–] comicboy8000 17 years ago

No *beep* it wasn't filmed in Wichita... most films aren't in the actual area! What, do you think they actually filmed Lord of the Rings in Middle Earth? Or perhaps they really DID find a planet called Tattoine for Star Wars...

I'm too sarcastic.

[–] rkreh19 17 years ago

Kansas Horror Film MAker:

www.robfilms.blogspot.com

www.darkharvestproductions.net

[–] Father_Anthonis 17 years ago

I'm from Colorado but man I could tell it wasn't Kansas in the first 5 mins.lol

Eye - Warship - Satin

[–] 17 years ago

[deleted]

[–] wlmmn 17 years ago

No *beep* it wasn't filmed in Wichita... most films aren't in the actual area! What, do you think they actually filmed Lord of the Rings in Middle Earth? Or perhaps they really DID find a planet called Tattoine for Star Wars...

What a stupid analogy. Wichita, Kansas is a real place. Middle Earth and Tatooine are NOT real places.

[–] mcsweeney12 18 years ago

DOES ANYONE KNOW WHAT TOWN THE SEEDY BARS WERE IN?

[–] shaylee1031 17 years ago

In the book the setting was the 70s, I do believe. The author said that he remembered that life back then was full of seedy bars and icy rain storms and such.

[–] Stephanie64804 17 years ago

Wow everyone's kinda rude, maybe some people don't understand "they" don't really film on location. I thought the movie was great, but it was totally unbelievable that the bartender and his kids were going to Six Flags on Christmas, also going in the middle of winter.

[–] mattqatsi 17 years ago

Does anyone just happen to know what parts they filmed in Carpentersville? The city line is about 3 houses away from where I live. In fact, my neighbor once had the line going through her house, and had to pay taxes for both cities...
random tnagent

[–] petit-amelie 17 years ago

"but it was totally unbelievable that the bartender and his kids were going to Six Flags on Christmas, also going in the middle of winter."

There is no six flags in Kansas, so they must have been going to either Missouri or Texas. It is not cold in Texas in the winter so I would assume they are goign there.

[–] Nerdgasm 17 years ago

there;s also a six flags in maryland...but it is closed down during winter...one in new jersey too.

I wish I could have an orgy involving me and Ringo Starr.
http://www.youtube.com/chaztr0n

[–] Stephanie64804 17 years ago

I was meaning the one in St. Louis MO seeing as it's the closest one from wichita KS.......I didn't think there would be any confussion about it?!?

[–] johngaltks 15 years ago

Dallas is closer to Wichita than St. Louis.

[–] Trevor-5 12 years ago

"it was totally unbelievable that the bartender and his kids were going to Six Flags on Christmas, also going in the middle of winter"

Why? Six Flags Magic Mountain in California is open all year.

[–] bryan_ldfrd 17 years ago

The book was set in Wichita, KS. But the film was almost all at night in exteriors. The producers were more concerned about shooting in a place cold enough to support the length of the shoot. I'm aware there are very cold snaps in Kansas but nothing lasting long enough for a movies schedule. I live in the area of the world where "Cold Mountain" was set in North Carolina. Same thing happened there. It gets cold here but never long enough to suppost ice or snow for more than a week or two. That didn't make me like the movie any less. Romania was very different looking than here but it worked well enough. People are getting too picky about movies these days. Ramis has always changed location when weather was a concern. Check out "Groundhog Day" DVD features.

[–] ShroudOfFrost 17 years ago

What is up with the first post, can you not spell at all? Go to school, it might help.

[–] wildhart 17 years ago

Don't be rude.

One thing vampire children have to learn early on is don't run with a wooden stake

[–] karlheckman-2 17 years ago

I don't mean to crush your spirit but it likely wasn't filmed in sequence either.
You bring up a great point in that you cannot literally believe anything that comes out of Hollywood, documentarties included. In the movies day becomes night and the trick becomes reality.

Keep on enjoying the show!