Midwest Movie Maker

Higbee's in downtown Cleveland during the filming of 'A Christmas Story' A Christmas Story . What is it about this movie? What is it about this film that so captures the imagination of Clevelanders ? And I don’t mean in the way it captures the imagination of overtired parents and children coming down off a candy cane buzz sitting in front of TBS on Christmas Eve . I mean how Bob Clark ’s now classic film, based on Jean Shepherd ’s classic story, is now part of the very fabric of Cleveland . It is true that some of the film’s most iconic scenes - the outside of Ralphie’s house and the backyard where he shoots his eye out, the Christmas parade and Ralphie’s tragic visit to Santa Claus ( “Ho …. ho ….. ho.” ) - were filmed here. But the bulk of the movie was shot in Toronto . And the story is set in fictional Hohman , Indiana . Still. Doesn’t matter. A Christmas Story is Cleveland through and through. How did this happen? And why is it so? ‘You’ll sho...

Cleveland's Ed Ackerman as one of the famous (or infamous?) Capital One Visigoths. Even though Cleveland native Ed Ackerman is building a successful Hollywood career, there’s a pretty good chance his name isn’t ringing any bells. That’s okay. Because as soon as I tell you he’s one of three recurring Viking characters from Capital One’s popular television campaign , you’ll immediately think, “Oh, yea, that guy!” “My face may have arrived in your mailbox promoting Capital One, or popped up on an internet banner, inevitably annoying you and temporarily distracting you from finding out your sports teams score,” jokes Ackerman. Then, as you learn more about Ackerman’s growing filmography, you’ll start seeing him pop up everywhere (like in Bones or Vegas or Last Man Standing ). You’ll know that, sooner or later, he’ll catch fire, either in a feature film or a TV series, and you’ll be able to say, “Oh, yea, I was a fan of his before everyone became Ackermaniacs.” If...

The Avengers at the corner of E. 9th and Euclid (sort of). Something occurred to me when I watched the recent trailer for Captain America: The Winter Soldier . More Marvel cinematic heroes and villains have battled in one Cleveland intersection than anywhere else in the world. The intersection is E. 9 th Street and Euclid , in the heart of Cleveland ’s financial district and along its theater and health corridor. Spider-Man and Sandman battled on the asphalt under the traffic light there. The Avengers destroyed the Chitauri in the skies among its border buildings. And Captain America will soon pursue the Winter Soldier straight through the intersection in an effort to save the Marvel Universe once again. More Marvel Cinematic heroes and villains have fought in this intersection than anywhere else.  That’s pretty amazing when you think about it. Quite possibly, there is no where else in the world where the Marvel Cinematic Universe has made a bigger impact in s...

Though you may not making a full-time living , there's plenty of opportunity to act in the Midwest. With big blockbusters setting up shop throughout the Movie Belt and generous tax incentives helping smaller films get made, there’s never been a better time to be a film actor in the Midwest . Though it’s still a challenge to make a full-time wage in the profession while living in Cleveland , Pittsburgh or Detroit , there’s plenty of opportunity to get hands-on experience. We recently sat down with four Cleveland-area actors (hey, we’re in the Cleve – it was the easiest this time around – not that we didn’t search for some Pittsburgh and Detroit thespians) to get their take on working in front of the camera. Melanie Hauer grew up in the Cleveland area and is active in local theater. More often than not, you can catch her on-screen acting through the 48 Hour Film Project. She’s also appeared in a number of short films, as well. Her turn as Ms. Pop in Super to the H...

Look for the next Ghostbusters installment to start shooting in Cleveland in 2014. Cleveland’s filmography just keeps growing. And now word comes that Ghostbusters 3 will shoot in the Midwest Movie Belt city in 2014.   The possible sequel is a follow-up to the 1984 hit and it’s more cartoon-like 1989 follow-up . The new film reportedly will see the original Ghostbusters – sans Bill Murray – training a new group of paranormal investigators.  Recent rumors suggest that will include Jonah Hill and Emma Stone . If the film comes to the Cleve, it may be because of director Ivan Reitman 's experience in the Northcoast city this summer. Reitman was in town to shoot Draft Day with Kevin Costner. By all accounts, the film went smoothly and all involved had a great experience.   Ghostbusters 3 would be the first big budget film to hit Cleveland in 2014 that we know about right now.  The city saw several films and various scales shoot among its buildings and ...