Once more with feeling

(Director Jeff Lipsky directs Drea DeMatteo on Main Street)

The movie crews rolled into town early this morning, and Main Street from Washington to College was shut down to accommodate the shooting of Once More With Feeling, directed by Jeff Lipsky.



(Mayor Sebastian Giuliano on set)

The crews, mostly from New York City, all t-shirts and tattoos, set up for two hours before cameras rolled for the first time. The initial shot involved shooting from the corner of Main and Washington, on the North of Main, from a dolly. This was not something town officials anticipated, and the mayor was not completely happy that the result was a Route 66 traffic jam which was stopped all the way West to Middlefield. Beachgoes honked their horns in frustration over the delay for shooting. Even after the first scene was shot, traffic, on a perfect beach day, was slow for hours.


(Councilman Ron Klattenberg speaks with producer Paul Jarret)


The first scene involved the character played by Drea DeMatteo being stopped by a policeman for a traffic violation, and then roaring off in her car in anger. It was shot from several angles before the cast and crew broke for lunch and a company move down the block for the shooting of a second scene, involving a tour bus. While there was a lot of excitement having four grip trucks, a generator truck, lights, camera equipment, crew and actors on the street, most observers found that watching a film being made is like watching paint dry, only slower, and with more assistants.

Shooting was expected to be completed by 4 p.m. at which time Main Street will be reopened once again for traffic.

A report from Channel 8 will appear on the 6 p.m. news.


UPDATE: Shooting continued until at least 6:00 pm on the corner of Main and Washington. Merchants along Main Street expressed distress that section of Main, unused for the shoot, were kept closed all day long, with one merchant promising to compose an angry letter to the mayor.

Main Street to be transformed into back lot for moviemaking

On Saturday July 26th, Middletown's Main Street will be used as the set for an independent film, Once More With Feeling, being shot in New York and Connecticut. The film is "about a father, grandfather and respected psychiatrist who grabs hold of a microphone and can’t let go." I'm not sure exactly what that means.


While the film is being pitched as "Hollywood comes to Middletown" the posted NY crew calls describe it as a "low budget, independent feature," being produced by PHC Productions.

It'll be fun to have a movie shot here, low budget or no, but we shouldn't overplay the economic benefits to Middletown or Connecticut. As for public relations for our Main Street, one never knows. Remember Mystic Pizza was also a low-budget, independent film with then-unknown actors.

Recognizable actors include Chazz Palminteri and Drea de Mateo.

Main Street from Washington to Court will be shut down for production between 8 am t0 noon, and from Court to College from noon to 4 pm. Residents are invited to watch the production as long as they cooperate with filmmakers and the local constabulary.