Brody in Spokane? Now that’s love
Adrien Brody? The Oscar-winning actor? In Spokane?
Yes, it’s true. Brody was in Spokane last week. He’s not making a movie here, but his longtime girlfriend, Elsa Pataky, is.
Pataky’s co-starring in “Give ’em Hell, Malone,” the Ving Rhames movie that has been shooting in various Spokane locations for the past few weeks. Brody apparently took the opportunity to hang out with her in Spokane for at least a few days. One Spotlight informant saw the pair in Huckleberry’s last week.
Brody won the 2003 Best Actor Oscar for “The Pianist” and was also in “The Darjeeling Limited” and the remake of “King Kong.”
‘Oy Vey’ gets green light
The comedy feature film “Oy Vey! My Son is Gay!” will begin shooting in Spokane on Nov. 21, starring Lainie Kazan, Carmen Electra, Vincent Pastore, Saul Rubinek and several “name” actors yet to be announced.
Readers with long memories might recall that the movie’s writer-director Evgeny Afineevsky was in Spokane a year ago scouting locations. He has now raised the money to finance the film, mostly from private investors from abroad. He has contracted with Spokane’s North by Northwest film company to provide the production services.
Afineevsky described the movie as part “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” and part “Kissing Jessica Stein.” It’s about a Jewish man and an Italian-American man who break the news to their parents that they are a gay couple. Comic repercussions ensue.
Afineevsky also described it as a cross between “In and Out” (the 1997 Kevin Kline movie) and “Meet the Parents.”
“It’s pure entertainment – not an ‘issues’ movie,” said Afineevsky.
He and his co-writers have already won two awards for Best Screenplay, one from the Houston International Film Festival (WorldFest) and the other from the Monaco Film Festival in Monte Carlo.
Afineevsky was born in Russia, raised in Israel, and has been living in L.A. since 1999. He was the producer of a 2002 remake of Dostoevsky’s “Crime and Punishment” starring Vanessa Redgrave, John Hurt, Crispin Glover and Margot Kidder. He has also produced several other movies.
Spokane will not “play” Spokane in this film; it’s set on Long Island. Most of the shoot will consist of interior scenes, yet Afineevsky said he has lined up a number of locations that can effectively stand in for New York locations, including the Paulsen Building, a garment factory and street scenes on Riverside Avenue. A little CGI magic should help complete the illusion.
It’s far too early to predict the ultimate fate of this movie, but Afineevsky said MGM is already interested in a wide theatrical release. Watch for filming from Nov. 21 through mid-December.
By the way, Liza Minnelli, originally mentioned in connection with this project, is off the cast list for a good reason: She’s doing a one-woman show from Dec. 3-24 at the Palace Theatre on Broadway.
No more Opera Buffs
Opera Buffs, Spokane’s opera-enthusiast society, is officially defunct. According to Marie Moe of the Opera Buffs, it’s partly because it was becoming increasingly difficult to find performers for the group’s programs.
Yet another reason is that it has become easier than ever to feed an opera fixation in Spokane.
The Metropolitan Opera’s live HD transmissions at the Regal Cinemas in Northtown have been quite popular. Moe described them as “spectacular,” both visually and musically.
The next Met HD broadcasts
The next live HD transmission from the Metropolitan Opera will be “La Damnation De Faust,” by Berlioz, on Nov. 22, 10 a.m., at the Regal Cinemas at Northtown.
Next up after that: “Thais,” by Massenet, with Thomas Hampson, 9 a.m. on Dec. 20.
Paisley party
Concert alert: Country superstar Brad Paisley has been booked into the Spokane Arena on Feb. 26, along with Dierks Bentley and Crystal Shawanda.
Tickets will be $39.75 and $49.75, on sale Saturday at 10 a.m. through TicketsWest outlets (509-325-SEAT, 800-325-SEAT, www.ticketswest.com).