The bad news is that Madonna is directing a movie, her second undertaking in such a role after 2008’s Filth and Wisdom, which was panned. It’s called W.E., it’s filming in Brooklyn (after wrapping in Paris), and she’s running around the outdoor set with a megaphone to make sure she gets her point across, much like how I imagine her marriage to Guy Ritchie. The good news? A kind Brooklyn fellow put her in her place.
Is it terrible that I love the idea of somebody requesting Madonna fuck off? Blatantly lifted from Althouse:
I yelled at Madonna today, and I didn’t even realize it until later!
She’s apparently directing a film (!) and was shooting right in front of my house in Brooklyn on Wednesday. I came outside to do my morning walk and there were crowds of people all over the place: screaming black girls, curious Chassidim, hipsters in Ray-Bans feigning disinterest, irritated cops… I saw a bunch of Arri equipment boxes and realized it was a film shoot of some sort. I walked a few feet down my block and a chick with a headset held up her arm and said “You have to cross the street, sir!” I replied: “I don’t have to do anything. This is my neighborhood, and a public sidewalk, and I’ll go where I please!”
I walked a few more feet and another drone with a headset came rushing up to me and said “The sidewalk’s closed. Please cross the street!” I replied: “This is a public sidewalk. I will continue to walk where I please.”
I pushed past him and a I came upon a haggard woman in sunglasses, a baseball cap and a scarf printed with a stylized skull pattern holding a clipboard and looking into a hand-held monitor along with a couple of other people. Being a veteran of the terrible world of film production, I recognized that this woman was probably the director. I paused as I passed and said to her: “You need to inform your brain-dead P.A.s that they need to treat us residents a little better, honey.” She looked at me, expressionless behind her sunglasses for a moment before one of the men with her said “Move along, sir.” I replied “a hearty fuck you to both of you” and I walked onward.
Later, when I was on my way home, I stopped in the local market and the Korean guy who runs the place said to me: “what do you think of that mess out there?” I told him of my encounter with the production assistants and the director. He laughed and said: “do you know who that director is? Madonna!”
I smiled and said “No, I didn’t recognize her.. but she looks like hell and sure runs a shitty location shoot.”
Davey Fan
Would it have killed him to walk across the street?
DSNX
The dude’s entire story, from start to finish, reeks of smug asshole-ism.
menlo
That story is about as phony as Madonna’s photoshopped visage.
Joseph
@Davey Fan: That’s not the point! These film crews come into neighborhoods waving around permits and think they own the joint. They have no respect for the local residents. I do the same here in Toronto, were there is always some film shoot or another on every damn street! One time I couldn’t even park on the street infront of my business! They got several fuck offs directed at them when I parked there anyway!
Black Pegasus
@DSNX: You’re right, but ya gotta admit that it’s pretty amusing…..
“I replied “a hearty fuck you to both of you” and I walked onward.”
^^^That little jab made me giggle…LOL
DSNX
@Black Pegasus: Gossip Girl used to shut down my UES block all the time for filming (especially at night). Law and Order once made me spend an additional 45 minutes looking for a parking spot when they shut down a block nearby. Not once have I ever felt the need to be obnoxiously rude to strangers who are trying to do their job.
Hilarious
Gripe about the guy all you want, but I agree with him. His neighborhood where he lives and works and pays taxes for. He can go where he pleases.
If they can’t account for residents being in their own neighborhood during the shoot then they should pick a better place to shoot. Period.
You want residents to do what you say then pay them or “Fuck off!”.
michiko
Firstly, the person telling the story is a WOMAN, not a DUDE. Funny how we assume someone who’s pissed off and vocal about it must be a man.
Secondly, as a new yorker, i gotta agree with her. These Hollywood people think their status in LA meets shit here in New York and it doesnt. What are they gonna do? Arrest us for walking on the public sidewalk?
For however many seconds she delayed filming, Althouse has postponed another terrible Madonna movie that much more. For that I give her a hearty thank you!
Zack
If this person is such a veteran of the “terrible world of film production” they should have had the decency to cross the street. The PA’s are just doing their job, and just like with everything else in life, if you let one person do it, soon everyone else will want to do it too. You can’t keep interrupting a shoot every time a some pissed off Brooklynite demands to continue on one side of the street.
truthteller
If you have a problem with shoots filming in your city then take it up with the film commission in your city. They are the ones who set the requirements and charge fees for the permits. The film is following the rules. They have to buy permits, insurance, hire cops (dictated by the film commission) to close the streets, etc. Films also bring capital into your city. They hire locals, rent equipment, buy food, rent hotels, bring in actors and crews from other states and do other things that benefit your city.
If you are so incensed that a public street has been temporarily “rented” by your governing body to a film, then go to city council and change the rules. States like Michigan will gladly give those same films a 40% rebate of their budget.
This bitching is about nothing!
afrolito
I’m sure it made his day to tell her to fuck off, even though she completely ignored his douchebag ass. Kinda like he didn’t even exist. Lol
randy
So LA types are full of themselves, but New Yorkers are not? That’s a new one.
Whenever assholes meet, it always ends up with crap. Pox upon both of them.
Polyboy
That dude is a cunt.
Jake
this is not nice. it’s just mean spirited.
MrsPatrickCampbell
If Madonna paid NYC the fee to have a filming permit then she had the right to the sidewalk, not you Mary. Sorry.
Although we depise Madonna she was in the right here.
Fitz
I am sure that this story is 99% make-believe. But GIVEN that this is a vignette, I would say: 1) if you want to shoot in Brooklyn, then you have to accept a hint of Brooklyn flavor. 2) The permit process gave the resident a chance to complain ahead of time. 3) There is some serious money to be made by letting people film their latest bomb. I have family in LA who routinely rent out the front of their house and make nice scratch on it.
MrsPatrickCampbell
LOVE the photo of Vadge – we can clearly see the facelift scar along her ear!
dave
What’s a picture of Jocelyn Wildenstein doing on a story about Madonna?
royfromvegas
the guy is a bigot and an asshole
Desi
Do u want NYC to get revenue from film shoots…for NYC to be featured in films for the great city it is? Or do u want everything to be filmed in LA or Vancouver?! I love Madonna, and I love film and tv. Sure, it’s annoying when it’s in your neighborhood, but unless it’s like every day or every week, get over your selves….or move to Kansas, jerks!
God forbid a powerful women should…oh..no…AGE! It happens. deal with it, haters.
Ryan
Why in the hell is this news? Why is everyone acting so incredibly stupid? Sounds like a Queen’s convention in here, fuck. The queer that wrote this article needs to focus on his own self esteem for a while.
If I were directing this movie, I would have personally shoveled my foot far up his ass. I don’t care what fucking medium it is, it’s a film. A film is a painting is a sculpture is a photo is a drawing-it’s all art for god sakes. If this man were trying to shoot some photos of his/her children, I’d love to slowly walk through and moon em’ my ass. Or I could use my goddamn brain, and say hey, let’s be courteous and let these people do what their doing and walk around. No need to act like a 5 year old on crack.
I swear.
Lance Rockland
New Yorkers have reputations for being pushy obnoixious assholes.
And this story confirms that.
Lance Rockland
New Yorkers have reputations for being pushy obnoxious assholes.
And this story confirms that.
But I still love Madonna.
Random
@Joseph: well then if you said “fuck off” to the people who parked in front of your business you are 1 an intransigence asshole and 2 a great example of the kind of Torontonian coldness and lack of human warmth that is so famous and ubiquitous in Toronto.
SomethingElse
#8 Michiko : Couldn’t agree more.
Greg Braddock
@Davey Fan:
I was thinking the exact same thing… it’s like, you’re supposed to be a veteran in film or whatever… then have a little respect. You should realize that everyone is working hard and you should sympathize with them, not be a dick!
Kyle412
I have lived in NYC for 18 years and have had similar experiences with Jennifer Lopez and Will Smith in shooting movies. I didn’t listen to the PA either. In both circumstances they didn’t want me to walk down my street so that I could get into my home. I waited patiently for 20 minutes as they corraled pedestrians and kept them from walking on their own street. I never said fuck you. I simply broke from the herd and they had to stop shooting. A lot can happen in a NY minute and I don’t have time to waste for no talents who can’t do a shot in in one or 2 takes. I guarantee you the day Meryl Streep or Daniel Day Lewis are shooting in my neighborhood that it won’t take as long to get a shot.
jason
I would have told her to fuck off, too – even after knowing who she was.
Damien
@michiko: Perhaps people assume it’s a guy because the production worker said, “You have to cross the street, SIR!” Just maybe?
L.
A friend and I were walking along the riverfront, and outside a posh hotel that sits on its own block, we saw cameras, lights, etc. Being the nice people that we are, we decided to not disturb them, and walk through the hotel’s ground floor instead.
Turns out that while cameras were outside, they were filming inside.
I saw the movie, and was sad to see our cameo had been cut out.
SomethingElse
Kyle : I can’t believe you were even polite enough to wait twenty minutes for nothings like Will Smith and Jennifer Lopez. You’re nicer than I am. I think it’s time these “stars” and filmmakers started building studio sets again rather than bothering the rest of us with on-location stuff.
SomethingElse
LOL @ Ryan. Yeah, the Rambo “films” were such great art.
greenmanTN
Considering the project is another of Madonna’s cinematic treasures, maybe they evacuated the block for public safety reasons, like with anthrax.
TiredOldQueen@Queerty
To be honest, navigating this site these days feels a lot like this story. I just innocently browse outside my homepage, and I’m assaulted.
David
Madonna looks like my 62 year old Polish cleaning lady, Mierta in that photo. Mierta has better teeth though…
Jeffree
I was house-sitting in Chicago a couple summers ago and we all got notices from the City saying that “film production” would be setting up across the street from X date to Y date (two full days) and the letter outlined parking restrictions and which sidewalks would be blocked off.
That’s probably just a local ordinance but at least they warned us. Still kind of a hassle, but at least we knew what to expect. Maybe NYC should try something similar.
(we never did figure out what they were filming for). I do know that whenever they film they create lots of revenue for local businesses, so it’s not all bad.
PrindOhio
This guy has a chip on his shoulder a mile wide. Rude and self-centered. Betcha he will be bragging about his “encounter” for months, and that the film was shot in HIS neighborhood. Wowser!
Aplus
No way man is this guy for real.
Pat Duffy
Depends on what city you live in. When I lived in San Francisco, I got a mailer AND the local news mentioned that a shoot was going on in what neighborhood. When I lived in DC, they never did. Guess which cities shoots I got more annoyed with?
Lanjier
The truth is that his person verbally attacked and abused strangers. They did that, without anyone verbally attacking him.
There is no excuse or justification for this person talking to these people in a mean and angry tone, and hurling bombs of verbal abuse.
Madonna should have punched him right in his kisser.
SomethingElse
True, Lanjier, she should have. I’d love to see her dragged off to the clink.
El-Brucio
What, you don’t like one of the inconveniences of living in one of the big popular cities? Don’t live there. There are thousands of other people desperate to replace you.
Next up : residents complain about high rent, high taxes, crowded streets, noise, tourists, and parades causing road closures.
Kev C
According to the law and the film guidelines, the angry resident is within their rights. The sidewalk is public property and not “closed”. Only police, fire and emergency services can restrict sidewalk traffic with for legitimate reasons. The film crew must notify residents and must be polite to residents. The film crew can ask or bargain with residents, but their orders are not official or legal.
ewe
Bravo. you should have went back home, got a chair and planted yourself on the public sidewalk.
BlogShag
What an ass. And no I’m not talking about Madonna. He acts as if he’s on a private 2200 acre ranch or something. This is the kind of bullshit that Madonna and other divas have to deal with every day.
BlogShag
@Lance Rockland: New Yorkers are the worst. I thought Los Angeles was rude. It doesn’t even come close. New York is the worst.
Kev C
@Lance Rockland: @BlogShag: In 2006, New York City was ranked The Most Courteous City in the World by Readers Digest’s Global Courtesy Test. The stereotype of rude new yorkers is actually a myth.
demonyc
what’s’ so hard to believe? film crews treat civilians like mad-cow cattle. julia was on my block this summer with eat pray love which was bad enough, then add to that swarms of paparazzi and you have a first class asshole convention. tv seems to be better, law and order shoots don’t insultyour existance like film shoots. this is a mild story compared to many stories i’ve heard. the resentment builds so much that by the third shouted order you totally feel it’s within your right to curse them.
Sean
Queerty has become a Madonna hating blog. The bitter Queen that writes all these posts is just bitter that Madonna has bigger balls then he does.
And seriously what’s up with finding the worst pics one can dig up of her? When she’s actually “made-up” she still looks f-ing amazing. Your Madonna hatred is getting pathetic Queerty.
shle896
A day or two of inconvenience because a movie is being shot in front of your house – BOO HOO HOO. Get a life and be happy that you don’t have leukemia or that you don’t live in Iraq. Jesus.
Cam
I’ve lived in several cities that have a lot of filming. I’ve seen the crews treat the people on the street horribly. One example happened to a friend. They had blocked up the entrance to his home with their craft services table. he asked them to move it and they kept telling him that they had a permit to be there. Finally after he treatened to call the police they said that they would ask somebody about moving, it. After another 15 min. He finally had to knock over the entire table to be able to walk in his front door. Later on, they showed up and told him he needed to turn off his living room lights because they were filming a street scene. I’ll spare you where he told them to go. But a little courtesy from them at the begining and he would have been happy to help them later, but for some strange reason the film crews usually tend to really treat residents horribly.
John
I just love this line: “A kind Brooklyn fellow put her in her place.”
Yeah, because after that, she and everyone else packed up and left, shredded all the film and canned the movie.
Fucking drama queens at Queerty.
Watcher
“If you have a problem with shoots filming in your city then take it up with the film commission in your city. They are the ones who set the requirements and charge fees for the permits. The film is following the rules. They have to buy permits, insurance, hire cops (dictated by the film commission) to close the streets, etc. Films also bring capital into your city. They hire locals, rent equipment, buy food, rent hotels, bring in actors and crews from other states and do other things that benefit your city.”
==============
One of these days, these Hollywood jerks are going to mess around with the wrong guy. He’ll be carrying a gun, and there will be blood and dead people. Wanna guess whose side the public will be on?
Watcher
“Later on, they showed up and told him he needed to turn off his living room lights because they were filming a street scene. I’ll spare you where he told them to go.”
===============
If they tried doing that with me, I’d go get my camera and start taking flash photos out my front window, at unpredictable intervals.
mikey
that story made me lol! good right-up there sir/madam!
TheNewGeneration
Awesome dude. And Madonna’s face looks like meatloaf. Go away u ol’ skank!
DianeSaw-her
Hahah, u freaking pathetic Madonna-loving bitches! She looks like the woman who sells tamales down my street; her hair is dirty and greasy, her nose like that of a witch and her teeth awful. And not, this is not photoshopped sweeties. Deal with it!!! Your queen is a hag!!!!!!!!!!!