J. Lo on location in B.C.
Jaime Jeske
Tuesday, April 22, 2003
Delivering the Lo-down on Jenny
As the superstar lands in the B.C. interior to shoot her latest film,
the local press vows to give Lopez her space -- sort of, ALEXANDRA GILL
writes
By ALEXANDRA GILL
VANCOUVER - Jenny from the block, and her notorious bottom, have landed
in British Columbia. But if you happen to bump into the bootylicious
pair, please don't tell anyone you saw them. In this part of the
country, it's not polite to stare at the celebrities.
On Tuesday morning, Jennifer Lopez flew into Kamloops, via private jet
from Paris. For the next three months, the 32-year-old movie goddess and
Latina singing sensation will be setting up camp in the small interior
town while shooting the Lasse Hallstrom film An Unfinished Life with
co-star Robert Redford.
Only 350 kilometres away, in downtown Vancouver, the current love of her
life, Ben Affleck, can be found on the set of the John Woo film
Paycheck. And according to our sources, it took only four days for the
lovely J.Lo to hightail it out of cattle country for a weekend
rendezvous in the city.
On Saturday afternoon, Lopez was spotted at the spa in Vancouver's
Sutton Place Hotel, where Affleck is presumably staying. Later that
evening, the couple reportedly dined at Cin Cin on Robson Street.
J.Lo's stampede to the city is fair game for media to report, one would
guess. But it appears that the local Kamloops press is having a much
tougher time working through a moral conundrum regarding celebrity
coverage.
You might recall that back in February, soon after the Kamloops location
was announced, the Thompson-Nicola Regional District issued a
confidentiality memo to all local employees, urging them to keep
information regarding the shooting locations, filming schedule and all
other production details strictly under wraps.
"They'll stalk Jennifer Lopez," warned film commissioner Vicci Weller,
who worried that the international paparazzi would storm the tranquil
region and set off her royal highness, who has just topped the list of
"celebrity monsters" in the premiere issue of Radar magazine. That
honour recognized Lopez's talent for distinguishing herself "in the
areas of physical and verbal abuse, overweening arrogance, and the
imposition of a particularly nasty influence over the culture at large."
The shroud of secrecy lasted all of two minutes. On Wednesday, The
Kamloops Daily News reported that Lopez, avec entourage, had been
whisked off the tarmac in a fleet of SUVs with dark-tinted windows, and
was rumoured to be staying in either the Sun Rivers resort or a home in
Rose Hill (for a better monthly rate, we would hope, than the $60,000
local homeowners were trying to gouge from the film's producers a few
months ago).
The next day, an intrepid local photographer unearthed the film's
top-secret ranch set simply by spending the day driving dirt roads and
pleading with people for clues. When Keith Anderson stumbled onto the
set, he cruised right by Redford. Lopez stayed put in her trailer.
Anderson's photographs, however, will not be splashed all over the local
paper. Daily News editor Susan Duncan says she has nixed the Spot J.Lo
Contest that the city editor wanted to run daily on the front page. Nor
was she willing to pay a local mole the $100 he asked in exchange for
information on film-crew activities.
"It's not that I don't want photographs of the pair," Duncan wrote in
her weekly column on Friday. "This is still a relatively small city and
when celebrities come to town, it's news."
Indeed, the Miramax film, about a struggling single mother who must move
in with her father-in-law to support her young daughter, is the biggest
celebrity draw in the area since Jack Nicholson and Sean Penn dropped in
to shoot The Pledge two years ago.
The economic spinoff for the region, which is standing in for Montana,
is projected at up to $10-million. "But paying people and giving them
Daily News shirts in exchange for sightings seemed too close to
stalking," Duncan continued.
"We may be in the news business, but there still is such a thing as good
manners."
Duncan then went on to report, in the very same column, that Lopez and
Redford had been seen together after a late lunch at Ric's Mediterranean
Grill on Victoria Street. "It's a difficult call for the media when
actors are in town," she wrote, trying to wrestle the star-gawking
demons right out of her pen. "They want their privacy and we don't want
to be boors, but we also need to give the public something.
"Despite my own little fixation with Redford, I don't really understand
the awe the average person has for celebrities. So they are famous and
they can act, they're just people. It seems a little demeaning to get
all goofy and excited because a famous person walks by, unless,
obviously, it's Robert Redford."
In the meantime, the Kamloops young-country radio station, B100, has
begun a petition to rename a local mountain after the visiting star with
the famous posterior. Now that's what some would call high class.
Copyright 2003 "The Globe and Mail."
Jaime
Angela St.Aubin
"In the meantime, the Kamloops young-country radio station, B100, has
begun a petition to rename a local mountain after the visiting star with
the famous posterior."
- i find this type of thing so ridiculous! why would any one want to name a
mountain, that will be around for centuries after some passing starlet, who
isn't even from that area. maybe if she supported the town, or climbed the
mountain, or something. but the mountain is probably named after someone
far more deserving. i hope they don't go through with it.
Jaime Jeske
news:zaopa.2415$Zj2.4...@news20.bellglobal.com...
> - i find this type of thing so ridiculous! why would any one want to
name a
> mountain, that will be around for centuries after some passing
starlet, who
> isn't even from that area. maybe if she supported the town, or climbed
the
> mountain, or something. but the mountain is probably named after
someone
> far more deserving. i hope they don't go through with it.
My guess is it's just a publicity stunt that will be forgotten as
soon as she leaves town.
Jaime
Marsan/McKinney
If this was directly quoted from a newspaper, the story wasn't very well
edited. Is she a single mother or a widow? If she was single she wouldn't
have a father-in-law.
Either way - I can't believe Robert Redford is doing a movie with JHo
Tina
>On Tuesday morning, Jennifer Lopez flew into Kamloops, via private jet
>from Paris.
KAMLOOPS.
Someone with dyslexia could have some fun with this word.....
csmytheee
>For the next three months, the 32-year-old movie goddess and
>Latina singing sensation will be setting up camp in the small interior
>town while shooting the Lasse Hallstrom film An Unfinished Life with
>co-star Robert Redford.
movie goddess?? singing sensation?? i don't think so.
Meg
I've been there. It's on the way to Banff. It is a cute little town,
but not very exciting.
I can't see Ben and J Lo getting into visiting Banff or Jasper Nat'l
Parks-- they don't strike me as outdoorsy types. Too bad. Would be
cool to hear how J Lo reacted to a grizzly.
Jaime Jeske
Wednesday, April 23, 2003
J-Lo sets tongues wagging in Kamloops
By MELISSA RIDGEN
KAMLOOPS, B.C. -- She's a lot shorter than you think -- five-foot-two,
maybe -- but on the upside, her famous derriere is a tad smaller than it
appears on TV.
After a day of filming the Lasse Hallstrom film An Unfinished Life,
co-starring Robert Redford, Morgan Freeman and Josh Lucas, Jennifer
Lopez stepped out of a dingy north-shore Kamloops apartment to hobnob
with her adoring fans.
Some spent the entire day on the set waiting to catch a glimpse of the
star, and the soon-to-be Mrs. Ben Affleck did not disappoint.
With nary a stitch of makeup covering her flawless bronzed face and her
hair haphazardly pulled back, J-Lo stepped into her blue SUV and from
the back seat signed autographs and kissed and hugged many in the crowd
of close to 100.
Those who stood quietly for hours while filming went on inside the
ramshackle apartment were rewarded with 15 minutes of Lopez's undivided
attention.
"I don't know who said she's mean, she's super nice," said 11-year-old
Katie, boasting a signed photo.
Others had the star sign movie jackets, CD covers, and even a basketball
and skateboard.
Lopez will be filming here until June.
Next week the set will move to a ranch at an undisclosed location in the
Thompson-Nicola regional district.
The film, about a struggling single mother who is forced to move in with
her father-in-law to support her young daughter, is expected to generate
$6 million for the Kamloops economy.
Filming began last week, and during downtime on the weekend, Lopez flew
by private jet to Vancouver to be with Affleck, who is filming there.
While in Kamloops, Lopez is reportedly staying in a posh home in the Sun
Rivers development, while Redford is reportedly lodging at the privately
owned Six Mile Ranch.
"She has been great with the crowd," said Sharon Holmes, who lives near
the set, and was on hand Monday to catch a glimpse of J-Lo who smiled
and waved at the cheering crowd before being whisked away by her
entourage of 18.
Copyright 2003 "The Sun."
Jaime
naf
18? Let's see...
1. Hair Stylist
2. Hair assistant
3. Clothes Stylist
4. Muscle
5. Muscle
6. Make-up
7. P.A.
8 Cell phone dialer
9. Call screener
10. Food taster
11. Driver
12. Driver
13. Driver
14. Cook
15. Cook's Assistant
16. General Gofer
17. Dresser
18. Posse wrangler (counts the other 17)
Jaime Jeske
Sunday, April 27, 2003
City falls in love with Lopez
By Mike Roberts
KAMLOOPS - After a week of star sightings, street shutdowns and general
Hollywood hoopla, it's back to business as usual in Kamloops.
I guess the city is getting used to the superstar glow.
But that didn't stop hundreds of local fans from turning out late
Thursday night for a warm and hearty J.Lo send-off.
Ms. Lopez finished her week on the North Shore sets of An Unfinished
Life, also starring Robert Redford and Josh Lucas, and has temporarily
left the city for parts unknown -- although it's pretty likely she's in
Vancouver, canoodling with fiancé Ben Affleck, in town shooting John
Woo's sci-fi thriller Paycheck. Nice bit of Beniffer schedule-synching,
wouldn't you say?
"They wrapped J.Lo [Thursday] night at midnight and she was awesome," a
set source tells me. "She was signing autographs. A crowd of about 500
showed up to say goodbye."
This city of 80-odd thousand has fallen in love with Lopez. She's been
spotted shopping around town and lunching at Ric's Mediterranean Grill
on Victoria Street, where the greeters "don't think [they] want to
comment."
J.Lo has been more than gracious during her stay here, taking time to
interact with fans after nearly every shoot, despite being caked in
plain-Jane makeup that gives her the appearance of being bedraggled and
bruised about the face for her role in the film.
"I was standing across from her for 20 minutes on Tuesday," says Jordy
Leroux, 28. "I just kept thinking, 'Holy s- - - !' I asked her if she
liked Kamloops and she said it was nice.
"She was really polite with the kids, that was cool," adds the local
fan. "People were lifting kids up to the window and she was hugging and
kissing them."
Lopez plays an abused widow from Marion, Iowa, in An Unfinished Life.
She runs off with her daughter (played by preteen Becca Gardner of Lake
Tahoe, Nev.) to live with her father-in-law
Robert Redford on a ranch in Montana.
Kamloops is standing in for Marion; an undisclosed ranch near Ashcroft
is standing in for Redford's horsey spread in Montana.
The movie machine is pretty tight-lipped about what exactly is going on
in the region. But so far, I have learned that J.Lo is filming her
scenes in Kamloops while Robert Redford films his in the small
retirement and ranching town of Ashcroft.
In June, the two will meet in Ashcroft, film their coming-together
scenes in the tiny town and then move on to the ranch for the remainder
of the movie.
The location of the ranch remains a mystery. One bit of movie lore has
it that a fleet of film trailers is already at that location,
camouflaged to prevent paparazzi snoops in airplanes from locking down
the co-ordinates.
Who knows? I do know that a chain-link wolf enclosure is being built for
the set, producers have been trying to book rooms at Ashcroft's Sundance
Guest Ranch for the month of June, and the local Greek restaurant has
been booked for next month, the entire month, and not just for dinner.
On Friday morning, I took a look-see around Ashcroft. The movie trailers
were lined up next to the Ashcroft River Inn above the Thompson River
and Robert Redford was in his trailer, preparing for the afternoon
shoot.
"It don't bother me a bit," says Yvonne Bellamy of Hollywood's arrival
on her doorstep.
"It brings in business, which is awesome," adds the 36-year-resident of
the town, standing on Railway Avenue, Ashcroft's main drag, where a
crisp, new American flag flaps in the wind next to the Maple Leaf.
"People sure don't mind them spending their money here, but it's not a
big deal," says Bellamy.
Well, just wait til J.Lo arrives. And the fans and cameras and
international press. I've got a feeling one little sleepy town's going
to enjoy joining Kamloops as Hollywood Interior comes into its own.
© Copyright 2003 The Province.
"The Sun" (Calgary)
Sunday, April 27, 2003
J.Lo frenzy in Kamloops By MELISSA RIDGEN
KAMLOOPS, B.C. -- A supermarket tabloid desperately wants a photo of
Jennifer Lopez sporting a nasty bruise on her face.
It was painted on Lopez for a scene in the film An Unfinished Life,
which is currently filming in Kamloops, B.C. with Robert Redford, Morgan
Freeman and Josh Lucas.
The rag had heard that paparazzi besieged the quiet city but were
somewhat surprised to learn a Kamloop's shooter and the Sun's Mike Drew
were the only shutterbugs clicking away at Mrs. Ben Affleck-to-be.
During a break in shooting on Wednesday, J.Lo stood near a window at an
auto glass shop that was turned into a dry cleaners for the flick and,
sure enough, there appeared to be a bruise near her mouth.
Gee, I wonder what the paper would have done with the phoney bruise
photo?
Entertainment reporters love to dish on J.Lo's life and rarely is the
publicity flattering, whether it be in reference to her
larger-than-average (in Hollywood anyway) butt, her alleged tantrums or
her penchant for short-lived marriages.
She has been branded difficult, reportedly demanding her dressing rooms
be decked in nothing but white, and God help anyone who serves the
sensitive-toothed star chilled bottled water -- room temperature only,
thank you very much.
On Tuesday there was a noted lack of diva behaviour.
After filming at a dumpy apartment on Kamloop's north shore, J.Lo
emerged with an endearing smile for the 100 or so fans who waited
patiently for shooting to wrap, hoping to catch a glimpse of the
32-year-old singer-actress-restaurateur-clothing designer.
Mike and I blended into the crowd as unmedia-like as we could -- he with
a small point-and-shoot camera, I with my notepad tucked into my bag --
waiting to see how the notoriously snooty Lopez would handle the throng
of fans.
With her personal assistant, driver and two burly bodyguards at her
side, she hopped into a Lincoln Navigator which then pulled up a few
metres, stopping in front of dozens of people.
The megastar rolled down her window, smiled, waved and signed autographs
for about 15 minutes, chatting with some.
She appeared genuinely flattered by the affection and wasn't doing it
for the press -- to her knowledge, we weren't there.
But, after meeting Larry Graham, whose auto-glass shop was turned into a
dry cleaners for the film, I began to see how some might paint Lopez
with an unsavoury brush.
Graham had been called in to his building numerous times during filming
Wednesday, often standing mere inches from Lopez, who couldn't bother to
smile, say hello, or otherwise acknowledge that someone had entered the
room, never mind take a second to engage in a few moments of idle
chatter.
"Naw, she doesn't have anything to say to me," the friendly entrepreneur
said.
Not very Jenny from the block, I thought.
On Thursday, Mike and I parked across the street from Lopez's trailer,
hoping to snap a photo of her emerging, or, better, emerging with
Affleck, who was rumoured to be in Kamloops that day.
If it was true, he stayed well hidden, as did Lopez when her lackeys
caught site of Mike's telephoto lens.
She ducked and snuck from the door of her trailer to the backseat of a
Navigator under cover of two thick men.
They then drove a block to the set.
Who needs to be driven 100 metres? Someone with delicate tootsies,
perhaps.
We didn't see Redford, Freeman or Lucas on our travels, but we rubbed
elbows with a number of locals who were likely just as interesting.
The mood in Kamloops, in response to the sudden star power, was barely
thrilled, nevermind frenzied.
For the most part it's life as usual, with the exception of a few
die-hards who fill their days moving from location to location, watching
filming from behind security lines.
With a lack of anything concrete to discuss about the film's stars,
rumours are aplenty with a morning tidbit turning into a full-blown
scandal by the evening.
For example, one tale placed J.Lo, Redford and director Lasse Hallstrom
at the upscale Ric's Mediterranean Grill two Wednesdays ago. She
reportedly picked at her food, was a tad cold to staff and didn't tip.
Restaurant manager Steve Mitton confirmed the group met for a late
lunch -- but he wouldn't divulge what Lopez ate for fear it might make
her look like she pigged out.
Sarah Pellizzari served the Hollywood heavyweights and said Lopez was
"really nice and very quiet.
"She asked me what was good, I told her what I like and she said OK and
ordered it," said Pellizzari.
It's true Lopez didn't pick up the tip.
"She didn't tip because she didn't pay, the director paid," and tipped
well, Mitton said.
Another alleged J.Lo sighting reported by a local radio station had
Lopez at Gold's Gym for an early morning workout Wednesday, where she
was apparently treated rudely by a member who didn't recognize her.
But that rumour was quickly put to rest.
"She has never been in here," said Rick, a staffer at the gym.
"Someone called us asking what type of equipment we have in case she
wanted to come but she bought her own equipment and hasn't been in."
Main Street Clothing Company owner Nicki James is still keeping an eye
on the door, hoping the star will waltz in to check out her store -- the
only one in Kamloops that carries the latest from J.Lo's clothing line.
"If I were her I'd want to see my stuff," James said.
It's mostly teens who stop by to drop $280 on a tracksuit, $42 for a
J.Lo T-shirt or $140 for a pair of her jeans.
"Her clothes always sell well," James said.
When Cherri Fitzsimmons of The Cosmetic Boutique at Kipp Mallery heard
Lopez would be filming in town, she ordered a shipment of J.Lo's
signature scent Glow, which retails for $59.
"It's not something I normally would have, but I ordered it out of
respect for her when I heard she'd be in town," Fitzsimmons explained.
Not everyone was caught up in the glitz and glamour of Hollywood
suddenly in their midst.
Movie-types approached the owners of Circle Creek Ranch, a
horse-boarding and equestrian facility, asking if they'd rent their
sprawling hilltop home in Knutsford, just outside of Kamloops, to
Redford for the three months of filming.
"We weren't interested," said owner Colleen Mercier.
"We run a business here and we don't want to move out of our home for
three months."
Some in the area were asking $60,000 a month for their homes, which
movie officials thumbed their noses at.
Redford reportedly found a house not far from Mercier's.
Meanwhile, Lopez is reportedly staying at a home in either Sun Rivers or
Rose Hill -- both posh neighbourhoods -- and jets to Vancouver on
weekends where Affleck is filming.
Copyright 2003 "The Sun."
"The Sun" (Vancouver)
Saturday, April 26, 2003
Low-key JLo is the toast of laid-back Kamloops
A few star-struck fans are swooning for a glimpse of her, but most
residents took Lopez's visit in stride
By Janet Steffenhagen
KAMLOOPS -- Mega-star Jennifer Lopez gave Kamloops fans what they wanted
this week: a little wave from an open window in her SUV, an autograph or
two and a tingly taste of star fever at a time when the rest of Canada
is obsessed with SARS fever.
In return, polite Kamloops offered JLo relative privacy and favourable
press as she brushed through town for the filming of An Unfinished Life
with co-star Robert Redford, who almost seems lost in her shadow.
There were traffic tie-ups, yes, and small crowds near heavily guarded
sets where Lopez was filming. But there was no stalking or gotcha
photos. Not even any serious attempt to find where she was staying,
although she was allegedly holed up in a local home high up in the hills
surrounding the city.
"I don't think anyone over 25 could care less that she's in town,"
shrugged Ed Wilson, driving taxi at the airport. He was steamed over
rumors that she had called Kamloops "a dump" although he wasn't sure
where the story had come from.
Students from the University College of the Cariboo were equally blasé
about the arrival of the screen queen. "Her fans are the tweens," said
Michael Farough, a 21-year-old computer science student. "We've been bus
y with exams -- that's all anyone here talks about."
But Kim Smith, also 21 and working at the Bagel Street Cafe on Friday,
said she's felt the JLo. fever and it's rather nice. "She's a big star
and for a big star to come to a little town is pretty nice."
Vicci Weller, executive director of film for the Thompson-Nicola
Regional District, said the arrival of Hollywood stars means a bit of
fun and a whole lot of money -- an estimated $6 million in economic
activity.
"It's been great for Kamloops," she enthused. "And it's a lot of fun. We
have a lot going on in the world and sometimes it's nice just to have
fun."
Despite a recent media report labelling Lopez as a "celebrity monster"
for her temper and arrogance, Weller said she showed none of that in
Kamloops. She kept a low profile most of the time, but did emerge from a
string of vehicles once to mingle with fans.
"Stopping her SUV, signing autographs and giving [one fan] a hug is
pretty decent behaviour," she said.
Lopez, who flew into Kamloops on a private jet at the start of the week,
was out of town Friday, filming in ranch country that will be portrayed
as Wyoming countryside in the film.
"If you want to find her, just watch for a line of black SUVs," a hotel
clerk advised.
Weller didn't catch sight of JLo --although she's been a fan since she
heard her sing in Selina -- but was beaming nevertheless. She had just
heard that the film crew was pleased with her city.
"My understanding is they got the footage they wanted -- and that is the
biggest compliment we could get."
Paul Meleshko, another taxi driver, said some people don't like to admit
they're star struck but still they know JLo is a big deal. "I don't
think there's a person in town who doesn't want to get a glimpse of her.
Everywhere you go, people are talking."
Gail Franklin agreed that there's a "hullabaloo" about JLo but she can't
understand the fuss. "But Redford -- well, he's a honey. I've adored him
since The Great Gatsby. But he's staying out of town and there's not a
hope in heck of finding him."An Unfinished Life, a Miramax film, is
about a single mother, Lopez, raising her young daughter after her
husband is killed in a car crash she moves into the home of her
father-in-law, played by Redford, despite tensions and guilt over the
death.
The plot deals with universal themes about surviving guilt and healing
wounds within families, Weller said, predicting it will be "very
moving."
While Lopez is roaming cattle country, her current love, Ben Affleck, is
in Vancouver starring in a film called Paycheck.
© Copyright 2003 Vancouver Sun
Jaime