What else is there to say about Don Dokken?

As I'm sure virtually no one reading this knows, they are shooting a movie just down the road in Crawfordville. Or were. I think shooting wrapped yesterday. Who they, one may ask? Some Hollywood commie pinkos and Robert Duvall--who's not, btw, of course. I think they've been there for a couple of weeks though I saw no signs of a production, big or otherwise, when I was through Crawfordville a couple of weeks ago on the way to Athens. Considering they roll up what's left of the streets at sundown in that tiny town, I see no reason why they couldn't find some extra space for camera and such.

Every so often a flick is filmed in Crawfordville because, as every article (like this one)that mentions Crawfordville, uh, mentions, the town has changed very little in the last 80 years. I personally can vouch for the fact that it's changed hardly any in the last 35 years. They do have electricity and the police have actual vehicles with four wheels and a combustion engine, perhaps that's why there's so little crime. Nevertheless, I wouldn't be surprised if the last technological update they've had was the addition of a traffic light. Which, I hasten to add, gives them an equal number as my fair little town. Bully for them.

The other interesting (to whom?) factoid about Crawfordville is that it's the only place mentioned in R.E.M. liner notes where I actually have family from. All inclined go dig up your copy of R.E.M.'s Eponymous and in the liners for "Can't Get There From Here" you'll find in mentioned as being near Philomath. Indeed it is. Perhaps I should pause to give you, dear reader, a chance to recover from the palpitations that info no doubt caused.

Ready? Onward.

I'm not certain but I think the last movie filmed there was the always adorable Reese Witherspoon's thoroughly unnecessary chick flick, Sweet Home Alabama. Regardless, there have been more movies filmed there than probably any other small southern town. For once, I don't believe I'm exagerrating. Which, for a town with a population of less than a 1000 and oblivious to the march of time, is pretty darn impressive even I must admit.

But since dying southern towns must stick together the good folks in Crawfordville threw a little Hollywood love our way: a house on the outskirts of town here will be burned to the very ground. Awesome. So for the past week Georgia Power, Georgia Natural Gas and various Hollywood special effects people have been rigging up the old house to blow up real good on Sunday night.

To top it off, they'll even be a man jumping out the second story window. Natch, I hope he'll be on fire but won't be too bummed if he's just takes a running jump. It goes without saying that I plan to see it all go down for a couple of reasons, not the least of which is I can't imagine they'll be anything remotely as exciting going on at that particular time around here. Unless some local tweaker manages to blow his little meth lab up by accident, of course.

The other reason is that the house is actually a part of my family history. (Andy/Chris, it's the old two-story house past Wheland) My father's family lived there for a bit, two separate times, way back when. However, we didn't build it and don't own it now which means that my chance to get a little payback from Hollywood will have to wait a bit longer. Come to think of it, I suppose my grandparents would have been living there when this movie is set, the 1930s, which is a fairly interesting coincidence. Or at least it is to me.

My Dad went out there today to take a few pictures of the house and all the excitement. Because he's a folksy, personable guy he struck up a conversation with the lady organizing everything. After refusing her repeated request to leave or be shot several times, she took another tactic: talk this local yokel and hopefully he'll go away. I keed.

She was apparently quite nice and interested in his history on the house. Since she couldn't bear the thought of such a priceless family heirloom perishing without photographic evidence she let him go inside and take a few pictures of everything.** She also promised to send him a copy of the finished movie. Maybe she will. Either way, it's still pretty cool to think that a part of my family's history that's been ignored for years, literally falling in, will be immortalized in a movie. In a fiery blaze of glory, no less.

**Of course, I don't have them right now but perhaps I'll put them up later on this evening or tomorrow. Hopefully, I can get some pix of the actual shoot on Sunday but until then, this is what it looks like.

A view from inside the front door. Though I think the stairs were original, I believe they had to reinforce them, also replaced some of the ceiling/2nd floor. If you look close around the windows, you'll notice the propane line they'll use to blow out the windows and "control" the fire.

The view of the house from the back. As you can see everything is pretty much falling in and has been for decades. Not sure if they removed that back wall or it was already long gone. They built the ramp to the porch for cameras/equipment.