Michigan’s economy is famous around the country, however, what is not-so-famous is that every year this state produces a list of films that could some day rival Hollywood’s catalog, and it is unfortunately understated. Our list of movies grows each year, and someday, possibly, might be a contributing factor to getting us out of the rut we are in.
According to The Michigan Film Office, the most recent and successful film to be produced in Ann Arbor was “The Ides of March,” starring Ryan Gosling (“The Notebook”) and George Clooney, who also directed the film.
Supporting actors include Paul Giamatti (“Man on the Moon”) and Philip Seymour Hoffman (“Doubt”). In this film, a 20-something (Gosling) learns about dirty politics on his first campaign trail. This star-studded picture was nominated for four Golden Globe Awards, which included Best Director-Motion Picture and Best Screenplay.
“Transformers” is one of the biggest trilogies this century has seen yet and earned mega-millions in the box office. While the quality of these films is low and lack structure and plot, they were still successful worldwide. These futuristic and graphically stunning hits star Shia LaBeouf (“Even Stevens”), Megan Fox (for the first two) and Josh Duhamel (“When In Rome”). While they were not filmed in Detroit in their entirety, many of the action scenes were.
A 2010 comedy, “30 Minutes or Less,” was also filmed in Michigan — in Grand Rapids. This goofy picture about a kid who must find his way out of both robbing a bank and being blow to bits by a bomb stars Jesse Eisenberg (“The Social Network”) and Aziz Ansari (“Parks and Recreation”). Readers can find a review about this comedy on EasternEcho.com.
“Scream 4,” an awaited-for fan favorite, was filmed in three different cities in Michigan, which include Dearborn, Northville and Livonia, in 2010. This goose bump inducing thriller played host to an all-star cast composed of Neve Campbell, David Arquette and Courteney Cox, who all previously starred in the first three of the Scream movies. This chilling tale is of Sydney Prescott, yet again, and her struggle for the fourth and possibly final time against the killer known as Ghostface.
There is no reason to believe that 2012 will not hold as impressive a list as 2011, or 2010 for that matter. In the last two years, just look what Michigan has been capable of making. The movie industry might be a little thoughtless in the films they choose to produce, but that apparently does not stop Michigan from contributing to some of the highest grossing films in the last two years. Who knows what is in store for this ever-changing state; it might just be… the next Hollywood.
