Memphis may not be Hollywood just yet but there have been a string of movies shot here and there is a growing community of filmmakers here, most notably Craig Brewer -- Hustle & Flow, Black Snake Moan.
In addition to local filmmakers, big time Hollywood productions are increasingly being based here. Going back over the years: The Firm, The Client, The People Versus Larry Flint, Great Balls of Fire, Walk the Line, Elizabethtown, 21 Grams, Forty Shades of Blue, Castaway, Hustle & Flow, Black Snake Moan and The Rainmaker have all been shot here in Memphis.
The latest movie to be shot in Memphis is Nothing but the Truth. Shooting is set to begin here in Memphis in mid October. Nothing but the Truth is a political thriller and stars Matt Dillon, Kate Beckinsale, Alan Alda, David Schwimmer and Vera Farmiga. It will be directed by Rod Lurie, who's latest film is Resurrecting the Champ. According to published reports, many of the actors for the film will be local and the production will hire mostly local folks.
Memphis is a creative town full of creative people. We're best known for our musicians but our film industry is also there and growing. As a kid I stood in line for hours to be an extra in Great Balls of Fire. Nothing but the Truth gives Memphians to be extras, speaking parts and production crew members. Plus, there's a great chance of running into Matt Dillon or Kate Beckinsale around town!
Here's to seeing you at the movies (making them or watching them)!
http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2007/aug/30/30movie/
http://www.memphisfilmcomm.org/
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Time to Get Back Outside - October Weather is Almost Here
A lot of people talk about the great weather in Memphis in May but I actually think that the best month of the year weather wise in Memphis is October. Just based on personal experience, October tends to be drier than May. The summer heat finally breaks around the end of September and so in October you get a lot of 70 to 80 degree days with 50 to 60 degree nights and blue clear skies. The leaves start to turn. it's just a beautiful time of year here.
It's a great time of year to get outside and go running, play tennis, go camping or hiking. frankly, this is the best time of year to do anything outdoors. October is a big golf month here.
Here's the best weather of the year and getting outside to enjoy it.
It's a great time of year to get outside and go running, play tennis, go camping or hiking. frankly, this is the best time of year to do anything outdoors. October is a big golf month here.
Here's the best weather of the year and getting outside to enjoy it.
Memphis is for the Dogs!
Okay, if you know me and how much I love Memphis, you know that I'd never really say that Memphis is for the dogs. However, in this case I really mean it -- well sort of. this past weekend my family took our dog Keeper out to the dog park at Shelby Farms. I've lived here most of my life and had no idea that there was a dog park anywhere in Memphis but sure enough there is. It's on the North side of Shelby Farms (I think that's Raleigh-LaGrange) on the east side right where Trinity curves and becomes Raleigh-LaGrange. It's a huge area that's gated and has walking trails and at least two ponds. You can bring your pooch out there and let them off the leash to run free.
This last Saturday the weather was beautiful. there were tons of dogs running and playing with their four legged buddies. There were plenty of people out at the dog park as well. If you're a family guy like me, there were plenty of other families. If you are single, there were plenty of good looking single men and women out there as well.
That may have been the first time that I've been to the dog park at Shelby Farms but it won't be the last time that Keeper and I are out there. Hope to see you there soon.
This last Saturday the weather was beautiful. there were tons of dogs running and playing with their four legged buddies. There were plenty of people out at the dog park as well. If you're a family guy like me, there were plenty of other families. If you are single, there were plenty of good looking single men and women out there as well.
That may have been the first time that I've been to the dog park at Shelby Farms but it won't be the last time that Keeper and I are out there. Hope to see you there soon.
Sunday, September 9, 2007
Memphis College of Art Invests in South Main
Memphis College of Art has long had a gallery in the South Main Arts District. The college rented the space. It has now purchased a gallery at 338 South Main. For more information about the purchase or Memphis College or Art go to:
www.mca.edu
The South Main Arts District is located just south of downtown Memphis and has more than 21 different galleries. You can see everything there from water colors to photography and everything in between. One of the really fun things to do in Memphis is to take in the galleries when they have their open houses. Basically, the galleries provide wine and folks gather in the area to appreciate the art and to come together and socialize. For more information about the South Main Arts District and the gallery open houses, go to:
www.southmainmemphis.org
www.mca.edu
The South Main Arts District is located just south of downtown Memphis and has more than 21 different galleries. You can see everything there from water colors to photography and everything in between. One of the really fun things to do in Memphis is to take in the galleries when they have their open houses. Basically, the galleries provide wine and folks gather in the area to appreciate the art and to come together and socialize. For more information about the South Main Arts District and the gallery open houses, go to:
www.southmainmemphis.org
New Plans for the Pyramid?
Memphian Greg Ericson is pushing a new/old plan to redevelop the Pyramid. He wants to build an indoor theme park in the Pyramid complete with an indoor roller coaster. Before you scoff at the idea, consider Space Mountain at Disney World. That's exactly what that is -- an indoor roller coaster.
The link to the full story can be found in the Sunday, September 9, Commercial Appeal:
http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2007/sep/09/b9pyra/
The plans also call for a refurbishment for the carousel from Libertyland, completion of the inclinator (finally!) and a major retail component that could include either Bass Pro Shops or its competitor Cabella's. The sense that I got reading through the article is that Ericson included Bass Pro Shops as a matter of political expediency. Bass Pro currently has a letter of intent with the City to redevelop the Pyramid into a giant Bass Pro store. If that happens, that would be great but Bass Pro has an out in the letter of intent and has not in the two years that it has been studying the Pyramid given any real sign that it is going to move forward with its plans anytime soon. Erickson may or may not have the real ability to pull off this plan but the fact that ambitious plans are being proposed as alternatives to a Bass Pro Shop that may never materialize is a great sign. My uneducated guess is that time is beginning to run out on Bass Pro to make a final decision. The City seems like it will be patient with Bass Pro for a little while longer but we now have another option should Bass Pro decide that the Pyramid is not right for it. Then again, this proposal may be exactly what Bass Pro needs to make a decision. Either way, exciting things appear to be planned for the Pyramid. We'll all have to be patient with this because the redevelopment of the Pyramid is enormously complex but we're farther along today than we have been. Memphis has a bright future ahead of it and so does the Pyramid.
What would you rather see in the Pyramid? A giant Bass Pro or an indoor amusement park?
The link to the full story can be found in the Sunday, September 9, Commercial Appeal:
http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2007/sep/09/b9pyra/
The plans also call for a refurbishment for the carousel from Libertyland, completion of the inclinator (finally!) and a major retail component that could include either Bass Pro Shops or its competitor Cabella's. The sense that I got reading through the article is that Ericson included Bass Pro Shops as a matter of political expediency. Bass Pro currently has a letter of intent with the City to redevelop the Pyramid into a giant Bass Pro store. If that happens, that would be great but Bass Pro has an out in the letter of intent and has not in the two years that it has been studying the Pyramid given any real sign that it is going to move forward with its plans anytime soon. Erickson may or may not have the real ability to pull off this plan but the fact that ambitious plans are being proposed as alternatives to a Bass Pro Shop that may never materialize is a great sign. My uneducated guess is that time is beginning to run out on Bass Pro to make a final decision. The City seems like it will be patient with Bass Pro for a little while longer but we now have another option should Bass Pro decide that the Pyramid is not right for it. Then again, this proposal may be exactly what Bass Pro needs to make a decision. Either way, exciting things appear to be planned for the Pyramid. We'll all have to be patient with this because the redevelopment of the Pyramid is enormously complex but we're farther along today than we have been. Memphis has a bright future ahead of it and so does the Pyramid.
What would you rather see in the Pyramid? A giant Bass Pro or an indoor amusement park?
MATA Goes Green -- At Least in Part
According to the Sunday, September 9, Commercial Appeal, Memphis Area Transportation Agency ("MATA") has purchased four hybrid buses. The buses are far more expensive but are cheaper to operate and create far less pollution. The City has more than 200 buses but these are a start and a step in the right direction. According to the article, MATA plans to purchase additional hybrid buses in the future. Here's the link:
http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2007/sep/09/e9fleets/
This is a bigger deal than it might otherwise seem because one impediment that Memphis and the surrounding counties face to new economic development is attainment status with federal air quality standards. Using hybrid vehicles especially for buses will certainly help cut down on emissions that negatively impacts air quality. Memphis has some of the best water in the country. It's time that we worked on having our air quality match our water quality.
http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2007/sep/09/e9fleets/
This is a bigger deal than it might otherwise seem because one impediment that Memphis and the surrounding counties face to new economic development is attainment status with federal air quality standards. Using hybrid vehicles especially for buses will certainly help cut down on emissions that negatively impacts air quality. Memphis has some of the best water in the country. It's time that we worked on having our air quality match our water quality.
University of Memphis Announces Campus Expansion
Every great city is linked to one or more great universities. I happen to think that we're already there or knocking on the door of being a great American city and we're lucky to have the University of Memphis, Christian Brothers University, Tennessee - Medical Sciences Center and Rhodes College here. These are all critically important to the future of our city.
This past week, news broke about the University of Memphis announced plans for expansion of its existing campus. The full plans can be seen by going to the following:
http://bf.memphis.edu/cpd/mp/Master_Plan_Presentation_2006.pdf
In essence, the University will get approximately $7 million a year for the purpose of purchasing land to expand the current campus. The University will look to purchase land to the West of its current main campus to eventually push its campus all the way over to Highland Avenue. The new plans are specific, well thought out and exciting not only for the University but for the entire area around the University. the Highland Avenue strip has long been an off collection of businesses, restaurants and bars with no coherent plan to unify them. This new plan could be exactly what the area around the University needs to really take the University of Memphis and the area around it to a new level.
One of the most exciting things about the plan is its inclusion of new and improved University housing options including an honors student housing complex. One of the complaints that is often heard about the University of Memphis is that it feels less like a college campus and more like a commuter school. Some of that is just the reality of all urban universities but this plan should add real life to the University and bring and keep more people on campus even when classes are not in session.
The plans call for a realignment and upgrade of Central and for a pedestrian underpass under the railroad tracks. Both are sorely needed for safety and aesthetic reasons.
One thing missing from these plans is any area to build an on-campus football stadium. The inclusion of such a stadium would have taken an already fantastic and exciting plan and made it almost perfect. However, the lack of a stadium on the plans shouldn't be seen as a sign that one couldn't be located on campus or right next to it. First of all Harold Byrd and those who support an on campus stadium contend that there is room on campus for a stadium right now. Second, even with the planned expansion of the campus over to Highland, there are still areas adjacent to the campus that could be sites for a future stadium. The University hasn't run out of room to grow even with these planned expansions.
As the University of Memphis grows and expands, all Memphians will benefit! Go Tigers!
This past week, news broke about the University of Memphis announced plans for expansion of its existing campus. The full plans can be seen by going to the following:
http://bf.memphis.edu/cpd/mp/Master_Plan_Presentation_2006.pdf
In essence, the University will get approximately $7 million a year for the purpose of purchasing land to expand the current campus. The University will look to purchase land to the West of its current main campus to eventually push its campus all the way over to Highland Avenue. The new plans are specific, well thought out and exciting not only for the University but for the entire area around the University. the Highland Avenue strip has long been an off collection of businesses, restaurants and bars with no coherent plan to unify them. This new plan could be exactly what the area around the University needs to really take the University of Memphis and the area around it to a new level.
One of the most exciting things about the plan is its inclusion of new and improved University housing options including an honors student housing complex. One of the complaints that is often heard about the University of Memphis is that it feels less like a college campus and more like a commuter school. Some of that is just the reality of all urban universities but this plan should add real life to the University and bring and keep more people on campus even when classes are not in session.
The plans call for a realignment and upgrade of Central and for a pedestrian underpass under the railroad tracks. Both are sorely needed for safety and aesthetic reasons.
One thing missing from these plans is any area to build an on-campus football stadium. The inclusion of such a stadium would have taken an already fantastic and exciting plan and made it almost perfect. However, the lack of a stadium on the plans shouldn't be seen as a sign that one couldn't be located on campus or right next to it. First of all Harold Byrd and those who support an on campus stadium contend that there is room on campus for a stadium right now. Second, even with the planned expansion of the campus over to Highland, there are still areas adjacent to the campus that could be sites for a future stadium. The University hasn't run out of room to grow even with these planned expansions.
As the University of Memphis grows and expands, all Memphians will benefit! Go Tigers!
Monday, September 3, 2007
The Delta Fair and Music Festival -- Fun on the Redneck Side
Last night my family and I along with our good friends went to the new Delta Fair and Music Festival. Overall, I'd say it was a lot of fun and a very family friendly event.
www.deltafest.com
I definitely felt like I was getting in touch with my inner redneck by being there. There was a decided "country" flair to this version of the fair. For example, I saw more versions of camouflage in a hundred yards there than any other place that I've been in a long time. One little girl had an inflatable camo blow up assault rifle! Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition! They'll pry that gun from her cold dead hands.
There were pig races, lawn mower races, a giant rat (which i think was a capabera), a miniature mule, a pretty cool petting zoo and of course all the usual fair rides and food. I'm not sure if it's accurate or not but all of the prices seemed to be just a notch below what are charged at the venerable old Mid-South Fair.
The Delta Fair seemed to be a little smaller than the Mid-South Fair. Then again this is the first year of the Delta Fair and the Mid-South Fair has been going for 150 or so years. I can see in a few years when the Mid-South Fair moves from the Fairgrounds to Millington or North Mississippi, the Delta Fair taking over and becoming larger. The crowds over Labor Day weekend were certainly impressive and by all newspaper accounts, the organizers of the Delta Fair have been pleased by the crowds. I'd say that the Delta Fair is a great new addition to the long list of fun things to do in Memphis and will likely be here for years to come.
www.deltafest.com
I definitely felt like I was getting in touch with my inner redneck by being there. There was a decided "country" flair to this version of the fair. For example, I saw more versions of camouflage in a hundred yards there than any other place that I've been in a long time. One little girl had an inflatable camo blow up assault rifle! Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition! They'll pry that gun from her cold dead hands.
There were pig races, lawn mower races, a giant rat (which i think was a capabera), a miniature mule, a pretty cool petting zoo and of course all the usual fair rides and food. I'm not sure if it's accurate or not but all of the prices seemed to be just a notch below what are charged at the venerable old Mid-South Fair.
The Delta Fair seemed to be a little smaller than the Mid-South Fair. Then again this is the first year of the Delta Fair and the Mid-South Fair has been going for 150 or so years. I can see in a few years when the Mid-South Fair moves from the Fairgrounds to Millington or North Mississippi, the Delta Fair taking over and becoming larger. The crowds over Labor Day weekend were certainly impressive and by all newspaper accounts, the organizers of the Delta Fair have been pleased by the crowds. I'd say that the Delta Fair is a great new addition to the long list of fun things to do in Memphis and will likely be here for years to come.
Sunday, September 2, 2007
The University of Memphis -- 10 Reasons to Be Opptomistic
I am not an alum of the University of Memphis. I graduated from the University of Tennessee and then to law school at Vanderbilt. But I do pull for the University of Memphis in many ways. The more the University of Memphis succeeds, the more we all succeed. There is quite simply a direct correlation between the economic health of a city the health of its universities.
I recently attended a breakfast at the University of Memphis and was pleased and surprised to learn some good news about the University of Memphis. Here are ten reasons to be opptomistic about the success of the University of Memphis.
(1) The U of M is the only institution of higher learning in Tennessee with five Centers of Excellence, state designated academic centers that receive special funding and attract the country's top scholars.
(2) The U of M has 26 Chairs of Excellence, more than any other university in Tennessee. A Chair of Excellence is a state-designated, definitive authority in his or her field of study.
(3) Four U of M students have been awarded the prestigious Goldwater Scholarship, a national award in the fields of math, science and engineering.
(4) The U of M's University graduate program in discrete mathematics and combinations was ranked one of the top 15 programs nationally by U.S. News and World Report in 2006.
(5) Two U of M professors were awarded Fulbright Scholarships in 2007 to conduct further research in their fields.
(6) The U of M Institute of Egyptian Art and Archeology recently unearthed a tomb in the Valley of the Kings, the first discovery of its kind in the Valley of the Kings since 1922.
(7) The U of M's audiology and speech-language pathology programs are nationally ranked by U.S. News and World Report.
(8) The U of M faculty includes Peabody, Grammy and Emmy award winners.
(9) The nursing school and the law school both boast the highest licensure passage rates of their peer Tennessee schools.
(10) The U of M is the safest metropolitan campus in Tennessee with a safer record on campus crime than Vanderbilt or the University of Tennessee.
See http://www.memphis.edu/tigerpride.htm
Note: Dr. Shirley Raines, the President of the University of Memphis, is a great ambassador for the University and for Memphis. She's the right person for job and we're lucky to have her. She made it clear in her remarks at the breakfast that she's open to a new on-campus stadium (which would be great for the University) but that she is not open to using new student activity fees to pay for the stadium. Rather, she said that her first priority is for funding for a new research building on campus. I applaud her for that position. A new stadium on campus would help give the college feel to the campus that at times lacks it -- because relatively few students live on campus. But, for the long haul and the health of our city, a new research facility is far far more important. I, for one, am grateful for Dr. Raines' clear and thoughtful leadership.
I recently attended a breakfast at the University of Memphis and was pleased and surprised to learn some good news about the University of Memphis. Here are ten reasons to be opptomistic about the success of the University of Memphis.
(1) The U of M is the only institution of higher learning in Tennessee with five Centers of Excellence, state designated academic centers that receive special funding and attract the country's top scholars.
(2) The U of M has 26 Chairs of Excellence, more than any other university in Tennessee. A Chair of Excellence is a state-designated, definitive authority in his or her field of study.
(3) Four U of M students have been awarded the prestigious Goldwater Scholarship, a national award in the fields of math, science and engineering.
(4) The U of M's University graduate program in discrete mathematics and combinations was ranked one of the top 15 programs nationally by U.S. News and World Report in 2006.
(5) Two U of M professors were awarded Fulbright Scholarships in 2007 to conduct further research in their fields.
(6) The U of M Institute of Egyptian Art and Archeology recently unearthed a tomb in the Valley of the Kings, the first discovery of its kind in the Valley of the Kings since 1922.
(7) The U of M's audiology and speech-language pathology programs are nationally ranked by U.S. News and World Report.
(8) The U of M faculty includes Peabody, Grammy and Emmy award winners.
(9) The nursing school and the law school both boast the highest licensure passage rates of their peer Tennessee schools.
(10) The U of M is the safest metropolitan campus in Tennessee with a safer record on campus crime than Vanderbilt or the University of Tennessee.
See http://www.memphis.edu/tigerpride.htm
Note: Dr. Shirley Raines, the President of the University of Memphis, is a great ambassador for the University and for Memphis. She's the right person for job and we're lucky to have her. She made it clear in her remarks at the breakfast that she's open to a new on-campus stadium (which would be great for the University) but that she is not open to using new student activity fees to pay for the stadium. Rather, she said that her first priority is for funding for a new research building on campus. I applaud her for that position. A new stadium on campus would help give the college feel to the campus that at times lacks it -- because relatively few students live on campus. But, for the long haul and the health of our city, a new research facility is far far more important. I, for one, am grateful for Dr. Raines' clear and thoughtful leadership.
Blue Ridge Paper Announces Move to Memphis
This past week, another company announced that it is moving its company headquarters to Memphis. According to the Asheville Citizen-Times, Blue Ridge Paper Company will move its company headquarters to Memphis from the Asheville, North Carolina area.
http://citizen-times.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=200770827080
www.blueridgepaper.com
Based on the information that I have been able to learn, it looks like Blue Ridge Paper is being acquired by The Rank Group which owns a former unit of International Paper and that the new combined entity will be headquartered in Memphis and run under the name of Evergreen Packaging Group. The combined companies will own and operate plants that employ more than 1,000 people in nearby Pine Bluff, Arkansas and in Concord, North Carolina.
This announcement is especially good news because it means that many of the high paying executive level jobs that International Paper brought to Memphis twenty years ago will stay in Memphis even as International Paper transforms its business and divests itself of a number of subsidiaries. For example, earlier this year, West Frazier, a successful and large Canadian forestry and sawmill business, purchased a large portion of International Paper's forest lands and sawmill divisions. Rather than relocate those jobs elsewhere, West Frazier chose to locate its United States corporate headquarters here in Memphis. With the move of Blue Ridge Paper to Memphis and the merger into Evergreen, the trend continues of companies choosing Memphis as their headquarters and the trend continues of keeping those valuable International Paper jobs here in Memphis.
Welcome to Memphis, Blue Ridge Paper!
http://citizen-times.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=200770827080
www.blueridgepaper.com
Based on the information that I have been able to learn, it looks like Blue Ridge Paper is being acquired by The Rank Group which owns a former unit of International Paper and that the new combined entity will be headquartered in Memphis and run under the name of Evergreen Packaging Group. The combined companies will own and operate plants that employ more than 1,000 people in nearby Pine Bluff, Arkansas and in Concord, North Carolina.
This announcement is especially good news because it means that many of the high paying executive level jobs that International Paper brought to Memphis twenty years ago will stay in Memphis even as International Paper transforms its business and divests itself of a number of subsidiaries. For example, earlier this year, West Frazier, a successful and large Canadian forestry and sawmill business, purchased a large portion of International Paper's forest lands and sawmill divisions. Rather than relocate those jobs elsewhere, West Frazier chose to locate its United States corporate headquarters here in Memphis. With the move of Blue Ridge Paper to Memphis and the merger into Evergreen, the trend continues of companies choosing Memphis as their headquarters and the trend continues of keeping those valuable International Paper jobs here in Memphis.
Welcome to Memphis, Blue Ridge Paper!
Memphis is the Home of the King -- The Lion King
My wife and I took our kids to see The Lion King at the Orpheum and it was a fantastic show. Having watched all three of the Lion King moves many many times over the years with my kids, I wondered how the musical could possibly convey the story, be entertaining and visually appealing. After all, this is a story that takes place on the grasslands of Africa with elephants, gazelles and all manner of animals. It's one thing to draw those in a cartoon. It's another to produce that live. Well, the musical pulls it off in what is quite simply visually stunning. It's colorful and beautiful. I wondered if my kids attention would be help throughout the musical because they have seen the story so many times. They were riveted until the very end. Having the Orpheum in Memphis and being able to take in musicals and plays like The Lion King, with or without children is just a great part of living in Memphis. We had dinner downtown before the show and it was great to see downtown a buzz on a Sunday night. Downtown Memphis is a fun place for many many reasons including the Orpheum.
The Lion King runs at the Orpheum through September 16, 2007. For tickets, go to the Orpheum website at: www.orpheum-memphis.com
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