Culture Fiend

Mr. Gyllenhaal, Mayor McGinn is ready for his close-up.

Hizzoner joins a ‘Grassroots’ shoot aboard—where else?—the Monorail.

Posted by: Eric Scigliano on Aug 06, 2010 at 03:30PM 0 Comments

Director Gyllenhaal discusses transit policy and how to be an extra with Mayor McGinn.

On Wednesday night Mayor Mike McGinn got promoted to movie extra. And Grassroots, Stephen Gyllenhaal’s movie-in-the-making about an unusual Seattle political campaign, got some real-life Seattle political color. Grant Cogswell, whose 2001 City Council race and battle to build a monorail system inspired the movie (and who now finds McGinn inspiring), had invited the mayor down to that night’s shoot aboard the existing Seattle Center Monorail. (Nice ride, but nowhere near a system.)

McGinn pedaled up late, in cargo shorts and faded polo shirt, with one young aide. Either hizzoner was aw-shucksing or he was the only one who didn’t expect he’d be in the movie.

Set sergeant Jim Charleston made McGinn doff his Cascade Land Conservancy cap (to avoid trademark infringement) and director Gyllenhaal waved him aboard. The mayor occupied a background bench while the movie Cogswell (Joel David Moore) sang the praises of traffic-hopping elevated transit to his campaign manager (Jason Biggs). Truthful disclosure, should the scene make the cut and you see the film: The skinny guy on the bench across the aisle was yrs. truly. All to legitimate journalistic ends—while the camera ran, I caught up on transit politics with People’s Waterfront Coalition founder Cary Moon, who also got roped in.

“Look meaner,” Gyllenhaal called out. “You want more New York?” McGinn replied, clenching his jowls. Let it be known: The mayor can take direction, at least on set.

“You were brilliant!” Gyllenhaal laughed afterward. “I’m on my way,” McGinn chuckled, though he evidently didn’t plan to give up his day job. “You know, this is the third movie I’ve been in.”

The train got out of the station before we could find out what the other two were.

More dispatches from the Grassroots front lines:

Cedric the Entertainer meets Richard the Politician and Grant the Polar Bear

Grassroots in Between Takes. When Joel David Moore and Jason Biggs aren’t filming, they’re getting drunk.

Grassroots Effort in Seattle

Tonight at the Sorrento: Phil Campbell, author of Zioncheck for President

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Tags: Film, Grassroots, Mayor McGinn

Meet the Cast and Crew of Grassroots

Win a visit with Jason Biggs, Joel David Moore, Stephen Gyllenhaal and gang on the set of their new movie.

Posted by: Laura Dannen on Jul 27, 2010 at 03:00PM 3 Comments

Want to hang out with Jason Biggs (left) and Joel David Moore? Enter to win a visit to the set of their new movie, Grassroots.

We’ve had a good time following the progress of director Stephen Gyllenhaal’s latest project Grassroots, the first Hollywood feature about Seattle to actually be shot in Seattle in eons. (Read up on the story here.)

We partied with stars Jason Biggs and Joel David Moore up on Capitol Hill (see a slideshow of the night out); chatted politics with Cedric the Entertainer; stopped by Re-bar to watch them tape the film’s climactic final scene; and we were nearly victims of a JDM prank (he likes to set traps).

But we think it’s time you got in on the fun, too. Enter now to win a visit for two to the set, scheduled for the afternoon of August 4, where you’ll meet the cast and crew of Grassroots and watch them film a scene before they wrap production.

And now, da rules:
1. Become a fan of Grassroots the Film on Facebook.
2. Email us at grassrootscontest@gmail.com and tell us why you want to go on set in 10 words or less. Haikus are particularly welcome. Don’t forget to put “Grassroots contest” in the subject head.
3. Deadline to enter is Friday, July 30 at 3pm PT. We’ll notify the winner by the end of the work day and provide details at that time.

Good luck everyone.

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Tags: Film, Contest, Grassroots

Cedric the Entertainer meets Richard the Politician and Grant the Polar Bear

‘Grassroots’ stars share the love with the Seattleites they play on screen

Posted by: Eric Scigliano on Jul 23, 2010 at 02:00PM 0 Comments

It passed unnoted even on the production blog for Grassroots, the first Hollywood feature about Seattle to actually be shot in Seattle in eons. But last week’s shooting at the Phinney Neighborhood Center featured an off-camera encounter loaded with nostalgia for fans and local political junkies: the Two Grants and Two Richards Summit. Together again for the first time were Grant Cogswell, the mercurial local writer/activist/monorail booster whose upstart campaign for Seattle City Council the film recreates; Avatar’s Joel David Moore, who plays Cogswell; then-councilmember Richard McIver, whom Cogswell nearly defeated; and Cedric the Entertainer, playing McIver.

Moore, who looks like Pete Townshend in Who days, towers over Cogswell, whom a Stranger writer indelibly described as a “manly” version of M*A*S*H’s Radio Reilly. But Cedric and McIver are the same height and, save for a few decades, pounds, and skin shades, could be döppelgangers. (We’ll post a photo as soon as Cedric approves one for release. Meanwhile, here he is rapping last Saturday at the county courthouse, backed by Moore in Cogswell’s famous polar bear suit.)
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“I wrapped today, so I’m dressed in my casual Richard McIvers,” Cedric explained, beating the heat in white jams and a red Crooks & Castles T-shirt blazoned with “Peace Through Superior Firepower” and a tiny AK-47. But he was still in part enough to ponder Seattle’s politics: “It’s interesting trying to capture the city. It’s a city that cares about its politics.”

“Trust me, everybody has an opinion!” McIver interjected, evidently glad not to have to listen to everybody anymore. Cedric described how he saw his character’s reaction to Cogswell’s challenge: “I’m thinking, ‘Wait a minute, this guy’s taking my white hat back. Who is this dude? Everybody loves me!” McIver laughed and explained how he and Cogswell got to be friends in the course of the grueling campaign: “I saw he wasn’t the devil I thought he was, and he saw I wasn’t the devil.”

“I love Richard McGiver!” says Cogswell, who hadn’t seen his old adversary in years. They hugged when they met again.

Two more nostalgic notes: This isn’t the first time show biz has occupied the Phinney center; the Firesign Theatre rehearsed there for their big reunion tour nearly 20 years ago. And I had my own döppelganger doubletake on the Grassroots set yesterday, when crewmembers kept calling me “Mike”—the name of the guy I got mistaken for all freshman year. (I finally met Mike on the last day of classes.) Turns out the Grassrooters thought I was ex-California congressman (and ex-husband of Arianna) Michael Huffington, who was due to perform a cameo today. I considered telling them what Arianna’s really like, but bit my tongue.

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Tags: film, Grassroots

Grassroots Party on Capitol Hill

To celebrate the halfway point of filming Grassroots, the cast and crew invite some of Seattle’s finest to party on Capitol Hill.

Posted by: Tiffany Wan on Jul 20, 2010 at 09:00AM 1 Comments

Budding Bromance Jason Biggs (left) and Joel David Moore play writer Phil Campbell and political hopeful Grant Cogswell, respectively, in Grassroots.

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Budding Bromance Jason Biggs (left) and Joel David Moore play writer Phil Campbell and political hopeful Grant Cogswell, respectively, in Grassroots.

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Steady beats DJ Al Night Long (puntastic, yes) spun a hip-hop heavy set early in the evening.

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Fashionably late The crowd was thin at 7:30, the official start time of the Grassroots party.

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Empty nest The second floor space of the Vitaminwater Social Club, before the crowds gathered.

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Block party Vitaminwater Social Club ambassadors did some street-side grilling with hand-crafted veggie and beef patties from Quinn’s Pub.

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Heat of the moment Partygoers grabbed prime outdoor seating to enjoy their burgers in the early evening sun.

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Mix & (un)match High-cut socks are the least of this guy’s wardrobe misfires.

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Hustle and bustle The crowd thickened as the evening wore on and more of Seattle’s VIPs arrived. Check bottom left corner: Lucien Postlewaite (in maroon, PNB principal), Olivier Wevers (checkered shirt, also a PNB principal), former Bachelor Jason Mesnick (in black) and wife Molly Mesnick (sunglasses on head).

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Bar exam Biggs cashes in a drink ticket shortly after arriving at the shindig.

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Shooter of the camera Christopher McDonald films party footage while having a laugh with some of the Grassroots staff.

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We go way back McDonald poses with local actor Todd Licea, who also appears in Grassroots.

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Director at large Stephen Gyllenhaal (left) takes five with JJ McKay (far right) and a friend.

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Such great heights The lanky Moore is one-upped by the surprisingly tall Sean Nelson (formerly of Harvey Danger), who is set to appear as himself in Grassroots.

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Full swing The party soon became standing room only as the sun set on Capitol Hill.

A little over two weeks into filming Grassroots, the entire cast and crew decided some celebration was in order and enlisted the Vitaminwater Social Club to help plan a Sunday night fete. Cue the outdoor barbecue, coterie of local DJs, photo booth and endless supply of flavored H2O. Director Stephen Gyllenhaal was joined by cast members Jason Biggs, Joel David Moore, Christopher McDonald, Emily Bergl and DC Pierson, who all partied with a notable crowd of Seattleites like PNB principal dancers Lucien Postlewaite and Olivier Wevers, Dan Savage of The Stranger, and former Bachelor Jason Mesnick and wife Molly Mesnick.

Check out our slideshow (above) for highlights from Sunday night’s festivities.

Photos by Tiffany Wan.

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Tags: Film, Grassroots

Grassroots On Location

Stephen Gyllenhaal shows off the office of The Stranger for a brief behind-the-scenes look at his new film.

Posted by: Tiffany Wan on Jul 15, 2010 at 01:00PM 0 Comments

In true money-saving fashion, director Stephen Gyllenhaal films some scenes for his new Seattle-based movie Grassroots in The Stranger’s offices, geeking out about the authenticity of the shoot and not having to build his own set. The scene they’re filming in this clip is when writer Phil Campbell (played by Jason Biggs) gets fired by his boss, Nick Ricochet (the movie equivalent of Stranger publisher Tim Keck, played by improv actor Todd Stashwick); Gyllenhaal points out they are filming in the actual room where Campbell was fired. He also points out all the TVs in the room that have neon green canvases plastered over the screens, which will be superimposed with 2001-related news footage.

The video cuts out right before they are about to start filming, but it’s a great peek into what we’ll be seeing in Grassroots next year.

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Tags: Film, Grassroots

Grassroots: In Between Takes

When Joel David Moore and Jason Biggs aren’t filming, they’re getting drunk.

Posted by: Tiffany Wan on Jul 13, 2010 at 02:00PM 0 Comments

I saw this on Joel David Moore’s Twitter page and couldn’t resist aiding the viral spread of this ridiculous vid.

I’m glad Moore and Jason Biggs are finding fulfillment during their spare time while filming in Seattle. Has visiting Pike Place Market been replaced by drunken Rube Goldberg schemes as the tourist activity du jour?

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Tags: Film, Grassroots

Grassroots Effort in Seattle

Director Stephen Gyllenhaal tackles Seattle politics circa 2001.

Posted by: Tiffany Wan on Jul 09, 2010 at 03:00PM 0 Comments

Grant Cogswell (left) and Joel David Moore, who plays Cogswell in Grassroots. Photo courtesy stephengyllenhaal.net

As Eric Scigliano pointed out yesterday, Stephen Gyllenhaal (father of superstars Maggie and Jake, director of Homegrown ) is shooting his latest film Grassroots in town, and we’ve gotten in the habit of following its production—and its stars on Twitter.

Quick background on the story, based on former Stranger news guy Phil Campbell’s book Zioncheck For President: In 2001, Campbell managed the campaign of Seattle City Council hopeful Grant Cogswell, a political upstart who dabbled more in music and poetry than public policy. Cogswell ran his campaign largely on a single issue: expanding Seattle’s monorail. At the other end of the race was incumbent and seasoned politico Richard McIver. Despite his neophyte status, Cogswell put up an impressive fight before … well, if you don’t know, we won’t spoil the ending.

Grassroots started filming June 28 and is expected to continue through August 7, with production based mostly on Capitol Hill. (I actually walked by a recent shoot taking place outside the Comet Tavern on Pike.) It stars Jason Biggs as Campbell and Portland native Joel David Moore ( Avatar ) as Cogswell, and they’ve both taken to tweeting about Seattle:

joeldavidmoore @TheRealJordin (aka Jordin Sparks) Great hangin last night! We rocked Seattle, w cucumbers and green tennis balls. I love inside jokes on twitter.

biggsjason I’ve been invited to throw out the first pitch at a Mariners game. Good thing I just started that second cycle of ‘gym candy’

Or on July 1, after Day Infinity of gray/rain: biggsjason Dear Sun- It was fun while it lasted, I guess. I don’t know what LA has that I don’t, but whatever. I hope ur happy. From, Seattle

Gyllenhaal is also tweeting and blogging: stephgyllenhaal 5:30am. Locked out of location. Owner – no show. All of us outside, freaking. Found another place, struggling. Then owner showed. Ah, film!
(That was this morning.)

Other notable actors who’ve signed on include Cedric the Entertainer as McIver, Tom Arnold as local bar owner Tommy, Lauren Ambrose (Six Feet Under) as Campbell’s journalist girlfriend Emily, and Cobie Smulders (How I Met Your Mother) as Clair, a monorail supporter.

Stay tuned for periodic updates on the progress of Grassroots and other hubbub resulting from famous actors infiltrating Seattle.

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Tags: Film, Grassroots

Tonight at the Sorrento: Phil Campbell, author of Zioncheck for President

The author behind the next big Seattle movie, Grassroots, shares a peek at his new novel.

Posted by: Eric Scigliano on Jul 08, 2010 at 01:00PM 0 Comments

What do Seattle’s mad rad Marion Zioncheck and Memphis Baptist minister Phil Campbell have in common? Find out tonight at the Sorrento.

The buzz is all over town: Renowned director (and dad to Jake and Maggie) Stephen Gyllenhaal is here filming Grassroots, starring Joel David Moore and Jason Biggs. It’s based on Zioncheck for President, Phil Campbell’s half-mordant, half-confessional account of getting sacked by The Stranger and managing monorail champion Grant Cogswell’s quixotic 2001 race for Seattle City Council. Tonight, Campbell (who now lives in Brooklyn) is also in town, to read from his forthcoming second book, Memphis del Mar, as part of the Sorrento Hotel’s Penthouse Symposium series. It’s a novel with a premise as improbable and intriguing as the idea of a major motion picture about a city council race revolving around transit technology. Campbell calls it a “global warming satire”: The seas rise, the Delta floods, the South secedes again—how does Memphis cope?

“I’m interested in the obsession Americans have with the post-apocalypse," explains Campbell. "It’s everywhere”—from video games to Cormac McCarthy.

The chapter he’ll read tonight is an imagined “sermon from a Baptist minister on global warming," inspired by a powerful megachurchman Campbell observed when he worked as a reporter in Memphis. “It’s out there.”

Charles Mudede, who has not been sacked by The Stranger, will introduce Campbell. It’s free, with limited seating. Doors open at 6:30.

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Tags: Books & Talks, Grassroots