Neither more nor less

That was truly disgusting of them--violations-etc--
 

What asshats!
 

This is the new David Milch cop show, sort of a Serpico--The Series.

I'm looking forward to it, but I live right around the corner and was pissed to see the condition they left the block in, and I will call in a complaint to the number on the signage.
 

I live on 6th street and A
still my neighborhood though. Called the office and complained. They try to have me call someone else. everyone should call them and complain.
 

Oh, i'm on East 7th and they HATE me. When ABC filmed something on my block and told me I wasn't allowed to go into my own building, I did not hesitate to call the producer a douchebag. SEVERAL TIMES. Also letting him now that this was my home and not a silly set.

They really have no consideration for the East Vil. Different companies have been filming and creating a muck for the sake of being authentic--all summer long. Thanks to those production allowances that were just passed by the city to make sure people stay in NYC to film as opposed to Canada. SIGH.
 

stop whining, it's no big eal if they're on your block once in a blue moon. usually they dont leave stuff around liek that, but don't complain that they film in new york city as they always have, it's a good thing, not bad. go back to ohio.
 

#6:52
You work for the film industry, scumthroat?

Just curious.
I notice that many scumthroats who tell long-time residents to move back to Ohio have little originality, less creativity and and no taste.

That's why I thought you work for the film industry, maybe as a $35K per year PA.
 

new york is boring and gay and full of film crews and college students. I've had better times in suburbs of pittsburgh
 

Sorry assfucks its not your neighborhood...just because you idiots get raped on rent by jacobson doesnt mean its your hood...better hope the eighties don't comeback. love to see ya runnnnn
 

why is everyone being so rude to each other?

i live in the east village, and i work in the film industry, not quite those huge sets though...

it is sad that they left your block like that, its not right, but it is amazing to be able to film in nyc. its a beautiful city.

also don't yell at PAs, they have horrible hours, pay and have absolutely no power clout or pull on a film set.

but apparently like any good new yorker, we like to take it out on each other for no reason other than, why the hell not.
 

This comment has been removed by the author.
 

7:08: Go back to Ohio.
 

I though East Villagers were so far into themselves and their own pitiful lives to even know the film crews were there in the first place. People, they keep the garbage props there because they use them the next day. When they are done, they clean up. Recall why you moved into the East Village and not Williamsburg in the first place. Because it was a neighborhood so "trendy" that film companies want to drop major loot to film there. When the film crews start going to Williamsburg to shoot, you'll likely complain about that too. You all are entirely too hypersensitive. Get over it and get over yourselves. You'll live longer when you do.
 

^^^Hear, hear!!

Calling for violent protests over a few days of location shooting on our street?

GROW SOME PERSPECTIVE! There are worse things in the world.
 

There have been 20 years of film production at this specific location , 4th street between A and B.That is 20 years of many , many different film and TV productions that we have endured .Several productions each of those years . Thats more than enough for this community here on 4th street to have to put up with .Smart-ass comments really only show ignorance of what these production companies can do to a block during a few days of shooting . They are in your face all the time , especially if they are right outside your door .

we have lived in this building for 32 years and we have some right to complain . We even support some creative violence since that is likely the only thing that will stop this crap from occuring here . Enough is Enough . We whole-heartedly hope that these companies would go to Williamsburg and never come back .

These companies contribute nothing , they only take . Yes we know they buy off block associations , and the community board at times as well as all those who complain loudly with sums of money . For HBO thats just a cost of doing business . Such buy-offs are not contributions they are more clearly bribes to shut up and not make waves .We have not taken such bribes and never will.We want these pretentious ,inconsiderate , self-absorbed ass-holes out of here .

Unless you have repeatedly endured these productions you likely have no idea the overwhelming annoyance that they can be as well as the serious inconvenience that they can be for those who work or have businesses to run on this block .
 

Bob, I'm sympathetic to your position, but you don't seem to understand that people who have lived here for many years, and who have "endured" just what you have, can come to different conclusoins about this. (And nobody has ever offered me any money -- If they did, I wouldn't turn it down, though. Talk about cutting off your nose... Um, HBO? I'd love a pay-day, thanks.)

You also don't seem to understand that the only thing violence is likely to remove from the neighborhood is YOU. To Riker's.

Then again, maybe that's not such a horrible thing in your book, as so many of your "crusty" buddies (who apparently can do nothing to shake your sympathy, even when they stab people for sitting on the "wrong" bench) will already be there.

I wonder whether these unfortunately insane people have perhaps influenced your views on the acceptability of violence, creative or otherwise. (No doubt the crusties believe that smashing a beer bottle over the head of some random yuppie is "creative," too. It's not, of course. It's just garden variety drug & alcohol addiction-fueled psychosis.

You're a smart guy, so I can't imagine you don't know that.
 

I am not promoting violence and I am not going to do anything to go to Rikers . I am simply saying that violence against these intruders and usurpers is all that will stop them . This is just fact .Take a brief look at history ;there are numerous examples of how things were changed for the better by the use of even less than deadly or less than destructive violent means . It is a costly method but the only one that the arrogant political power elites recognize . If others chose to do such ,I will not stop them .

The presence of these production companies at the same locations over and over is placing an unjust and un-necessary burden on many of us who live here . I am saying :take it somewhere else.

As to my "Crusties" again I am simply showing when I photograph them and tell their story what is there. they are part of the neighborhood scene for better or worse . I do not relish the idea of drinking and doing dope with them nor do I desire to go to Rikers with them .They are part of the character of this neighborhood today whether you like that or not .

We should look at several things here . First this neighborhood has lost the political capacity to determine its own fate .Other Manhattan neighborhoods do not have our film problem because they still have the capacity to stand -up and say no .Here this capacity has been taken by a relatively few who have the wealth to do so .We are for any practical purpose governed by a wealthy few ; this condition would never have stood just a few short years ago . Many of us now are just simply bought and owned and our elected neighborhood politicians are too worried about what they are going to do after being term-limited out of office to do their job and stand up to these wealthy few who just take what they want , including Mayor Mike .

Second ,the promotion of film and television production on the grand scale that it is currently promoted in this neighborhood is nothing more than supporting those who will directly or indirectly produce work that will advertise this neighborhood to the rest of the world .Of course this means a few jobs for those in the film and television industry but these jobs can just as well be on a street in Queens or Brooklyn .Their number is afterall rather small in number and not what is of consequence here .We in this neighborhood are being pimped-out by Mayor Mike to help support the real estate and entertainment industries grow and grow .Film and television are one of their most important tools . They will do and take as they want until someone stops them .

Finally it would be nice if we could just vote on this issue to determine whether or not the use of this neighborhood as a film set will continue here unabated . Without a doubt it is a certainty that this will never happen .
 

man you guys get upset for a film crew being there with prop garbage...what is the big deal
get over it...what year is it?? How long has filming been around?? And sorry if your neighborhood is being gutted, that's what happens all over the world...
 

This is not just about some prop garbage on one production set and if you really knew much of anything about what was going on you would realize that .
 

Maybe you will see a celebrity though?! Wouldn't that be awesome, BOB! You don't own the street outside your shithole apartment. If any garbage was left outside the buildings, I'm sure the company paid said buildings for their inconvenience. It makes the world go 'round, Bob. Just go upstairs to your rent controlled walk-up and continue to sponge off the city.
 

Actually I'm not sponging off anyone including the city of NYC . Yes ,of course I don't own the street outside my door .I understand what is lawful and what is not . I know where the property line is and in fact they did step over it . I am well aware of where our rights began and end and it is true that neighborhoods should have some say in what goes on in them .As I have said earlier other Manhattan neighborhoods do not have a film problem because they have fought the issue and mostly stopped filming in ther neighborhoods . We do not have much say on anything here any more .There has been a serious loss of liberty for those who are not of the ruling eletes .A few do what they want and we are supposed to enjoy living with that . That is bullshit . You have to have the characteristics of a good sheep to go along with and accept such with out protesting it and fighting back .This issue is just one of many but nonetheless important .
And also I do not live in a shithole and it is not rent controlled either .
 

Bob writes: "I am not promoting violence and I am not going to do anything to go to Rikers . I am simply saying that violence against these intruders and usurpers is all that will stop them. This is just fact ... If others chose to do such ,I will not stop them."

How is this any different than when one of those batshit insane militia leaders call for a "lone wolf" to stop abortion providing doctors with "extreme prejudice?"

Answer: it's no different. Indeed, it's even less veiled.

You ARE *transparently* "promoting violence," and worse, you're doing so over a few days of location shooting a few times a year. It's disgusting and you should be ashamed of yourself.
 

Not at all ashamed and it is not about just a few days of shooting . If you actually read and thought about what I wrote perhaps you might understand that .
 

Again, you don't seem to understand that informed, reasonable people who have shared the same experiences vis-a-vis location shooting on our street can come to different conclusions.

I've discussed this with several friends and neighbors this week, and even those people who are sympathetic to your position bail at the first mention of violence.

You *should* be ashamed about calling for violence over what you yourself term "several productions each of those years." (How that's different from "a few days of location shooting a few times a year" is beyond me.) Whether you *are* ashamed or not is your own business, but all this time I thought you were a moral person. I guess I was wrong.

P.S., how NIMBY of you to call for these productions to move to Brooklyn. So this horrible scourge that you promote violence to rid from our street would be just fine if it took place on someone else's street? How suburban republican of you.
 

First when I say move all this to a street in Queens or Brooklyn I am saying move this activity all over the city . Rather than put this burden on just this neighborhood alone . Be fair spread out the misery . That is, why can't we vote on this issue ? Why won't the city council respond to all these complaints and pass some neighborhood -freindly legislation ? Again why can't we spread this film and television production over the entire city by legislation ? Why is a Mayoral Fiat like this tolerated ? Why can't we have a say in whether or not we want this activity in our midst on a regular basis ? The answer is very simple , those in power know we're mostly sheep that might complain but would never seriously threaten demanding a change in the way things are done .They do provide us though with a community board and townhall meetings at which we can vent and all feel so much better .

Second if you actually read what I said about violence being justified I refered specifically to a general case situation when refering to economic enterprise , developement and movie-making activities that harm people and their nieghborhoods.When these activities harm they should be protested and fought against as necessary .
If you have read your history you might recall that we had a violent revolution to rid ourselves of an oppresor that denied us the right to determine how our lives were to be lived , how we could speak and write and how we were to be taxed . This is the level of abstaction that I am refering to .We also had a civil war .All violent deadly destructive events that provided us with a better world albeit at a terribly extreme cost .
As to what is going on here it is very simple , this movie problem will never go away nor will we ever have a say in determining whether or not we want this activity on our street unless we change things ourselves .It is not in the interest of the few in power to change anything in regards to film and television production.

As I related in an earlier post , a young man once said to me "sometimes you have to hit a man in the face and knock him down just to get him to acknowledge that you exist" .This is the way the world is .

Really now , I am not talking in this case about beating people -up or shooting them but the practical reality here is that you have to get the attention of those in power and demonstrate that it is in their interest to listen and make changes . Without some threat that will never happen .

As to morality ,I'm not touching it beyond saying I am not a monster .You simply jump too easily to , too many conclusions and obsess on them .
 

For some people, I suppose that there is some sort of "thrill" behind observing a real live movie being made on your block, right where you live.

For others, there is no joy in having to run a gauntlet of flunkies who try to keep you from entering your block and/or your building. Or trying to find a parking spot for your vehicle that you cannot park on your block because production companies take way more spaces than they ever use, backed up by NYPD tow trucks and intimidating thugs.

I love movies made in New York as much as the next person, but they need to be done reasonably.

If it was only for a day or so, this might be tolerable, but there is usually one production right behind another and some go on for more than a week. (I'll never forget the SIX MONTHS we suffered during the making of Spike Lee's straight-to-video bomb "Girl Six"!)

Someone commented about all of the big money these companies spend, but WHO are the beneficiaries of their money? It certainly isn't area residents who have to put up with the bullshit.

The net effect of these productions is that they attract more people to the Lower East Side, which in turn attracts more real estate development, which leads to the alteration and destruction of what brings folks here in the first place, in addition to a much higher cost of living (higher rents, more expensive shops, etc.)

[Why don't any of the commenters here use their fucking names? What are you all afraid of?]
 

http://www.zap2it.com/tv/news/zap-davidmilchhbocopshowpilot,0,752474.story


Film production companies could do a lot to help the neighborhood but they don't.

I respect the 9th but they did have a lot of corruption and a retired officer from there has to be one of the biggest skanks on the planet.

Still anyone of the officers that walks the straight and narrow is appreciated.
 

Bob--I love your blog-photos are great--keep up the good work
 

anon wrote: "I respect the 9th but they did have a lot of corruption and a retired officer from there has to be one of the biggest skanks on the planet."

I think that's kind of the point of the series. It's *about* police corruption.
 

...First this neighborhood has lost the political capacity to determine its own fate...

Yup. I'm not sure the neighborhood was ever, exactly, in control of our fate but... community organizing (to use the badass political word of today) and political clout in the neighborhood are way, way, down. I'm not sure where the blame lies but it's a real problem for the long term viability of the 'hood. Seems to me it would be possible to have a very strong EV political presence but I can't imagine it happening any time soon.

A lot of new people are showing up for the community board meetings but it's just not enough. And, I suspect, groups like Rebecca Moore's LES artists coalition and, say, the group that saved St. Brigit's are going to run aground as most of the members end up in Brooklyn.

Anyway, it's interesting--and sad--that the EV is out of it politically.