Yesterday, some Detroit residents may have thought the city was under seize based on the number of military vehicles and debris in the streets, but it was all just part of the latest movie shoot happening in the city. They were filming an elaborate explosion scene near Woodward Ave and Mack Ave for "Red Dawn," a remake of the 1984 classic starring Patrick Swayze.

“Red Dawn” has been filming in Michigan since last month at various locations and will reportedly continue through the beginning of December. The cast is full of up and coming actors, like Connor Cruise, the adopted son of Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman, who, despite a hectic shooting schedule, has been spending most weekends with his dad in Boston. Other cast members include Chris Hemsworth ("Star Trek"), Josh Peck ("Drake & Josh"), and Adrianne Palicki ("Friday Night Lights"). ]]> cmb 2009-10-09T11:59:24-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/10/5/102843/571

If you were in Boston over the weekend, you may have thought someone got hijacked on the Charlestown Bridge, but it was actually just Ben Affleck causing all of the commotion. Ben is back in his hometown directing and starring in The Town, about a bank robber being chased by the FBI. The movie, which also features a Gossip Girl (Blake Lively) and a Mad Man (Jon Hamm), has been filming at at various locations, including Fenway Park and Copley Square, around the city for the past month or so.

The latest scene filmed on the Charlestown Bridge involved police vehicles chasing burglars (in creepy habits and masks) and was all filmed from a helicopter above. The scene is sure to look cool in the movie, but it had traffic backed up all weekend as they closed the bridge completely so Ben could get his shot. ]]> cmb 2009-10-05T10:38:09-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/10/2/81456/6844

Bust out your favorite organic cotton T-shirt as it’s time for the Boston Vegetarian Food Festival. Things kick off on October 31 and run through November 1 at the Reggie Lewis Athletic Center in Beantown. We know that it’s hard to resist bacon for an entire day, but festival organizers have such a full lineup that you won’t even remember what a pig tastes like.

There will be plenty of exhibitors hawking their vegetarian wares and offering a ton of free samples, so you may want to skip breakfast for this one. Once you’ve discovered your new favorite ingredient, take in a presentation by professional chefs so you can learn how to prepare some new dishes. Maybe they’ll even teach you that you really do enjoy broccoli—you were just making it wrong for all those years. This is the longest running festival of its kind in the country, so you won’t be disappointed. They just want to share a love for delicious plants with you and your friends. ]]> kjb 2009-10-02T11:18:52-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/9/28/95022/6274

Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz were up all night Friday, but not for a hot Hollywood party, instead they spent the night in a Bridgewater, MA field. The pair were shooting scenes for Wichita, aka "The Untitled Wichita Project", their new movie which has been filming around Boston for a few weeks. In one scene shot Friday night, just off of Curve Street, a 747 "crashed and exploded" in a a large field. Though it looked and sounded like a real crash, no planes (or humans) were actually injured in the shoot. The plane arrived to the field on Friday already in pieces and the explosion was nothing more than a little Hollywood magic.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, the movie focuses on "a lonely woman (Diaz) whose seemingly harmless blind date suddenly turns her life upside-down when a superspy (Cruise) takes her on a violent worldwide journey to protect a powerful battery that holds the key to an infinite power source." So how does this plane crash fit into the this "worldwide journey"? ]]> cmb 2009-09-28T11:30:53-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/9/23/103652/035

Boston is looking more like Hollywood every day. For starters, Ben Affleck is directing Jon Hamm in a movie called The Town at Fenway Park today while Kevin James is wrapping up his latest, The Zookeeper at The Franklin Park Zoo. But the biggest celebrity news in Beantown has to be that there have been sightings of Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz filming the comedy/action flick Wichita in and around Boston for the past week.

Yesterday, Tom and Cameron shot scenes for Wichita at Gaslight in the up-and-coming SoWa district of Boston's South End. Gaslight is a classic neighborhood Parisian brasserie. Their specialties include Duck Confit, Steak Frites, Roasted Salmon Fillet and Rotisserie Chicken, all ranging between $15-$20. For dessert try the Chocolate Beignets, which are small pastries filled with chocolate and dusted with powered sugar, yum! Reservations are suggested and can be made online.

More Cruise/Diaz sightings, after the jump. ]]> cmb 2009-09-23T12:19:21-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/9/15/9531/41951

With megastars like George Clooney and Oprah Winfrey touting their new projects at the Toronto International Film Festival each September, the Boston Film Festival, which kicks off this week, has traditionally been overshadowed. This year marks the 25th Anniversary of BFF which has an impressive line-up of over 30 films and 22 shorts that will be screened between September 18th and 24th. Here's how you can get the most out of the festival this weekend.

What To See:
This year, BFF is honoring Uma Thurman with the Film Excellence Award. Uma's new movie, Motherhood will open the festival on Friday, Sept. 18 at the Landmark Kendall Square Theatre in Cambridge before the official awards ceremony. The independent comedy is about a New York City mom who has no idea what challenges she is about to face while planning her 6-year-old daughter's birthday party. Tickets for the Motherhood screening are still available via Landmark Theatre for a mere $9.75.

Where to stay and eat, after the jump. ]]> cmb 2009-09-15T13:27:47-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/8/14/13344/2830

Actually the new slogan is "Massachusetts. It's all here." But that (a) sucks and (b) isn't what they actually mean. What they're really talking about is how the Bay State is the national epicenter for mind-blowingly obnoxious foodies. No joke. They sent out a press release on this:

Foodies Drawn to State of Ultimate Gastronomic Excellence... Massachusetts is a natural culinary haven that inspires, delights and encourages unique dining experiences and memories to savor on the taste buds... Travelers can dine in the finest of establishments, participate in Restaurant Weeks through our various cities, experience farm-to-table freshness from the many farmers’ markets and celebrate with authentic flavors at an Italian cheese festival in Boston’s historic North End.

This is why we encourage tourism boards to focus group their campaigns outside their home states. Because if you limit yourself just to your own residents, you end up thinking that Boston Restaurant Week is a recession-friendly culinary safari rather than a way for petulant chefs to offload lemon chicken while increasing their wine-driven profits.

So what's the newest Boston foodie fad? Perhaps Massachusetts' Tourism Board must have missed this; it's "subversive" underground cooking clubs. Seriously. ]]> Omri 2009-08-18T08:56:24-05:00 Search Jaunted string http://www.jaunted.com/search/