THE MIDDLE MEN
The fourth series of
Torchwood brought the cast and crew to a whole New World: North America. As
part of the production deal with STARZ, much of Torchwood Miracle Day would
take place in the United States, China, South America as well as the United
Kingdom, creating an international scope and scale to the production.
This month’s episode, The
Middle Men, was shot in only a handful of locations, only two of which were
new. Interiors, as before, were shot at the Warner Brothers lot up in the San
Fernando Valley, and we returned to Angel’s Gate Park for the “American
Auschwitz”.
WARNER BROTHERS LOT
CICADA RESTAURANT
A second shooting site for
this episode was back in downtown Los Angeles at the very chic Cicada
Restaurant and Club, a famous LA property that has undergone a number of
transformations over the years while retying its spectacular deco and glamor
interiors. The facility is used for private parties, film and tv production,
special events and assorted projects.
Opened originally in 1928
in the art deco Oviatt Building, the property was, perhaps appropriately to
Torchwood Miracle Day, originally the Rex il Ristorante, a fixture for
Hollywood and entertainment types. It’s truly one of downtown LA’s art deco
gems. You may be able to sneak a peek if the main doors are open and there
isn’t any kind of event going on. The front entryway, which is really quite
lovely, is usually open to the public for viewing.
To read a little about
this property, where to find it, and its history and services, check it out at:
http://www.cicadarestaurant.com
I was fortunate enough to
have attended and photographed a wedding at Cicada a few years ago. I can’t
share those shots, for obvious reasons, but here is what the bathroom looks
like. Opulence and grandeur, even in the ‘loo.
WILSHIRE GRAND BUILDING
The third new shooting
site, and one in which I had some trouble gaining access to the interior, is
the Wilshire Grand Building at the corner of, surprise! Wilshire Boulevard and
Grand Avenue. It’s easy to find…just follow Wilshire to its easternmost
intersection and look right. The building is one of three sharing this famous
location, with the telecommunications-intensive One Wilshire at the head of the
table, while the Wilshire Grand Building sits on the southwestern corner.
Wilshire Boulevard is one
of the longest streets in LA, and certainly one of the most famous. It runs
from the very center of downtown Los Angeles out to Santa Monica, ending at the
bluff overlooking the Pacific Ocean.
One Wilshire, as well as
the Wilshire Grand, are a short block away from Cicada, and they can both be
visited on the same trip, and staying at the same parking area for that matter.
Again, access to the building itself is more restricted, so you’ll be unable to
visit the actual shooting locations of the building, but a casual glance at the
outside gives you a feel for the area and the role it played in Miracle Day.
And a return to ANGELS GATE PARK, SAN PEDRO
As noted last month,
Angels Gate Park area played a government concentration and execution base in
which those people deemed Category One were quite literally burned out of
existence. (This begged the question whether tiny little semi-sentient ashes
continue to flutter around the LA basin, but that’s a question for a different
time and website.)
Walking around Angels Gate
park, which is a former World War II -era military site, is a fairly creepy
affair…at least on an early Sunday morning when few other people are likely to
be around. That’s an appropriate response, I think, for a location that for all
intents and purposes played the role of an American Auschwitz. Walking around
the locale — with virtually no restrictions, unlike the majority of TORCHWOOD
shooting sites — you cannot help but recall those scenes in the barracks as the
Torchwood members went undercover to discover the secrets of the camp.
Angels Gate has a far less
nefarious role in real life, having been reborn in 2011 as the Angels Gate
Cultural Center, dedicated to artistic projects and cultural exchange. Visitors
are welcome to walk the grounds and check out some of the art classes and
installations to be found around the campus.
That’s it for this month.
Next month we continue our excursion through TORCHWOOD’S LaLaLand with a visit
to Griffith Park, the vast wild lands in the center of Los Angeles.
No comments:
Post a Comment