I went downtown after work to see if there was anything–even lighting equipment–to see. Matrix I is very special to me, and I think it’s very cool that some of II is being done in Alameda (where I live) and Oakland (where I work).
Although we didn’t see Keanu or Carrie, we were treated to a filming of a black truck-like vehicle (an “Escalade”?) with a camera right in its window, and inside it, a couple of freaky-looking guys with grey dreadlocks (that were white on the bottom) who were wearing silvery-tan suits and wielding automatic weapons. We even got to hear the gunfire as they zipped around the corner (okay–they didn’t zip. The whole deal was on a trailer bed pulled by another truck.). I got a better look at one of the guys later–artificially high forehead and Neo-style sunglasses.
The cops, who seemed to be enjoying themselves way too much, were talking about an earlier scene in which a vehicle plunged straight for the newsstand on Broadway street sort of near BART, and how the guys inside dove for cover.
A handler said that the movie people have bought out the entire block (it’s not a block, really, more of a wedge) at 16th and San Pablo, where Veronico’s cafe was.
I’ll cruise around tomorrow after work, too. I probably won’t get lucky again, but I *will* have my digital camera with me. And maybe I’ll check out the Point (the naval base) eventually… Manex’s offices are there, you know, which I thought was cool enough. Even better if they’re filming in their own back yard.
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