Wednesday, November 23, 2005

Hollywood in Memphis



Memphis itself has very little manufacturing. Our city is known as “America’s Distribution Center” because of our central location and various transportation advantages for delivery of products. Of course Federal Express is headquartered here and that helps by making our airport one of the busiest in the U.S. for freight distribution. UPS service also has a large center here that plays a large role in the airfreight business as well. Interstate 40, which crosses the country, runs right through Memphis and that provides a huge amount of eighteen-wheeler transportation that crosses the Mississippi River.
Many companies have warehouse space here in Memphis and use all of these modes of transportation to deliver their products all over the U.S. in a timely manner.
So who would ever think, with the “not so sexy” business of distribution being one of our main sources of employment, that Memphis could also become a hotbed for movie making?
Well, somebody must have thought it was a good idea.
Over the last number of years, many movies have been shot and produced here in the Bluff City. One of my favorites is The Firm, a John Grisham film. This movie shows many scenes in downtown Memphis and in areas of midtown and even Germantown. The home used as the residence of the main characters was in Chickasaw Gardens and the closed International Harvester plant here had been converted and was used for most of the scenes inside the offices of the law firm involved in the story. The Client, also a John Grisham film, was shot mostly in Memphis and in Horseshoe Lake Arkansas. Most recently, Walk the Line, the life story of Johnny Cash was filmed here and of course movies about Elvis Presley’s life as well as Jerry Lee Lewis have also been filmed in Memphis. Other recent movie releases include Forty Shades of Blue and Hustle & Flow, both also showing many scenes and views of Memphis and Memphis streets. More movies filmed here include The People vs. Larry Flint, Hallelujah, 21 Grams, Mystery Train, Black Snake Moan, A Family Thing, and Slow Down You’re Dating Too Fast. The Indie Memphis Film Festival has become a much larger event than in the past and you can visit their web site at www.Indiememphis.com/film.htm to read more about this film festival.
So who would have ever thought?

Tuesday, November 01, 2005

All Shook Up in the Home of the King


Elvis sold one billion records worldwide, had eighteen ‘number ones’, fourteen Grammy nominations (three wins), a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, Gold, Platinum and Multi-platinum awards for 150 albums and singles – and was, of course most famous for his foot-tappin, finger-snappin, pelvis-swayin rock and roll sound.

Today, Elvis Aaron Presley remains the top earner of deceased recording stars and no doubt the King of Rock and Roll music everywhere. ……everywhere around the world in fact.

Elvis’s home Graceland is here for everyone to visit. There are two occasions during each year that his home is packed with fans. Those are of course his birthday and the day marking his death. Fans come from around the world to visit his home and see it exactly as it was when he was alive and well. This attraction spans several generations. This is very evident as his last number one hit was only seven years ago…many years after his death. Elvis was a top performer and entertainer in Las Vegas and was a generous man with his fame and wealth.
Don’t miss seeing his home when you visit Memphis or if you relocate to the Memphis Mid-south area.