HOUSTON (KTRK ABC 13) -- Hotel
Icon has been turned into a film set for a new independent movie being shot in
and around Houston.When it comes to making movies, there are some independent
filmmakers who say having Houston as a backdrop is much better than Hollywood,
especially if you're looking for a futuristic-looking set. It's a
closed movie set, but director Wayne Slaten allowed our cameras inside for a
behind-the-scenes look at the making of his new film "Patriot
Act." "It's in the vain of 'Blade Runner' meets 'District
9,'" he said.
The cast
and crew tells us the city of Houston becomes the backdrop in the year 2078. At
the epicenter of everything in this country, Slaten says human and alien life
forms are dealing with a lot of social issues. "We
go beyond just the genre of sci-fi and we touch on a lot of social issues. It
has tdo with issues of war, with immigration in this country and even the
Patriot Act. It's a big part about how much privacy are we losing in our lives
and where does that take us 60 years from now," Slaten said.
This
independent film is not being made at some high-tech Hollywood studio. No, the
scenes are right downtown, inside the Houston's Hotel
Icon. "Throughout the property, you've got different personalities in
each of the spaces, and I think it gives the film crew lots more flexibility to
do a variety of things," Hotel Icon spokesman Stuart Rosenberg said.
In
addition to the film's director and producer, all of the folks in the crew are
Houstonians as well. And among the cast of talented actors, you'll notice a few
big names. Veteran actor James Hong has starred in movies like "Blade
Runner" and "Big Trouble in Little China." Hong plays a
trouble-making hotel manager in Patriot Act. Patriot
Act is still in production. But the director said in the coming weeks there
will be contests for local filmmakers, costume designers and musicians. You
just have to check out Patriot Act the movie's Patriot Act Movie Facebook.
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