Don LaFontaine, known as the King of the Voiceovers, died on Monday, September 1.  While you may not recognize the name, you almost certainly have heard his baritone voice. Having voiced more than 5,000 film trailers and hundreds of thousands of commercials, Don is alleged to have worked more than any other member of the Screen Actors Guild.  This YouTube video profile tells his story.

He recycled his signature line, “In a world where…” so many times that it became a frequently parodied inside joke.

Don had Minnesota roots.  He was born and raised in Duluth, MN.  The Duluth News Tribune published a piece featuring interviews of his siblings and friends and tales of his adolescent antics.  Read it at: www.duluthnewstribune.com/articles/index.cfm?id=73236&section=News.

Also see the AP obituary, ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5heecGKGkvVOeQRKdE1oWT_LW8F7QD92V5B080.

The Parkway Theater is hosting a series of double features of Minnesota-produced films on Monday nights over the next four weeks. Here’s the trailer.

The schedule includes:

• May 12 – Two Harbors & Bill’s Big Pumpkins
• May 19 – Snuff: A Documentary About Killing on Camera and Grown Men
• May 26 – It Came from Another World and Mondo Collecto
• June 2 – Seeking Wellness and Wargoon Flishe

Enjoy.

Shoot in Minnesota, a non-profit industry lobbying group, is calling for a rally at the Capitol in support of funding for the Snowbate program. The goal is to make Minnesota more competitive with other states in the arena of film incentives, increasing film production in the state.

The rally is scheduled for 9 a.m. Monday, April 28. Participants will gather on the front steps of the Minnesota State Capitol.

After more than a year of waiting, residents of northern Minnesota will have an opportunity to see “Older Than America,” the independently-produced feature that was shot in and around Cloquet, Minnesota, and on the nearby Fond du Lac Reservation in late 2006. Three screening are planned on Thursday, April 3. Showings at 5 and 9 p.m. are open to the public and a 7 p.m. screening is reserved for invited guest, presumably locals who worked on the production.

Reservations are needed to attend one of the showings. Tickets must be purchased in advance by calling the Preniere Theaters at 218-879-8045.

The film has recently screened at the South By Southwest Festival in Austin, Texas, and at the Women With Vision Film Festival at the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis.

More details are available in a Cloquet Pine Journal article at
www.cloquetmn.com/articles/index.cfm?id=13010&section=News

“Lights, camera…and rebates,”an article by Colin Covert in the Sunday, March 23, edition of the Minneapolis Star Tribune, focuses on film rebates and incentives, highlighting Minnesota’s current non-competitive status. The article should be must reading for filmmakers and others who would like to see the state rebound to its former status as a frequent location for major studio productions. The article makes a strong case for expansion of and funding for the Minnesota Snowbate program, currently under consideration at the State Legislature.

Read it at www.startribune.com/entertainment/movies/16918101.html?page=1&c=y .

To learn more about the effort to lobby for improving the Snowbate program, visit www.shootinminnesota.org.

The Rosemount Area Arts Council has posted a call for entries for the first annual Shamrock Film Festival. Rules, regulations and general information are available at www.rosemountaac.org/FilmFestival.html. The festival will feature short films, 12 minutes or less. Entry must be postmarked June 15 or earlier. Films will screen on July 18, beginning at 6:30 p.m., at the Rosemount Community Center Auditorium, 13885 S. Roberts Trail, Rosemount, MN 55068.

Contact inforaac@yahoo.com for more information.

The Duluth News Tribune posted video of George Clooney and Renee Zellweger’s “Leatherheads” promotional visit to Duluth, Minnesota, on Monday , March 24.

The footage includes Mayor Don Ness declaring it “Leatherhead Day in Duluth.”

Also visit Greeting the fans at the Newspaper’s site.

“Chilled in Miami,” a romantic comedy about a Miami business woman who moves to a small Minnesota town, recently concluded photography in Winnipeg, Canada. Once again a Canadian city is cast as Minnesota. Renee Zelweger and Harry Connick Jr. star this time. Coming on the heals of “Juno” (filmed in British Columbia) and “Leatherheads” (shot in the Carolinas), “Chilled” begs the question “Why isn’t Minnesota competitive as a location for films set in Minnesota?”

The exchange rate is currently at par. And Minnesota looks exactly like Minnesota. More like Minnesota than any other place, in fact.

The problem is the huge incentives offered by Canadian provinces, often as much as 45% compared to Minnesota’s 15% Snowbate program. The Canadians continue to up the ante in order to hang onto the slice of the production pie they gained when the exchange rate was a key factor. Now they have skilled and experience crews, too.

It will take more than the modest Snowbate incentives to earn back a significant share of northern tier film production. The legislature and other units of government should find creative new ways to encourage production and keep Minnesota film crews working and paying taxes.

A trailer for Minnesota-produced “Older than America” is now available on YouTube. The film was shot in Cloquet, Minnesota, during November and December, 2006. See my previous “Older” posts at frozenframes.wordpress.com/?s=Older+Than+America.

The Minneapolis Star Tribune is reporting that George Clooney and Renee Zellweger will visit Duluth, Minnesota, as part of press tour to promote “Leatherheads.” The film, a sports/screwball comedy, is about a 1920’s era football team called the Duluth Bulldogs. While set in Minnesota and Chicago, the film was shot in North and South Carolina.

“Leatherheads” is scheduled to open nationwide on April 4.

Read the MST article at: www.startribune.com/entertainment/movies/16785756.html

The film’s official web site is at:
www.leatherheadsmovie.com

My previous posts on Leatherhead are available at: frozenframes.wordpress.com/?s=Leatherheads