January 18th, 2007 -Update: Death in the Garden

UPDATE
Gunshots in the Garden on Friday, January 12th

As I wrote in a previous journal entry, there were gunshots heard not far from set the other day. Well today, January 18th, Marco, the head of Security apologized for not giving me more attention on Friday when the gunshots went off.

I had turned to him, as I saw him run out of the Nolan house, and said, “Were those what I think they are?” He had said, “Yes sweetheart they are” and promptly gone about organizing the “troops”.

Brad Pitt had turned to Marco after the first shot and told him to “get your men and your guns”, giving him the permission, so to speak, to leave his side.

“I wasn’t ignoring you, I hope you know that” Marco said “you know, when you asked me if those were gunshots”

Of course I knew, I assured him. I realized there were more important things going on at that moment. Hello, people were being shot at.

“Well, so you know, I had someone follow you to your car to make sure you were safe.”
In a small way that scared me more than anything, as I hadn’t noticed any 6’4” man following me (yes, all the security are very large and intimidating men)

“Now listen”, Marco continued, “anytime you feel unsure, you just tell one of my boys that you need escorting and they will escort you wherever you need to go. These guys, they see a young girl walking alone, and you know…I just want you to be safe.”

It turns out that this is the fifth incident since we’ve been at the location on Third Street between Coliseum and Prytania (about a four week time period).
The heart of the Garden District; The famed and touted, an area rated one of the most beautiful places to live in America, was under attack and had been for years.

That same night I went to the Maple Leaf bar and met a filmmaker, Dana, who had lived here back in the 80s and early 90s. He informed me that back then, Calhoun, Laurel and the other streets a few blocks closer to Tchoupitoulas, were very dangerous ghettos. They apparently are still poor, even though some have had face lifts, and although crack isn’t as prevalent, gang activity continues, especially now that NOLA feels a bit like the wild west with no real sheriff in town.

The night that I heard the gunshots, Marco informed me, a group was shot at and one guy was hit or killed, not sure which, around Camp Street. The two survivors, avenging the killing of a brother, went after the shooter. They shot at some guy on Laurel and Third (one and a half blocks from where I’d been standing) – the one shot I heard, apparently hit its mark, as it was followed by seven more, all very clean (i.e. Calm and controlled), as if they were being unloaded “just to make sure”. Saddest part is, according to the story Marco obtained, they shot the wrong guy.
While I walked to my car, these guys must have driven away and around and back to near Camp street – Prytania and Coliseum being the two streets between Laurel and Camp - probably making it there by the time I entered my car and pulled away from set.
Shortly thereafter the victim’s friends found them and shot at them. It’s a vicious cycle.


I finally saw Brad Pitt today. He walked by me while I chatted to someone in the AD department. He looked a little worried, but it could just be the special effects make-up which was caked on. Or the gunshots from teh other day. Or more likely the paparazzi. He’s much thinner and shorter in person than on film.


Paparazzi is apparently getting violent, according to Marco, frighteningly so, especially in their attempt to get to Cate Blanchette. Enough that they’ve had to give her more bodyguards. He wouldn’t go into what exactly they were doing, but he insinuated that they were making threats, their behaviour endagering the children of our stars. What he did reveal was that they have bought off several of the neighbors who have given them permission to use their balconies, etc. to set up their cameras and snap pictures of Brad and Cate while they shoot scenes at the Nolan house.

Beau had a brilliant idea.
"Why don't we find out who their children and families are, where they're at, photograph them, and then send them the pictures in the mail, and see how they like it."

It's an idea, something for a rainy day when we're bored.