UPDATE 9/25/08: “The Steam Experiment” is set to wrap this Saturday… one day later than first reported, but my sources say everything is on track and Grand Rapids has been great!!

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UPDATE 9/18/08:

The crew of “The Steam Experiment” will continue their closed-set shooting Friday, they are still on track to wrap September 26th or 27th.

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UPDATE 9/11/08:

from the set of “The Steam Experiment”

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UPDATE 9/10/08 8:20pm:

Val Kilmer has wrapped shooting for his role on “The Steam Experiment” and has now left town… moving on to his next project. ——— So this puts me ahead of imdb.com, for now… Its not very often, a movie fan or movie blogger can be able to put out this kind of information before IMDB.com (the google of movies) which I love!!! But heck, this is cool…

“The Steam Experiment”

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The Story (from an official release):

Six people find themselves trapped and terrorized in an urban turkish bathhouse in a Hitchcockian suspense-thriller directed by Philippe Martinez. The story begins when former university professor James Pettis (VAL KILMER) boasts to the local paper that he has trapped six people and is holding them hostage in a Turkish bath to prove his hypothesis that humans will devolve into chaos under the pressures of global warming. Detective Jack Mancini (ARMAND ASSANTE) is brought in to interrogate Pettis who offers to reveal the hostages’ location if his hypothesis is printed as the next day’s front page headline. The six potential victims are: an ex-professional football player (ERIC ROBERTS), a former actress (MEGAN BROWN), a nurse (PATRICK MULDOON), a waitress (EVE MAURO), a restauranteur (QUINN DUFFY), and a writer (Cordelia Reynolds). As temperatures rise to horrifying levels, the six desperate detainees fight to survive against impossible odds.

What the Director, Philippe Martinez is saying:

“I’ve always been fascinated with Alfred Hitchcock’s suspense thrillers and the atmosphere of his films. We have a superb ensemble cast, a strong script, and it will be an interesting journey into the darkness of human nature when confronted with a crisis situation.”

The Cast:

Val Kilmer (pictured above) plays Jimmy Pettis, a former university professor who has warned about global warming and its apocalyptic impact on humans… and has now gone a little crazy when nobody takes him seriously… that’s when he takes six hostages into a “steam bath” and turns up the heat… demanding that the press print his theories as front-page news.. or else. — Armand Assante (pictured above) plays police detective Jack Mancini, who negotiates with Kilmer’s character to try to determine if “Jimmy” is bluffing, or really holding six people hostage for “The Steam Experiment”. — Eric Roberts (pictured above) plays one of the hostages… a former professional football player — Patrick Muldoon (pictured above) plays another hostage, a nurse — Megan Brown (pictured above) another hostage, plays a former actress — Eve Mauro (pictured above) another hostage, plays a waitress — Quinn Duffy (pictured above) hostage, plays a restaurateur — Cordelia Reynolds hostage, plays a writer — Ricky Wayne (pictured above) plays Newspaper Editor Walter Grubbs —

“The Steam Experiment” Details:

Director/Producer: Philippe Martinez (previously Directed “Wake of Death” (2004) and “Citizen Verdict” (2003) ) Executive Producers: Luc Campeau, Karinne Behr, Luc Campeau, Neil Steinberg, Steelbridge Finance, Rob Malkani, Stephen Bannon and Trevor Drinkwater Based on screenplay by: Rob Malkani Production Company: CinePro Pictures (Chairman/CEO is Philippe Martinez) Starring: Val Kilmer, Armand Assante, Eric Roberts, Patrick Muldoon, Megan Brown, Eve Mauro, Quinn Duffy, Cordelia Reynolds, Ricky Wayne Release Date: TBA Genre: Drama/Thriller Other Story details: “The Steam Experiment” features an old-fashioned Turkish-style steam bath with only one way out and a door that locks from the outside, built for a local soundstage by Deano’s Inc. in Grand Rapids (What Rachael reported 9/2/08) Setting: Grand Rapids, MI Production Status: Pre-Production, 16 days of shooting September 5th-September 26 Shooting Locations: Grand Rapids, MI (filming in Amway Grand Plaza Hotel), The Grand Rapids Press, The Grand Rapids Police Department, a Grand Rapids bar, one of the bridges, sets built in a soundstage in Grand Rapids, and various other locations around Grand Rapids What Suzi reported 9/12/08

How this all started, for me:

“The Steam Experiment” has been in the works for months… and for about 4 weeks, I’ve been waiting to report this news: Val Kilmer is the name that started this whole search for clues

I know that Producers have been scouting various locations around Grand Rapids for months

Some of those locations include the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel, The Grand Rapids Press downtown office, some street scenes, a Grand Rapids bar, one of the bridges, and sets built in a soundstage in Grand Rapids The Production Company Cinepro Pictures is based in Largo, Florida, and the stort was originally written to be located in Tampa, Florida and has been re-written to be based in Grand Rapids Armand Assante, Eric Roberts, and Patrick Muldoon also star

So far there are no plans to put out a call for “extras”, because local actors and actresses and people working at the location shoots have filled out the cast

You may remember a previous mention of Armand Assante – he’s set to star in another movie that was scheduled to film in West Michigan – “The Fifth Mafia”, but is now not coming to Grand Rapids

For more information:

My original mention in August 13th blog My 1st blog with details September 2nd 6pm news 9/2/08: What Rachael reported Tuesday evening 11pm news 9/2/08: What Suzi reported Tuesday night