For #throwbackthursday, we’re featuring several mid Hudson Valley Region productions that are currently streaming on Hulu.
In 2021, the Season 1 of Amy Schumer’s Life & Beth, filmed extensively in Milan, Putnam Valley, Poughkeepsie, Red Hook, and Staatsburg. The story follows the cracks in every aspect of Beth’s seemingly great but unfulfilling life. The series stars Amy Schumer, Michael Cera, Michael Rapaport, Violet Young, Susannah Flood and hundreds of Hudson Valley locals that were cast by Roman Candle with support from the film commission. Local crew included many HV regulars including Jamie Buckner, Jesse Hegney, Greg Meola, Anthony Straquadanio and many others.
Filming for Season 2 took place during the second quarter of 2023, primarily in Staatsburg. The film commission worked again with Roman Candle Casting to find local actors to work in a scene with Amy Schumer and Michael Cera.
Click here to watch Life and Beth, Season 1
Cameron Edwin, the host of a failing TV science show for children, has always had aspirations of being an astronaut. When a mysterious satellite coincidentally falls from space and lands in his backyard, his midlife crisis manifests into a plan to rebuild the machine into a rocket. As surreal events start to unfold around him, he slowly realizes that there's more to his life story than he once thought.
Linoleum was one of the productions to film following the Covid-19 outbreak. The indie feature film by Colin West, stars Jim Gaffigan, Rhea Seehorn, Katelyn Nacon, Gabriel Rush, Tony Shalhoub and many local actors including Roger Simon, Elizabeth Henry, Twinkle Burke, Willoughby Pyle, William J. Tully, Kevin Callahan... Local actors and background extras were handled through Heidi K. Eklund, CSA. Local crew members were also very involved and catering was provided by Stone Pony Deli.
Click here to watch Linoleum
Directed and executive produced by Desiree Akhavan (Ramy, Hacks, Monsterland) , this indie film, which won the Grand Jury Prize at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival, features Chloë Grace Moretz, Owen Campbell, Steven Hauck, and Quinn Shephard in a story about a teen (Moretz) who, after getting caught making out with another girl, is sent to a camp that specializes in gay conversion therapy.
Filming took place in the fall of 2016 in Coxsackie, Cairo, Palenville, Round Top, and SPAF in Saugerties. Casting was handled by Jessica Daniels.
UPM and co-producer Rob Cristiano wrote: “This is the third film that I worked in the Hudson Valley, and I have always received prompt and helpful guidance and feedback from the Hudson Valley Film Commission regardless of the size and budget of the project. Local businesses, locations, and towns have been very easy to work with, and we have had a good experience with location background casting and filming at local stages. The Hudson Valley is a great place to escape to with a dedicated cast and crew and I'm looking forward to returning again with the next project.”
Rob’s most recent Hudson Valley project, Stay Awake, is currently in theaters.
Click here to watch The Miseducation Of Cameron Post
Several scenes for Episode 3 of Monsterland were filmed in uptown Kingston in November of 2019. Wall Street and several other locations were used to double for New Orleans during a Mardis Gras type celebration. Temperatures were in the twenties but production went off without incident. Catering set up outside Wall Street’s Kingston Studios. The Hudson Valley Film Commission helped recruit extras.
Episode 3, which is directed by Craig William Macneill, explores the dissolution of a marriage after Annie (Nicole Beharie) discovers a terrible secret regarding her husband Joe Keller (Hamish Linklater). The episode quickly spirals into Annie's own breakdown over the secret in question.
Click here to watch Monsterland
Directed by Lucky McKee, Old Man stars part time Hudson Valley actor Stephen Lang (Avatar), and producer, actor Marc Senter. The story follows a lost traveler (Senter) who stumbles upon an old man (Lang) living in a remote cabin in the woods. An unimaginable nightmare unwinds.
After weeks of helping to find an ideal cabin, the production decided to film in a controlled setting––Umbra of Newburgh. Lili Teplan, who has worked on many local films, oversaw production design, while Jerry Wenutu handled art direction. Other local crew members included key grip Crawford Watson, construction coordinator Josh Slack, scripty Chuck Girard, still photographer Jason Vasquez, health supervisor James Glorioso, prodctuction assistant Will BBiavvati, stage managers Tony Glazer and Summer Crockett Moore and many others.
Click to watch Old Man
Stay Tuned for Part 2, which will feature Our Idiot Brother, Pinball: The Man Who Saved The Game, Swallow, Werewolves Within and High Heat.
