Memories that kill

~ OFF Magazine asked some of those involved with the filming of "Killshot" in Cape Girardeau to submit their memories and photos. Here's what we got.

Holly James, extra

I got to walk through a scene in the background, but I'm sure I was tinyin it! (still fun though) ... so I went back in a couple hours later (it took forever to shoot the scene) and sat for maybe 30 minutes or so, then they called me personally out.

They wanted to use my car in a scene. So I had a little walkie talkie in my car so they could cue me, or see where I was if it was taking a while to drive around the block back to my starting position (I was the only one that got a talkie!). I spent a great deal of time with the assistant director and some other dude that was doing directing type stuff - and the director talked to me a couple times, too!

They knew me by name by just a little while into things & I spent a LOT of time with them & talking to them! It took about four hours of driving back & forth to finish the dang scene! But it was cool & a lot of fun ... oh, and Thomas Jane kept coming & standing by my car & smiling at me for no reason, so that was funny!

After all was said and done, I went back upstairs and got my things gathered up to leave. When another girl and I got outside, our cars were still blocked in. Johnny Knoxville was doing an interview (with some really old lady with HOT PINK hair! She looked cool!) and everyone was crowded around (I think every teenage girl in Cape came there!).

I remembered I had my camera (with a big zoom!) in my car & mentioned it ... she was like "Go for it, you're off the clock now!" - so I took some pics and then after the interview, everyone went up for autographs.

I figured, why not! I'd been there for 10-plus hours and had gotten up at 4 a.m.! May as well get a photo. So the two of us waded through all the people & waited. I took one of each of us with Johnny & mentioned to him that he was really nice (cause he was!) for dealing with so many people. I told him, "I'm the one that's been driving the green car past you all day and nearly ran you over a couple times!" and he looked at me to see who I was and said "Oh, yeah! OK! Cool!" and put his arm around me and we took photos!

So when you go see Killshot (in March?) and you see a dark green Saturn VUE (HMJ 1999 IL lic. plates!) - THAT'S ME! Also, WAY in the background in front of the clock, if you see a chick in a sage green knee length suede coat & velvet burgundy hat - that's me too!

All in all, it was fun. Now I'm just waiting for a call from the director to put me in a new movie role as Orlando Bloom's love interest!

Sarah Zembsch, spectator, mother of starstruck teen

"Killshot" was a really good novel, and having the opportunity to watch part of the movie production was a great bonus!

My daughter's favorite actor is Johnny Knoxville (even before he was cast for the movie) and she was so excited to find out he would be in Cape! Not wanting to get her hopes up, I didn't tell her I would get her out school for an hour to watch part of the production.

We watched the filming at the courthouse steps with Diane Lane and Thomas James -- but the real kick was watching my daughter's reaction when the crew moved to Main Street and she spotted Knoxville!

The crew was great about letting the bystanders get close to the action (the filming was at old Hecht's and we were able to stand near the clock). After school, Anna and her brother, Joe, waited for a glimpse of Knoxville, knowing he was in his trailer.

Then, the unexpected happen, Knoxville came out, Anna yelled, "I love you!" and he came over to sign autographs. Anna was hanging on his arm so he only had one hand free to shake hands and sign! As he left, Anna yelled again, "I love you!" and he said, "Bye, Bye Sweetheart".

The word "starstruck" has now hit the Zembsch household and Anna has yet to come back to earth!! However, even without Knoxville, it was a great experience for her to see how much time and effort goes in to filming a shot that will only last a few seconds on the big screen!

Sarah Vickery, Breakaway's patron

I'm really glad we happened to hang out with him on Monday night -- there weren't too terribly many people out (unlike Tuesday night when the entire town of Cape was out!) at Breakaways, so he was able to just hang out and play pool with us.

People would come up to him and ask for autographs or photos and he was very nice to everyone and then he'd just go back to playing pool like it was no big deal. Several guys bought him shots, which he also seemed very appreciative of!

It was surprising to see how normal he really was ... not really at all like what you'd imagine if you've ever seen him on 'Jackass'. All in all, he was very nice and really just fit in here with everyone. It was really easy to forget he was a celebrity while drinking beers and playing pool with him ... he was very cool.

Michael Huntington, spectator, local filmmaker

The "Killshot" filmmakers spent most of the day on Southern Illinois roads shooting traveling sequences with Mickey Rourke and Joseph Gordon-Levitt.

It started to rain and snow throughout the day, but they got what they needed. They based themselves near Thebes, Ill., for these process shots.

Later that evening, scenes were worked on near Brenda's Place on Morgan Oak in Cape Girardeau. The adjoining streets were closed off to traffic, but one could get a glimpse of the action if on foot. There were lots of trucks, trailers, vans and some enormous cranes with mounted lights for lighting the entire street. There was little by way of spectators this evening. It was very cold and wet outside.

The crew shot a scene right down the street at the Hot Spot gas station and Jasper's gas station on Morgan Oak. This was a shot with Gordon-Levitt in a silver car. The location was unbelievably accessible. I stood with about seven people RIGHT BEHIND Director John Madden and Director of Photography Gabriel Deschanel as they directed the filming from their chairs (I could reach out and touch them, I was so close).

I watched the video monitor with them and listened to them discuss the composition of the take. Gordon-Levitt, wearing cowboy boots and a green jacket and sporting dried-blood makeup, paced the streets and practiced his lines before getting into the car. His character, hitman Richie Nix, had to brake the car, scream some lines, and peel out of frame. The crew munched on French fries and onion rings in between the five or six takes.

When the shot was completed to the filmmaker's satisfaction, Madden yelled out a triumphant "yes!" He then had some children amongst us (one of them on crutches) yell "it's a wrap!" in unison. It was a very endearing gesture. Everyone then applauded and congratulated one another. They soon began to pack up for the wrap party later at downtown's Port Cape Girardeau. Flyers were handed out to the crew, giving them directions to the celebration. First, back to the Lodge, then to the party downtown being thrown by Thomas Jane. Everyone seemed both tired and happy at the same time! Another long, successful day of filming in the can.

I was able to talk to Gordon-Levitt and had my picture taken with him. He is a nice guy and really takes an interest in the people that he meets. I also was able to chat with Madden and tell him about our local film movement. He seemed really interested in what we were doing and told us that is was important that we "keep at it." He was gracious enough, also, to allow me to have my picture taken with him.

The whole experience of the evening was unbelievable, I had not even intended on going down there at all this late in the evening. But I couldn't resist, I am aspiring filmmaker and there was a major Hollywood film shooting a couple of streets over from my house!