The final cut

As night fell Saturday, spectators strained their eyes and craned their necks to catch a glimpse of a celebrity -- Mickey Rourke or Joseph Gordon-Levitt.

The crowd was ushered to a curb on Morgan Oak Street, and traffic was blocked off to clear the road for extras who drove vehicles past Brenda's Place. Inside the restaurant, cast and crew shuffled around. Rourke and Gordon-Levitt rehearsed the scene several times before filming began later in the evening.

The shoot signified the last day of "Killshot" filming in Cape Girardeau. The cast is expected to leave today while the crew will pack equipment and leave no later than Monday, said Andrea Sporcic, assistant director of the Missouri Film Commission.

Mickey Rourke looked out the window of Brenda's Place during a break. He was rehearsing a scene with Joseph Gordon-Levitt.

Earlier in the day, Brenda's Place, 602 Morgan Oak St., was modified to portray a Michigan diner in which the Rourke and Gordon-Levitt characters met.

"We needed an all-night diner that we could go to, and this place fit the bill," said production designer Andrew Jackness.

Beneath an existing sign, crew members tacked up a banner that said the diner was open 24 hours and served homemade pies. They also removed window blinds, lowered a ceiling fan, adjusted lighting and added decorations to the walls.

Owner Brenda Glueck, who has run the restaurant for nine years, said the changes were hectic.

"Everything would be fine if you knew 24 to 48 hours ahead of time what was going on," she said.

The production didn't hurt business -- in fact, it boosted business -- "but I wouldn't do this again," Glueck said.

A block or two from Brenda's Place a crew of workers stood around, some with hoods up, others with gloves on, at the ready to construct sets or props needed for the shoot.

A student intern, Adam Barbee, said that according to the rules he couldn't set anything up but he had a great time watching how a film is made. He's studying corporate video at Southeast Missouri State University and would like to work in TV production.

During the diner scene, which was recently added to the script, the hit men portrated by Rourke and Gordon-Levitt, hatch a plot inside a cafe in Michigan. They then go on a drive through several states in pursuit of the characters portrayed by Thomas Jane and Diane Lane.

Part of the driving scenes were filmed along Cape Girardeau streets early Saturday afternoon. Gordon-Levitt drove a gray Lincoln with Rourke as the passenger.

Jane drove a nondescript pickup truck that was to be pulled over by Sgt. Jack Wimp of the Cape Girardeau Police Department, who was dressed as trooper Simmons of the Ohio State Highway Patrol.

Along with providing security for the set, Wimp waited for his turn as an extra who pulls Jane's pickup truck over on the interstate. He was even given a dressing room with a black star that read "trooper." The space was wide enough for a couch, toilet, sink, TV and VCR.

"It's one of the highlights of my career," said Wimp, a 20-year veteran of the police department.

Wimp was told on Jan. 5 they needed him for the part, he said, since he already has a gray police car. The car underwent detailing that included yellow stripes, a state patrol emblem and a slogan about excellence.

Crews secured the corner of Frederick and Good Hope streets to set up trailers and equipment. While waiting for filming to start, Jane briefly sat in the truck on Good Hope Street. One crowd of people stood within 25 feet of the truck.

A fence would typically be in place to block off access to the set. Location manager Dan Kinkade said that spectators and the police have been so cooperative and friendly that he has allowed more access than he usually permits.

"The Cape Girardeau Police Department is one of the finest to work with," Kinkade said. "Everyone seems to be cool here."

"Mainly I was carrying sandbags, handing out tape and clips and getting things for the grips," Barbee said.

The film commission provided state-funded tax incentives to attract the "Killshot" production crew to Cape Girardeau, said Sporcic, who added that she is comfortable with referring future productions to the city.

"It really is a good thing that you have a movie under your belt," she said. "You could attract other productions."

jmetelski@semissourian.com

cpagano@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 133