Any of you been...

[jded]

to the Monroeville Mall? Recently? In the past? Going in the near future perhaps?

I'm happy to say that I had my inspiring. "Can't believe I'm really here and walking around, and quite possibly standing where a bunch of unheard of actors, crew, and soon to be legend director once stood." (Nevertheless they were brilliant.)

Some time has passed since I was there. I took the journey back in November of 2003. So I'd love to hear what has changed since, and what if anything you discovered.

I won't bore you with the goodies I uncovered unless you want me to.
But go ahead and feel free to indulge me if you like. Who knows we may find some similarities to shoot the shit over.

[Mr.G]

to the Monroeville Mall? Recently? In the past? Going in the near future perhaps?

I'm happy to say that I had my inspiring. "Can't believe I'm really here and walking around, and quite possibly standing where a bunch of unheard of actors, crew, and soon to be legend director once stood." (Nevertheless they were brilliant.)

Some time has passed since I was there. I took the journey back in November of 2003. So I'd love to hear what has changed since, and what if anything you discovered.

I won't bore you with the goodies I uncovered unless you want me to.
But go ahead and feel free to indulge me if you like. Who knows we may find some similarities to shoot the shit over.

I haven't yet, but it's on my to-do list. I recently moved to Indiana which puts me within a day's car ride. Is there a particular weekend in October to go? Any other times of the year?

[jded]

I haven't yet, but it's on my to-do list. I recently moved to Indiana which puts me within a day's car ride. Is there a particular weekend in October to go? Any other times of the year?

Well I would think they'd have something going on around Halloween, but I can't be sure. That was like six years ago that I visited. I went with two other people who were in no way interested in what I was doing there. They just went along for the ride to shop.

Now let me tell you if you go and if you ask questions, most people will be clueless that a horror movie from the 70's was filmed there. I also think that if they are aware then they've been there long enough to be sick of all the tourists. I had some trouble at first but then I happened upon a security guard who soon became the man. He was cool, and made sure I found what I was looking for. He even led me into the back hallway where the stores exit at the backdoor. That's back there with the boiler room. It was old back there. Remember the red paint that was on half the walls that led up the stairs to the hideout? That was still there, but faded. It might have been painted since.

Later on towards the end of the day my cousin went searching and somehow found her way up to the upper level offices where she got to talking with one of the mall managers. She told her about how I had traveled such a distance to check out the mall because of Dawn. So we got to talking and I soon found out that they give tours on Fridays. Just my luck. I went on a Thursday.
She was however gracious enough to go rummaging and found me a convention poster from 2000.

You should go. Definitely! But make sure you call first and get a lowdown on some basics and prepare a little more than I did.
I had fun but I bet I coulda had a better one if I got to take the tour.

[DubiousComforts]

Well I would think they'd have something going on around Halloween, but I can't be sure.
For real? So nobody has noticed what we've been screaming about for the past six months on this message board...?

THE LIVING DEAD FESTIVAL on Halloween weekend (http://forum.homepageofthedead.com/showthread.php?t=14129)

Not only is Evans City just a stone's throw from Monroeville Mall by car, but there will be dozens of people at this event that can guide any noobie though all the points of interest, not to mention the owner of Time & Space Toys which is located in the mall itself.

I mean, come on! :D

[jded]

OK. Great! Are you going to the mall too? Have you been there before?
I would go to this but I live in Idaho at the moment. I was born in Ohio, so when I went back to visit in 03 I figured I better do this while I'm here.

[AcesandEights]

Hey Man. I've never been, but I know a good number of people here have been and there's been a lot of conversation about it. Just doing a quick forum search in the living dead bracket of forums using Monroeville + Mall + Visit, I turned up the following seven threads:

1 (http://forum.homepageofthedead.com/showthread.php?t=11076&highlight=monroeville+mall+visit)

2 (http://forum.homepageofthedead.com/showthread.php?t=9632&highlight=monroeville+mall+visit)

3 (http://forum.homepageofthedead.com/showthread.php?t=8858&highlight=monroeville+mall+visit)

4 (http://forum.homepageofthedead.com/showthread.php?t=7000&highlight=monroeville+mall+visit)

5 (http://forum.homepageofthedead.com/showthread.php?t=4062&highlight=monroeville+mall+visit)

6 (http://forum.homepageofthedead.com/showthread.php?t=2524&highlight=monroeville+mall+visit)

7 (http://forum.homepageofthedead.com/showthread.php?t=385&highlight=monroeville+mall+visit)

Good luck. There's a lot of people who've been who give you some good advice, from what I've seen.

[Bone Daddy]

On my Bucket List. Better get going!

[sandrock74]

This is something I mean to do. I live just north of Detroit, so, according to mapquest, it's like 5.5 hours away. I don't want to go alone, and while I have friends who enjoy the movie, they don't really care to see the mall.

I will go one day...alone or not! I didn't know they did tours on Fridays...I will keep that in mind.

[EvilNed]

No, I have not yet undergone the pilgrimage.

[jded]

I will go one day...alone or not! I didn't know they did tours on Fridays...I will keep that in mind. Don't bank on them having Friday tours. Take into consideration that this was told to me six years ago. It may have changed since then.


No, I have not yet undergone the pilgrimage.I dare you to go! You don't know what your missing.

[capncnut]

Haven't they closed down a couple of the stores tied to the 'older' stores recently. Swear I read that somewhere.

[C5NOTLD]

THE LIVING DEAD FESTIVAL on Halloween weekend (http://forum.homepageofthedead.com/showthread.php?t=14129)



I've been to the mall before. It's a fun visit and definitely worth going.
Gary's Living Dead Festival is a perfect excuse to hit the festival and the mall this month. :cool:

[jded]

Haven't they closed down a couple of the stores tied to the 'older' stores recently. Swear I read that somewhere.

I know over the years that plenty have come and gone. I'm not sure in what relation you mean by "tied to." I think Brown Derby went bankrupt or something.
You know what's really interesting is what it felt like walking through JCPennys in contrast to how it looked and came across on the screen. I don't know how George did it but he managed to make the interior of Pennys feel like a huge gigantic space. Very wide and open. As I made my way through I couldn't help but feel that it was more compact and tight. Like it had shrunk since my last visit. That would be my minds memory of the visit by way of the film though. Unless they consolidated the structure of Pennys afterwards, I have no other guess as to why this is. I can only call it nifty camera work by a skilled director. You have to experience it yourself to know what I mean.

[sandrock74]

I know over the years that plenty have come and gone. I'm not sure in what relation you mean by "tied to." I think Brown Derby went bankrupt or something.
You know what's really interesting is what it felt like walking through JCPennys in contrast to how it looked and came across on the screen. I don't know how George did it but he managed to make the interior of Pennys feel like a huge gigantic space. Very wide and open. As I made my way through I couldn't help but feel that it was more compact and tight. Like it had shrunk since my last visit. That would be my minds memory of the visit by way of the film though. Unless they consolidated the structure of Pennys afterwards, I have no other guess as to why this is. I can only call it nifty camera work by a skilled director. You have to experience it yourself to know what I mean.

It probably was just the way Romero filmed it. Remember, there was no guns n' ammo store in the mall, buthe sure made it look like it was indeed there! Also, he cleverly never showed us the other department stores, (since only JC Pennys signed off to be filmed) yet it was not something noticable in its absence. He was very skillfull in what he showed us (and didn't show us) about the mall.

[jded]

It probably was just the way Romero filmed it. Remember, there was no guns n' ammo store in the mall, buthe sure made it look like it was indeed there! Also, he cleverly never showed us the other department stores, (since only JC Pennys signed off to be filmed) yet it was not something noticable in its absence. He was very skillfull in what he showed us (and didn't show us) about the mall.

You mean the insides. So you think at times the inside of Pennys could have been in a warehouse somewhere? What I'm saying is that either through camera angles or by the store being bigger at one time, George got it to look wide and expansive. If you walk through it now, or when I did, it feels confined and tiny compared to how you perceived it in the film.

[C5NOTLD]

If you walk through it now, or when I did, it feels confined and tiny compared to how you perceived it in the film.

Film camera lenses make a huge difference.

[EvilNed]

It probably was just the way Romero filmed it. Remember, there was no guns n' ammo store in the mall, buthe sure made it look like it was indeed there! Also, he cleverly never showed us the other department stores, (since only JC Pennys signed off to be filmed) yet it was not something noticable in its absence. He was very skillfull in what he showed us (and didn't show us) about the mall.

Let's give credit where credit is due... Romero directed this film, he didn't shoot it. Michael Gornick did.

[jded]

Let's give credit where credit is due... Romero directed this film, he didn't shoot it. Michael Gornick did.

Ok, but who decides where a camera is placed? The director or cinematographer? They must work together I would think. George wants it to look this way so the other guy positions the camera because he knows how to get that shot.

[EvilNed]

It always depends on the relationship between the director and photographer so it's hard to tell. But Michael Gornick WAS the photographer on this piece, so we should give credit to him.

[sandrock74]

Who edited the film?

[MoonSylver]

Who edited the film?

The Man himself. That's one of the secrets to his directorial style & why his films have the pacing & style they do, is that he's editing in his head as he goes & setting up for the type of coverage he needs to assemble in post.

Or that was the case in the past anyway. I forget at what point he turned the editing duties over to others...?