Red Dawn remake to begin filming this September in Pontiac

I just watched Red Dawn over the weekend and I couldn't believe that it has been 25 years since it's theatrical release. Even with the Cold War now a part of history, the film still resonates with me. I remember watching it and thinking how, at the time, having America invaded by foreign forces was a real possibility and how that made the film even more realistic. Evidently the theme of Red Dawn is (with some script tweaking) even current today. Or at least current enough to warrant a remake. Do they even make original movies anymore or is it all remakes ;) ?

List of movies filmed in Michigan since 'This Time for Keeps' in 1946.

The film industry continues to thrive in Michigan and the remake of Red Dawn is scheduled to begin filming September 17th in downtown Pontiac. Pontiac is supposed to stand in for Spokane, Washington for Hollywood's purpose. Wolverine Productions will be filming the remake at locations in Pontiac and Mount Clemens. Anyone else familiar with the original film find it slightly ironic that the name of the company filming the movie is Wolverine Productions? In the original Red Dawn, the teenage rebels took on the name of their school mascot - Wolverines.

Preview of Original Red Dawn:

Labor Day Bridge Walks in Michigan not at the Mackinac Bridge

The Labor Day bridge walk at the Mackinac Bridge is fairly famous. Did you know that there are several "not quite so famous" bridge walks all across Michigan? Many of the bridge walks taking place are through the "Get Michigan Moving" initiative to promote fitness Here's a list of a bunch of the lesser known bridge walks in Michigan:

• Mill Creek Trestle Walk
• Eaton Rapids "Get Michigan Moving" Bridge Walk
• Bangor Bridge Walk
• Over the River and Thru the Woods - Big Rapids
• Labor Day Bridge Walk-Caseville Style
• Douglas Labor Day Bridge Walk
• Third Street Bridge Walk - Grand Haven
• Hart Bridge Walk
• Portage Labor Day Bridge Walk - Houghton-Hancock
• City of Linden Labor Day Walk
• Helen Tiffany Labor Day Community Walk 2009 - Luna Pier
• Rose City/Lupton Fall Festival 5 Mile Walk/Run - Lupton
• 2009 Labor Day Community Walk-"A Virtual Bridge Walk"- Marshall
• 3rd Annual Bridge Walk and Volksmarch - Middleville
• Labor Day Bridge Walk - Morenci
• Walk Muskegon
• Labor Day Bridge Walk in Portland
• 11th Annual Blue Star Bridge Walk - Saugatuck
• South Lyon Labor Day Bridge Walk
• Labor Day Community Walk - White Lake

What are your Labor Day Weekend plans?

A lot of people in Michigan use the long Labor Day Weekend as a chance to enjoy one last bit of summer before school starts and the cold fall winds begin to blow. I know about 50,000 or so will be walking across the Mackinac Bridge on Monday. Most of the Michigan State Parks will be at or near capacity with folks camping over the weekend. The rest of us will most likely at least have a cookout of some sort. How about you?

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The perfect Michigan music on a rainy day

I love listening to Daisy May (May Erlewine) any time, but her songs from Mother Moon and Heart Song are even more poignant on chilly rainy days or crisp autumn days. Today is a rainy day so Daisy May is getting heavy play on my computer (yeah, I don't even use my stereo anymore) all day long. Her style is a blend of Folk and Bluegrass and her voice is just beautiful. You can take a listen to the two albums below and see for yourself.

Here's a video of Daisy May and Seth Bernard singing the title song off her album, Heart Song:

Dave Dempsey - 2009 Michigan Author Award Winner

Dave Dempsey is known as an "environmental" writer. His books include such topics as the Great Lakes, conservation in Michigan, and a biography of Michigan's environmentally friendly governor - William G. Milliken. Dempsey has long been a champion of preserving and protecting Michigan's environment and also had his book, On the Brink: the Great Lakes in the 21st Century, awarded by placement on the 2005 Michigan Notable Book list. Said Dempsey of the 2009 Michigan Author Award -

“It’s both humbling and exciting to receive this award, since Michigan is my home and the source of my writing inspiration. Its land, water, wildlife and people are an amazing tableau,” said Dempsey. “In both the writing I’ve done and the writing I hope to do, I want to tell stories about people who made a difference and the places that shaped them. The Library of Michigan is a remarkable public asset that has made such research possible.”

Other books authored by Dempsey:

Great Lakes for Sale: From Whitecaps to Bottlecaps William G. Milliken: Michigan's Passionate Moderate Ruin and Recovery: Michigan's Rise as a Conservation Leader