LasVegasNMFilm.com
See LVNM film-location history video on YouTube HERE

See story: Three films shooting at once in Las Vegas!     "No Country" wins for Las Vegas! Albq. Journal story

   NEW VIDEO about LV & "No Country..." VERY STRANGE FACT!!!   LV NM is real star of "No Country for Old Men"

Las Vegas, New Mexico film legacy hits Hollywood  INFO BELOW  See new video segment

Las Vegas - home of last drive-in theater in state!

 


Due to its incredible variety of landscape, architecture, beautiful weather and variety of "looks", Las Vegas, New Mexico (the "original" Las Vegas) has been the location for an extraordinary number of feature films, commercials, music videos, documentaries, and early silent films!

* * * See book about Las Vegas' amazingly WILD history  ! * * *

 

In need of business printing?
From vinyl banners to
custom T-shirts vistaprint has you covered.

**Full service video production Las Vegas company ** 

 

View 10-minute award-winning* video,
"ALIVE AGAIN: America's Oldest
Film Location,
Las Vegas, New Mexico!"
YouTube

Produced by Jim Terr for
Blue Canyon Productions

Original score by Emmy
Award-winner Jim Oliver

BEST PICTURE!!  

8 Oscar™ Nominations!

 

 

"ASTRONAUT FARMER" directors Michael and Mark Polish addressed the 2005 Santa Fe Film Festival, and in response to a question spoke positively about filming in Las Vegas, NM. They said they found Las Vegas welcoming, scenic, co-operative and, in short, "great."  See recent Billy Bob Thornton comment on Las Vegas below  

Click here for Tom Mix hi-res press photo "Weary Goes A'Wooing", 1915         

 

Web streaming and posting of the original 1992 video and this site sponsored by  


Charlie's
Bakery and Cafe


715 Douglas Ave.
Las Vegas, N
M
Gordon Jewelers  
The Historic Plaza Hotel  NEW VIDEO   
 
The Prop Stop at Jackalope

 

 

SPONSORS OF THE NEW LAS VEGAS DVD GOING OUT TO FILM INDUSTRY:

 

L. A. TIMES July 2009: No small city in the state has seen more film action than Las Vegas, which has hosted such movies as "No Country for Old Men," "North Country," "The Longest Yard" and "Wild Hogs."  Las Vegas' success is due to its chameleon nature: It can easily pass for a small town in the Midwest, the Mexican border or even Afghanistan.
 
This city in the foothills of the Rockies has scenery more diverse than most Hollywood back lots: A 19th century castle, a Spanish colonial plaza and miles of prairie and mountains.

That landscape -- along with New Mexico's generous film incentives -- has lured more than a dozen movie productions here in the last decade.

 

 

Films shot in Las Vegas, New Mexico in full or in part,over 43 early silent films!

2008  Brothers (Tobey Maguire, Jake Gyllenhaal,             Natalie Portman)
2008  Not Forgotten
2008  Beer for My Horses

2007  No Country for Old Men (Coen brothers)
2006  The Astronaut Farmer (d. Polish Brothers,
          starring Billy Bob Thornton)
2006  Fanboys
2006  Comanche Moon
2005  North Country (Charlize Theron)
2004  The Longest Yard
2003  Blind Horizon 
2001  Land of Enchantment (TV 1995-2001)
2000  All the Pretty Horses
1998  The Hi-Lo Country
      John Carpenter's Vampires
1996  Last Stand at Saber River (TV)
      The Lazarus Man (TV Series: 1995-1996)
1995  East Meets West (Japan)
1994  Buffalo Girls (TV Miniseries)
      Cultivating Charlie
      Speechless
      Wyatt Earp
1993  The Last Hit (TV)


Great story about Las Vegas' drive-in theater


For more info, contact Las Vegas - San Miguel Chamber of Commerce

Contact Las Vegas film liaison Marthat S. Martinez, 505-425-5669

Contact New Mexico Film Office

* Winner, New Mexico Advertising Federation "Addy" Award, Best Public Service Video, 1992

 Website contact

    
   
*** Star in your own movie! ***
    

News Coverage: New Mexico Producer Posts
Local Actor Resource Page, Video Clips


(New Mexico) Friends of Film, Video & Arts

Visit New Mexico!

 


[the Las Vegas video is] an ode to the beauty of Las Vegas, as well as to its usefulness as a location spot. The city works for different types of films because it can be a college town, the Old West, Mexico, or even Kansas if you head toward the plains. -Santa Fe New Mexican, February 17, 2008 (full item below)

Las Vegas, New Mexico film legacy hits Hollywood
           Three features shooting at once in busy film location

    DVD on its way to production companies in California and New York

The little town that has hosted scores of feature films from early silent westerns to "Red Dawn" (which was filmed entirely there) to "No Country for Old Men", "Wild Hogs" and "Easy Rider" is featured in an updated DVD being sent to over 75 film and television companies in Los Angeles and New York, to try to stimulate more film location business for "the original Las Vegas," settled in 1835.

Las Vegas native and Santa Fe documentary and short film producer Jim Terr produced the 8-minute film, "Las Vegas, New Mexico - America's Oldest Film Location " in 1992, and it won the first place "Addy" award from the New Mexico Advertising Federation for public service videos. Posted on YouTube less than a year ago, it has been viewed over 3,000 times.

A new DVD version with updates on more recent films and local sponsors and contacts has been compiled and mailed to film companies. The updated sections and sponsor clips may also be viewed on YouTube: "Updated start and end for Las Vegas, New Mexico film video ." Links to both videos, a listing of sponsors, and a full listing of past and current films shot in Las Vegas, are at the website, www.LasVegasNMFilm.com .

Terr's shorts and documentaries recently passed 100,000 total YouTube views, as commemorated in this recent short: A Hundred Thousand YouTube Views.

Currently filming in Las Vegas are "Beer For My Horses," starring Toby Keith and Ted Nugent, and "Not Forgotten", and "Brothers" recently wrapped. Las Vegas' popularity as a film location is generally attributed to its variety of "looks," from an abundance of "Midwestern" and Victorian buildings (the town has over 900 homes and building on the National Register of Historic Places - far more than any city of any size in the southwest - to traditional Hispanic southwestern, to mountains and plains, rivers and lakes.

Sponsors of the current promotional DVD are:

Melton Real Estate 505-425-6603 www.MeltonRealEstate.com "We know and love Las Vegas" (And we know the surrounding country intimately)

The Historic Plaza Hotel 505-425-3591 www.PlazaHotel-NM.com

KNMX 540-AM / SAM-FM Classic Rock www.KNMX.com

  Martha S. Martinez, Las Vegas film liaison 505-425-5669

BTU Building Materials & Rental Center 505-425-9329

New Mexico Highlands University www.NMHU.edu

The Root-Ilfeld House, a classic Las Vegas location, 1029 7th St.

Cinnafilm Inc. www.Cinnafilm.com "The most advanced film look in the world"

Eva Guggenheim, actor www.EvaGuggenheim.com

Las Vegas-San Miguel Chamber of Commerce www.LasVegasNM.org

PRESS INFORMATION: Jim Terr 505-989-9298 bluecanyon2@newmexico.com www.JimTerr.com


 

Three films at one time By Don Pace and David Giuliani
           
Las Vegas Optic (February 11, 2008)

A hot-dog stand was set up in the middle of the Plaza on Monday morning, but the vendor was picky about his customers. That’s because the stand was part of a scene in the movie “Not Forgotten.” Over the last several days, Las Vegas has been the site for the filming of three movies — “Not Forgotten,” “Brothers” and “Beer For My Horses.”

As usual, some residents talk about the economic benefits to Las Vegas of the filming, while others note the hassles in traffic and detours. Martha Martinez, chairwoman of the Las Vegas Film Commission, acknowledges that most of the film crews have out-of-town caterers. But she said businesses and residences where filming takes places are compensated. “I’ve never seen figures on economic impact,” she said.

Rick Rubio of The Music Album, which is on the Plaza, said he was unhappy with how the film companies were handling their operations. In particular, Rubio objected to how the many crew members were taking up valuable parking spots in the Plaza, giving little space for customers. Previous movies, he said, have brought in crews by bus so as to prevent that problem. Rubio also said notices about filming were posted on businesses, while previous movie crews have met with merchants personally in a spirit of cooperation. “There’s very little personal touch now,” he said.

During filming, the public has been out of the loop when it comes to advance information about locations and what streets were being blocked off. Businesses around filming locations have had notices taped to their doors, but the media have not been notified at all. KFUN radio owner Joseph Baca alluded to that fact on Monday’s “Over The Back Fence” program. “No one seems to know who the members of the film commission are; it must be a secret society,” Baca said on the air. In a later interview, Baca said, “The only information we ever got about any movie companies coming to town didn’t come from the film commission — we sought the information.

When the Coen Brothers were filming the movie “No Country for Old Men” last year and turned the overpass into a Mexican crossing, we made contact with the public relations person. He came to the station two or three times and even sent us courtesy photographs of the filming. Baca said when Hollywood comes to town, his station is flooded with calls from people looking for information. He said some people understand, but others get angry not knowing when roads are going to be blocked or what areas are affected. “We can just tell callers that whoever’s responsible is not giving us that information,” Baca said. Martinez, however, said it’s not standard practice in the industry to give public notice other than to residents and businesses directly affected. “Most films don’t do public notices,” she said.

“They don’t want to be disturbed or bombarded (with spectators).” She added it’s the Police Department’s prerogative to notify the public when there are street blockages. The production company is supposed to give notifications to surrounding businesses and residences, Martinez said. One company recently sent out four such notices, with revisions each time for scheduling changes, she said. Movie scheduling is based on actors’ needs mostly, but sometimes, the weather plays a role, she said. As for Baca’s statements, Martinez said, “Maybe he should get the information first.

He’s free to call me or call the city.” Elmer Martinez, the city’s community development director, said it was by chance that all three movies were filming this weekend in Las Vegas. He said the three had originally been scheduled at different times. He credited a number of local officials for doing a good job at coordination. “I do know there are inconveniences,” he said. He added that the benefit has been economic development, noting that hotels he called were booked. Rubio of The Music Album said the police seem to change when filming is happening. “The cops change their attitudes when they’re working for Hollywood,” he said. This go-round, with three movies rolling film at the same time, traffic was a concern for Las Vegas police in charge of traffic control.

Even though filmmaking in the Meadow City is passé for some, the commotion of the process brings out the lookie-lous, and rubbernecking can lead to some sticky situations. However, in one incident Sunday evening, a hapless driver who was trying to make his way around Plaza Park was harshly reprimanded by an officer. Cars were blocked from entering the park area from Moreno Street, and another patrol car prevented motorists from driving around the park. It was dark and no other vehicles were in sight as the car attempted a right turn from National leading to South Pacific — the usual route. A police officer yelled at the driver to stop and warned the person to follow instructions.

Deputy Police Chief Christian Montaño said the film activity is causing many people to lose concentration on their driving, so officers must make sure drivers are focusing on safety. He said officers often don’t have the ability to issue citations while directing traffic, but they will give brief admonitions. The movie companies are compensating the Police Department for officers who are directing traffic around filming, police said.

“Our attitude doesn’t change when Hollywood comes in. Our officers have to have a heightened sense of safety,” Montaño said. “Not Forgotten,” starring Paz Vega and Simon Baker, is expected to end filming in the Plaza today. “Beer for My Horses,” starring Toby Keith, notified businesses that it would end its local filming Monday. “Brothers,” starring Tobey Maguire and Jake Gyllenhaal, left during the weekend.


• • • Beer for My Horses also will be filming in the Las Vegas, N.M., area, one of three films to be shooting in the Meadow City recently. Native Las Vegan Jim Terr points out that in addition to Horses, Not Forgotten and Brothers also filmed in Vegas in the past few months. He has put together an updated DVD of his 8-minute 1992 film, Las Vegas, New Mexico, America's Oldest Film Location, to be sent out to more than 75 film companies. It's an ode to the beauty of Las Vegas, as well as to its usefulness as a location spot. The city works for different types of films because it can be a college town, the Old West, Mexico, or even Kansas if you head toward the plains.
        Right now, Las Vegas is waiting to see how No Country for Old Men fares in the Oscars later this month. A Best Picture nominee, No Country involved many townspeople and locations, and even included a New Mexico premiere for the film.
      As much fun as that was for the town, nothing today can beat the joy back in the '70s when Ernest Borgnine, Kris Kristofferson and Ali MacGraw descended on the town for the filming of Convoy. Directed by the legendary Sam Peckinpah, that was a movie. •
• •
         -Santa Fe New Mexican "El Mitote" column



The state's capital of Santa Fe, once the center of production, is small and quaint, boasting three Western sets/towns plus Las Golondrinas (a living museum that doubles as a Mexican village). Near Santa Fe is Las Vegas, N.M. (a double for the Midwest and period settings from turn of the century through the '50s), as well as Georgia O'Keeffe's home, Ghost Ranch. full article in VARIETY


Las Vegas mentioned in New York Times July 2, 2008

Recently, Lionsgate and the director Frank Miller shot "Will Eisner's The Spirit" in Albuquerque. "No Country for Old Men," which won last year's best picture Oscar, was filmed near Las Vegas, N.M., and elsewhere in the state. Those and other projects have brought about $1.8 billion in entertainment-related spending to New Mexico in the last five years, according to Eric Witt, director of the governor's entertainment development effort.

 

Las Vegas hosts "No Country for Old Men" premiere!

 

Las Vegas, New Mexico film legacy hits Hollywood
           Three features shooting at once in busy film location

    DVD on its way to production companies in California and New York

The little town that has hosted scores of feature films from early silent westerns to "Red Dawn" (which was filmed entirely there) to "No Country for Old Men", "Wild Hogs" and "Easy Rider" is featured in an updated DVD being sent to over 75 film and television companies in Los Angeles and New York, to try to stimulate more film location business for "the original Las Vegas," settled in 1835.

Las Vegas native and Santa Fe documentary and short film producer Jim Terr produced the 8-minute film, "Las Vegas, New Mexico - America's Oldest Film Location " in 1992, and it won the first place "Addy" award from the New Mexico Advertising Federation for public service videos. Posted on YouTube less than a year ago, it has been viewed over 3,000 times.

A new DVD version with updates on more recent films and local sponsors and contacts has been compiled and mailed to film companies. The updated sections and sponsor clips may also be viewed on YouTube: "Updated start and end for Las Vegas, New Mexico film video ." Links to both videos, a listing of sponsors, and a full listing of past and current films shot in Las Vegas, are at the website, www.LasVegasNMFilm.com .

Terr's shorts and documentaries recently passed 100,000 total YouTube views, as commemorated in this recent short: A Hundred Thousand YouTube Views.

Currently filming in Las Vegas are "Beer For My Horses," starring Toby Keith and Ted Nugent, and "Not Forgotten", and "Brothers" recently wrapped. Las Vegas' popularity as a film location is generally attributed to its variety of "looks," from an abundance of "Midwestern" and Victorian buildings (the town has over 900 homes and building on the National Register of Historic Places - far more than any city of any size in the southwest - to traditional Hispanic southwestern, to mountains and plains, rivers and lakes.

Sponsors of the current promotional DVD are:

Melton Real Estate 505-425-6603 www.MeltonRealEstate.com "We know and love Las Vegas" (And we know the surrounding country intimately)

The Historic Plaza Hotel 505-425-3591 www.PlazaHotel-NM.com

KNMX 540-AM / SAM-FM Classic Rock www.KNMX.com

  Martha S. Martinez, Las Vegas film liaison 505-425-5669

BTU Building Materials & Rental Center 505-425-9329

New Mexico Highlands University www.NMHU.edu

The Root-Ilfeld House, a classic Las Vegas location, 1029 7th St.

Cinnafilm Inc. www.Cinnafilm.com "The most advanced film look in the world"

Eva Guggenheim, actor www.EvaGuggenheim.com

Las Vegas-San Miguel Chamber of Commerce www.LasVegasNM.org

PRESS INFORMATION: Jim Terr 505-989-9298 bluecanyon2@newmexico.com www.JimTerr.com


[the Las Vegas video is] an ode to the beauty of Las Vegas, as well as to its usefulness as a location spot. The city works for different types of films because it can be a college town, the Old West, Mexico, or even Kansas if you head toward the plains. -Santa Fe New Mexican, February 17, 2008 (full item below)

Three films at one time By Don Pace and David Giuliani
           
Las Vegas Optic (February 11, 2008)

A hot-dog stand was set up in the middle of the Plaza on Monday morning, but the vendor was picky about his customers. That’s because the stand was part of a scene in the movie “Not Forgotten.” Over the last several days, Las Vegas has been the site for the filming of three movies — “Not Forgotten,” “Brothers” and “Beer For My Horses.”

As usual, some residents talk about the economic benefits to Las Vegas of the filming, while others note the hassles in traffic and detours. Martha Martinez, chairwoman of the Las Vegas Film Commission, acknowledges that most of the film crews have out-of-town caterers. But she said businesses and residences where filming takes places are compensated. “I’ve never seen figures on economic impact,” she said.

Rick Rubio of The Music Album, which is on the Plaza, said he was unhappy with how the film companies were handling their operations. In particular, Rubio objected to how the many crew members were taking up valuable parking spots in the Plaza, giving little space for customers. Previous movies, he said, have brought in crews by bus so as to prevent that problem. Rubio also said notices about filming were posted on businesses, while previous movie crews have met with merchants personally in a spirit of cooperation. “There’s very little personal touch now,” he said.

During filming, the public has been out of the loop when it comes to advance information about locations and what streets were being blocked off. Businesses around filming locations have had notices taped to their doors, but the media have not been notified at all. KFUN radio owner Joseph Baca alluded to that fact on Monday’s “Over The Back Fence” program. “No one seems to know who the members of the film commission are; it must be a secret society,” Baca said on the air. In a later interview, Baca said, “The only information we ever got about any movie companies coming to town didn’t come from the film commission — we sought the information.

When the Coen Brothers were filming the movie “No Country for Old Men” last year and turned the overpass into a Mexican crossing, we made contact with the public relations person. He came to the station two or three times and even sent us courtesy photographs of the filming. Baca said when Hollywood comes to town, his station is flooded with calls from people looking for information. He said some people understand, but others get angry not knowing when roads are going to be blocked or what areas are affected. “We can just tell callers that whoever’s responsible is not giving us that information,” Baca said. Martinez, however, said it’s not standard practice in the industry to give public notice other than to residents and businesses directly affected. “Most films don’t do public notices,” she said.

“They don’t want to be disturbed or bombarded (with spectators).” She added it’s the Police Department’s prerogative to notify the public when there are street blockages. The production company is supposed to give notifications to surrounding businesses and residences, Martinez said. One company recently sent out four such notices, with revisions each time for scheduling changes, she said. Movie scheduling is based on actors’ needs mostly, but sometimes, the weather plays a role, she said. As for Baca’s statements, Martinez said, “Maybe he should get the information first.

He’s free to call me or call the city.” Elmer Martinez, the city’s community development director, said it was by chance that all three movies were filming this weekend in Las Vegas. He said the three had originally been scheduled at different times. He credited a number of local officials for doing a good job at coordination. “I do know there are inconveniences,” he said. He added that the benefit has been economic development, noting that hotels he called were booked. Rubio of The Music Album said the police seem to change when filming is happening. “The cops change their attitudes when they’re working for Hollywood,” he said. This go-round, with three movies rolling film at the same time, traffic was a concern for Las Vegas police in charge of traffic control.

Even though filmmaking in the Meadow City is passé for some, the commotion of the process brings out the lookie-lous, and rubbernecking can lead to some sticky situations. However, in one incident Sunday evening, a hapless driver who was trying to make his way around Plaza Park was harshly reprimanded by an officer. Cars were blocked from entering the park area from Moreno Street, and another patrol car prevented motorists from driving around the park. It was dark and no other vehicles were in sight as the car attempted a right turn from National leading to South Pacific — the usual route. A police officer yelled at the driver to stop and warned the person to follow instructions.

Deputy Police Chief Christian Montaño said the film activity is causing many people to lose concentration on their driving, so officers must make sure drivers are focusing on safety. He said officers often don’t have the ability to issue citations while directing traffic, but they will give brief admonitions. The movie companies are compensating the Police Department for officers who are directing traffic around filming, police said.

“Our attitude doesn’t change when Hollywood comes in. Our officers have to have a heightened sense of safety,” Montaño said. “Not Forgotten,” starring Paz Vega and Simon Baker, is expected to end filming in the Plaza today. “Beer for My Horses,” starring Toby Keith, notified businesses that it would end its local filming Monday. “Brothers,” starring Tobey Maguire and Jake Gyllenhaal, left during the weekend.


• • • Beer for My Horses also will be filming in the Las Vegas, N.M., area, one of three films to be shooting in the Meadow City recently. Native Las Vegan Jim Terr points out that in addition to Horses, Not Forgotten and Brothers also filmed in Vegas in the past few months. He has put together an updated DVD of his 8-minute 1992 film, Las Vegas, New Mexico, America's Oldest Film Location, to be sent out to more than 75 film companies. It's an ode to the beauty of Las Vegas, as well as to its usefulness as a location spot. The city works for different types of films because it can be a college town, the Old West, Mexico, or even Kansas if you head toward the plains.
        Right now, Las Vegas is waiting to see how No Country for Old Men fares in the Oscars later this month. A Best Picture nominee, No Country involved many townspeople and locations, and even included a New Mexico premiere for the film.
      As much fun as that was for the town, nothing today can beat the joy back in the '70s when Ernest Borgnine, Kris Kristofferson and Ali MacGraw descended on the town for the filming of Convoy. Directed by the legendary Sam Peckinpah, that was a movie. • • •
         -Santa Fe New Mexican "El Mitote" column



The state's capital of Santa Fe, once the center of production, is small and quaint, boasting three Western sets/towns plus Las Golondrinas (a living museum that doubles as a Mexican village). Near Santa Fe is Las Vegas, N.M. (a double for the Midwest and period settings from turn of the century through the '50s), as well as Georgia O'Keeffe's home, Ghost Ranch. full article in VARIETY


Las Vegas mentioned in New York Times July 2, 2008

Recently, Lionsgate and the director Frank Miller shot "Will Eisner's The Spirit" in Albuquerque. "No Country for Old Men," which won last year's best picture Oscar, was filmed near Las Vegas, N.M., and elsewhere in the state. Those and other projects have brought about $1.8 billion in entertainment-related spending to New Mexico in the last five years, according to Eric Witt, director of the governor's entertainment development effort.

 

Las Vegas hosts "No Country for Old Men" premiere!

 


Amazing book about Las Vegas' WILD history

by Howard Bryan