SHOOTING STARS: Eddie Griffin goes for broke
But Eddie Griffin’s an exception.
The actor and comedian, TV’s latest “celebreality” star, visits Vegas this week for the upcoming VH1 series “Eddie Griffin: Going for Broke,” which charts Griffin’s attempts to balance his professional and family lives. (It’s from the same folks who also brought you A&E’s “Gene Simmons Family Jewels.”).
In addition to the obligatory on-the-Strip shots, “Going for Broke” will follow Griffin into Planet Hollywood, reportedly for a business meeting as well as the usual Vegas diversions.
The eight-episode series is scheduled to debut next year.
Local motion: A pair of locally produced features keep rolling this week, with one of them approaching the end of the line.
For “Thor at the Bus Stop,” it’s now or never.
The “mythical comedy” — which finds the Norse god of thunder on a life-changing journey — is scheduled for its final weekends-only shoot Saturday and Sunday in northwest Las Vegas neighborhoods, reports May May Luong, one of the movie’s producers.
The production’s hoping to make the rough-cut submission deadline for the annual Sundance film festival on Sept. 22, so the filmmakers have been “editing as we go,” Luong notes; they’ve already cut about 45 minutes of the feature-length indie.
Meanwhile, the comedy “Blended” continues its September shoot, which is scheduled to go for at least another week, according to writer-director Ronda Baldwin-Kennedy.
The multicultural wedding comedy focuses on the clash between the fathers of a bride and groom: The bride’s dad is a former Black Panther turned defense attorney, the groom’s papa is proudly Polish — and an ex-police chief.
Channeling travel: The Travel Channel’s upcoming six-part “Vegas Revolution” series continues production, with Bellagio among the week’s scheduled stops.
In addition to exploring the casino’s Gallery of Fine Art, “Vegas Revolution” cameras also will be on hand to document the conservatory’s weeklong switch from a summer to autumn theme.
Directory deadline: The transition from 2008 to 2009 might be months away — but not for the 2009 edition of the Nevada Film Office’s annual production directory. The handy-dandy guide lists industry services, from accommodations to wranglers, for visiting productions.
The submission deadline is Sept. 26; for information on ad rates or other questions, call production manager Ed Harran at 486-2711. Or check online at www.nevadafilm.com for the media kit and order forms.
Future shock: The Sci-Fi Channel’s “Stargate: Atlantis” plans to blast off for Las Vegas at the end of the month; as always, stay tuned to Shooting Stars for complete details …
