SHOOTING STARS: It’s ‘Greek’ to cast and crew of ‘Sarah Marshall’ spinoff

  Another year, another cinematic Vegas spree.
  From 2007: “Knocked Up.” From 2008: “What Happens in Vegas.” Coming to theaters next month: “The Hangover.”
  And scheduled to arrive in April 2010: “Get Him to the Greek,” the latest entry in this emerging genre, which begins a five-day shoot Tuesday in Pair-a-dice.
  The “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” spinoff stars Jonah Hill as a record-company intern desperately trying to escort off-the-wagon rock star Aldous Snow (Russell Brand) from London to L.A.’s Greek Theatre — via New York and Las Vegas.
  “It was easier” to make the movie a “Sarah Marshall” spinoff than to create new characters, jokes “Greek” writer-director Nicholas Stoller, who made his directorial debut with the 2008 comedy. “We thought we would own our own laziness.”
  But seriously, folks, Las Vegas proved a natural stop for a cross-country rock star romp. Rounding out the starring cast for the Vegas leg of the trip: Sean “P. Diddy” Combs and Colm Meaney, whose credits include the 1997 made-in-Vegas action workout “Con Air.”
   Las Vegas “is certainly the ultimate American city,” Stoller observes, describing it as “a really fun kind of nightclub-filled” location.
  Headquartered at Planet Hollywood, “Greek’s” locations range from Caesars Palace’s Pure nightclub to the Plaza’s Dome Ultra Sports Lounge and “Rat Pack Is Back” show, essentially combining old and new Vegas, Stoller notes.
  The production never considered trying to fake Vegas, however.
  “We really wanted to shoot in a real place,” the director explains, because “you subconsciously notice” otherwise.
  And while a super-fantasy hotel suite, inspired by those at the Palms and Planet Hollywood, will be built on a soundstage for ease of filming, Stoller says, “whatever we build, I’m sure there’s something bigger and crazier in Las Vegas.”
  ‘Swap’ thing: The ABC series “Wife Swap” continues a scheduled nine-day visit this week with the Fulco family.
  The shoot was expected to kick off over the weekend at the 30th annual San Gennaro Feast, where the musical Fulcos — mom Vanessa, father Joey, 12-year-old daughter Joei and son Jesse — were expected to perform.
  Vanessa Fulco is switching places with another family’s mother, who’s presumably in town this week adjusting to life at the Fulco home.
  Extreme X-Scream: Riding the X-Scream at the top of the Stratosphere is hardly for the faint of heart. Neither is maintaining the ride, as National Geographic Television’s “World’s Toughest Fixes” discovers this week, filming a segment with an episode featuring high-access engineering— and Reno-based industry pioneers Skala.
  “They do most of their employee training at Hoover Dam, which is really the birthplace of rope access work,” explains associate producer Molly Tait.
  During the show, “Toughest Fixes” host Sean Riley will be “thrown in as a rookie among the thrill-seeking Skala boys,” Tait adds, noting that Skala employees have done everything from weld corroded beam connections at the summit of Seattle’s Space Needle to replace light fixtures atop Dallas’ Reunion Tower.
  At the Stratosphere, “Riley will be walking the plank, so to speak, when he and the ride engineers replace the bumper that keeps the X-Scream car from actually plummeting to the pavement,” Tait e-mails. The annual maintenance “is not only visual but a daredevil job that will happen in the middle of the night,” so the ride can resume scaring riders at 10 the next morning.
  Part of the show’s second season, the episode probably will air in late fall, according to Tait.
  Short ‘Takes’: An encounter between a businessman and a homeless man inspires “Whatever It Takes,” a short film from locally based producers Troy Pavuk and Bryan Weirsma and director Michael Tushaus.
  The shoot, expected to begin Saturday, will be filmed “mostly up and down" Buffalo Drive, Pavuk explains. “It’s a nice cross-section of Las Vegas,” reflecting “a wide palette” of neighborhoods, from prosperous to troubled.
  Which makes sense, because the homeless character’s home was a foreclosure, according to Pavuk. “It does speak to the truth that is Vegas.”
  Game on: A locally produced game show, featuring celebrities, celebrity impersonators, tourists and contestants, shoots at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Gold Coast, with Marty Allen and Robin Leach as guests. Hillary Crouse plays a pit boss in the project, according to host and producer Stephen Sorrentino, who’s teaming with local Brian Meyer and Avenger Productions.

  Meeting of minds: The Nevada Film Alliance, a consortium organizing to promote the state’s film industry, will hold a mixer next week to discuss a statewide film festival and plans for a demonstration reel that will showcase Silver State filmmaking talent.
  The mixer will be at 7 p.m. May 22 at Sierra Gold, 6515 S. Jones Blvd., but founder Marko Sakren needs RSVPs by this Friday; RSVP at www.nevadafilmalliance.org.
 The alliance includes “everybody from pros to students,” filmmaker Sakren explains. “We’re all about setting standards and promoting the best of the best.”