January 2003 The Fast & The Furious II : Set Visit

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by Monikka Stallworth The Fast & The Furious II : Set Visit What is a vacation really? It’s planning, it’s saving, it’s scheduling, it’s organizing, it’s requesting those few precious days away from the office and possibly upsetting your tight-wad boss. It’s downright nerve-racking is what it is. And then, once you arrive at your destination, it usually entails a whole lot of spending, spending and then, more spending, right? But not if you’re an entertainment reporter! For these lucky folks, a vacation can be what’s known as a “set visit”. Now, some will act blasé about these and other perks that come with the job, but not me. No sir-eee-bob. In November, I, along with a few other members of the press, was sent to the set of Universal Pictures’ The Fast and the Furious 2. This being my first official out of town “set visit,” it couldn’t have been sweeter. Palm trees, tropical breezes, sandy beaches, Cuban cuisine and Mojitos galore. Yep - The Fast and the Furious 2 was shooting in Miami! No need to front - I packed three bikinis, arrived a day early and left a day late. Now that’s a vacation. So, about this film…The Fast and the Furious 2 - They’ve probably wrapped by now. From what I understand, they had been shooting through out the summer and were nearing their final days when we arrived in mid-November. Watching from the sidelines, it was apparent that the cast and crew had obviously bonded. Comfortable, smiling, hugging and laughing, the vibe was reminiscent of summer camp. I wonder if any tears were shed on the final day of shooting. The energy of the set is usually attributed to the director and it just so happens that Oscar-nominated director John Singleton is shooting the sequel. He’s working with his largest budget to date, along with a cast that includes returning star Paul Walker from the original Fast and the Furious, as well as Tyrese, Eva Mendes and Ludacris. It’s the first time this esteemed and oftentimes controversial director has worked on a mega-budget, main stream studio film. And he seems delighted. “I’ve never been in this position. I’m not wearing so many hats this time around,” says John. “I’m not writing, I’m not producing – I’m just directing, so all I have to do is concentrate on being creative and directing the picture. I’ve always had to do everything so, this great for me.”   For those of you more radical readers, the ones gritting their teeth and seething, saying to themselves, “John is crossing over and now he’s crossing us out! I knew it.” Chill shorteez. John has represented lovely, i.e. Boyz in the Hood, Rosewood, Baby Boy, etc…He’s entitled to spread his wings, plus as John so unwaveringly put it “I’m a black man, so everything I do is channeled through the heart and soul of who I am. [Fast & Furious 2] is a big, main stream movie but it’s got a lot of flavor in it. It’s a multi-ethnic film. And in my last movie (Baby Boy), I really put it down for the hood, so I had to do something really main stream. And I’m doing what I’m really interested in doing. I can direct any genre of film and I want to explore different worlds in cinema. It’s fun for me and that’s what makes it exciting for me.” So put that in your pipe. Our first afternoon, we hung around for a couple of hours on a set full of big-tired colorful trucks, “monster-trucks” I think they’re called. We waited and waited in order to observe a car-racing stunt that I hoped would involve either a massive crash or maybe a truck flipping through the air into an explosive landing. You know, something Dukes of Hazard-ish. Bring on the action! I was ready – even brought along my new camera. But that never happened. Instead, we watched five trucks move forward towards a camera at about 10 miles per hour, almost up a ramp and come to a stop before reversing and doing the same thing about six or seven times. Turns out, they were rehearsing, so when the truck finally rode up the ramp all the way and landed with a thud on top of the car beneath, it was anything but “high-action”. Anyone that knew me in college knows that I had my fair share of fender benders, so the baby crash we observed that day was a serious let down. But, with a little bit of movie magic, I know that the scene we observed will come off quite cool in the theaters. That evening, Miami turned unseasonably cold nearing 50 degrees - burrrr. Bundled up beneath the craft services tent, we chatted with John Singleton, Tyrese, Paul Walker and Ludacris before being ushered off to set. The highlight of which was drooling over, I mean observing Paul Walker, with his dreamy surfer good looks and Tyrese with his chiseled visage (no man needs skin that smooth) exchange a few words with the “bad guys”. It’s too bad Vin Diesel decided not to come back for the sequel. Paul Walker laments,“ I can’t help but think that he’s gonna feel like he missed out when he sees it.” I know what you mean Paul…sipping a Mojito or two with Vin would have really put the “V” in my vacation. Look for The Fast & The Furious 2 in theaters near you this summer.