True Blood helps make Shreveport a hotbed of moviemaking

By HARRY SHATTUCK Houston Chronicle
SHREVEPORT, La. – Kevin Costner and Ashton Kutcher in The Guardian. Costner and Demi Moore in Mr. Brooks. Josh Brolin in Oliver Stone's W. Ice Cube in The Longshots.

During the past two years, about 40 movie and TV projects have been filmed in and around Shreveport.

Upcoming movies filmed here include Three Stories About Joan with Bruce Willis and Owen Wilson, Beyond a Reasonable Doubt with Michael Douglas and Amber Tamblyn and The Year One with Jack Black.

A must-stop for film buffs is the $4.7 million Robinson Film Center, opened last summer in downtown Shreveport. Directors use the facility to view "dailies," and the public congregates in intimate theaters to see classics, documentaries and independent and foreign films. Friday night Freak-Outs feature horror movies. Tours can be arranged by appointment. Periodic Q&A sessions are scheduled.

The center also includes exhibits of Harry Potter and James Bond memorabilia.

One tip: Time your visit for lunch or dinner at the center's Abby Singer Bistro. We enjoyed a delectable roasted-tomato gazpacho, a lobster risotto salad and a spicy Thai burger (sweet chile sauce, cilantro, ginger, garlic and sriracha). I was tempted, too, by the bistro's X-Boyfriend and Bushwacker martinis, but it was only noon.

Shreveport-Bossier City tourism: 1-888-458-4748; www.shreveport-bossier.org.

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