A story that ran last week in Puerto Rico's Primera Hora mentions how a merengue-loving resident of Puerta de Tierra had to be shushed during filming of the George Clooney-Ewan McGregor flick "Men Who Stare at Goats," based on a bizarre (and real) Army unit that claims to use paranormal weapons.
S/he was told the sound was disrupting the scene because "no one listens to merengue in Irak."
Aside from the incredible idea that Old San Juan can stand in for wartime Iraq, the production assistant was factually wrong. There is a lot of merengue and bachata and reggaetón in Iraq, in the mp3 players of Dominican-American soldiers (the DR retired its troops from Irak in 2004). The latest Dominican-American killed there was Sgt. Ricky Ulloa in August. There are dozens of others.
[h/t to Jorge for the story. Pix of Clooney on set from Primera Hora by Ana María Abruña]
Hey, at least they didn't spell it "meringue" like a piece in New York magazine's 40th anniversary issue did.
Posted by: Kiko Jones | October 17, 2008 at 04:35 AM
I believe they're filming in Bayamon and Comerio, not Old San Juan. I'm not sure of the neighborhood--but apparently they've changed street signs to Arabic, etc.
Posted by: Mare Diaz | October 21, 2008 at 09:02 PM
I was going by the article, which said they were filming in Puerta del Cielo, which according to GoogleMaps is (roughly) in Old San Juan. But I don't know San Juan so well. Maybe they have another set?
Posted by: Caro | October 22, 2008 at 11:18 AM