Today’s visit to the Straw Dogs interior sound-stage set in downtown Shreveport, Louisiana was a fascinating burrow; ditto visiting the exterior of the farmhouse, located in the fictional Mississippi town of Blackwater, that David and Amy Sumner (James Marsden, Kate Bosworth) move into, live in and then, during the third act, defend in a violent siege by five locals (James Woods, Alexander Skarsgard, Drew Powell, Rhys Coiro, Billy Lush). Except I’m not allowed to write about anything except in a general way, so here’s some aroma & atmosphere.


Straw Dogs stars Kate Bosworth, James Marsden on Shreveport sound stage — Friday, 10.2.09, 4:40 pm.

Exterior of Straw Dogs Sumner house on outskirts of Shreveport — Friday, 10.2.09, 11:25 am

Straw Dogs local yokel bad guys (l. to r.) Billy Lush, Drew Powell, Rhys Coiro and Alexander Skarsgard — Friday, 10.2.09, 5:45 pm.

Red River adjacent to Sumner house — Friday, 10.2.09, 11:20 am

Copy of original Criterion DVD of Sam Peckinpah’s Straw Dogs, sitting in office of director-writer Rod Lurie — Friday, 10.2.09, 4:15 pm.