Boston Area Construction Vendors

Your production office probably has these companies on file, but it's always worth knowing who can do what in the Boston area. This list is primarily geared towards construction/grips/spfx departments:

Backstage Hardware & Theater Supply

617-330-1422

21 Drydock Ave #1

Boston MA 02210

(wire spools, gaffer tape, fog machine fluid)

Burnett & Moynihan Lumber

781-284-0055

43 Foster St

Revere, MA 02151

(lumber, homosote, rubber roofing)

Cahill Design

617-737-3232

800-626-1127

21 Dry Dock Ave

Boston MA 02210

(mannequin busts, wardrobe supplies)

Ferguson

Street: 121 North Beacon Street

Brighton, ma 02135-2008

Phone: (617) 562-5146

Fax: (617) 562-5191

(plumbing supplies, pipe fittings)

Grainger

617-541-0400

1 Harbor St #2

South Boston

(tools, etc.)

High Output

781-364-1841

495 Turnpike St

Canton, MA 02021

(expendibles)

MARR

617 - 269 - 7200

1 D Street

South Boston, MA 02127

(forklifts, cranes)

NES

617-268-3000

346 D Street

South Boston, MA 02127

(forklifts, gators, equipment)

Rent All

978-744-4600

475 Highland Ave

Salem, MA 01970

(small equipment rental)

St. Pierre Manufacturing

508-853-8010

317 E. Mountain St.

Worcester, MA 01606

(ropes, chains, fire ladders, cable)

Tolman MFG

617-268-1025

fx: 617-268-1029

61 Dorcester Ave

Boston, MA 02127

(methane, welding gases)

United Rentals (Boston)

617 - 445 - 6700

133 South Hampton St

(lifts, small machine rentals)

United Staging

781-821-3092

96 Commerce Way

Woburn, MA 01801

(truss, expendibles)

Review: What Doesn't Kill You (2008)

"What Doesn't Kill You" aka Real Men Cry was shot in Southie and Brighton at the end of 2007. It was produced by the now bankrupted Yari Film Group, and went straight to DVD in 2008.

It's your quintessential cliche Boston flick: A Irish-American kid from South Boston struggles to do the right thing. He has a wise-cracking, streetsmart friend. He gets in a brawl or starts a life of crime. He becomes estranged from his loved ones. He finds redemption. Everybody has quasi-Southie accent. Haven't I seen this before? (Good Will Hunting/Boondock Saints/The Departed/Southie)

Oh, this one's based on a true story? A local guy wrote it? Fine. We're sorry we called it cliche then.

"What Doesn't Kill You" could have been a decent movie. It's gritty and has pretty good performances... but it's not enough to rescue the film from bad editing. There's no rhythm or suspense here. It's hard to follow the plot the way it abruptly jumps from scene to scene, until you get the following audience exchange:

"What the hell is going on?"

"I don't know and I don't really care anymore."

The crew worked their asses off in cold and snow to make this film. "What Doesn't Kill You" had the additional challenge of filming during the 2007 writers strike. Perhaps a few draft revisions would have saved things. We'll never know.

Final Score = D

Review: Paul Blart: Mall Cop (2009)

If anyone ever wondered about that time the Burlington Mall still had its Christmas displays up in April, your answer is "Paul Blart: Mall Cop."

"Paul Blart: Mall Cop" shot here in spring 2008, and went into theaters in early 2009 (oddly skipping the Christmas season in which it is set). The local premier was held for crew members at The Museum of Fine Arts Boston. Fine art, this film is not. It did, however, go on to win the box office its opening weekend. Well done.

We here have mixed feelings about "Paul Blart: Mall Cop." To anybody over age 10, this is a terrible movie. It is stupid and predictable: The everyman against all odds. Slapstick comedy ensues. He gets the girl. He saves the day. There's a montage.

You know what a great pitch line for this might have been?

"A fat guy with a creepy moustache battles skate boarding ninjas... in a mall!"

See? Sounds kinda cool now. Hipsters would go see it... ironically, of course. Actually, we can't completely hate on this film. It's a kids movie. A mediocre one, but it could be worse.

If behind the scenes crew videos leaked to Youtube are an indicator, the film crew had a lot of fun making this: Mall Squad!

Makes up for the crappy work hours. They started shooting every night after the mall closed and shot until morning when the mall reopened. Basically nobody had a social life while making this film. Kinda appropriate, considering the main character.

"Paul Blart: Mall Cop" is a bland kid's action movie (with a heart of gold!). Everyone we heard from said that Kevin James is a nice guy, so extra points for that. Overall though, we wouldn't watch this again.

Final Score = C