Castel Films' Studios are actually
located near a small village called
Snagov, about a 25-minute ride
from Northern Bucharest (where
the Sofitel is). Snagov is notable for
being the burial place of Prince
Vlad Tepes [pronounced te-PEZH],
also known as Dracula. He's
reportedly buried under this
Monastery (left) on a small island
on Lake Snagov. The old
Transylvanian people believed that
the dead couldn't cross running
water, so they buried him here, and
put a church over it. Not that they
necessarily believed he was a
vampire...they just weren't taking
any chances. Other unruly
peasants destroyed Vlad's
principle palace in the Alges Valley,
further North into the Carpathian
mountains.
(left) the castle set for the film
"Beowulf", starring Christopher
Lambert
(right) a lonely grip walks the
street on the western back lot
area
(left) looking toward an old set and into the
forest behind the studio wall. Those aren't
frozen leaves on the trees, it's the fog from
the night before that crystallized onto the
bare branches. Yup, it has to get pretty cold
to do that!
(right) Greetings from little Amerika! No, it's not that faux
town in Siberia, where the Russians used to train spies.
Actually, it's a cul-de-sac (snowed over) with a piece of
an all-American suburban neighborhood, on the Castel
back lot. The smoke behind the middle house is coming
from the studio sawmill behind it. When they need wood
to build a set, they send a couple of burly Romanians into
the forest to chop some down, and build everything right
there.
(left) How's that for respect? At Castel, they
remember every actor who's ever played a
principal role for them, by stenciling their
name onto one of many sound stage walls.
They do the same for directors, DP's, and art
directors. Hmmm...I think I'm going to start
doing that...
(right) Relaxing after wrapping for the day.
(left to right) Romanian actor Vitalie,
Canadian Brigitta Dau, Robert's girlfriend
(name?), Robert, and American Stephen
Blackehart (yours truly), from the cast of
"Retro Puppet Master".


(right) some of the sound stages in the distance, as
seen from the makeup and dressing facilities. To the far
right, you can see part of a plane that had been used on
a recent film, and behind it, the edge of the western
back lot.