“Waking Dreams” Gets Closer to Reality
Crew in Second Week of Filming at Locations around Odessa
By Elizabeth York
Photos by Kevin Buehler
Odessa American
Thursday, October 20, 2005

In their second week of production, “Waking Dreams” cast and crew members say Odessa is a perfect setting for their film. The crew took advantage of a West Texas Original Tuesday by filming at Pee Wee Dalton’s Boots. Complete with a giant cow skull on the outside and rows of cowboy hats and boots on the inside, Pee Wee’s was the ideal location for a scene set in the fictional town of Benson, Texas. Deepika Daggubati, writer and director, re-wrote part of the script after seeing Pee Wee’s.

The store will be the setting for a comedic scene, Daggubati swaid. After finding out one of the actresses does rope tricks, Daggubati decided to include that as well. “Pretty much we’re to the script,” Daggubati said. “What’s amazing is what the actors bring --- personality and character.”

Jack Mousa, the owner of the boot shop who also answers to the name Pee Wee Dalton, said that he opened the store specifically for the film crew to use. It’s not the first time Dalton’s sprawling store with a stuffed buffalo and plenty of Texas character has been in a movie. Tommy Lee Jones filmed a scene at Pee Wee’s during the summer for the movie “Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada.” That film will be released February 3, 2006.

The laid back atmosphere of Odessa is more conducive to the film’s characters, said Alison Paul, who plays a sarcastic sidekick to the lead character. Paul, a native of Kansas City, MO, found a venue for her rope tricks in the film. Paul said that being in Odessa is a vacation from the stress of city life. “In L.A. there’s this constant energy,” Paul said. “In a town like this, you breathe. It’s a different feeling.”

Maurizio Caine, who plays video game genius “Ashwin” in the film, said that Odessa is a good locale for the film. “Being on location is as good as it can get,” Caine said. “The people here are so nice, so generous.”

Several Odessans seized the opportunity to be extras in the scene at Pee Wee’s. Marshall Lowe and Michael Goodwin said they thought it would be fun to be in the film. Patrick Lynch said that a friend in the crew called and asked if they would act as customers in the store. “I was pretty excited,” Lynch said. “I’ve never been in a movie before.”

Odessans’ excitement is something new for Caine. “In L.A., this happens every day. People here are interested.”

Producer Kalyan Vindhya said that apart from some weather setbacks, filming has gone as planned. “Everything’s going well. We are moving forward.”