Posted 12 October 07

We have today posted the last of the major text revisions to FindingBrokeback.com based on material we collected during our July trip to Canada. In the coming week, look for new text and pictures for six more BBM movie locations that we have found. In addition, before the end of October, we will be adding a new feature, “Deleted Scenes,” showing scenes and locations that were filmed but not included in the motion picture. Please check our Site History for information about these updates as we make them.

Posted 20 September 07

Since our annoucement of 2 August 07, we have been busy processing the mountain of new material we acquired during our July trip to Canada. In a few days, we will begin posting revised text throughout FindingBrokeback.com, including updated directions, remarks, and in some cases, GPS data. Once these revisions are posted, we will begin adding new location pictures, albums and videos. Please check our Site History for information about these updates as we make them.

Posted 2 August 07

We are back from Canada with a mountain of new material ... thousands of pictures, dozens of videos, and more interviews. And we have found more BBM movie locations! Please be patient with us as we add this new material to FindingBrokeback.com ... it will take us weeks and months to process it all. This new material will be included in the 3rd PDF edition of this website. We hope to have the 3rd edition available before the end of 2007 ... just in time for people planning to visit BBM movie locations in 2008!

Posted 20 July 07

We are off to Canada (again) to re-visit more BBM movie locations! Please see our Site History for a complete list of the additions and changes made to FindingBrokeback.com since our announcement of 19 June 07.

Posted 19 June 07

Several contributors to FindingBrokeback.com have recently spent a few weeks re-visiting BBM movie locations in Alberta, Canada. During the coming weeks, we will be updating our travel directions and adding new pictures and videos. Please check our Site History for information about these updates as we make them. If you are planning on visiting Campsite #2, take a look at the new "Hike to Campsite #2" pictures in our Albums link!

Posted 31 May 07

Among the challenges faced by the filmmakers in transporting "Texas to Alberta" was the Childress Dance Hall Interior. After some searching, Calgary's Canadian Legion Hall was selected to fill that bill. You can take a look at what the Canadian Legion Hall looked like before the set dressers did their magic by clicking "Legion Hall" in our Albums link. You can also take a glimpse at what the Divorce Cabin looked like before the filmmakers restored it (!) by clicking "Divorce Cabin" in our Video link.

Posted 15 May 07

Assistant Director Michael Hausman was responsible for bringing Brokeback Mountain in "on budget."  One way to do that was to minimize the number of different areas in which the film was shot.  Charming Fort Macleod, an Alberta railroad town with a "lost in time" quality to it, readily served as the site of the Laundry Apartment, the Fireworks Scene, the Divorce Court, Cassie's Bar, and the Bus Station Café.

We are pleased to share a unique collection of pre-production photos made by the filmmakers in April of 2004 as they hunted for Brokeback filming locations in Fort Macleod. Look for "Streets of Fort Macleod" in our Albums link.

Posted 17 April 07

Photographs of Rockyford, AB, taken in the spring of 2004, were used by the filmmakers in planning the "Childress" Rodeo, Dance Hall exterior, and the "Riverton" Post Office scenes. You can find these photos in our Albums link; look for Rockyford, AB / Pre-Production photos.

John Cooper, website designer and former Rockyford resident, created a website devoted solely to Rockyford. His site contains much information about the Village of Rockyford not available anywhere else on the Internet. Thanks to John, we are able to include his website on FindingBrokeback.com; you can visit John's Rockyford website site here.

Finally, if you are planning on being in Alberta this summer, you might want to make time to attend the Rockyford Lions Club Rodeo. According to John, who was once a rodeo bull rider, it is "well run and well worth seeing." This year, the rodeo starts with a Friday night beer garden on 27 July; the rodeo events, which include saddle bronc, and bull riding, take place on 28 & 29 July.

Posted 4 April 07

Our “Videos” section makes its debut today with two brief panoramic videos:  Campsite #2, located in Spray Valley Provincial Park, south of Canmore, AB, and the site of Jack’s Murder at Conrich, AB, near Calgary.  These videos, shot and narrated by Brokeback Truck owner Rob Freeman, allow you to stand where the filmmakers stood and “look around” for yourself.  We intend to post other short video clips in the months ahead.

Posted 23 March 07

The Laundry Apartment is an essential element of the Brokeback Story.  Unlike Ennis’s other living quarters (the tents, the Lonesome Ranch, the Divorce Cabin, and the Trailer), this was a very public place, subject to the observations of townspeople and the suspicions that came with it.  Ennis’s commitment to Alma and his efforts to ward off the conflict that had already begun to destroy him are demonstrated by his attempt to live in this "fishbowl" of a place.

As the filmmakers searched for a Laundry Apartment with the needed features (walk-up unit, parking lot, steps) they happened upon a "perfect" location in Fort Macleod .  You can find a set of original scouting photos showing the Laundry Apartment as Ang Lee first saw it in 2004 in our Albums link. Look for the Laundry Apartment Pre Production Photos.

Posted 8 March 07

The Lonesome Ranch!  The filmmakers were asked to find "[A] little house that looks like it sits on the edge of the world.  Windy, bitter cold."  After considerable searching, they found their Lonesome Ranch ten miles from the one-light town of Claresholm, AB.

Photos taken in 2004 show the Lonesome Ranch before the set dressers did their magic in preparation for Michelle Williams’ portrayal of Alma (and Alma’s portrayal of Jack)! Look for these pre-production photos in our Albums link.

Posted 23 February 07

Although the tiny town of Dinton, AB does not appear on most maps, it now occupies a place in motion picture history. Locations Manager Darryl Solly was asked to find a "small unadorned church" for the del Mar wedding scene. The unassuming Anglican chapel at Dinton, built by prairie pioneers in 1906, was the perfect spot for Alma and Ennis to say their "I dos." Look for the pre-production photos of St. Thomas' Church in our Albums link.

UPDATE: 18 March 07 - The panorama photos in this album have been resized to show more detail. Please revisit this album to see these additional pictures.

Posted 10 February 07

Fort Macleod, AB businessman Harley Brown photographed the transformation of his electronics store and walk-up apartment to the site of the most electrifying kiss ever seen on film. His photos document some of the magic worked by the filmmakers as the Apartment and Steps were prepared for their rightful place in motion picture history! We are indebted to Mr. Brown for allowing us to share his photos with visitors to FindingBrokeback.com. Look for his photos in our Albums link.

Posted 30 January 07

Thanks to our good friends at BetterMost.net, we have secured permission to bring you a revealing interview with Pierre Tremblay, Brokeback Mountain's First Assistant Director. In it, he describes the way responsibilities were delegated among the filmmakers. Tremblay also shares some fascinating behind-the-scenes details that will be of special interest to FindingBrokeback visitors. Look for Pierre Tremblay in our Interviews link.

Posted 21 January 07

On 9 January, we posted some 50 pre-production location photos of Moose Mountain. Today, we are posting the remaining photos from that shoot. Upon seeing these stark images of the barren mountaintop, Executive Producer Michael Hausman nervously asked "will there be grass up there by summer?" After all, the sheep were supposed to be grazing! Although the summit (where the fire lookout station is located) is nothing but rocks year-round, the Moose Meadows, site of the memorable "I Ain't Queer" and High Ridge scenes, were green and grassy by the time these scenes were filmed in July '04. We hope you enjoy these photos. Look for the Moose Mtn. #2 photos in our Albums link.

Posted 9 January 07

In the spring of 2004, a brave soul was sent on a snowmobile to photograph potential Moose Mountain filming locations. The photos he brought back are the ones Ang Lee saw and used to plan parts of the sheep procession, the "I Ain't Queer," and the High Ridge scenes. The fact that Lee was able to find in these photos sites which so perfectly convey the solitude, vastness, and harshness audiences experienced "up on Brokeback," is yet further testament to Lee's genius. We are happy to share these never before publicly seen photos with you. Look for the Moose Mtn. #1 photos in our Albums link.

Posted 30 December 06

Our maps, which show Brokeback Mountain movie locations grouped into regions and areas, have been lacking in at least one respect: it has not been possible to use them to see exactly where particular sites are located. Until now! We have revised our maps using our accumulated GPS data to plot Brokeback movie locations with "pinpoint" precision. While doing this, we have also found a few errors, which we have corrected. You can find these new maps in our Geographic Locations link. Also, we have added a supplement to our site PDFs which includes these new maps and complete lists of Brokeback movie locations by region. You can find this supplement in our Downloads link.

Posted 27 December 06

On 30 December (Saturday), we will be updating our Geographic Locations link. If you see "404 Not Found" errors, or "broken pictures," clicking the "Refresh" button on your browser should fix them. We regret any inconvenience this may cause.

Posted 18 December 06

Las Vegan Paul Carson has relentlessly searched the U.S.A. and Canada for Brokeback production memorabilia, racking up over 7,800 miles during the course of three trips. He has also compiled a vast library of Brokeback articles and commentaries. Among Paul's expansive collection are props used in the making of the film, as well as photos of Brokeback sets. Other photos in his collection document the filmmaking process. During Paul's last trip, in late October, he took a number of pictures showing the snows which then draped Alberta's mountains.

You can find pictures of Paul's memorabilia and other photos in our Albums link; look for "Carson Collection," and "Paul Carson Travel Photos." His stunning photo of Upper Kananaskis Lake ("I did once") is available in our Downloads link; it makes lovely "wallpaper." We hope you enjoy these photographs and we thank Paul for sharing them with us.

Posted 28 November 06

Brokeback aficionado and photography buff Paul Peterson toured southern Alberta this past summer. He has a great eye for natural beauty and he encountered outstanding weather. Paul's photos include some familiar settings, as well as some stunning places you may not have not seen before. You can find Paul's remarkable photos in the Albums link. You can also see Paul's photos as "motion slide shows," with music from the BBM motion picture soundtrack, on YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rldGu6cIMuE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BIBgKHNH3ec

Finally, for many of us, the story of how Brokeback Mountain was made helps us to understand and appreciate the film all the more.  Rob Freeman, who has contributed to this website in so many generous ways, has now shared with us his illuminating interviews with Tom Benz and Alfie Creighton, both of whom had "hands on" roles in making the movie.  You can find these fascinating accounts in the Interviews link.

Posted 8 November 06

Most visitors to FindingBrokeback.com enjoy exploring one Brokeback Mountain site at a time. Enterprising "MarkC", known to all who follow the Cullen French language Forum, is a great photographer who recently spent three weeks in Alberta, meticulously documenting filming locations. He has shared with us nearly 150 photographs that he carefully assembled into a "timeline" that mirrors the scenes in the DVD. You can find his photographs in the Albums link.

Posted 1 November 06

We have today added a new "Search" feature to FindingBrokeback.com. As this website has grown, finding references to particular people and movie locations can be difficult.. The Search feature allows visitors to find most anything easily and quickly. For more information, look for Search in "How to Navigate."

Posted 30 October 06

We have today posted the 2nd PDF Edition of FindingBrokeback.com. This edition has more pictures and more text than the 1st Edition, and of course, all the corrections that we have accumulated since posting the 1st Edition; also, the 2nd PDF Edition has larger type, and a more consistent look than the 1st Edition. If you are thinking of visiting any of the BBM film locations in '07, this is THE edition you must have to plan your trip! You can find the 2nd PDF Edition in "Downloads."

Posted 15 October 06

We have today added a new "Albums" feature to FindingBrokeback.com. Many people have generously given us their own photos of various BBM movie locations. The photos we have posted today are just a small sample of the many hundreds we will be posting in the coming months! For more information, look for Albums in "How to Navigate" and in "Photo Notes."

Posted 3 October 06

A PDF version of Darryl Solly's complete two part locations interview has been added to "Downloads."

Posted 27 September 06

Visitors to this website can expect to see a number of new things here during October! First, we have begun work on the PDF version of Darryl Solly's great two part locations interview; we hope to have it available for download in early October. Also, we will be adding a new feature -- Photo Albums. Various people have generously given us pictures of BBM locations, before, during, and after filming; many of these pictures are amazing! We will be adding the first of these photo albums around the middle of October. Finally, we hope to have the 2nd PDF Edition of this website available for download around the end of October. If you are thinking of visiting any of the BBM film locations in '07, this will be THE edition you must have to plan your trip!

Posted 20 September 06

We were honored when Brokeback Mountain Locations Manager Darryl Solly graciously agreed to be interviewed by us. From his offices in Calgary, AB, Solly spoke with Jim Bond, Rob Freeman, and Steve Gin on 27 July 2006. Part 1 of his interview was posted here on 7 September. Part 2 is posted today.

Posted 7 September 06

Darryl Solly, BrokebackMountain Locations Manager, was recently interviewed by our Jim Bond. Darryl provided Jim with many fascinating details about his work on BBM. You can read Part 1 of this interview by following the "Interviews" link in the Site Directory.