Entertainment: Next summer's blockbuster is shot partially in small desert town. Residents didn't seem to notice anything out of the ordinary.

YERMO, CA - June 9, 2002: Just off Interstate 15, a large abandoned ice cream shop stands in the warm desert wind, chunks of broken glass scattered in front of it. A broken sign which reads, "Floats, Drumsticks" lay beside the yellowing structure. Around the sign are light sockets, most with only a light bulb base still intact, but no bulbs.

A nuclear test? Renegade teens displaying their displeasure for frozen dairy products? A swarm of locusts?

Hardly.

Floats, Drumsticks, demolition. In the background is a real gas station, which was remodeled into a Phillips 66 station for the Incredible Hulk movie.

Welcome to the magic of Hollywood, where things aren't always what they seem.

Take this scene, for example. Although it looks like it has been there since God invented the desert itself, the ice cream shop was built for the forthcoming Incredible Hulk movie, due out in Summer 2003. Not only was this art deco-style storefront built, the plans also called for a drive-in theatre behind the ice cream shop. Unfortunately, it was dismantled long before I was able to take the pictures you see on this page.

In addition to those locations, an old gas station across the street was remodeled (see photo above), and a real cafe adjacent to the ice cream shop was given a complete makeover.

I Scream, You Scream. The front of the nameless ice cream shop.

"What the hell is that," I said as we drove north on I-15. I was careful not to rear-end any cars on the highway as I turned my head and inspected the place.

"We have to stop on the way back and take some shots of that." She agreed.

Cones, shakes, malts. This place has...er, had everything!

Knowing that this building was not here before, I assumed that it was built for a movie. The problem is, unless you just happen to see that movie, you'll probably never find out which movie it was in. But the fates were on our side that day.

As we shot our pictures, Ann noticed a chunk of glass that was lying beside the building. This was no ordinary glass; the piece was thick with hardly a sharp edge. It was also painted a dingy brown color to simulate a dirty window. Ever try gluing dirt to a window?

"Movie glass," I told her. It's made different so it won't shatter in millions of shards during an explosion. Not only that, it looks nice in slow motion. And in this movie, that's exactly what happens to the Home of Scoopy - it explodes.

Wanting a souvenir, Ann tucked the glass away in her purse.

His name is Scooper - and don't you forget it!

(Note: I am keeping the name and gender of this person anonymous as they were kind enough to let us take the photos you see here, and I do not want to get them into trouble).

I asked this person, who will from this point be known as the "source," filled us in on everything about this location:

• It took nearly two months to build for only two days of shooting
• The Hulk will be computer generated, but his human alter-ego will be a real actor
• Eric Bana and Jennifer Connelly will star in the movie
• The gas station was real, but remodeled into a Phillips 66 station for the movie
• The movie will be set in the 1970s

It's all a facade. The back leaves a lot to be desired.

By the time we make our next trip to Las Vegas, there will be nothing left standing.

I'll have to wait another year before I find out how and why Scoopy's place explodes!

Sepia tone makes this shot more dramatic.

The inside of Scoopy's

View from the side

Newly painted sign for the real cafe

Damn, now where did I leave my cell phone? Here's what's left of one, lying near the desert location.

That's all, kiddies!

©2002 David A. Moreno. All images are copyrighted and may not be used without author's permission.