Malone, Arquette shop a Memphis TV series
Could a crime drama series produced by music star Post Malone and actor David Arquette be in Memphis’ future?
That’s the hoped-for outcome for “High Heel,” a project recently shot here that will be shopped to various networks as a Memphis-based “strongwoman’s version of ‘Breaking Bad,’” in the words of co-producer Princeton James.
“There’s drugs and violence and an intense, continual adrenaline rush,” said James, a Memphis actor and filmmaker whose Princeton James Productions was a local liaison for the project’s more high-profile producers.
“It moves fast,” he said. “We had a few shoot-outs and fistfights.” (Scripted shoot-outs and fistfights, that is.)
Shot over six days here in January, “High Heel” had been kept more or less under wraps until executive producer Dre London — a music manager whose London Ent company is home to Post Malone, one of the most successful recording artists of the past five years — announced it this week in Variety, a publication that covers the entertainment industry.
Memphis provided an “emblematic” location for the show, London told Variety.
The entertainment journal described “High Heel” as “the story of a young woman running from her tormented past, who arrives in Memphis and enters a secret world of drugs, violence and deception when she’s recruited into a ring of female drug runners who smuggle their product under the cover of a luxury women’s footwear brand.”
So far, “High Heel” exists as basically
a “pilot presentation” or an extended “sizzle reel.”
Not enough scenes were shot in Memphis to be edited into a pilot episode or for a stand-alone film, if no series is forthcoming. Instead, the footage will be used to entice a network or production company to invest in a full season or miniseries.
“We’re in the editing phase now,” James said. “After that, it’s going to be shopped around to different networks.”
Rochée Jeffrey, a writer known for the Showtime comedy series “SMILF,” directed the “High Heel” footage. Actors — who presumably would repeat their roles if “High Heel” becomes a series — included Arquette; Trinidad James, a rapper from the Caribbean island nation of Trinidad and Tobago; and the Compton-born rapper Tyga. The two rappers also are producers on the project, along with London, Malone, James, Arquette and Arquette’s wife, Christina Arquette, among others.
Other cast members included Memphis performers who have found their major success outside the city, including Elise Neal (”Hustle & Flow,” “Logan”) and Carrie Bernans (”Black Panther”).
James said the Arquettes were pivotal to bringing “High Heel” to Memphis, in part because of their relationship with local actor and “duck master” at The Peabody, Kenon Walker (who also appears in “High Heel”). When the Arquettes became involved, the “High Heel” script was rewritten to be Memphis-focused.
Trinidad James also was a key Memphis booster.
An aficionado of Memphis music and culture, he promoted the city to Dre London as a likely location.
Of course, there’s no guarantee that any future “High Heel” series would be shot in Memphis, even if the story is based here.
But “Memphis is definitely a top option,” James said. Local shooting was facilitated with the support of the Memphis & Shelby County Film and Television Commission, which worked with the Downtown Memphis Commission to find office space for the production.
It’s crawfish season.
You don’t have to head to the Big Easy to enjoy these Louisianan crustaceans. They are available throughout the Memphis area from now until May or June, depending on the weather. You can get them boiled and ready to eat with all the fixin’s or pick up a bag of live mudbugs to cook yourself.
Here is our annual roundup of places that are selling crawfish this season.
If looking for live crawfish to cook at your own boil, it’s best to order ahead. All the spots listed recommend advance orders.
And, just remember the proper way to eat crawfish is to peel ‘em, eat the tails and suck the heads!
Billy’s Crawfish is open every Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 8:30 a.m. until 7 p.m. at 1325 Church Road West in Southaven. Owner Billy Crumley cooks boiled crawfish from Houma, Louisiana, throughout the day on his truck. Live crawfish is available by advance order at (901) 832-0445. You can also enjoy his crawfish every day at his restaurant, Crossroads Seafood, 2351 U.S. 51 South in Hernando.
Cajun Crawdad’s has two trucks this year. The original location is at U.S. 72 and Cayce Road in Byhalia. The second truck will be at Houston Levee and U.S. 64 in the TJ Mulligan’s parking lot. They are open Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., or until they sell out. To reserve live crawfish, owner Jimmy Pegram said to preorder by noon on Wednesday for the weekend. Call (901) 496-5133.
Southbound Seafood’s Crawfish Cabin will open in late February or early March this year. The food truck parks at Walnut Grove Road and Houston Levee and is open Friday through Sunday. Owner Zach Jenkins brings his crawfish up from Belle River in southeast Louisiana. He sells both cooked and live crawfish. Text Jenkins at (901) 491-0642 for live crawfish orders.
The Crawfish Shackfood truck will move around this year. Check its Facebook page for each weekend’s location and hours; they operate on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. They sell both live and cooked crawfish. Call (901) 3030024 by Wednesday at noon to preorder live crawfish for the weekend.
Ellis Seafood (1379 Getwell) sells fresh, live crawfish by the pound when in season as well as boiled crawfish. Crawfish should be in stock every day, unless they sell out. Call (901) 505-2895 ahead to reserve.
Cordova International Farmers Market(1150 N. Germantown Parkway, Cordova) plans to have live crawfish for sale every weekend. Call (901) 417-8407 to place an order.
Flying Fish (105 S. Second St.) offers boiled crawfish when in season. Order by the pound or get a combo platter with crab and shrimp.
The Bluff on the Highland Strip (535 S. Highland St.) hosts a crawfish boil every Saturday from now through April. They start at noon and go until they run out. It comes with corn, mushrooms, onions, sausage and potatoes. Go early. They tend to run out by midafternoon.
Loflin Yard (7 W. Carolina) will host crawfish boils during the season. Check its social media for dates and times.
Railgarten (2166 Central Ave.) will host crawfish boils during the season.
Check its social media for dates and times.
Glaze’s Crawfish hosts a crawfish boil every Saturday afternoon (weather permitting) at Max’s Sports Bar (115 GE Patterson Ave.). The boils will start the weekend of March 5. They start serving crawfish at noon and go until they run out, usually around 4 or 5 p.m. Boiled shrimp is also available. Glaze’s also will serve crawfish at your home for a party. For catering information, email glaze.hardage@gmail.com.
Cajun Catfish Company in Collierville (336 New Byhalia Road) reopened on Feb. 17. Starting in late February, it will have crawfish on the menu every night. But in the spring, Tuesday is the night to go. Starting in late March, the restaurant will offer its annual all-youcan-eat crawfish special. Watch its Facebook page for when the all-youcan-eat Tuesday night special begins.
Staks Pancake Kitchen (7704 Poplar Ave., Germantown location only) will have crawfish with all the fixings available for pick up on Saturdays and Sundays. Regional general manager, Clint Kelso, lived in Louisiana, so we think it’s safe to say he knows a thing or two about crawfish. For Saturday or Sunday pickup, place an order by Thursday at (901) 800-1951.
Porter Seafood parks its truck every weekend at 2930 Goodman Road East, Southaven. Owner Ron Porter brings live crawfish up weekly from Opelousas, Louisiana. They are open Fridays from noon until dark and Saturdays from noon until sold out. Check social media to see if it’s open on Sundays. To order live crawfish by the sack, call (901) 3352930 by 9 a.m. on Thursdays.
Bayou Bar & Grill (2094 Madison Ave.) will host crawfish boils on the patio on weekends in April. An order comes with 2 pounds of crawfish.
Robilio’s Side Car Café (2194 Whitten Road) will host crawfish boils during the season. Check its social media for dates and times.
Carolina Watershed(141 E. Carolina Ave.) will host crawfish boils during the season. Check its social media for dates and times.
Mortimer’s (590 N. Perkins Road) will host a weekly crawfish boil on Sundays this spring. The boils usually start in March; call the restaurant for details at (901) 761-9321.
Jennifer Chandler is the Food & Dining reporter at The Commercial Appeal. She can be reached at jennifer.chandler@commercialappeal.com, and you can follow her on Twitter and Instagram at @cookwjennifer.