Sandler Throws Wrap-Up Party at the Sound Stage

The last hurrah for the sound stage at was a party, a wrap-up party Friday from 7 p.m. to shortly after midnight.

It was an appropriate place for the event.

After all, the movie makers spent the last three weeks in the sound stage. They were filming scenes including those from a wild party featuring live music by the , the entire movie cast and hundreds of extras.

Geoff Blass, who lives in Swampscott and played a featured extra in the movie's 1980s wild party scene, went to Saturday's wrap-up party.

It was an interesting juxtaposition. The movie party became a real party, he said. Movie hors d'oeuvres became real hors d'oeuvres. Empty movie beer kegs became real kegs.

"All the fake stuff we were seeing for three weeks became reality for two hours," he said.

But while the movie party aimed for wildness, the wrap-up's was a social occasion tinged by sadness, said Todd Flannery of Swampscott.

Todd, who plays the character, said he told his wife the evening was like a senior prom, the last shindig.

After 2 1/2 months in town, the circus pulled up stakes and left.

The people there had spent a lot of time together, and some might not see each other again, and the mood was bittersweet, said Todd, owner of Flannery's Handymen in Swampscott.

"You could feel it in the room," he said.

He said the evening's highlight was when people gathered around two flat screens on the patio below the movie set's house.

They watched bloopers from the filming, scenes memorable for their humor but not the kind that will end up in the final product.

There was a Dj and dancing. 

Todd said he worked late Friday at his regular job and thought he would just stop in at the party about 10 p.m. and say goodbye. Instead he stayed for a couple hours and had a good time, a time he will remember.

No one went away hungry.

There was lobster and lamb, cheese and chocolate tables, dessert tables, all kinds of beverages including beer, wine and booze.

"I'm telling you they filled the place with food," he said.

The guests arrived in a bus and left in a bus. There were about 200 people there, mostly crew members but some actors including Adm Sandler and featured extras.

And like what happens in the movie, a bunch of people ended up in the sound stage pool.

Only this was for real. 

"After all this work it was nice to be able to celebrate with people I met," said Geoff. "It was a great little party."