For days after, Roberta Feldhusen would find shell casings in her house and yard.
“And there were also bullet holes in the walls,” adds her husband Roy with a chuckle.
Welcome to life hosting a big-budget action movie, in this case “21 Bridges,” a police thriller hitting theaters Friday.
The movie stars Chadwick Boseman as a detective who’s desperately searching for a pair of cop killers. In hopes of keeping the crooks from escaping Manhattan, the NYPD closes all of the island’s 21 bridges.
(The film was originally titled “17 Bridges” until someone realized they’d miscounted.)
Whatever the case, someone must have gotten over one of those bridges, because the Feldhusens’ house is in Ditmas Park.
It was there that the movie’s climatic scene was lensed, involving plenty of gunplay, as well as co-star J.K. Simmons, who portrays a police captain.
The Feldhusens’ house is typical of the historic neighborhood.
“It’s a Victorian, freestanding house built around the turn of the century,” says Roberta, a musician and former opera singer. “Corner house with a nice amount of land around the outside.”
And seven bedrooms.
The grand Victorian mansions of Ditmas Park are among the city’s most unique housing stock and have long been popular Hollywood filming locations. Even 37 years ago when the Feldhusens first moved in.
“We were first looking for a house in the neighborhood, and we drove past this one godawful pink house, and the real estate agent said, ‘Oh, they’re filming ‘Sophie’s Choice’ there.’ “
(That particular house had been painted the godawful shade just for the film.)
The area is so popular for films, in fact, that the “21 Bridges” gig started by simply opening a mailbox.
Someone from the production had dropped a flyer at the Feldhusens’ house in search of a location.
Roberta called back and a scout team ultimately deemed the location appropriate.
“There was something about the way you could look straight into the house from the hallway in the kitchen that made it right for a scene they were shooting,” Roberta says.
The production shot at their house last spring for 11 days — eight of which the owners spent in a hotel. The production even paid to board their cats.
Several changes had to be made inside. The glass from their kitchen cabinets — some of it original to the house — had to be removed and replaced with glass that could be shattered during a fight.
The crew also erected phony walls (to absorb bullet holes) and added phony wainscoting.
“And I found some of those syringes that they use for injecting blood,” Roberta says. “Then there was the blood on the front porch.”
Neighbors were naturally curious, sitting on their porches watching the goings-on.
“We had neighbors who took off from work to watch,” Roberta says. “It was a really big neighborhood event.”
The Feldhusens say the experience was surreal — and not just because the guy who played Black Panther was hanging out in their kitchen.
“It was kind of like it’s not your house,” Roberta says.
“You’ve sold it to someone else for that period of time,” Roy adds.
“There are people sitting on everything — your bed, your bathroom,” Roberta says.
One day while Roy, who’s in IT and is also a musician, was working on the third floor, a crane bearing several crew members suddenly appeared outside his window.
“21 Bridges” is not the first movie filmed at the house. When the couple first moved in, they rented it to the production of the 1992 feature “Death Mask,” starring Farley Granger.
“It was not a good experience,” Roberta says. “We were on vacation at the time and they took over the house, and there were things stolen and we had to take them to court. They made good on it, but it was not a great experience.”
They had a better experience with “21 Bridges,” and also earlier this year, with the as-yet-unreleased “The God Committee,” with Kelsey Grammer and Julia Stiles.
For the Feldhusens, excitement has been building around the release of “21 Bridges.”
“My sister called and said, ‘I saw the trailer, and I saw your kitchen!’ “ Roberta says.
But not enough excitement to compel the couple to see the film on opening night. They’ll get to it eventually, they say.
As for the prospect of hosting productions in the future, the couple is torn. Although they decline to say how much they were paid, the Feldhusens admit it was “substantial.” Homeowners can earn as much as $5,000 per day industry sources say, but the inconvenience may not be worth it for some.
“When you’re having a conversation with [a friend] about the [experience], it goes from, ‘That sounds like fun,’ to, ‘That sounds like fun, but I wouldn’t do it in my house,’ “ Roberta says.
Since “21 Bridges” wrapped, the couple has received several calls inquiring about using the house. Roberta was noncommittal.
“I need a rest.”