There have been several film versions of the Jules Verne novel "The Mysterious Island," which served as the back-story for the author’s enigmatic Capt. Nemo and "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea." As far back as 1916, in a film that combined both stories, directors have sought to bring the strange island to life.

The 1929 version from MGM boasted talking, Technicolor and Lionel Barrymore. There was a serialized version in 1951 that screened short chapters on a weekly basis and featured aliens from Mercury. The 1961 version, shot in Spain, promised an unparalleled adventure in motion picture excitement, including a fight to the death with a prehistoric devil fish.

The newest version will showcase Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Michael Caine and Oahu.

"Journey 2: Mysterious Island" is part sequel to the 2008 version of Verne’s "Journey to the Center of the Earth," but director Brad Peyton and New Line Cinema aren’t saying much else. Filming began last week in Kaneohe and will continue here until mid-December before moving on to North Carolina.

It also stars Kristin Davis of "Sex and the City" fame, Vanessa Hudgens of "High School Musical," Josh Hutcherson of the first "Journey" and Luis Guzman, who appeared in "Out of Sight" and "Boogie Nights."

"Hawaii provides a spectacular setting," said producer Beau Flynn in an e-mailed statement. "There are unparalleled locations for the action and a terrific local crew base. We are thrilled to be here shooting our movie."

FOR A LOT of locals, watching "Hawaii Five-0" has become an online party where they can post comments on Facebook and Twitter as the show airs. They banter issues of authenticity and plot — Did he just say flip-flops? Why is Kono in a bikini again? Was that scene at China Walls?

Wendie Burbridge, a fiction writer and Kamehameha Schools English teacher, has watched "Five-0" from the start but has become so addicted to tweeting comments as episodes air that she has to be sure to watch a recorded version later because she misses things. She got into it after reading tweets about the first two episodes.

"They were tweeting things I was thinking," she said. "If you thought someone was funny, you could share it with someone else."

One of her tweet buddies is her cousin Jen Leines, who lives on Kauai.

"It adds to the value of the show," Leines said. "It’s like we are seeing the show from five or six different points of view. It is something I definitely look forward to every Monday."

Last week’s episode of "Five-0" and the Oct. 4 episode were co-written by former Hawaii resident Kyle Harimoto. He lives in Los Angeles now and teamed up on both scripts with Carol Barbee.

THAT YOUNG UKULELE player in last week’s episode of "Five-0" was 9-year-old Aidan Laprete Powell, and if his name sounds familiar, it’s because his mother, Angie, is the production supervisor for the show. Aidan, who has been studying with Roy Sakuma since he was 4, is a YouTube phenom. His version of Train’s "Hey, Soul Sister" has generated nearly 600,000 views.

TOMORROW’S episode of "Five-0" will make history for the show. Gravel-voiced Robert Loggia will become the first actor to have appeared in both the original run of the series and the current one.

The 80-year-old Loggia will guest star as boatswain’s mate Ed McKay in an episode about a Navy SEAL holding hostages on the Battleship Missouri Memorial. In 1979 he was Russ Hendrix in an episode called "The Execution File."

And, producer Peter Lenkov wouldn’t say what, if any, tribute was planned for the original Danno, James MacArthur, who died Thursday. But Lenkov did say, "Watch Monday." The show airs in Hawaii at 9 p.m. on KGMB.

THE LOCAL INDIE film "One Kind Day," an Audience Award winner after it premiered at the Hawaii International Film Festival, was accepted to the San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival in March. The film was written and directed by Chuck Mitsui. It was co-produced by Torry Tukuafu and Laprette, of "Five-0."

AND that’s a wrap …

Mike Gordon is the Star-Advertiser’s film and television writer. His "Outtakes" column appears Sundays. E-mail him at mgordon@staradvertiser.com.