Around the Ville

Unstoppable Stops in the Ohio Valley

November 13, 2009 at 11:44 pm | Posted in Events in the Ville | 2 Comments
Tags: Bellaire, Great Stone Viaduct, Martins Ferry, ohio, Unstoppable movie

The filming of the movie “Unstoppable” in the Ohio Valley is causing a lot of excitement and seems to be lifting everyone’s spirits — especially the residents of Bellaire, Ohio. 

Earlier today I decided to take a drive down the river to visit the movie set hoping to get close enough to take some pictures.

If you’ve ever driven past Bellaire on State Route 7 you have seen the massive Great Stone Viaduct.  It was built in 1870 as an Ohio approach to the railroad bridge span that connects Ohio to West Virginia. 

I can see why the movie producers decided to use this location to shoot the train scene.  It is quite impressive. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When I arrived I found people watching in front of their stores, others just trying to get around town, and the film crew making sure people didn’t cross the barriers. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I met the mailman who said his family watched the filming from their house and saw Denzel Washington throwing a football around. 

I also met a man who showed me the pictures he took of the fake train lookalikes they made to blow up.  I later found the real trains across town.  

 

The movie, directed by Tony Scott, stars Denzel Washington as a veteran train engineer, Chris Pine as a young conductor, and Rosario Dawson as the train dispatcher. 

 

 

 

It’s a race against time as they chase a runaway freight train filled with toxic chemicals before it derails on a curved track and destroys the town.

 

It was fun seeing how many people are involved in making a movie.  Many of the local residents played extras in the film.

With all the bad news we hear daily and the economic problems we have in the Ohio Valley, the filming of the movie “Unstoppable” seems to have lifted the burden for a little while.  It has given the residents of Bellaire some joy and some happy memories too.

 

Filming will take place all next week in  Martins Ferry, Ohio.  Then they are off to film in various locations in the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania area.

 

 

When Hollywood comes to film in our area, it can only help our local economies.  Go see “Unstoppable” when it comes out.  And who knows — you may see someone you know.