October 26, 2005
Good Ol' Reliable Metro
We're not ones to peddle in rumors and gossip, but this one was worth too much to pass up. The Post's Reliable Sources reported the following today on Nicole Kidman, in town filming a new alien thriller, which we publish un-edited:
The script of "The Visiting" -- an alien-epidemic thriller due out next year -- called for Kidman's character to race into the Cleveland Park station, some kind of evil in pursuit, and hop the fare gates to catch a Red Line train.Well, we suppose we're slightly relieved that Metro employees are fair-minded enough to know that no one -- no one -- gets in a station without their $1.35. And sure, this also serves as a cheap public education campaign for Metro, discretely tucked into a multi-million dollar thriller.Not so fast, said Metro -- that's against the rules! So after negotiations between transit officials and filmmakers, yesterday's shoot included a character newly added to the script: a police officer who says, "Ma'am, you didn't process your Farecard."
It was all about maintaining order, Metro explained. "We had to make them say something so people know they're not supposed to do this," spokeswoman Taryn McNeil told The Post's Lyndsey Layton.
Now, if they want to be truly realistic, only one escalator would work, and someone would be standing on its left side; the train would be delayed; and someone else would be crowding the center of the rail-car and using available seats for bags, umbrellas, and other personal items. It doesn't make for a good get-away scene, but at least it's closer to the truth.
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Does 'some kind of evil in pursuit' have to pay as well? If I had a dollar for everytime 'evil' hopped the turnstyle and rode for free, I could, well, ride for 35 cents I guess. By the way, how do you escape from evin in pursuit when you have to wait 18 minutes for the next train? You want a thriller? How about rewriting the script so that she hops the fare gates at Stadium-Armory after a Nats game.
They were filming someone running down the escalator at Cleveland Park yesterday a little after 10am, but it wasn't Nicole Kidman. Maybe it was practice?
Isn't there a scene in the film "No Way Out" where Kevin Costner escapes from the bad guys into the Metro..? If I recall, there ARE people standing on the left side of the escalator -- but Costner just hops aside the railing and slides down the middle..! Also, wasn't it the "Georgetown" metro stop that he went into..?
Wait, an attractive young woman vaults over the turnstile and runs towards the train and the Metro cop calmly says to her, "Ma'am, you didn't process your farecard"? Worst. Line. Ever.
What about something a little bit simpler like, "Hey, you need to pay," etc.?
I thought Metro had a long standing policy forbidding any kind of filming in the station unless it was for news purposes.
Does this change if Nicole bats her eyelashes at the right bureacrat?
IIRC, Costner entered the red line "Georgetown" station, which is apparently on Baltimore's Metro.
You might say the scene shows a touritard experiencing copanattitude.
For full definitions please refer to:
www.dcist.com/archives/2005/10/19/dcists_new_words_for_metro.php
I work near Washington Circle, and I got this memo last week about this movie...
"A major motion picture currently entitled "The Visiting" will be filming in the DC area over the next month. The film will be closing the K Street
tunnel that runs beneath Washington Circle between 21st & 25th Street overnight on Sunday October 30th between 5 pm - 6 am as well as Monday October 31st between 6:30 pm - 6 am. The K Street access roads as well as Washington Circle and all surrounding streets will remain open to traffic.
Again traffic will only be prohibited from entering the tunnel. Access to all businesses and residences will in no way be restricted."
Enjoy!
In the Tipping Point, Malcolm Gladwell explains in detail his theory about how preventing people from hopping the fare collectors in NYC's subway led to the drop in the crime rate. Interesting and plausible theory, which combines these efforts with the enforcement of the anti-graffiti laws of the late 80s early 90s. You can read more about the book here: http://www.gladwell.com/tippingpoint/index.html
Good thing she wasn't eating french fries, she would have been put in cuffs!
What I really want to know what kind of evil could be chasing her in Cleveland Park?? The drunken hordes signing "green aligators and long neck geese" from the Four P's (man, I hate that song) or the mega-rats between the Uptown and Starbucks.
They were filming scenes for The Visiting on M Street earlier today. Nicole walks out of Mie N Yiu to catch a cab.
Nate- you were quoted in today's Express, the look out section.
[Quote]IIRC, Costner entered the red line "Georgetown" station, which is apparently on Baltimore's Metro.[Endquote]
Why didn't anyone tell me! All these years I've been taking the 30 bus...
Shhh! Don't tell anyone. When I watched "No Way Out" I found that the secret Georgetown Metro access is at the Canal St. exit from Georgetown Park Mall.