Reel to Real Filming Locations: July 2016

Monday, July 4, 2016

Disconnect (2012)

The art of conversation and human interaction have given way to texting and "social" media. Cyberspace no longer restricts bullies to the playground. Modern conveniences like online shopping have paved the way for modern inconveniences like identity theft. Disconnect is a cautionary tale that spotlights what happens when the human race becomes digitally dependent. Since the film was shot near where I grew up, a few locations were instantly recognizable and few others were not too difficult to track down.

Disconnect was filmed in Yonkers, Elmsford, Harrison and Oceanside, NY

Location: Nina's Interview Motel
Address: 165 Tuckahoe Road, Yonkers, NY Royal Regency Hotel

This location has gone under some renovation since the movie was filmed.

Location: Derek's Office Building
Address: 600 Mamaroneck Avenue, Harrison, NY

This building has also gone under some renovations since the movie was filmed.

Location: Stephen Schumacher's House
Address: 418 Park Hill Avenue, Yonkers, NY

Derek and Cindy first turn onto McClean Avenue from Carroll Street before spotting Stephen's house.

Location: The Parking Lot
Address: Van Cortland Park Avenue & Caryl Avenue, Yonkers, NY

Derek and Cindy stake out Stephen's house from here. In reality, this parking lot is a few blocks from where the actual house is located.

Location: Derek & Cindy's Motel
Address: 307 Tuckahoe Road, Yonkers, NY

The Tuckahoe Motor Inn no longer exists...

But the New Hope Reformed Church sign is still visible:

Location: Saveway Cleaners
Address: 615 N Broadway, White Plains, NY

Derek and Cindy first come down Harwood Avenue.

Location: The Pawn Shop & Gas Station
Address: 1 Saw Mill River Road, Yonkers, NY

Kyle and fellow chat-room stripper ponder the future while passing by this pawn shop and heading across the street to the gas station.

Location: Jason Rides The Bus
Address: McClean Avenue & Romain Avenue, Yonkers, NY

The Top Tomato sign made this location easy to track down.

Location: The Runaways' Motel
Address: 25 Valley Avenue, Elmsford, NY

The Saw Mill River Motel is now a Days Inn but the motel still looks recognizable.

Locations Visited: June 2016

Still Need to Locate:

Mike Dixon's House
The Boyd House
The Runaway House
Nina's Apartment Building

Locations Master List

Gone Girl (2014)

It's Nick and Amy Dunne's fifth wedding anniversary. But the festivities are put on hold when Amy goes missing. Her concerned husband Nick cooperates with local police and the town of North Carthage, MO ban together to help find her. Little do they know Amy is hiding out in the Ozarks. After discovering Nick's infidelity, she concocts an Emily Thorne -level revenge plot, including a diary of mostly fabricated stories of their relationship. Suspicion mounts around Nick, who eventually figures out Amy's plan. After murdering her ex-boyfriend Desi Collings and clearing Nick, Amy returns home in hopes he will become the Nick she saw on TV. The reunion is happy only on camera. But Nick's plan to leave his psychotic wife is short-lived when Amy reveals she's carrying his child.

It's that age old story - girl meets boy. Girl marries boy. Girl fakes death hoping to frame boy for murder. I'm not a huge David Fincher fan but I thoroughly enjoyed his epic adaption of Gillian Flynn's novel about marriage in the post-honeymoon phase. Rosamund Pike is rather amazing ;-) playing sociopathic Amy, whose voice-overs I found enthralling, while Ben Affleck does an exquisite job playing himself. Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross' score is particularly hypnotic. I thought the movie was going to end in about four different places, but I didn't mind it's daunting running time.

Gone Girl was filmed in Cape Girardeau, MO, Makanda, IL, Panorama City, Universal City, Hollywood & Los Angeles, CA and New York, NY

Location: Opening Shot
Address: 198 N Water Street, Cape Girardeau, MO

Location: Nick & Amy Dunne's House
Address: 3014 Keystone Drive, Cape Girardeau, MO

Location: Walter's House
Address: 3015 Keystone Drive, Cape Girardeau, MO

Location: The Bar
Address: 117 Themis Street, Cape Girardeau, MO

It's currently on the market...

Just down from The Bar is one of the streets seen in the opening montage...

Location: Margo Dunne's House
Address: 2404 Albert Rasche Drive, Cape Girardeau, MO

Location: Bill Dunne's House
Address: 831 Ranney Avenue, Cape Girardeau, MO

Location: Big Lots

Address: formerly at 12322 Fourth Street, Rancho Cucamonga, CA

The Big Lots has been torn down since filming, but here is a screenshot from 2021 while the building remained vacant...

Location: The Drury Lodge
Address: 104 S Vantage Drive, Cape Girardeau, MO

The Drury Lodge has received an overhaul since filming took place...

Location: Searching For Amy (River)
Address: 2nd Street, Thebes, IL

Location: Search For Amy (Woods)
Address: Edgewood Road & William Street, Cape Girardeau, MO

Location: The Candlelight Vigil
Address: 44 N Lorimier Street, Cape Girardeau, MO

The area was under construction at the time of my visit so I wasn't able to get exact matching shots...

Location: The Bridge
Address: Bill Emerson Memorial Bridge, Cape Girardeau, MO

Location: Amy's Hideout
Address: 460 Giant City Lodge, Makanda, IL

Location: The Mall Exterior
Address: 8401 Van Nuys Boulevard, Panorama City, CA

The old Montgomery Ward store...

Location: The Last Bookstore
Address: 453 S Spring Street, Los Angeles, CA

I'm not a huge reader (unless it's entertainment related) but this bookstore is not your typical Barnes and Noble and definitely worth checking out...

The exterior of The Last Book Store can been seen in Phone Booth (2003).

Location: Amazing Amy Book Party
Address: 6350 Hollywood Boulevard, Hollywood, CA Beso Hollywood

Location: The Mini Golf Course
Address: 2901 Hawthorne Road, Cape Girardeau, MO

Location: Amy's Brownstone
Address: Universal Studios Backlot - Brownstone Street, Universal City, CA

Location: Nick Meets Tanner Bolt
Address: Park Avenue at 52nd St, New York, NY

Nick steps out of a cab on Park Avenue before heading into a building to meet Tanner Bolt. The interior was filmed at The Gas Company Tower located at 555 West 5th Street in Downtown Los Angeles...