Shelburne Falls filming The Judge at Mole Hollow Candle Co

It was a fun filled two days following in the footsteps of Robert Downey, Jr. and the all-star cast of “The Judge.” First stop – the historic village of Shelburne Falls located along the scenic Mohawk Trail in Massachusetts.

 

The Village of Shelburne Falls, Massachusetts

Shelburne Falls Bridge of Flowers

We loved the setting and wrote about the colorful Bridge of Flowers at Shelburne Falls and …

Deerfield River and Salmon Falls

the rapidly flowing Deerfield River as it swept over the Salmon Falls and the Glacial Potholes.

Filming “The Judge” with Robert Downey, Jr. in Shelburne Falls

As we drove along the tree lined streets of Shelburne Falls, we couldn’t help but notice that the town had been magically transformed into the fictional town of “Carlinville.”

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Carlinville Indiana Banner for The Judge Movie

We saw banners along the road proclaiming we were in Carlinville, the name temporarily given to this sleepy little town supposedly somewhere in the state of Indiana for the filming of “The Judge.”

The Flying Deer Diner in The Judge Movie

We were told by the residents of Shelburne Falls that the front of the Salmon Falls Artisans Showroom had been transformed into “The Flying Deer Diner,” to portray the diners exterior scenes so we headed over there to take a look. Interior shots of this diner were being filmed inside the former Mole Hollow Candle Co. building overlooking the Salmon Falls. The bright lights in the building across the way is the filming crew at work.

Take a trip to Carlinville!

Carlinville, established in 1843, (aka Shelburne Falls) has unique shops, art gallery, diners, the bridge of flowers, and very beautiful scenery. Take a trip and say you’ve been where they filmed The Judge, staring Robert Downey Jr!

Booking.com
Filming in Shelburne Falls Robert Downey Jr Movie

And all of this magical transformation of the village of Shelburne Falls was for the sole purpose of filming “The Judge,” Robert Downey, Jr’s latest movie.

The Salmon Falls was flowing with an unbelievable force and we couldn’t help but stop at an overlook and watch as the crew set up for filming.

Shelburne Falls and Filming Crew The Judge

There were signs of the filming crew all over Shelburne Falls but unfortunately we were unable to catch a glimpse of any of the cast members that day.

Filming The Judge in Shelburne Falls
Robert Downey Jr Movie The Judge Shelburne Falls

Filming “The Judge” with Robert Downey, Jr. in Sunderland, MA

So…on to the town of Sunderland, Massachusetts where we were told filming would continue the following day.

We arrived in the town of Sunderland the next day and quickly saw the tell tale signs of the filming crew. The parking lot of one of the churches was set up as a staging area for some of the trucks and crew. In this situation in any small town it’s not hard to find out what’s going on and where the celebrities can be found. We headed to the nearest convenience store and sure enough we were able to get the low-down on the days happenings and precisely where we could find Robert Downey, Jr. and the cast of “The Judge.”

From what we were told, filming that morning was taking place about a mile down the road near a local farm stand called Smiarowski; so off we went, snacks in hand for a much needed supply of energy! Driving down the little country road in pursuit of Robert Downey, Jr. and the cast of “The Judge,” we became a little impatient of the farming truck in front of us loaded with pigs. He seemed to be going way too slow but we soon realized that this farming truck was part of the filming for the movie! How cool is that? The tell tale signs? The strangely out of place Indiana license plate on the truck and the pigs…the pigs were way too clean!

Pigs in Farming Truck Filming The Judge Movie
Smiarowski’s farm stand Sunderland Ma The Judge Movie

Arriving at Smiarowski’s farm stand was a sight to be seen. The parking area was loaded with crew members, trucks, trailers and special filming equipment.

The Judge Filming crew members and equipment

There was an awesome black Porsche Cayenne camera car fully equipped with camera equipment to film the actors while they drove along side them in another car. There were also two identical cars mounted on a trailer towed by another vehicle for filming scenes while the actors drove down the road.

Porsche Cayenne used to film The Judge with Robert Downey Jr
Equipment used in filming The Judge with Robert Downey Jr

We spent quite some time at this farm stand location because we were told Robert Downey, Jr. had been seen here earlier in the day mingling with the crowd and we were hoping to get a glimpse of him and some of the cast.

Smiarowski’s farm stand Sunderland MA
Smiarowski’s farm stand in Sunderland Ma The Judge Film

As we were about to move on to another location the road in front of us was blocked by the crew as they began to film a scene. This is where the truck with the pigs was used traveling along a beautiful country road with open farm land on the sides. There was also a farmer driving a large tractor down the road. After the scene was shot, the road was open again and we saw the farmer and the tractor pulled to the side of the road. Very cool to follow right behind the shooting of this movie!

Porsche Cayenne used in filming The Judge with Robert Downey Jr
Farming Truck with Pigs used in filming The Judge

All in all this was a fan-tastic way to spend two days in rural Massachusetts. The weather was great, the scenery was amazing and we have memories we won’t soon forget. We chased Robert Downey, Jr. and the cast and crew of “The Judge” from Shelburne Falls to Sunderland, Massachusetts and… we can’t wait to see the movie!

Flying Deer Diner in The Judge Movie

Shelburne Falls is a quaint little village that we really enjoyed visiting. It made the perfect setting for the filming of “The Judge.” Needless to say we waited with great anticipation for the movie to debut and when it did we were not disappointed; we loved it!

Lodging in the Shelburne Falls area – Booking.com
Sunderland is a 30 minute drive SouthEast of Shelburne Falls.

We’d like to hear from you!

Have you seen the movie “The Judge” or are you planning on seeing it? Let us know your thoughts on the movie in the comments below – thanks!

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