The Region - News from Aug. 20, 1986

A movie company has withdrawn its request that the state close the Simi Valley Freeway for filming of a Sylvester Stallone movie, ending a controversy that enraged commuters and threw a spotlight on the state’s campaign to promote filming in California. Citing cost and scheduling problems, Cannon Films, producer of “Over The Top,” decided to forgo trucking stunts once planned for a lightly traveled three-mile stretch of freeway between Moorpark and Simi Valley, the California Film Office announced. Residents of the two Ventura County cities complained in June when the state posted signs along the freeway announcing that the road would be shut to traffic for five days--including rush hours. The plan drew strong rebukes from the two city councils, saying that that they had not been consulted.