The Game (1997)

June 5, 2017February 24, 2025 / filmoblivion / Leave a comment

David Fincher’s 1997 thriller “The Game” mostly shot around the San Francisco area. However, the home of Nicholas van Orton, played by Michael Douglas, is tucked away in Woodside, California. The house is known as the “Filoli Mansion.” The house has also been seen in the films “Heaven Can Wait,” “Dying Young,” “George of the Jungle,” “The Joy Luck Club” and the 1980s TV drama “Dynasty.”

It is not a private residence and tours of the property are open to the public. There are a couple things to keep in mind, however, if you do plan a visit. First of all, the house can be tricky to locate if you’re using GPS. The property is not visible at all from Cañada Road. All you’ll see is land and trees. Also, most GPS systems do not show the driveway to the property, which is off to the side a short drive, so it’ll appear on most maps as having no access. This is not the case of course. Simply head past the house until you see an opening to the north. This driveway will lead you up to the guard house. The second thing to keep in mind is the property is intermittently closed. Anything from special events to seasonal closings may prevent you from visiting, so be sure to schedule in advance and verify the place is open when you plan on stopping.

LOCATION: 86 Cañada Rd, Woodside, CA 94062

The office of Nicholas van Orton is seen through the alleyway of Leidesdorff Street in San Francisco.

LOCATION: 465 California St, San Francisco, CA 94104 (view seen in the film is from Leidesdorff St)

As Nicholas and Christine, played by Deborah Kara Unger, walk away from the hospital, they pass this building, with the Los Angeles Stock Exchange engraving seen in the shot. A security vehicle approaches and they take a quick left at this corner and begin running. In the film, it cuts to an alley, but in reality, this corner is actually just an entrance into the building.

LOCATION: 618 S Spring St, Los Angeles, CA 90014

Nick’s brother Conrad, played by Sean Penn, becomes paranoid and accuses Nick of conspiring with the creators of the game. He runs from Nicholas down these stairs.

LOCATION: Joice St Steps, Joice St, San Francisco, CA 94108 (located between 740 and 750 Joice St, San Francisco, CA 94108)

Later in the film, Nicholas visits the home of Christine, played by Deborah Kara Unger, where they soon finds themselves under attack. This location can actually be found in Los Angeles, not far from Dodger Stadium.

LOCATION: 439 Savoy St, Los Angeles, CA 90012

Nicholas and Christine speed away from gunfire, first driving past the intersection of Laguna Ave / Laveta Terrace, Los Angeles, CA 90026. They continue down this unnamed alley between Laguna Ave and Echo Park Ave, where they lose the van tailing them.

LOCATION: Near 1109 Laguna Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90026 (GPS coordinates: 34°04’33.6″N, 118°15’25.5″W)

Nicholas kicks Christine out of his car on N Ave 19, before quickly changing his mind and letting her back in. The overpass has since changed some with wider lanes.

LOCATION: N Ave 19, Los Angeles, CA 90065 (GPS coordinates: 34°04’53.2″N, 118°13’35.8″W)

After escaping from Mexico, Nicholas visits the former Johnie’s Broiler in Downey, where he attempts to get a ride back to San Francisco. The restaurant has a unique history, having appeared in many other films, such as “Heat,” “Short Cuts,” “License To Drive,” “What’s Love Got To Do With It,” “One Hour Photo,” “My Stepmother Is An Alien” and many more. In 2007, the building was unfortunately demolished. However, Bob’s Big Boy purchased the property years later and rebuilt it based on the original blueprints and even some of the same materials. So what stands now closely resembles what was seen in the film.

LOCATION: 7447 Firestone Blvd, Downey, CA 90241

The Deer Hunter (1978)

June 4, 2017August 19, 2024 / filmoblivion / Leave a comment

Michael Cimino’s classic film “The Deer Hunter” is often remembered for it’s harrowing scenes set in the Vietnam War, which were actually shot in Thailand. However, the first half of the film is set in a blue-collar town in Pennsylvania. The town was a composite of quite a few different locations, including Mingo Junction and Cleveland, Ohio, Weirton, West Virginia, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Rockport and Deming, Washington.

Among the many towns featured in the film, Mingo Junction is the one that most celebrates the film. This area is seen in one of the opening shots of the film, showing the steel factory. The factory has mostly been demolished, but some remnants are still standing.

LOCATION: 438 Commercial St, Mingo Junction, OH 43938

Just behind the above location, you’ll find this mural honoring the film’s history in Mingo Junction.

LOCATION: 448 Commercial St, Mingo Junction, OH 43938

Here is a closer look at the mural showing various scenes filmed around Mingo Junction.

Just across the street from the above mural, you’ll find another mural for the documentary “Michael Cimino, God Bless America” about this film’s director, which also shot scenes around Mingo Junction. For those interested, there is a third film mural in Mingo Junction, for the 1984 movie “Reckless,” located at 456 Commercial St, Mingo Junction, OH 43938.

This plaque is located beside the mural.

The location of Welsh’s Lounge has since been demolished. It could be found just across the street from the building on the right, in what is now empty land. The guys can be seen racing past a truck from this view.

LOCATION: Near 904 Commercial St, Mingo Junction, OH 43938 (GPS coordinates: 40°19’03.9″N, 80°36’29.2″W)

Some women are seen carrying the wedding cake in this area in Cleveland, Ohio. Most of the buildings have since been demolished and replaced with different buildings, including the grocery store.

LOCATION: 761 Starkweather Ave, Cleveland, OH 44113

The wedding of Steven and Angela was shot at the Theodosius Russian Orthodox Cathedral in Cleveland, seen in the same image above. The building considered to be one of the finest examples of Russian architecture in the United States. The same location briefly appears in the films “American Splendor” and “Major League.” The building suffered a fire in 2024 and is being repaired.

LOCATION: 733 Starkweather Ave, Cleveland, OH 44113

The reception hall exterior was filmed at Lemko Hall in Cleveland.

LOCATION: Lemko Hall, 1046 Literary Rd, Cleveland, OH 44113

After Michael, played by Robert De Niro, returns from the war, he is seen walking with Linda, played by Meryl Streep down the stairs on the right. The buildings on the right side have since been demolished, but the stairs, as well as the buildings in the background, all still match up.

LOCATION: Near 601 Commercial St, Mingo Junction, OH 43938 (GPS coordinates: 40°19’17.4″N, 80°36’23.3″W)

To see our “The Deer Hunter” location page, click here.

Blade Runner (1982)

June 3, 2017August 16, 2024 / filmoblivion / Leave a comment

The events of Ridley Scott’s “Blade Runner” depict a futuristic Los Angeles. Present day has caught up and while the city may not look exactly as it did it the film, even decades later, the locations of “Blade Runner” still stand out as unique and interesting. While most of these locations have been featured in many other productions, they remain most widely recognized for “Blade Runner.” Here, we’ll walk through many of these locations.

Deckard’s apartment is a famous house in Los Angeles, located in the Los Feliz area, known as the “Ennis House.” Only exteriors of the house are seen in the film, the interiors were built on a stage inside Warner Bros. Studio. The house has been used in countless productions, including the original “House On Haunted Hill,” “The Day of the Locust,” “The Karate Kid Part III,” “Black Rain” (also directed by Ridley Scott), “The Glimmer Man,” “The Replacement Killers,” “Rush Hour,” “Female,” “A Passion to Kill,” “Timestalkers,” “Howling II: Your Sister Is a Werewolf,” “The Terminal Man” and “The Thirteenth Floor.” It has also been recreated on studio stages for movies such as “Predator 2,” “The Rocketeer” and “Mullholland Drive” It’s been seen in the TV shows “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and “Twin Peaks,” as well as countless other music videos and commercials.

LOCATION: 2607 Glendower Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90027

Sebastion’s apartment is another very well known filming location, called The Bradbury Building. Located in downtown Los Angeles, visitors are welcome to explore from the lobby area. It’s well worth seeing, as the architecture is very unique and still clearly resembles how it appeared in the film. Much like the “Ennis House,” the interiors of Sebastion’s apartment were shot on the stages of Warner Bros. Studios. Also likewise, The Bradbury Building has been seen in countless other films, such as “Chinatown,” “Wolf,” “Disclosure,” “Lethal Weapon 4,” “Pay It Forward,” “Murder In the First,” “China Girl,” “The White Cliffs of Dover, ” “D.O.A.,” “Indestructible Man,” “Marlowe,” and “(500) Days of Summer.” It’s also been seen in the television series “The Outer Limits,” “Quantum Leap,” “Mission: Impossible,” “CSI: NY” and many more, as well as several music videos and commercials.

LOCATION: 304 S Broadway, Los Angeles, CA 90013

This poster that hangs in the lobby of the Bradbury.

The tunnel Deckard drives through is the 2nd Street Tunnel in downtown Los Angeles, located between Figueroa St. and Hill St., beneath Bunker Hill. The tunnel has been seen in many productions, such as “The Terminator,” “Demolition Man,” “Independence Day,” “Con Air,” “Kill Bill,” “Double Dragon” and many more.

LOCATION: 620 W 2nd St, Los Angeles, CA 90012

The police station is actually Union Station, a train station in downtown Los Angeles. It has been featured in many films as well, such as “Catch Me If You Can,” “The Dark Knight Rises,” “Species,” “To Live And Die In L.A.,” “Bugsy,” “Nick of Time,” “Pearl Harbor,” “The Replacement Killers,” “Mike’s Murder,” “The Way We Were,” “Union Station,” “Under the Rainbow” and more.

LOCATION: 800 N Alameda St, Los Angeles, CA 90012

We leave you with some props from the film. First, Deckard’s blaster, which was used in both the original film, as well as the “Blade Runner 2049” sequel. The gun was on display as part of Warner Bros. “Blade Runner 2049 Experience” at the San Diego Comic-Con.

Some memory spheres from the original film, used to store Voight Kampff tests to determine if one was a replicant or not. These were also seen on the “Blade Runner 2049 Experience.”

This miniature of the famous blimp can be seen as part of the Warner Bros. Studio tour.

Related articles: Blade Runner 2049 Experience

American Pickers

June 1, 2017December 13, 2022 / filmoblivion / Leave a comment

On the banks of the Mississippi River, literally right across the street, you’ll find the store of the “American Pickers.” Antique Archeology is located in LeClaire, Iowa, home of Mike Wolfe, Frank Fritz and Dannie D. The shop is packed full of items seen on the show and whether you’re a collector or simply a fan of the show, the staff is very welcoming to all visitors.

Due to the popularity of the show, the location has since been remodeled a bit and a second building has been added to the property, to sell merchandise from the show. A second store has also opened in Nashville, Tennessee (1300 Clinton St., Ste. 130 (Marathon Village), Nashville, TN 37203).

LOCATION: 115 1/2 Davenport St, LeClaire, IA 52753

Some items purchased by Mike and Frank, which fans of the show may recognize.

Just around the corner, cast member Danielle Colby (Dannie Diesel) formerly ran an arts, crafts and clothing shop which sold her designs, called 4 Miles 2 Memphis. The LeClaire shop later closed and relocated to Chicago. The Chicago location has since closed as well, but you can see a couple photos of the old LeClaire location below.

LOCATION: 303 S 2nd St., Le Claire, IA 52753 (now closed)

Film Oblivion

Movie and TV locations, points of interest.

Month: June 2017

The Game (1997)

The Deer Hunter (1978)

Blade Runner (1982)

American Pickers