While the original “Clerks” film was famously shot in New Jersey, the 2006 sequel, “Clerks II” was largely filmed in Southern California. The opening scene depicts the Quick Stop Groceries, famous of course for being the central location from the first film, on fire.
LOCATION: 58 Leonard Ave, Leonardo, NJ 07737
Randal, played by Jeff Anderson, lives at this home in Highlands. The home is director Kevin Smith’s actual childhood home. It used to sit at ground level, as seen in the film, but has since been raised due to flood risk in the area.
LOCATION: 21 Jackson St, Highlands, NJ 07732
Much of the film takes place at the fictional Mooby’s fast food restaurant, which was located in Buena Park. The restaurant was vacant and slated for demolition at the time of filming. It has since been demolished and replaced by a housing development.
LOCATION: 8572 Stanton Ave, Buena Park, CA 90620 (demolished)
One behind the scenes remnant of the film which is still standing is the hotel next door. The production offices were set up within the rooms.
The police station seen near the end of the film can be found in Highland Park. The building is no longer an active police station and operates today as a police museum. The building has been featured in countless films, including “Transformers,” “Gangster Squad” and “National Security,” as well as the TV series “Twin Peaks: The Return.”
Filming for the 2002 Steven Spielberg sci-fi film “Minority Report,” starring Tom Cruise, took place mostly around Los Angeles, Washington D.C. and Virginia. In one action scene, a chase on rocket-packs occurs in front of this building. This is actually part of the Warner Bros. backlot in Burbank, California. The same building was seen in the 1994 Jim Carrey comedy, “The Mask.”
LOCATION: 4000 Warner Blvd., Burbank, CA 91505
The Peterson Automotive Museum in Los Angeles, California ran an exhibit entitled “Hollywood Dream Machines: Vehicles Of Science Fiction and Fantasy” from May 2019 through May 2020. Included on display were some vehicles from the film.
As a manhunt ensues for John Anderton, played by Tom Cruise, as he is chased by Agent Danny Witwer, played by Colin Farrell. As the chase enters a car factory, Witwer watches as this “2054” Lexus Coupe is assembled around Anderton, who immediately drives it off and escapes.
LOCATION: Peterson Automotive Museum, 6060 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90036
As Anderton drives this “2054” Lexus Maglev Pod, a computer controlled iris recognition system spots him and stops the vehicle. As police pursue, Anderton escapes out the window.
As Anderton tries to evade police in a mall, an advertisement plays for this “2054” Lexus Roadster.
The early seasons of the TV series “Westworld” were largely shot around various western movie ranches in Southern California, with additional vistas shot in Utah and Arizona. However, as the series narrative expanded, production followed suit, filming in places like Singapore and Spain.
One of the most heavily used locations in the series is Melody Ranch in Newhall, California. Melody Ranch is private property, inaccessible to the general public most of the time. However, unbeknownst to most, it does in fact offer tours, with the caveat being that no tours occur whenever active production is taking place on the ranch. The challenge is the fact that production is almost always taking place there. So opportunities for the general public to see it are rare and not something you can plan much in advance. You simply need good timing or a lot of persistence.
Endless productions have taken place at the ranch over the years, including “Deadwood,” “Django Unchained,” “Once Upon A Time In… Hollywood,” “Peaky Blinders” and many more. It’s a utopia for movie lovers, so if you ever get a chance to visit, we highly recommend it.
Here are the train tracks at Melody Ranch, where park visitors first arrive. In the show, CGI was added to make it appear the train was rolling in from an open, Western landscape.
LOCATION: 24715 Oakcreek Ave, Newhall, CA 91321
In a repeating scene, Teddy, played by James Marsden makes his way through this area, into the main street of Sweetwater. The android hosts play out scenes and stories in which they are programmed to perform.
Here is a look further down the main street of Sweetwater.
The Mariposa Saloon is one of the central locations of the early seasons of the show. Maeve Millay, played by Thandie Newton, works as the brothel madam there, helping visitors indulge in their fantasies. The same building was used as The Bella Union in the TV series “Deadwood.” The front boardwalk is also seen in Quentin Tarantino’s “Once Upon A Time In… Hollywood,” when Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt’s characters are interviewed on a western set.
This interior view of the Mariposa Saloon should be quite familiar to fans of the show, as it’s one of the most prominently featured locations in the series. Many scenes take place in front of the bar. The same interior was seen in the film “Django Unchained.”
Here’s some additional looks at the inside of the Mariposa Saloon.
Here are some views of the upstairs.
Teddy first meets Dolores, played by Evan Rachel Wood, in front of this building. This is another scene that repeats over and over on the show and where Dolores typically ties her horse up when she visits the town.
Here’s an alternate angle of the same location, with the Mariposa Saloon a few buildings down on the right.
Here’s a couple additional shots of Melody Ranch, seen in various shots in the show.
Outside of the park is the Delos corporate headquarters, built inside a large mesa. Quite a number of different locations were used as a composite of Delos. Many of the lab scenes were built on sound stages at Melody Ranch.
As the hosts begin to show signs of malfunctioning, Bernard, played by Jeffrey Wright, heads down to sub-level 84 accompanied by security. This is the cold storage area where the defective hosts are stored in the nude. These scenes were filmed at the former Hawthorne Plaza Shopping Center. The plaza has been abandoned for years, with on-again, off-again plans for demolition. In the meantime, it has become a popular spot for filming and photography. It has been seen in such films at “Gone Girl,” “Minority Report,” “John Dies At the End” and “The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift,” as well as the TV series “Too Old To Die Young.” The building is closed to the public and regularly patrolled by security, so unless you have permission from the city or someone filming, it is trespassing to enter the grounds. It is a popular spot for abandon building enthusiasts, however, and quite a few people have managed to sneak inside over the years.
LOCATION: 12124 Hawthorne Blvd, Hawthorne, CA 90250 (closed to the public)
The Mesa Gold Resort is another area where guests and staff can relax outside of the park. We first see the area when Theresa talks with Lee about the hosts, but the location pops up repeatedly throughout the series. These scenes were filmed at the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles. Quite a lot of visual effects were added. In the show, the characters are seen overlooking a beautiful western vista. As you can see in the photos, the actual location faces the side of a hill. The vistas composited into the shot were filmed in Utah.
LOCATION: 2701 N Sepulveda Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90049
The area of Skirball seen in the show is known as Taper Courtyard. The building is open to the public, but there is an admission price, as there are many exhibits on display.
In the first episode, one of the hosts goes on a killing spree in the Mexican border town Las Mudas, drinking milk as he kills. This scene was filmed at what many people refer to as the Veluzat Movie Ranch. However, the ranch has since changed its name to the Melody Ranch Studio Backlot. It is owned by the same family who owns the Sweetwater sets, although it’s an entirely different location and backlot. To make matters more confusing, right next to the Veluzat Backlot in Santa Clarita sits the Diamond V Movie Ranch. This is owned by other members of the family, but not the same ones as those who own Melody Ranch and the Melody Backlot (a.k.a. Veluzat Movie Ranch). People often mistake Diamond V and Veluzat Ranch as being one in the same, but they are two separate properties with different ownership.
While perhaps not quite as well known as Melody Ranch in Newhall, the Melody Backlot is actually larger. To get to the ranch, you make a turn from Copper Hill Drive. There is a very unassuming dirt road there (GPS coordinates: 34°27’36.5″N 118°30’32.0″W). If you follow the long dirt road, you’ll sure enough arrive at the ranches. However, a locked fence is at the entrance and you can proceed no further without permission of the owners. The good news, however, is that the ranch is available for public tours. You must book by appointment only and if productions are in active progress, that may inhibit their availability.
The ranch was also featured in Rob Zombie’s “3 From Hell” and “House of 1,000 Corpses,” as well as such films as “Dante’s Peak,” Friday the 13th: Part III,” “Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter,” “Last Man Standing,” “Chaplin,” “The Laundromat” and many more. It was also featured in the TV series “The Young Pope.”
LOCATION: Melody Ranch Studio Backlot (a.k.a. Veluzat Movie Ranch), Forest Rte 5N28, Santa Clarita, CA 91390 (GPS coordinates: 34°29’03.5″N 118°30’25.1″W)
In the first episode, Arnold later arrives with security to inspect the malfunctioning host.
Las Mudas appears numerous times over the course of the series. The Man in Black, played by Ed Harris, searches for the elusive maze, killing anyone in his path, while Dolores arrives in the aftermath.
The Man in Black ties Teddy to a tree on the outskirts of the park. These scenes were filmed at the iconic Vasquez Rocks. Films which shot scenes at Vasquez Rocks include “Dante’s Peak,” “Jay And Silent Bob Strike Back,” “Hail, Caesar!,” “Blazing Saddles,” “Paul,” “Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey” and dozens more. Television shows which featured Vasquez Rocks in episodes include “The Fugitive,” “The A-Team,” “MacGuyver” and perhaps most famous of all, the original “Star Trek” series, where the rocks were seen in numerous episodes, serving as multiple different planets.
LOCATION: 10700 Escondido Canyon Rd, Agua Dulce, CA 91350
Logan, played by Ben Barnes, attacks Dolores and a massacre takes place on a Confederate soldier campground. These scenes were filmed at the Blue Cloud Movie Ranch in Santa Clarita. This same area was seen in the film “Iron Man.” Blue Cloud Movie Ranch very rarely offers public tours, but it does happen once in awhile. The staff there is quite friendly if you do make it there.
LOCATION: 20019 Blue Cloud Rd, Santa Clarita, CA 91390
Another major location in the first season is the town of Escalante. An early testing site for the park, Dolores has visions of a massacre there. This white church was featured prominently in the show, with a large steeple added by the production. These scenes were filmed at the “Paramount Ranch.” Paramount Ranch is unusual in that it is managed by the National Parks Service and is public property. Even though the sets were frequently used for filming, the productions could not close the area to public visitation. So visitors were free to roam the grounds any time during open park hours.
Paramount Ranch has also made notable appearances on such TV shows as “Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman,” “The X-Files” and “Carnivàle.” Countless films likewise shot at the ranch, including “Reds,” “The Flintsones in Viva Rock Vegas,” “Bone Tomahawk,” “The Great Outdoors,” “American Sniper” and many more.
Unfortunately in November 2018, the ranch fell victim to wildfires and nearly every building was burnt to the ground. However, plans have been announced to rebuild the sets. One of the few to survive the fires was the church set.
LOCATION: 2903 Cornell Rd, Agoura Hills, CA 91301 (now mostly demolished, but being rebuilt)
Here is a look inside the church.
The climax of Season 1 takes place at this saloon and gazebo, with Dr. Robert Ford, played by Anthony Hopkins and Dolores causing a chaotic scene. These structures were all destroyed by fires, but we were thankfully able to visit Paramount Ranch prior to the destruction.
“Shogun World,” an alternate park attraction, is introduced in the second season of the show. This too was filmed at Melody Ranch. Much of the sets still stand, which were a combination of new designs and re-purposing of existing sets to give them an ancient Asian appearance.
Here is a quick look inside one of the Shogun World buildings.
The house of Bernard can be found in Pasadena. Seen in the second season, the home is known as the Millard House. This is the back of the property, which is private and not available for tours. Unlike what is depicted in the show, the home is not on a hilltop. It is instead located in the middle of a neighborhood. This back area is surrounded by fencing, but from certain spots on the sidewalk, you can still catch a glimpse.
LOCATION: 645 Prospect Crescent, Pasadena, CA 91103
In Episode 10 of Season 2, the hosts can be seen at the Trona Pinnacles, as they journey towards the Valley Beyond. The otherworldly geological formation has appeared in many films, such as “Star Trek V: The Final Frontier,” Tim Burton’s 2001 version of “Planet of the Apes,” “Priest” and “Mom and Dad Save the World” as well as such TV shows as “Lost in Space,” “Battlestar Gallactica” and “Buck Rogers in the 25th Century.” It also appeared in Lady Gaga’s music video for “Stupid Love.”
LOCATION: Trona Pinnacles, Trona, CA 93562 (GPS coordinates: 35.617777, -117.368211)
Ashley Stubbs, played by Luke Hemsworth, stays at the Pink Motel in Sun Valley in Season 3. Bernard crosses the back of the property past the empty pool to visit Ashley. The motel is never seen from the front, as its retro look is not in keeping with the show’s aesthetic. The Pink Motel is not an operational motel, rather a set used for filming or special events. According to many comments online, the property is not receptive to public visitation these days, preferring only professional clients. The motel property has been featured in countless productions, including “The House Bunny” and “Drive” (interiors only), as well as the TV shows “GLOW,” “Dexter” and “The O.C.”
LOCATION: 9457 San Fernando Rd, Sun Valley, CA 91352
In Season 3, Dolores and Caleb, played by Aaron Paul, are pursued by Serac’s men into Grand Lower in Downtown L.A. This is a popular area for both filming and photography. It has been featured in countless films, including “The Terminator,” “Demolition Man,” “Cobra,” “Batman Forever,” “Repo Man,” “Double Dragon” and many more.
LOCATION: Grand Lower, Los Angeles, CA 90071
The chase then proceeds to upper S Grand Ave, directly above Grand Lower.
LOCATION: S Grand Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90071 (near 340 S Grand Ave)
Caleb fires a specialized weapon, which shoots into the air, then back down, exploding a car directly in front of The Broad Museum.
LOCATION: 221 S Grand Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90012
Late into Season 3, Caleb learns about his history, as him and his partner stage an attack. The two are walking past the Arthur J. Will Memorial Fountain in Grand Park in Downtown L.A., with City Hall in the background.
LOCATION: Arthur J. Will Memorial Fountain, Los Angeles, CA 90012
They walk towards the John Ferraro Building and carry out their attack. A futuristic city skyline was added in behind the building.
LOCATION: 111 N Hope St, Los Angeles, CA 90012
In the final episode of Season 3, William asks for his money while riots ensue just outside. This scene was filmed at the famed Millennium Biltmore Hotel in Downtown L.A. The hotel is a staple of film, having appeared in such movies as “Ghostbusters,” “Beverly Hills Ninja,” “Independence Day” “Fight Club” and many more.
LOCATION: 506 S Grand Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90071
At the end of Season 3, Bernard and Ashley Stubbs hide away at a motel. These scenes were filmed at the Sierra Pelona Motel in Santa Clarita. The motel was also used in “The Grifters,” the 2002 Britney Spears film “Crossroads” and the TV series “Too Old To Die Young.”
LOCATION: 12117 Sierra Hwy, Santa Clarita, CA 91390
It is no easy task keeping up with the “Westworld” filming locations. Many of the early season scenes were shot on private ranches, which are difficult, but not impossible to be seen by the public. Later seasons went global, meaning you have to be well traveled if you hope to visit them all. TV shows are often a challenge, due to the volume of locations. Our photographs were taken over a period of years and some of these sets and locations have been scarcely seen outside of the show, so we hope you enjoy the areas we could showcase.
The album cover of Pink Floyd’s “Wish You Were Here,” featuring a man on fire shaking hands, was filmed on the backlot of the Warner Bros Studio Lot in Burbank.
In the 2013 Sofia Coppola film “The Bling Ring,” a group of teenagers begin robbing celebrity homes. One of the homes targeted by the characters in the film is that of reality television star Audrina Patridge. Rebecca and Marc, played by Katie Chang and Israel Broussard respectively, locate the home by search engine. The address seen in the film is only slightly altered from the actual address where the scene was shot.
The house can be found on St Ives Pl, but the view from the film is actually looking down from Cordell Dr. The entire robbery is shown in a single shot from this road. However, since filming completed, remodeling to the homes on Cordell Dr has caused the view to become more obscured.
LOCATION: 1267 St Ives Pl, Los Angeles, CA 90069 (seen from around 9126 Cordell Dr, Los Angeles, CA 90069)
In the 2007 film “Transformers,” Shia LaBeouf plays Sam Witwicky. The Witwicky residence can be found in the West Adams neighborhood of Los Angeles, California.
LOCATION: 2187 W 24th St, Los Angeles, CA 90018
The car lot where Sam shops for cars with his dad can be found in Altadena. It was actually a composite of two locations on opposite sides of the street from one another. The location at 2012 Lake Ave still stands, but the other location at 2000 Lake Ave has since been demolished.
LOCATION: 2012 Lake Ave, Altadena, CA 91001
Bobby Bolivia, played by Bernie Mac, points down the street to where his mother lives.
Bumblebee gives himself an updated look inside the Second Street Tunnel in Downtown L.A. This is a popular filming location, appearing in such films as “Kill Bill,” “Demolition Man,” “Blade Runner,” “Con Air,” “Independence Day” and many more.
LOCATION: 620 W 2nd St, Los Angeles, CA 90012
The police station seen in the film can be found in Highland Park. The building is no longer an active police station and operates today as a police museum. The building has been featured in countless films, including “Clerks 2,” “Gangster Squad” and “National Security,” as well as the TV series “Twin Peaks: The Return.”
LOCATION: 6043 York Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90042
Sam and Mikaela, played by Megan Fox, watch a meteor shower at the iconic Griffith Observatory. The location is another staple of film, appearing in such movies as “Rebel Without A Cause,” “La La Land,” “The Terminator” and dozens more.
LOCATION: 2800 E Observatory Rd, Los Angeles, CA 90027
Sam and Mikaela are taken into custody near this railway bridge, only for the Transformers to rescue them.
LOCATION: N Henry Ford Ave / Pier A Plaza, Los Angeles, CA 90744
Sam and Mikaela are taken to the Hoover Dam in Nevada, which houses Megatron inside a bunker.
LOCATION: Hoover Dam, Boulder City, NV 89005
Ironhide lands in the pool of the Byrdview house in Chatsworth (also known as the Farralone Estate and Fox House). It has appeared in many films, including “Swordfish,” “Lords Of Dogtown,” “Kiss Kiss Bang Bang,” “The Salton Sea,” “Bewitched,” “Tomcats” and “Dreamgirls.” It has also appeared in such TV series as “Six Feet Under,” “Mad Men,” “Californication,” “The Last Man on Earth,” “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation,” “Aquarius,” “Moonlight” and “Good Girls Revolt.”
LOCATION: 9361 Farralone Ave, Chatsworth, CA 91311
A full scale Optimus Prime truck used in the film could be seen on display in the prop room at Paramount Studios.
The 2009 comedy “I Love You, Man” was filmed in and around Los Angeles, California. In the film, Peter, played by Paul Rudd, resides at this house.
LOCATION: 3959 Franklin Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90027
Peter’s friend Sydney, played by Jason Segel, lives at this house in Venice. While the home was completely visible in the film, the owners have since planted large shrubs in front yard, making the property increasingly difficult to see.
LOCATION: 26 Rose Ave, Venice, CA 90291
Peter and Zooey, played by Rashida Jones, have an engagement celebration at Hop Louie in Chinatown. The restaurant has since closed, but the facade still remains. The same restaurant was also seen in the 1990s comedies “Beverly Hills Ninja,” “Surf Ninjas” and “Mystery Men.”
LOCATION: 950 Mei Ling Way, Los Angeles, CA 90012
Peter and Sydney meet up for food and drinks at this restaurant in Venice.
LOCATION: 60 N Venice Blvd, Venice, CA 90291
Peter’s parents’ house can be found in Toluca Lake.
LOCATION: 4727 Arcola Ave, Toluca Lake, CA 91602
Zooey’s workplace stood at 1626 Silver Lake Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90026, but it has since been demolished.
In the third Austin Powers film, “Austin Powers In Goldmember,” there is a flashback to Austin’s graduation from the British Intelligence Agency. These scenes were filmed at Greystone Mansion in Beverly Hills. While the outside of the Greystone grounds is open daily and free to the public, opportunities to tour inside are somewhat rare. The property is owned by the City of Beverly Hills and regularly accommodates productions and private events. Therefore, only a few times a year is access to the inside of the estate possible. Planning ahead is required if you’d like to see inside.
LOCATION: 905 Loma Vista Dr, Beverly Hills, CA 90210
The interior is also seen in the film, where Austin is in bed with a woman. The same mansion has been featured in countless films, such as “The Big Lebowski,” “There Will Be Blood,” “The Social Network” and dozens more.
The TV series “Alice,” based on the Martin Scorsese film “Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore,” ran from 1976 until 1985. Linda Lavin plays the titular Alice, a woman working as a waitress at Mel’s Diner. The show was based in Phoenix, Arizona and there is indeed a Mel’s Diner in Phoenix. The diner’s sign with the coffee cup was in fact featured in the show. However, the diner itself was actually a set built in Los Angeles.
The real Mel’s Diner in Phoenix remains in business all these years later and inside they have many photos from the show. If you do plan to visit, the restaurant is only open during breakfast and lunch hours.
Film Oblivion 