In the 1974 John Cassavetes film “A Woman Under the Influence,” Nick and Mabel Longhetti, played by Peter Falk and Gena Rowlands, live at this home, located in Hollywood. Much of the view of the home is obscured from the street.
LOCATION: 1741 Taft Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90028
The 1988 comedy “My Stepmother Is an Alien,” starring Kim Basinger and Dan Aykroyd, was filmed in Southern California. Steven Mills, played by Aykroyd, works as a scientist at this building, where he sends radio signals to space. The same building, found in Westlake Village near Thousand Oaks, was featured in the film “Demolition Man.”
LOCATION: 1 Baxter Way, Westlake Village, CA 91362
Celeste, played by Basinger, first arrives on Earth at the beach front property of Ron Mills, played by John Lovitz. The property, which was also featured in the TV series “Beverly Hills, 90210,” can be found in Hermosa Beach.
LOCATION: 3500 The Strand, Hermosa Beach, CA 90254
The Mills house where Steven and Celeste live can be found in Studio City. The same house was featured in such films as “A League of Their Own,” “Candyman” and “Adams Family Values.” It is also located next door to one of the houses used in the film “Catch Me If You Can.”
LOCATION: 4222 Agnes Ave, Studio City, CA 91604
The front of the property has since been lined with tall hedges, obscuring the view from the street.
Celeste, unaware of how to prepare breakfast, sneaks out in the middle of the night to a diner, where she orders everything on the menu. This scene was filmed at the former Johnie’s Broiler in Downey. The restaurant has a unique history, having appeared in many other films, such as “Heat,” “Short Cuts,” “License To Drive,” “The Game,” “What’s Love Got To Do With It,” “One Hour Photo” and many more. In 2007, the building was 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
In the opening of the 1992 comedy “Sister Act,” a flashback scene is shown at “Saint Anne’s Academy” in 1968. A young Deloris, Goldberg’s character, is seen misbehaving in a Catholic school. The building can be found in Reno, Nevada.
LOCATION: 310 W 2nd St, Reno, NV 89503
An adult Deloris is now a singer in Reno, Nevada. Early in the film, the famous Reno Arch is prominently featured.
LOCATION: 345 N Virginia St, Reno, NV 89501
After witnessing a murder, Deloris goes to a police station. They agree to put her under witness protection until she can testify in court.
LOCATION: 50 S Virginia St, Reno, NV 89501
The exterior of the church where Deloris becomes a nun is the St Paul’s Catholic Church, which can be found in San Francisco.
LOCATION: 221 Valley St, San Francisco, CA 94131
The 1932 Laurel & Hardy film “The Music Box” won the Academy Award for Best Short Subject. The stairs from the film still exist in Los Angeles. Named the “Music Box Steps,” they can be found in the neighborhood of Silver Lake. For those interested, the film can be found online for free.
LOCATION: Music Box Steps, Los Angeles, CA 90026 (between 923 / 935 N Vendome St, Los Angeles, CA 90026, at the intersection of Del Monte Dr / N Vendome St)
The idea for the film came about when a writer for director Hal Roach passed by the stairs and thought it would be amusing to see Laurel & Hardy try to carry something heavy up them. The property on the right existed at the time of the film, but the area to the left was just empty land.
The median in the road on the right can be seen in the film.
The stairs consist of 131 steps.
At the top of the stairs is not a house, as depicted in the film. Those scenes were shot on the Hal Roach Studio lot. At the real location, there is another street at the top of the stairs. Both the top and bottom of the stairs have a street sign for the Music Box Steps.
At the base of the stairs, there is a plaque commemorating the film. However, it has become worn and faded, making it difficult to read. According to the plaque, the same location location was also featured in the lost 1927 Laurel & Hardy short film, “Hats Off.”
The stairs can either be accessed from N Vendome St at the bottom or Descanso Dr at the top.
The 2007 Farrelly Brothers comedy “The Heartbreak Kid” was filmed in both Northern and Southern California, as well as in Mexico. The opening shot of the film takes place on the Golden Gate bridge in San Francisco.
LOCATION: Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco, CA
Eddie, played by Ben Stiller, has pie with Lila, played by Malin Akerman. The interiors were filmed at the former Quality Cafe in Downtown Los Angeles. The cafe was a one-time staple of films, appearing in “Seven,” “Training Day,” “Ghost World,” “Catch Me If You Can,” “Another Day In Paradise,” “(500) Days Of Summer” “Million Dollar Baby,” “The Rules Of Attraction,” “What’s Love Got To Do With It” and dozens more. However, it was not an actual restaurant open to the public. Instead it was used solely for filming (much like Johnie’s Coffee Shop in mid-town L.A.). Unless the building was being set up for a production, most of the time it was closed up and locked by a large metal door covering the front windows. So catching a glimpse of it was rare. Sadly, it ceased to function as a filming location and was completely renovated in 2014. The interior of the property no longer bears any resemblance inside to how it appeared in so many films.
LOCATION: 1238 W 7th St, Los Angeles, CA 90017 (since closed and remodeled)
Late in the film, Eddie sneaks back into the United States from Mexico, in search of Miranda, played by Michelle Monaghan. He visits her parents’ house, supposedly located in Mississippi. The real home can be found in Pasadena.
LOCATION: 1480 N Michigan Ave, Pasadena, CA 91104
Eddie then finds Miranda’s house, also supposedly located in Mississippi but actually found in Pasadena.
LOCATION: 939 N Hill Ave, Pasadena, CA 91104
The filming angles were clearly chosen as to avoid showing the mountains and palm trees in the distance.
The 1996 Robert Rodriguez film “From Dusk Till Dawn,” written by Quentin Tarantino, is set in Texas and Mexico. Production actually took place at neither, however. Instead, the film was shot primarily in California.
In the opening scene, the Gecko Brothers, Seth and Richie, played by George Clooney and Quentin Tarantino respectively, visit Benny’s World of Liquor. The same location also appeared in “Terminator 2: Judgment Day” and still stands today. The building can be found in Lancaster, California. However, a fence has since been erected around the property, obscuring some of the views.
LOCATION: 46551 140th St E, Lancaster, CA 93535
Here is the area next to the building, where Texas Ranger Earl McGraw, played by Michael Parks, first arrives, much in the same way he does (as the same character) in “Kill Bill.” The church he visits in that film is also located in Lancaster, just minutes away from this location.
Seth and Richie speed off down 140th St E as the opening credits begin.
The Dew Drop Motel where the Gecko Brothers meet Jacob, played by Harvey Keitel, can be found in Mojave. The same motel, actually called the Budget Inn Motel, was featured in the film “Nocturnal Animals.” Other than some slight renovations to the front of the motel, it still looks similar to how it appeared in the film.
LOCATION: 16698 Sierra Hwy, Mojave, CA 93501
The restaurant where Jacob eats with his daughter Kate and son Scott, played by Juliette Lewis and Ernie Liu respectively, has since been demolished. It was formerly located in Victorville, on I-15 Frontage Rd, just off Interstate 15. Here is where the building once stood.
LOCATION: GPS coordinates: 34.557037, -117.287256 (nearest address is around 16801 I-15 Frontage Rd, Victorville, CA 92394)
The Titty Twister bar and strip club is not located in Mexico, as depicted in the film. It was a set built on a dry lake bed in Yermo, just off Interstate 15, near Calico Blvd and Ghost Town Rd. There are, of course, no longer any remnants of the set. However, the mountains in the background allow the ability to coordinate where the sets approximately stood. Facing west on the lake bed, looking towards Ghost Town Rd is where the Titty Twister was located.
LOCATION: GPS coordinates: 34.915563, -116.876034 (near Calico Blvd / Ghost Town Rd, Yermo, CA 92398)
Looking the opposite direction is where the dirt path up to the bar was located. There is of course no Aztec temple to be found there, which was a visual effect.
The whip used by Sex Machine, played by Tom Savini, could be found on display at the Museum of Pop Culture in Seattle, Washington as part of their horror exhibition, “Scared to Death: The Thrill of Horror Film.”
LOCATION: 325 5th Ave N, Seattle, WA 98109
To see our “From Dusk Till Dawn” location page, click here.
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The third installment in the “Crocodile Dundee” trilogy, “Crocodile Dundee in Los Angeles,” was primarily filmed exactly where the title suggests. Early in the film, when Mick Dundee, played by Paul Hogan, arrives into the city, numerous landmarks are shown, such as LAX.
LOCATION: Los Angeles International Airport, 1 World Way, Los Angeles, CA 90045
The Santa Monica Pier is also seen in the Los Angeles establishing montage.
LOCATION: 401 Santa Monica Pier, Santa Monica, CA 90401
Dodger Stadium is seen in the montage.
LOCATION: 1000 Vin Scully Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90012
The US Bank Tower in Downtown Los Angeles, also seen in such films as “Independence Day,” “Southland Tales,” “Fracture,” “Darkman,” “The Thirteenth Floor” and more is seen in the Los Angeles montage.
LOCATION: 633 W 5th St, Los Angeles, CA 90071
Angels Flight, also seen in the film “La La Land,” appears in the Los Angeles establishing montage.
LOCATION: 50 S Grand Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90013
The Pacific Design Center in West Hollywood, which also appears in such films as “Bowfinger,” “Demolition Man,” “Lipstick” and “Her,” appears in the montage.
LOCATION: 8687 Melrose Ave, West Hollywood, CA 90069
Another iconic location seen in the montage is Randy’s Donuts, featured in countless films, such as “Iron Man 2,” “Get Shorty,” “2012,” “Dope” and “The Golden Child.”
LOCATION: 805 W Manchester Blvd, Inglewood, CA 90301
The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum also appears in the montage.
LOCATION: 3911 S Figueroa St, Los Angeles, CA 90037
The Staples Center also appears.
LOCATION: 777 Chick Hearn Ct, Los Angeles, CA 90015
The Beverly Hills Hotel also appears.
LOCATION: 9641 Sunset Blvd, Beverly Hills, CA 90210
Mick Dundee stays with his family at this home in Beverly Hills, which sits behind a gated fence.
LOCATION: 718 N Hillcrest Rd, Beverly Hills, CA 90210
Sue, played by Linda Kozlowski, walks with Jean, played by Aida Turturro around Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills. The two discuss how they might be onto a big news story about an upstart film company acting as a front for criminal activity.
LOCATION: Dayton Way / N Rodeo Dr, Beverly Hills, CA 90210
Paramount Studios is seen several times in the film, as Dundee becomes a mole to uncover the crime activities of a movie company shooting on the lot.
LOCATION: 5555 Melrose Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90038
Dundee is seen walking with his family near the B tank and water tower on the Paramount lot.
The scenes of Mick’s son attending school were filmed at San Rafael Elementary School in Pasadena.
LOCATION: 1090 Nithsdale Rd, Pasadena, CA 91105
Mick and his son are seen walking past this home.
LOCATION: 619 N Alpine Dr, Beverly Hills, CA 90210
Dundee and his friend Jacko mistakenly enter a gay bar, which was filmed at Boardner’s bar in Hollywood. The same bar appeared in the film “Ed Wood.”
LOCATION: 1652 N Cherokee Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90028
Thanks to Set Jetter for first identifying a couple of these locations.
The 2007 David Fincher film “Zodiac” is primarily set in the San Francisco Bay area. However, production was split between Northern and Southern California, with quite a few scenes shot in the Greater Los Angeles area. The opening scenes show a young Mike Mageau, played by Lee Norris, being picked up for a date by Darlene Ferrine, played by Ciara Moriarty on July 4, 1969. While set in Vallejo, California, the scene was actually filmed in Long Beach. The camera rolls past a series of houses on Gundry Ave, beginning around 3938 Gundry Ave and stopping five houses down at Mike’s place.
LOCATION: 3964 Gundry Ave, Long Beach, CA 90807
The couple drives to this diner, also located in Long Beach, where Darlene says it’s too crowded and decides to go some place quiet. The same diner has also appeared in the films “Corrina, Corrina,” “The Real McCoy” and “A Cinderella Story.”
LOCATION: 4390 Atlantic Ave, Long Beach, CA 90807
The site of the first killings can be found in Santa Clarita on Bouquet Canyon Rd. The area had been dressed to look like a campground for another production and the filmmakers kept some of the design for this film. A rock wall, seen in some shots, as well as the entrance where Zodiac parks behind Darlene and Mike, can all be seen in historic aerial images. The landscape has changed over the years, but the general layout remains the same, with the hills in the back, trees on the right and layout of the road all still matching.
LOCATION: 30570 Bouquet Canyon Rd, Santa Clarita, CA 91390 (GPS coordinates: 34°29’42.8″N, 118°27’28.3″W)
Here is the area the Zodiac is seen driving away, only to return. The scene itself is very dark in the film, but some of the behind the scenes features show the area in daylight before sets had been built. We confirmed with some of the filmmakers this was indeed the location seen in the film.
Robert Graysmith, played by Jake Gyllenhaal, lives in a house that is only seen from interior views in the film. However, a couple shots help pinpoint the neighborhood to Angelino Heights in Los Angeles. For example, the street outside of his home can be seen here when he takes his son to school early in the film.
LOCATION: Near the intersection of Douglas St / Kellam Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90026 (approximately in front of 1406 Kellam Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90026)
Robert drops his son off at for school at Roosevelt Middle School in San Francisco (460 Arguello Blvd, San Francisco, CA 94118).
Robert works as a cartoonist at the San Francisco Chronicle. For exterior shots, the real newspaper building was used.
LOCATION: 901 Mission St, San Francisco, CA 94103
Interiors for the San Francisco Chronicle were filmed at the old United States Post Office – Los Angeles Terminal Annex in Downtown Los Angeles. The building has also been used in such films as “City of Angels” and “Dear God,” as well as such TV shows as “Southland,” “EZ Streets” and “No Ordinary Family.”
LOCATION: 900 N Alameda St, Los Angeles, CA 90012
The Zodiac kills a taxi driver at the corner of Washington and Cherry in San Francisco. This film shot at the real location where the murder took place, however their access was limited, as the neighborhood did not want the production there or the attention it would draw. The location is revisited several times in the film, as the characters hope the killer might return to the site on the anniversary of his crimes. For the night scenes, the Presidio Heights neighborhood was actually recreated on a studio lot at the former Downey Studios (12214 Lakewood Blvd, Downey, CA 90242), with blue screens used to add further backgrounds to the practical sets. Downey Studios has since been demolished.
LOCATION: 3893 Washington St, San Francisco, CA 94118
Robert stops his son from getting on the school bus at this location. This is again in the Angelino Heights neighborhood, just around the corner from the spot where he drives his son to school early in the film.
LOCATION: Near the intersection of Douglas St / Kellam Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90026 (approximately in front of 908 Douglas St, Los Angeles, CA 90026)
Detectives visit the house of Melvin Belli, played by Brian Cox, after the Zodiac writes him a letter. Later in the film, Robert also visits the home. Belli’s house is located in Hancock Park at Fremont Place, which is one of the few gated communities in Los Angeles and therefore inaccessible to the public. A popular filming location, many productions have shot inside Fremont Place, such as “Taken,” “The War Of The Roses” and “Rocky III.” Fincher himself returned to the same neighborhood for “Gone Girl,” where the house of Desi Collings can also be found.
LOCATION: 72 Fremont Pl, Los Angeles, CA 90005
Paul Avery, played by Robert Downey Jr., has an argument with Inspector David Toschi, played by Mark Ruffalo, outside of the Riverside Police Department. The building used in the scene is actually located in Culver City. The same location was also featured in the film “The Lincoln Lawyer.” The building has since been slightly remodeled, but is still recognizable.
LOCATION: 4130 Overland Ave, Culver City, CA 90230 (since remodeled)
Toschi shares a sandwhich with his partner William Armstrong, played by Anthony Edwards, at the former Callahan’s Diner in Santa Monica. The location actually appears in three separate scenes in the film, with the latter two featuring Toschi meeting with Robert. According to information online, some shots were done on a set. Callahan’s Diner has long since closed and the building was being renovated at the time of our visit.
LOCATION: 1213 Wilshire Blvd, Santa Monica, CA 90403 (since remodeled)
A time lapse is shown of the construction of the Transamerica Pyramid building. This was of course a CGI creation.
LOCATION: 600 Montgomery St, San Francisco, CA 94111
Toschi catches a screening of “Dirty Harry,” where he is unimpressed with the depiction of the Zodiac inspired villain “Scorpio.” The exterior of the building still exists (295 Bay St, San Francisco, CA 94133). However, the interior scenes were filmed at the former National Westwood Theatre in Los Angeles, which was demolished in 2008. Here is the area where it formerly stood.
LOCATION: 10925 Lindbrook Dr, Los Angeles, CA 90024
The Golden Gate Bridge is briefly seen in a transition shot when Robert makes his way to the Vallejo Police Department. The bridge is one of the most often seen locations in film, having appeared in “Vertigo,” “The Rock,” “Pacific Rim,” “X-Men: The Last Stand,” “Big Eyes,” “Terminator: Genisys,” “Rise of the Planet of the Apes,” “Superman: The Movie,” “San Andreas,” “A View To A Kill,” “Dirty Harry,” “Hulk,” “Lords Of Dogtown,” “The Bridge” and many more.
LOCATION: Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco, CA
The Vallejo Police Department, where Robert obtains more information on the case, could be found in Hawthorne. It was a real police building, also featured in the TV series “True Blood” and the second season of “True Detective.” The building has since been demolished. Here is the area where it formerly stood.
LOCATION: 4440 W 126th St, Hawthorne, CA 90250 (now demolished)
Robert meets up with Toschi at the Wilshire Collonade to tell him about the progress of his own personal investigation. Toschi encourages Robert to keep investigating and directs him to seek out Melvin Belli. The same location was featured in numerous films, such as “Wrath Of Man,” “Stealing Harvard” and “Earthquake,” as well as such TV series as “Californication,” “American Crime Story: Impeachment” and more.
LOCATION: 3701 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90010
Robert calls Toschi from a payphone in front of San Francisco City Hall, following a lead on Zodiac’s birthday.
LOCATION: 1 Dr Carlton B Goodlett Pl., San Francisco, CA 94102
Robert approaches Inspector Toschi again at the Earl Warren Building in San Francisco, seeking more information on the case. Toschi lets Robert know the case is unlikely to ever be solved at that point and tells him to not disturb him anymore.
LOCATION: 350 McAllister St, San Francisco, CA 94102
The building is located next to City Hall, which can once again be seen in the background of some shots.
Robert is picked up by Bob Vaughn in front of the Warner Grand Theater in San Pedro. The same theater also appeared in many other films, including “Pearl Harbor,” “Babylon,” “What’s Love Got To Do With It,” “Seabiscut,” “Remote Control,” “Win A Date With Tad Hamilton,” “It’s Pat: The Movie,” “Ghosts Of Mississippi,” “Boys And Girls,” “Live By Night,” “Worth Winning,” “Mark Of Love,” “Invasion Earth: The Aliens Are Here” and “From Wharf Rats to Lords of the Docks.” It has also appeared in such television series as “The O.C.,” “Party Of Five,” “Melrose Place,” “T.J.Hooker,” “7th Heaven” and “Cousin Skeeter.”
LOCATION: 478 W 6th St, San Pedro, CA 90731
Near the end of the film, Robert tracks down a suspect he believes may be the Zodiac working inside this hardware store in South Gate. The building is only seen from interior views in the film.
LOCATION: 3948 Tweedy Blvd, South Gate, CA 90280
In the closing scenes of the film, an older Mike Mageau is brought in at the Ontario Airport to look at photos of potential suspects. The airport has appeared in many other films, including “Catch Me If You Can,” “Saving Mr. Banks,” “Blow,” “Argo” and more.
LOCATION: 1940 Moore Way, Ontario, CA 91761
To see our “Zodiac” location page, click here.
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The 2003 Rob Zombie horror film “House Of 1000 Corpses” was shot entirely in Southern California. Captain Spaulding’s “Museum of Monsters and Madmen” was filmed at the Four Aces Movie Ranch in Palmdale, California. The set has been seen in countless films, such as “Identity,” “Palm Springs” and “Faster.” It has also appeared in such TV shows as “Twin Peaks” and “Buffy The Vampire Slayer,” as well as numerous commercials and music videos.
Please keep in mind the property is private and there are “no trespassing” signs posted. However, it is easily visible from the road. The set is a popular filming location, so you may encounter a shoot in progress when you visit. If it’s a particularly secretive set, sometimes the roads next to it are closed off to the public.
LOCATION: Four Aces Movie Ranch, 14499 E Ave Q, Palmdale, CA 93591
The Firefly house was another set, this time located on Universal Studios Hollywood lot, where it can be seen as part of their studio tour. The same house facade was featured in the film “The Best Little Whorehouse In Texas,” as well as the TV show “Sliders.”
LOCATION: 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, CA 91608
Also on the Universal lot is the house of Don Willis. The same house was featured on the classic television series “Leave It To Beaver.”
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The house from the 1997 comedy “Flubber,” where Professor Philip Brainard, played by Robin Williams, lives can be found in San Jose, California.
LOCATION: 1962 University Ave, San Jose, CA 95126
Film Oblivion 