Paul Thomas Anderson’s underappreciated 1996 debut film, “Hard Eight” (a.k.a. “Sydney”) filmed primarily in Reno, Nevada.
The restaurant seen at the beginning and end of the film, where Sydney, played by Philip Baker Hall, meets John, played John C. Reilly, who is sitting outside the doorway, was filmed at Jack’s Cafe in Sparks, Nevada, located just outside of Reno.
LOCATION: 2200 Victorian Ave, Sparks, NV 89431
The entrance where John C. Reilly is sitting is not the main entrance to the restaurant. In fact, it’s a side door with an emergency exit sign. There were several homeless people around this area.
Things take a turn for the worse when John and Clementine, played by Gwyneth Paltrow, find themselves involved in a hostage situation at a motel. The motel is the Ace Motor Lodge in Reno. The motel has changed quite a bit from how it appeared in the film and is now more dilapidated.
LOCATION: 222 N Sierra St, Reno, NV 89501
John can be seen exiting through the front entrance. The surrounding area has also changed quite a bit from what was seen in the film, as the casinos are no longer beside the motel.
Near the end of the film, Sydney awaits Jimmy, played by Samuel L. Jackson, at his house.
For those seeking out the filming locations of the 1991 film “My Girl,” prepare yourself for a lengthy journey. While the film was set in Madison, Pennsylvania, it was shot mostly around Central Florida, with many of the locations scattered far apart from one another, tucked away in small towns. To see the “My Girl” locations for yourself requires a lot of time and travel.
The Saltenfuss house, where Vada, played by Anna Chlumsky, lives with her father Harry, played by Dan Aykroyd, can be found in the town of Bartow, Florida. For quite some time after the film, the property operated as a bed and breakfast. Due to the property’s distance from major tourist destinations, however, it was unfortunately forced to shut down due to a lack of guest bookings. It has since returned to being a private residence. The house is very impressive and recognizable to how it appeared on screen, so if you have the time to venture to Bartow and are a fan of the film, it’s worth the journey.
LOCATION: 555 E Stanford St, Bartow, FL 33830
Shelly, played by Jamie Lee Curtis, pulls her RV up from around this corner in front of the house.
The main street where Veda and Thomas J., played by Macaulay Culkin, ride their bikes can be found in Sanford, Florida. They can be seen crossing this road with the clock tower to the right, then riding down the sidewalk.
LOCATION: Intersection of E 1st St and Magnolia Ave, Sanford, FL 32771
They then ride their bikes up a ramp that specifically says “no bicycles,” taking a short cut through a mechanic’s garage. That building and ramp have since been demolished. The alley they exit onto can still be found, however, where the garage owner yells at them as they ride away.
As they approach Dr. Welty’s office, they continue riding their bikes down another alley, which features a “Nixon / Agnew ’72” poster on the brick wall. This alley really is just around the corner from the Dr. Welty’s office filming location.
LOCATION: Alley between 107 and 111 Magnolia Ave, Sanford, FL 32771
Vada visits Dr, Welty’s office, where, in spite of her claims that she’s sick, the doctor insists she’s in perfect health.
LOCATION: 113 Magnolia Ave, Sanford, FL 32771
The kids then come across their school teacher, Mr. Bixler, played by Griffin Dunne, who is painting his house.
LOCATION: 605 Magnolia Ave, Sanford, FL 32771
The tree where Vada and Thomas J. become “blood brothers” and later kiss in the film was a bit of movie magic. It was, in fact, an artificial tree, built in part using pieces of a real tree. After extensive location hunting for a willow tree beside a lake, the filmmakers failed to find what they were looking for and instead opted to make their own tree. A team was hired to cut down a large oak tree, tagging each branch for reassembly, then uprooting it and moving it to the lake location. The lake in question is Mirror Lake in Clermont, Florida, which is located somewhat far away from the other filming locations. The base of the tree was held in place by five tons of cement, with metal coupling sleeves to reinforce the branches. They then covered the entire thing with $15,000 worth of silk willow leaves to give you the tree you saw in the film, which appeared quite authentic. Today all that remains is the metallic base of the tree. Some say the dock has since been removed due to deterioration, while others say it is still there, submerged underwater.
This portion of the lake is not open to the public and is not visible from the road. However, the much of the surrounding land is currently up for sale, in an effort to develop more housing around the area. So while an eventual sale of the property could open it up for easier visibility, there is always the possibility that developing the land could in turn lead to the removal of the tree base. The reason it hasn’t already been removed is most likely due to the five tons of concrete beneath.
LOCATION: Mirror Lake, Old Hwy 50 W, Clermont, FL 34711 (closest known address is 15647 Old Hwy 50 W, Clermont, FL 34711, the GPS coordinates of the tree base itself are 28.565015, -81.700218)
A bit closer look at the tree base.
Vada sneaks over to Thomas J.’s house and asks him to go to the church with her to spy on her father’s date with Shelly.
LOCATION: 603 Myrtle Ave, Sanford, FL 32771
They church they head to is Ocoee Christian Church in Ocoee, Florida. The kids can be seen walking down the sidewalk on the left and passing the front steps as they make their way over to the bingo tent. Once again, Ocoee is not a short drive to get to and it’s somewhat puzzling why the filmmakers chose such a far-removed location, as surely there must have been other churches available that were closer to the other filming locations.
LOCATION: 15 S Bluford Ave, Ocoee, FL 34761
Here is the yard to the church, where the bingo tent was set up.
The school where Mr. Bixler teaches his creative writing class can be found at the 1914 Plant City High School Community Building, not to be confused with the present day Plant City High School. The 1914 building is an old landmark and serves as a community center.
LOCATION: 605 N Collins St, Plant City, FL 33563
Back in Sanford, near the end of the film, Thomas J.’s mother runs into Harry at The Breezeway Restaurant & Bar, which is located right by the clock tower on the main street, where the kids are seen riding their bikes early in the film. Harry is eating inside, when he comes out and speaks to her on this sidewalk at the corner.
LOCATION: 112 E 1st St, Sanford, FL 32771
If you’re a fan of the film, the good news is most of the filming locations are still well preserved. The biggest challenge, aside from the handful of locations found in the town of Sanford, is simply traveling to all of the towns distant from one another, which composite the small Pennsylvania town depicted in the film.
Perched across the corner from Alamo Square Park is the infamous Kenneth Anger house, also known as the Westerfeld House. First built in 1889, the house managed to survive a 1905 earthquake. In 1928, a group of Czarist Russians purchased the home and turned part of it into a brothel. The house became nicknamed by locals as the “Russian Embassy,” or simply, “The Embassy.” In the 1950s, with the rise of the beatniks, the house became occupied by many jazz musicians. It is said that everyone from Allen Ginsberg to the Grateful Dead visited the house.
By the mid-1960s, the area had fallen into decline and in 1966, the house was rented to filmmaker Kenneth Anger. Although his stay was brief, lasting only until 1967, the house took on a new level of infamy during this period. Anger filmed portions of his short film, “Invocation of My Demon Brother” at the house, which featured Anton LaVey and Bobby Beausoleil, with music by Mick Jagger. Anger also claims to have sighted UFOs from the tower of the house.
A documentary about the history of the home is even in the works, known as “Westerfeld House of Legends.”
LOCATION: 1198 Fulton St, San Francisco, CA 94117
Beausoleil, who not long after would become involved in one of the Manson Family murders, posed for a famous photo on the front stairs of the building. On decidedly less of a counter-culture note, the house sits adjacent to San Francisco’s famous “Painted Ladies,” which readers might recognize from the TV series “Full House.” The creator of “Full House,” Jeff Franklin, later moved onto the property where the Manson Family murders took place.
In 2014, Kenneth Anger himself made a rare public appearance at the Ace Theater in downtown Los Angeles, which was hosting a collection of his films. It was scheduled to feature the first ever public screening of Jimmy Page’s unused film score to Anger’s “Lucifier Rising” (Page’s score was rejected in favor of one by Bobby Beausoleil, who composed the music from prison while serving out his murder sentence). The screening featuring Page’s score was cancelled, however, reportedly due to legal threats. Here is a photo of Anger, who briefly spoke at the event.
Lastly, we leave you with Kenneth Anger’s signature and hand prints, which can be found in front of the Vista Theater, one of L.A.’s best vintage theaters.
LOCATION: Vista Theater, 4473 Sunset Dr, Los Angeles, CA 90027
The Peyton house from the 2005 remake “Herbie: Fully Loaded,” starring Lindsday Lohan, can be found in South Pasadena, California.
LOCATION: 1120 Buena Vista St, South Pasadena, CA 91030
The iconic Herbie, the Love Bug was also revived for the film. One of several 1963 Volkswagen Beetles built for the production, this particular model was seen being driven by Lindsay Lohan during the racing sequences. The car can be found at the Peterson Automotive Museum in Los Angeles, California.
LOCATION: Peterson Automotive Museum, 6060 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90036
The 1996 Farrelly Brothers comedy “Kingpin” was shot mostly around Pennsylvania, but like many Farrelly Bothers films, it becomes something of a road trip movie, reaching Reno, Nevada by the film’s climax. In the opening scene of the film, a young Roy Munson practices bowling with his father at the Munson Service Center. The scene is supposedly set in Ocelot, Iowa. It was actually filmed in Mars, Pennsylvania.
LOCATION: 255 Mars Valencia Rd, Mars, PA 16046
Roy bowls with his father at the side of the building, using a homemade lane and bowling pins.
Roy’s father sees him off at P.J.’s Soft Serve. The building was in poor condition when the filmmakers first found it. It is shown in this state when Roy, played by Woody Harrelson, returns to his home town later in the film. The production then fixed it up for the early scenes. The building has since been completely demolished, with a different one now standing in its place, but the surrounding areas still match up. This is located one mile from the Munson Service Center, on the same road.
LOCATION: 441 Mars Valencia Rd, Valencia, PA 16059 (now demolished)
After winning a bowling tournament, Roy takes his car to a mechanic, who tells him someone put sugar in his gas tank. This scene was filmed just a few buildings down from the Munson Service Center and is easily within walking distance.
LOCATION: 229 Mars Valencia Rd, Mars, PA 16046
Only a small part of the building is seen in the film. However, this house across the street is also seen in the background of the scene, confirming the location.
“Big Ern” McCracken, played by Bill Murray, hustles some local bowlers and Roy finds himself in over his head. As they exit the bowling alley, they are confronted by the guys they’ve hustled. Big Ern lets Roy take the fall, as he speeds off and abandons him at the Beaver Valley Bowl in Rochester, with Roy losing his hand in the process. This same location was used in the Michael Douglas film “Wonder Boys” and the TV series “I Am Not Okay With This.”
LOCATION: 25 New York Ave, Rochester, PA 15074
The home of Roy Munson is supposedly located in Scranton, Pennsylvania. The real building is actually located in the town of Trafford. Roy’s neighbors sit outside and complain about life, while his landlady lives next door as well. The building has been slightly updated, but is still very recognizable from how it appeared in the film.
LOCATION: 533 5th Street Ext, Trafford, PA 15085
Later in the film, Roy stages a purse snatching on his landlady, in which he rescues her in hopes she’ll cut him a break on his late rent.
Right around the corner from Roy’s apartment was another scene from the film. Roy helps a mother get her stroller up on the sidewalk and then steals the baby’s milk for his coffee.
LOCATION: 5th St / 5th Street Ext, Trafford, PA 15085
Roy first meets Amish bowler Ishmael, played by Randy Quaid, at the Lancaster Bowl. This scene was actually filmed at Mars Lanes, located right across the street from the Munson Service Center.
LOCATION: 262 Mars Valencia Rd, Mars, PA 16046
Ishmael lives at this farm, where Roy tries to persuade him to become business partners. Ishmael’s farm can be found in Fombell. The long path leading down to the farm is located at the intersection of Harvest Ln / PA-288.
When Roy first approaches Ishmael, who is riding his bicycle on the left side of the road, the barn on the right can be seen in the background. This is the same location as above, facing toward PA-288 (also known as Zelienople Rd).
After Ishmael loses a bowling match to a club player, Roy nearly decides to abandon their partnership. They stop on PA-528 (also known as Prospect Rd), where Roy quickly changes his mind and tells Ishmael he was just testing him.
LOCATION: PA-528, Slippery Rock, PA 16057 (near the 528 Boat Ramp, GPS coordinates: 40°57’03.3″N 80°02’34.9″W)
Depending on the map you use, this area may be listed as Slippery Rock, Prospect or Lake Arthur. It is located near the Frank W. Preston Conservation Area.
Roy and Ishmael unsuccessfully attempt to run the same hustle that cost Roy his hand at the former McKnight Lanes in Pittsburgh. The bowling alley has long since closed.
LOCATION: 7507 McKnight Rd, Pittsburgh, PA 15237 (since remodeled)
Roy and Claudia, played by Vanessa Angel, get into an argument the Jolly Jumper Motel, prompting Ishmael to run away. These scenes were filmed at 100 Blue Spruce Way, Murrysville, PA 15668, but the building has since been demolished.
Roy and Claudia go in search of him at Uncle Willees Reptile Farm, where a rattlesnake bites the owner in the face. The real building is a restaurant known as Willees Tavern and has operated for more than 80 years. The filmmakers clearly gave a nod to the real establishent when naming their fictional reptile farm. It is not far from the early locations seen in the film, such as the Munson Service Center and P.J.’s Soft Serve.
LOCATION: 11150 Babcock Blvd, Valencia, PA 16059
For the film’s climax, Roy and Big Ern square off at the National Bowling Stadium in Reno, Nevada. The lanes are not open to public use, but there is a bowling museum inside that is open to the public, for those interested.
Paul Thomas Anderson’s 2012 film “The Master” was shot primarily around Northern California, with a few scenes also being filmed in Southern California, Hawaii and Nevada. Early in the film, Freddie Quell, played by Joaquin Phoenix, is seen serving in the military, stationed somewhere in Hawaii. These scenes were filmed at Papa‘Iloa Beach on the North Shore of Oahu, as identified by Reel News Hawaii.
LOCATION: Papa‘Iloa Beach, Haleiwa, HI 96712
Here is another photo of the same location, kindly provided to us by Christian Hernandez at Boogie Sights.
Freddie is seen working aboard a Navy vessel. These interior scenes were filmed aboard the USS Hornet in Alameda. Public tours are available for those interested. There is actually an exterior shot of the aircraft carrier, but only in the “Back Beyond” deleted scenes and outtakes feature. These photos of the USS Hornet were also provided to us by Christian Hernandez at Boogie Sights.
LOCATION: USS Hornet – Sea, Air and Space Museum, 707 W Hornet Ave, Alameda, CA 94501
Freddie meets Lancaster Dodd, played by Philip Seymour Hoffman, as he sneaks aboard Dodd’s yacht as a stowaway. That yacht is the USS Potomac, which is docked in Oakland, California. The boat is most famous for having once belonged to former U.S. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt.
LOCATION: 540 Water St, Oakland, CA 94607
A view of the back of the yacht. The production added a canopy to the upper deck, where guests were seen dancing when Freddie first approaches.
Another, wider view of the USS Potomac, where it regularly docks.
There are tours available inside the USS Potomac, where you can see additional interiors featured in the film. This area is where Lancaster delivers a speech after his daughter’s wedding. While the majority of the tour is focused on Franklin Roosevelt and the history of the yacht, they do mention this film.
This bar area, which is only seen briefly in the background of a couple shots, was added by the production. The association which owns the yacht liked it and decided to keep it after the production ended.
Freddie is seen visiting his sweetheart, Doris, at this house in Crockett, California. The house has since received a paint job.
LOCATION: 619 Winslow St, Crockett, CA 94525
A full view of the home, though it is never seen from this angle in the film. It sits perched on a steep hilltop of a very narrow, one way road overlooking a lake.
Freddie and Doris sit on this park bench. These park shots are provided courtesy of Christian Hernandez at Boogie Sights, who also identified the location. It can be found almost directly across the street from the Lancaster Dodd house, past the concrete structures and to the left. We’ve provided GPS coordinates below.
LOCATION: Alden Park, 8th St, Vallejo, CA 94592 (GPS coordinates: 38°05’51.6″N, 122°16’15.4″W)
Supposedly located in Philadelphia, the home of Helen Sullivan, played by Luara Dern, can found on Mare Island in Vallejo, California. The property, known as the Captain’s Mansion, is a former event space and can be a bit tricky to find. The first challenge is that many houses spanning several blocks on this street look almost identical and are used for similar purposes. There are subtle differences from house to house, however, be it minor architectural variations, trees and shrubs, views in the background, etc. To located this house, make sure you arrive at the intersection of Walnut Ave and 8th St on Mare Island and you’ll see the house, which has the number “822” on the front steps.
LOCATION: 1075 Walnut Ave, Vallejo, CA 94592 (near Walnut Ave and 8th St, GPS coordinates: 38°05’49.9″N, 122°16’18.2″W)
The theater where Freddy and Clark, played by Rami Malek, hand out flyers in front of the ticket booth is the Los Angeles Theatre (615 S Broadway, Los Angeles, CA 90014) in Downtown L.A.
The Causes’s first congress, celebrating the release of Lancaster Dodd’s second book, was supposedly located in Phoenix, Arizona. The building is actually located in Norwalk, California. The same street has appeared in many films, such as “Another Day In Paradise” and “Frailty.” In some of the teaser trailers, alternate shots can be seen of some of the buildings across the street.
The famous cottage featured in the intro to the 1970s television series “Fantasy Island,” while set on a fictional island somewhere in the Pacific Ocean, can actually be found in Arcadia, California. Ricardo Montalban walks down the front steps, while Hervé Villechaize famously rings from the bell tower. The house is known as the Queen Anne Cottage and can be found inside the Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden. While the house is perched beside a lake, it’s nowhere near any island. The same property was featured in the film “Meet the Fockers.”
LOCATION: 301 N Baldwin Ave, Arcadia, CA 91007
A closer look at the bell tower, where Tatoo famously shouted, “The plane! The plane!”
The apartment from the 1970s sitcom “Laverne & Shirley,” where the two women dance and say “Schlemiel! Schlimazel! Hasenpfeffer Incorporated!” in the opening credits, is actually a set on the Paramount Studios backlot. Even all these years later, the set still strongly resembles how it appeared on the show.
LOCATION: 5555 Melrose Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90038
Over at Planet Hollywood in Florida, you can find one of the dresses worn by Penny Marshall as Laverne on display.
LOCATION: 1506 E Buena Vista Dr, Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830
Several costumes and props from the 2016 film “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” can be found on display at Warner Bros. Studios, as part of their studio tour. First up is Ben Affleck’s take on The Caped Crusader.
Here is Henry Cavill’s Superman costume.
Arguably general audiences’ favorite character in the film; Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman.
In the heart of Times Square is MTV Studios, where the network has taped an endless variety of shows over the years, most notably “Total Request Live” from 1998 – 2008. MTV acquired the location in 1997, part of One Astor Plaza and still regularly film programming there today.
Film Oblivion 