Chasing Amy (1997)

May 15, 2022March 5, 2023 / filmoblivion / Leave a comment

The 1997 Kevin Smith film “Chasing Amy” was shot primarily in Smith’s native state of New Jersey, with some additional filming in New York. Holden McNeil, played by Ben Affleck, shares an apartment with Banky Edwards, played by Jason Lee, at this building, located in Red Bank.

LOCATION: 30 Broad St, Red Bank, NJ 07701

Here is a view of the full building.

The interior of the same location appears later in the film as the music shop where Holden talks with Hooper X, played by Dwight Ewell. It still operates as a music shop to this day.

After meeting Alyssa Jones, played by Joey Lauren Adams, Holden develops a friendship with her, which slowly develops into an unlikely romance. Holden and Alyssa sit on the swings at Victory Park in Rumson. The park has since changed a bit, but the hills in the background, as well as the Oceanic Bridge, still match up.

LOCATION: Victory Park, 1 Lafayette St, Rumson, NJ 07760

During a montage of Holden and Alyssa hanging out, they are seen at Washington Square Park in New York City. Washington Square Park has been seen in countless films, including “Kids,” “When Harry Met Sally…,” “I Am Legend,” “Ghostbusters II,” “Inside Llewyn Davis,” “Serpico” and many more.

LOCATION: Washington Square, New York, NY 10012

After Holden confesses his feelings for Alyssa, a dramatic argument ensues in the rain. This is the spot where Holden parks his vehicle. The building’s address is Broad St, but the area seen in the film faces Mechanic St. This is also located in Red Bank, almost right across the street from Holden and Banky’s apartment.

LOCATION: 33 Broad St, Red Bank, NJ 07701 (facing Mechanic St)

Alyssa is deeply upset at Holden’s confession, as she identifies as a lesbian and is not interested in dating men. After an intense argument, Alyssa acknowledges her feelings for Holden and the two kiss in front of this building, which is located next to the above location.

LOCATION: 10 Mechanic St, Red Bank, NJ 07701

Banky talks about Catholic school girls as he watches some girls at this corner. This is directly across the street from where Holden and Alyssa have their argument.

LOCATION: 25 Broad St, Red Bank, NJ 07701

Cohee tells the “Fingercuffs” story about Alyssa’s past in front of the Quick Stop Groceries in Leonardo. The location is of course synonymous with Smith’s filmography, most famously as the central location of “Clerks.” The building also appears in a number of Smith’s other films, including “Mallrats,” “Jay And Silent Bob Strike Back” and “Clerks II.”

LOCATION: 58 Leonard Ave, Leonardo, NJ 07737

Unable to accept Alyssa’s sexual past, Holden and Alyssa have another major argument at this ice rink in Brick Township. This spot is a bit further away from most of the other New Jersey locations featured in the film, roughly thirty minutes south of Red Bank.

LOCATION: 197 Chambersbridge Rd, Brick Township, NJ 08723

Buffy The Vampire Slayer (1992)

April 24, 2022October 8, 2022 / filmoblivion / Leave a comment

The 1992 feature film version of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” was shot around Los Angeles, California. Buffy, played by Kristy Swanson, attends John Marshall High School. A regular location in film and television, it has also appeared in such movies as “Rebel Without A Cause,” “A Nightmare On Elm Street,” “Can’t Hardly Wait,” “Bachelor Party,” “Grosse Pointe Blank,” “Grease,” and “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” as well as such TV shows as “Boy Meets World,” “Boston Public” and many more. It was even used in the Van Halen music video for “Hot For Teacher.”

LOCATION: 3939 Tracy St, Los Angeles, CA 90027

The vampire Amilyn, played by Paul Reubens, stalks Grueller, played by Sasha Jenson at the Griffith Park Merry-Go-Round. It has appeared in many other films, including “The Prestige,” “Destroyer,” “Beautiful” and “Twins,” as well as such TV shows as “Alias,” “CSI: NY” and the television adaptation of “Buffy The Vampire Slayer.” It also famously served as an inspiration to Walt Disney in his decision to create Disneyland.

LOCATION: 4730 Crystal Springs Dr, Los Angeles, CA 90027

Lothos, played by Rutger Hauer, has a base of operations at the Tower Theater in Downtown Los Angeles. It has since been converted into a retail store and is open to the public. The same building appeared in the films “Mullholland Drive,” “The Omega Man,” “Fight Club,” “The Prestige,” “Coyote Ugly,” “Last Action Hero,” “Transformers,” “Ed Wood,” “End of Days,” “Inland Empire,” “She’s So Lovely,” “The Replacement Killers,” “The Good German,” “Dark Streets” and “The Mambo King,” as well as such TV shows as “Twin Peaks: The Return” and “Alias.”

LOCATION: 800 S Broadway, Los Angeles, CA 90014

Pike, played by Luke Perry, lives in an apartment unit above a mechanic’s shop. He is visited in the night by Benny, played by David Arquette, who floats outside his window.

LOCATION: 5657 York Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90042

Buffy’s training sequences with Merrick, played by Donald Sutherland, were filmed inside the MacArthur in Los Angeles, formerly known as the Park Plaza Hotel. No longer a functioning hotel, the MacArthur today serves primarily as a property for hosting filming and special events. However, it is under renovation with apparent plans to open a portion up once again as a hotel sometime in 2022 or 2023. It has been featured in many films, such as “Wild At Heart,” “Reservoir Dogs,” “Drive,” “Bobby,” “Gangster Squad,” “Tango & Cash” and many more.

LOCATION: 607 S Park View St, Los Angeles, CA 90057

Buffy chases Grueller from a basketball game. Grueller runs outside past a group of bikers. Buffy takes one of the motorcycles and continues pursuit. These scenes were filmed in Sherman Oaks, but the building has since been remodeled. This is how it appears now.

LOCATION: 14612 Ventura Blvd, Sherman Oaks, CA 91403

Related articles: Buffy The Vampire Slayer

Jay And Silent Bob Strike Back (2001)

March 15, 2022February 19, 2023 / filmoblivion / Leave a comment

The 2001 comedy “Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back,” starring Jason Mewes and Kevin Smith, was primarily filmed in Southern California, with some additional footage shot in Smith’s home state of New Jersey. The film opens in 1970s Leonardo, New Jersey at the Quick Stop Groceries, where Jay and Silent Bob are shown as babies sitting outside the store in strollers. The location is of course famous among Smith fans as the primary location of his debut film, “Clerks.”

LOCATION: 58 Leonard Ave, Leonardo, NJ 07737

As the story jumps to present day, the original characters from “Clerks,” Dante and Randall, played by Brian O’Halloran and Jeff Anderson, talk inside at the counter. Randall decides to call the police on Jay and Silent Bob, to get rid of them loitering outside.

Jay and Silent Bob stand next to the RST Video, where they appear in many of Smith’s other films.

LOCATION: 60 Leonard Ave, Leonardo, NJ 07737

Brodie’s Secret Stash, a fictional take on Smith’s “Jay and Silent Bob’s Secret Stash” was filmed at the real store, formerly located at 35 Broad St, Red Bank, NJ 07701. It has since relocated to a bigger space down the road at 65 Broad St, Red Bank, NJ 07701.

The Mooby’s restaurant seen in the film now sits vacant in North Hollywood. This same location was used as Pig Burgers in “Better Off Dead.” Here Jay meets Justice, played by Shannon Elizabeth, and he and Silent Bob join up with her friends, who turn out to be diamond thieves.

LOCATION: 6223 Lankershim Blvd, North Hollywood, CA 91606

Justice and her accomplices stop at this liquor store in Winnetka, where Jay and Silent Bob try to stand out front, but can’t get comfortable leaning on the glass windows. The same liquor store also appeared in the film “Magnolia” and The Smashing Pumpkins’ music video for “1979.”

LOCATION: 20001 Roscoe Blvd, Winnetka, CA 91306

The women set up Jay and Silent Bob as patsies, sending them on a mission to rescue a monkey from a testing lab, while they actually stage a diamond heist. These scenes were filmed in Valencia, California.

LOCATION: 27220 Turnberry Ln, Valencia, CA 91355

This area is where the science lab entrance was located.

To the right is where the Diamond Exchange entrance was located.

The Arena Diner, where Jay and Silent Bob escape police, was filmed at the famous Vasquez Rocks. One of the most popular filming locations in all of California, the iconic rocks have appeared in such films as “The Flintstones,” “Dante’s Peak,” “Jingle All The Way,” “Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey,” “Hail, Caesar!,” “Blazing Saddles,” “Paul” and dozens more. Television shows which featured Vasquez Rocks in episodes include “The Fugutive,” “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. The rocks have also been seen in music videos for Michael Jackson, Radiohead, 311 and many more, as well as countless commercials.

LOCATION: 10700 Escondido Canyon Rd, Agua Dulce, CA 91350

The building where Jay and Silent Bob run into Pumpkin Escobar, a fellow unionized drug dealer played by Tracy Morgan, was formerly located at 1557 N El Centro Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90028. It has since been demolished and a parking lot stands in its place.

E! News does a story in front of Mirimax Studios, which does not actually have a real studio lot. The scenes were filmed at the CBS Studio Center in Studio City. The film’s studio lot scenes were all shot here as well.

LOCATION: 4024 Radford Ave, Studio City, CA 91604

At the end of the movie, numerous characters from Smith’s past films are seen coming out of the El Rey Theatre, which is depicted as a movie theater. Jay then invites everyone to the concert “across the street.” The El Rey is in fact a live music venue, not a movie theater, and the closing performance by Morris Day & The Time was filmed inside the same location. The venue also appeared in the film “License To Drive.”

LOCATION: 5515 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90036

Jersey Girl (2004)

December 8, 2021February 19, 2023 / filmoblivion / Leave a comment

The 2004 Kevin Smith film “Jersey Girl,” starring Ben Affleck, was primarily filmed in Paulsboro, New Jersey, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and New York City, New York. The majority of the film’s exteriors were filmed in Paulsboro, while many of the interiors were shot across the Delaware River in Philadelphia.

Ben Affleck plays Ollie Trinké, a successful publicist in New York City. Ollie brings his new love Gertrude, played by Jennifer Lopez, to meet his father Bart, played by George Carlin. Later Ollie moves into the home with their daughter Gertie, played by Raquel Castro. Arguably the central location of the film, Bart’s home is located in Paulsboro. The house beside it has since been demolished, but thankfully the Trinké house remains mostly unchanged. Most of the house interiors were sets built in Philadelphia.

LOCATION: 262 Thomson Ave, Paulsboro, NJ 08066

Bart frequents the Clamdigger Bar and drinks with his buddies. Ollie and Gertrude dance together inside the bar in one scene.

LOCATION: 30 E Monroe St, Paulsboro, NJ 08066

Ollie’s New York City apartment seen early in the film overlooks Central Park in New York City. Later Ollie brings his daughter to the city and points out the apartment to her.

LOCATION: 785 5th Ave, New York, NY 10022

Smith did shoot a bit of material around his frequent stomping grounds. The scene where Bart tells Ollie he can’t watch the baby because he’s busy driving a street sweeper was filmed at the corner of Highland Ave / S Bay Ave, Highlands, NJ 07732. This is just a couple blocks away from Smith’s real childhood home, which also served as a filming location for Randall’s house in “Clerks II.”

The Hard Rock Cafe, where Ollie loses his temper at a room full of press, was a composite of two locations. The exterior was the former Hard Rock on W 57th St in New York, which has long since closed and been completely remodeled. The interiors were filmed at the Hard Rock in Philadelphia (1113 Market St, Philadelphia, PA 19107).

LOCATION: 221 W 57th St, New York, NY 10019 (heavily remodeled)

The exterior of Gertie’s school is Loudenslager Elementary School in Paulsboro.

LOCATION: 100 Baird Ave, Paulsboro, NJ 08066

Many of the school interiors, including Gertie’s “Sweeney Todd” performance, were filmed at Paulsboro High School.

LOCATION: 670 N Delaware St, Paulsboro, NJ 08066

Mub & Renee’s Video Blast is the video store where Maya, played by Liv Tyler, works. This was built in a shopping plaza on W Broad St in Paulsboro, which was empty at the time of filming.

LOCATION: 545 W Broad St, Paulsboro, NJ 08066

Here’s a closer look at where the video store would have been. It has obviously changed a bit since filming, as the space was incorporated into the store next to it.

Ollie takes Gertie into New York City to see a Broadway performance of Sweeney Todd. Afterwards, the two talk at Gapstow Bridge in Central Park, where Gertie asks questions about her mom. Gapstow Bridge was also featured in “Home Alone 2: Lost In New York.”

LOCATION: Gapstow Bridge, Central Park, New York, NY 10019

Ollie has lunch with Maya at the Berlin Diner in Berlin, New Jersey. This location is about a 30 minute drive from Paulsboro, so it’s a bit out of the way if you’re visiting the filming locations, but still looks nearly identical to how it appeared in the film.

LOCATION: 117 S White Horse Pike, Berlin, NJ 08009

After their lunch, Maya talks to Ollie on the ramp out front. She takes pity and offers to have sex with him.

We leave you with a couple locations that didn’t make it into the final cut of the film. We’ve included them in case the long-promised extended version of the film ever sees the light of day.

Ollie and Gertrude’s wedding was shot at this church.

LOCATION: 647 Beacon Ave, Paulsboro, NJ 08066

Another scene filmed when Gertrude visits Ollie’s hometown was the two characters having a romantic moment beneath the Tinicum Rear Range Lighthouse.

LOCATION: Tinicum Rear Range Lighthouse, Paulsboro, NJ 08066

If you find yourself in the Philadelphia area and enjoy this film, don’t forget most of the locations are just a short distance away over the New Jersey border in Paulsboro. As we’ve outlined in this article, a few of the other locations are a bit more spread out. If it’s been awhile since you’ve seen the film, we recommend giving it a revisit.

Mallrats (1995)

October 5, 2020February 19, 2023 / filmoblivion / Leave a comment

The 1995 Kevin Smith film “Mallrats” was mostly filmed in Minnesota, with some scenes filmed in Smith’s native New Jersey, as well as a few additional scenes shot in Los Angeles, California. There are several existing cuts of the film, the two most famous being the theatrical cut and the extended cut. Some locations only appear in certain cuts, which we’ll note in this article.

The house of Brodie, played by Jason Lee, can be found in Minneapolis.

LOCATION: 4808 Valley View Rd, Minneapolis, MN 55424

As TS Quint, played by Jeremy London, drives to the house of Brandi, played by Claire Forlani, he drives past the Quick Stop Groceries, which is of course famous for being the central location of Smith’s first film, “Clerks.” The store only appears in the extended cut of the film. The location has appeared in many of Smith’s other films as well, such as “Chasing Amy,” “Jay And Silent Bob Strike Back,” “Clerks II” and “Clerks III.”

LOCATION: 58 Leonard Ave, Leonardo, NJ 07737

The location of the house of Brandi is confusing because two different places were used and depending on which cut of the film you see, different houses appear. The extended cut of the film features the original location in Minnesota, where a news crew waits outside as TS visits with Brodie. After the original movie opening performed poorly with test audiences, the opening was reshot in Los Angeles. For the shorter, theatrical cut, a totally different home was featured, where TS meets Brandi alone and tries unsuccessfully to take her on a trip to Florida. This is the Los Angeles location of the reshoot scene.

LOCATION: 414 S Rimpau Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90020

Hedges have since been planted along the front of the property, obscuring much of the house from street level.

In the Mallrats audio commentary for the theatrical version, Smith confirms the scene was shot long after the original footage and was indeed filmed in Los Angeles. The location is omitted altogether from the extended cut of the film, in favor of the original footage. The Minnesota location of Brandi’s house, which is only seen in close-up shots, has yet to be found.

The key location of the movie, the Eden Prairie Center Mall, has since been heavily remodeled and no longer appears how it did in the film.

LOCATION: 8251 Flying Cloud Dr, Eden Prairie, MN 55344.

The “dirt mall” where TS Quint and Brodie meet a topless fortune teller has since been demolished. It was formerly located at 17 US-1, New Brunswick, NJ 08901.

At the end of the film, TS and Brandi are married at the Jaws ride, supposedly at Universal Studios Florida. The scene was instead filmed at the Jaws ride at Universal Studios Hollywood.

LOCATION: 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, CA 91608

Clerks II (2006)

March 29, 2020February 19, 2023 / filmoblivion / Leave a comment

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.”

LOCATION: 6043 York Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90042

Triple Frontier (2019)

July 3, 2019December 13, 2022 / filmoblivion / Leave a comment

While much of J.C. Chandor’s 2019 heist film “Triple Frontier” is set in South America, it was mostly filmed in O’ahu, Hawaii, with a few scenes filmed in Colombia and the Sierra Nevada Mountains of California.

Ben Affleck’s character is introduced unsuccessfully trying to sell a property to prospective buyers at Pae Ko Gardens in Kapolei. As he exits, Oscar Isacc is outside waiting to speak with him.

LOCATION: 91-1040 Kaiau Ave, Kapolei, HI 96707

The two stand in the parking lot and talk.

Just a few blocks away is Ben Affleck’s house in the film, where he is only allowed in the garage.

LOCATION: 91-228 Pilipiliula Pl, Kapolei, HI 96707

The camera is mostly positioned inside the garage, looking out towards the neighboring houses across the street.

LOCATION: 91-229 / 91-225 Pilipiliula Pl, Kapolei, HI 96707

As Affleck drives his daughter to school, he stops by a convenience store. The real building is currently a restaurant.

LOCATION: 91-775 Papipi Rd, Ewa Beach, HI 96706

He then drops his daughter off at school, which was filmed at Samuel Wilder King Intermediate School in Kaneohe.

LOCATION: 46-155 Kamehameha Hwy, Kaneohe, HI 96744

The freeway establishing shot in South America is actually the iconic Interstate H-3 in O’ahu, also known as the John A. Burns Freeway, which crosses east and west over the Southeast side of the island. The freeway is known for it’s viaducts running alongside the lush Hawaiian landscape. We could not replicate the aerial view seen in the film, but here is a view of the freeway from one of the nearby neighborhoods.

LOCATION: Interstate H-3, Kaneohe, HI 96744

This is the view actually driving the H-3. Some visual effects were used in the film to add a small village near the road.

The house where the heist takes place was a composite of a couple different locations. The main building is part of the historic Clarence H. Cooke Residence, which can be found on Old Pali Road in Honolulu. It’s actually almost directly across the street from George Clooney’s house in “The Descendants.” Unfortunately, the building seen in the film is not visible from the road.

The gate and surrounding jungle seen in the film were actually filmed at Kualoa Ranch (49-560 Kamehameha Hwy, Kaneohe, HI 96744). Unfortunately, the area where the gate set was built was not identified on their movie tour. Here is a view of the real gate to the Clarence H. Cooke Residence, which of course was never seen from this residential view in the film.

LOCATION: Clarence H. Cooke Residence, 3860 Old Pali Rd, Honolulu, HI 96817

The crew can be seen having drinks at this cottage, which sits near the the Moli’i Fishpond in Kailua. The property is actually owned by Kualoa Ranch. This cottage building can also be seen in the Bruce Willis film “Tears of the Sun.” The surrounding buildings and pond have also been featured in many movies, such as “Jurassic World,” “50 First Dates,” “Snatched,” “Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates,” “You, Me and Dupree” and TV show “Lost.”

This area, while private, can be seen as part of the Premier Movie Site Tour of Kualoa Ranch. It’s worth mentioning that parts can also by seen by visiting the local shops near the pond, which rent their buildings from Kualoa Ranch. They offer tours of their own near the water for a small fee, but the Premier Movie Site Tour offered by the ranch is our recommended way to see it.

LOCATION: 49-243 Kuukama St, Kailua, HI 96734

The helicopter crash site was filmed on the main property of Kualoa Ranch. Their tours do not go up close to the exact site, but they do pass nearby and offer a view in the distance. A couple buildings from the film, seen on the left side, are still standing. Countless productions have also filmed in this area, including the 1998 remake of “Mighty Joe Young,” “Windtalkers” and dozens more.

LOCATION: Kualoa Ranch, 49-560 Kamehameha Hwy, Kaneohe, HI 96744

The Battle Of Shaker Heights (2003)

January 19, 2019October 9, 2022 / filmoblivion / Leave a comment

The 2003 “Project Greenlight” film, “The Battle of Shaker Heights,” attempted to substitute Los Angeles filming locations for Shaker Heights, Ohio. The house where Kelly, played by Shia LaBouf, lives is the same house seen in “Kill Bill,” where The Bride battles Vernita Green. It can also be seen in the 2004 film “Mysterious Skin.”

LOCATION: 5500 Atlas St, Los Angeles, CA 90032

The house of Lance can be found in South Pasadena. The same house was also featured in the Rob Zombie remake of “Halloween.”

LOCATION: 1937 La France Ave, South Pasadena, CA 91030

Batman v Superman: Dawn Of Justice (2016)

July 15, 2018December 21, 2022 / filmoblivion / Leave a comment

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.

Batman’s desert strike outfit.

The Batmobile from the film.

Some kryptonite from Lex Luthor’s Lexcorp.

LOCATION: 4000 Warner Blvd, Burbank, CA 91505

The Town (2010)

April 15, 2018December 13, 2022 / filmoblivion / Leave a comment

The 2010 Ben Affleck film “The Town” tells the story of a group of Boston bank robbers. The filmmakers utilized some iconic Boston landmarks as recurring images throughout the film. The opening shot is of the Bunker Hill Monument, located in the Charlestown neighborhood of Boston, which is where the film’s central characters are from. The monument was built to commemorate the Battle of Bunker Hill.

LOCATION: Bunker Hill Monument, Monument Sq, Charlestown, MA 02129

Another iconic Boston landmark seen in the film is the Leonard P. Zakim Bunker Hill Memorial Bridge, often referred to as the Zakim Bridge or Bunker Hill Bridge. It too is located close to Charlestown.

LOCATION: Interstate 93, Boston, MA 02114

The exterior of opening bank robbery in the skull masks takes place at the Cambridge Savings Bank in Cambridge, Massachusetts, located in Harvard Square, directly across the street from Harvard University. The filmmakers had to use an alternate bank, the East Boston Savings Bank in Melrose, MA, for interior scenes.

LOCATION: 1374 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA 02138

Later in the film, as the robbers are dressed in nun costumes, they get boxed in at this intersection, where they engage in a shootout with police, before taking off down the surrounding, narrow corridors. Here we take a look at the intersection from a few different angles.